THE BARK

Friends,

As Labor Day approaches, it marks the end of summer. This summer was one of the busiest we have had and I’m sure that it is a sign of what will continue in the future.

In July, we had our annual visit from the Israeli Scouts with great turn-outs at the Boy’s and Girl’s Cub, the Bentonville Square and the NWACC evening show. Thanks and accolades must be given to Tarnya Eschel for putting this fabulous event together. We also want to thank the Jewish Federation of Arkansas. Without their generous funding, the event would not be able to happen.

CEC’s social events continued to thrive with the Men’s Club, the Sisterhood and the Book Club. Thank you to Aaron Markowitz, Debra Ruben and Evie Adler for continuing to help bring fun activities to the Congregation, as well as a feeling of camaraderie.

The summer was also busy with Bar Mitzvahs. July brought us our first twin Bar Mitzvah with Ryan and Jason Friedman. They truly did a wonderful job and huge congratulations go out to them and their family. Thank you to Ryan and Jason’s Grandfather for building and donating a corner table to hold the 10 Commandments. This is a wonderful addition to the Bema.

August brought us a very special event for my family when my son, Michael Douglass had his Bar Mitzvah. Thank you to all of you who participated in and attended Michael’s special day. We are so happy that you were able to share in our joy and your presence helped to make it a very special moment in our lives. This was also a day of "firsts" as I stumbled on my words and, inadvertently, wished my son something that you should not wish a 13 year old. I wasn’t sure how many people heard it over all of the sniffling in the Temple (me and the Congregation included), but the huge roar of laughter confirmed that the cat was out of the bag!

September brings us to another busy period of CEC’s events that I know will not only excite you, but also warm your hearts. Religious School begins on September 13th and you and your children will be able to reconnect with friends that they may not have seen over the summer. I know that the students and their families will, as always, enjoy the Religious School experience.

As Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur approach, Rabbi Jack and Cantor Debbye are very busy planning spiritually satisfying High Holiday services. These services mark another year for us as a Congregation, as well as a promise for more growth and, hopefully, many more "firsts."

The fun will continue with the building of the Sukkah by the Men’s Club. Plans for celebrating Sukkot and building the Sukkah are well underway, so please feel free to take part in the great holiday tradition at Etz Chaim. If there is a social activity or a new group that you would like to start, please don’t hesitate to contact me. We continue to grow every year and this could not be done without the participation of all members.

As many of you know, this summer marked our 5 year Anniversary as a Congregation. Please watch for information on our Celebration to mark this momentous occasion. This is a wonderful time to look back at how much we have accomplished in 5 years and how much we can accomplish in the next 5 years. It is hard to believe that we started with 11 families in the Hoodis’ living room. We used to rent the Boys and Girls Club for services and Religious School met in one large conference room in the Bentonville Advertising and Promotions building. CEC is truly a growing family and every adult, every child, every member is an integral part of this.

As always, I wish you and your loved ones health and happiness and although a bit early…

L’ Shana Tovah,

Tom

Food For Thought

It’s all about the food, isn’t it? I can’t speak for you, but oftentimes during a delicious, fulfilling lunch, I’m sitting there fork in hand, already planning dinner. As Rosh Hashanah begins, with Yom Kippur on it’s heals, and Sukkot beckoning shortly thereafter, it may be wise to try to learn a lesson from our holiday eating habits, customs and rituals.

The Jewish New Year brings us to what are now familiar representative foods: apples and honey for a sweet start to our calendar, round challahs to remind us of the planet earth, since tradition says the world was created on Rosh Hashanah, and a host of other historical and cultural dishes ripe with symbolism. But let’s be honest, do we really take any of these messages to heart? Do we stop, think about, and discuss the import of the underlying metaphor? For example, what specific and concrete things can each of us actually do in the coming months to make it a sweet year for others, our families, the community or even ourselves? Will we seriously ponder the "birth of the universe", and it’s implication for inspiring a beginning of a new way to approach our challenging lives, as we cut into and slice the circular bread on our tables? And then, we go from an opulent, celebratory parade of various delicacies and courses during the Rosh Hashanah meals, to the extreme opposite end of the nourishment scale – fasting on Yom Kippur.

The total abstinence from eating causes fatigue, pangs of hunger, headaches, and like symptoms. Is this total deprivation of sustenance supposed to teach us something too? Some sages urged that this inevitable physical condition was created so as to make it more conducive to focus and meditate on the Yom Kippur liturgy during services. The words of the prayers will thus take on a deeper, more serious and spiritual meaning. In our physically weakened states, our minds are more apt to be open to faith. Other Talmudists argued the fast induced ailments were to approximate a feeling of imminent death. Only when you realize your time alive is finite, can you be properly motivated to change for the better, pursuing mitzvot, being kinder, truly leaving a legacy of justice and love. After this introspective period of denial, we gradually reintroduce our creature comforts, initially with a break the fast meal. Then, in an intentionally big way, we spotlight our "first and best fruits" of our lands and our herds, with the festival of Sukkot. The holiday compels us to signal and recognize the awe filled and good results of a spiritual and physical partnership with G-d and the principles of Torah, as we joyously share the bounty of a blessed harvest. This fall, as we sit with family and friends in our kitchens and dining rooms, let’s remember what Judaism offers us as opportunities for growth, both in our fields and in our hearts.

Debbye and I would like to take this opportunity to wish each of you a Shanah Tovah, a transformative Yom Kippur, life and health, and we also pray that this season of change