09/02/2026
Dear Kehillat Shaar HaShamayim Family,
I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to every single person who was with us this past Shabbat.
Just minutes before Shabbat, we discovered that the air conditioning had broken throughout the entire building, on what turned out to be an extraordinarily hot weekend. And from there, one thing after another seemed determined to test us. The air conditioning remained out all of Shabbat, the refrigerator decided to join the rebellion, and we found ourselves constantly adjusting our plans to make things work.
Friday night, we prayed together in the Bet Knesset and had dinner there with every door open. Shabbat morning, we prayed together again, with some sitting outside to escape the heat. We moved lunch to the front of the Bet Knesset, learned together outside on the back porch in the afternoon, and gathered again for Seudah Shelish*t on the front balcony.
Through all of it, I did not hear complaining. Instead, I saw kindness, patience, laughter, friendship, flexibility, and people looking out for one another. Everyone simply made the best of what we had, and somehow, despite everything that was not working, Shabbat remained every bit as warm, beautiful, and special as it always is. Perhaps a little too warm!
There are moments when a rabbi looks at his community and feels an extraordinary sense of pride. This was one of those moments for me. I am so grateful to HaKadosh Baruch Hu for the privilege of being the rabbi of a Kehillah whose members genuinely enjoy being together and who know how to turn even an uncomfortable situation into an opportunity for camaraderie, friendship, and joy.
Baruch Hashem, the air conditioning was repaired on Monday in time for Seliḥot, and it has been working since. We are certainly praying that it continues to behave throughout the holiday season!
More importantly, this Shabbat reminded me that if we can face challenges with this kind of spirit, patience, and care for one another, there is very little that we cannot overcome together.
As we enter the new year, may HaKadosh Baruch Hu bless our entire Kehillah with a year of sweetness and goodness, good health and happiness, friendship and togetherness. And after this Shabbat, I think we have earned the right to ask for a year with fewer challenges and plenty of positive growth instead.
Thank you, truly, to every single person who helped make an imperfect Shabbat so perfectly beautiful.
With tremendous love and gratitude,
Rabbi Yonatan Halevy
