09/04/2026
Dear Friends:
I want to remind you of tonight’s 6pm First Friday service, and of tomorrow night’s S’lichot program and service at 8pm. I hope to see you here.
One week from tonight, we will welcome the new year at Rosh Ha-Shanah, then on the 20th, we will gather for Yom Kippur. As you all know, Yom Kippur is a time to reflect on and atone for our sins. If you pause to take note as we work through the various confessional litanies throughout the day, you’ll see what might appear to be a disproportionately high number related to how we speak. I would add that to how we use words in general, in our day, perhaps most especially with the “keyboard courage” many display on social media. It seems that there is a great inability, from the top leadership of our country on down, to communicate meaningfully and civilly in ways that don’t sound like we would once have said were reserved for 5th graders on the playground. The words themselves, and the attacks they are used for, must stop. We need to find a way back to productive, polite conversation, and yes, we can still hold onto our beliefs.
On our 3 Civil Rights trips and on, as I recall, two occasions online during the pandemic, many of us had the chance to learn from Billy Planer. For twenty years, Billy led cross country summer teen tours devoted primarily to help teens learn to think critically, to open their minds, and to use words appropriately in challenging various speakers about current issues. Part of the genius of these trips was that Billy made sure that the participants heard at least two points of view on every issue. I’m proud that two of our young people, Noa Blumenthal and Shayna Finkelstein, took part in these programs.
Billy has now written a book which is scheduled to be released at the end of October. He is then doing a book tour to promote the book, and will be speaking to all of us at Shaarai Shomayim and our friends on Sunday morning, November 1. I know this is early to be promoting this, but I want you to save the date now. Please see https://billyplaner.com/ and save the date.
Barring anything particularly pressing, I may take the next 2 weeks off from writing these Friday messages as we all engage in our observance of the Yamim Noraim/Days of Awe/High Holidays. I’ll use this opportunity, then, to wish you L’Shanah Tovah Tikateivu. May you be inscribed for a good new year. Shabbat Shalom u’m’vorach. Have a Shabbat of peace and of blessing.
Sincerely,
Jack P. Paskoff,
Rabbi
Billy Planer is a distinguished thought leader recognized for his innovative teaching about how and why we need to speak with people we disagree.
