Temple Kol Hamidbar Reform Synagogue

01/10/2026

Yet another from “The Vault…”

01/09/2026

A blast from the (not so) distant past…

09/30/2023

Sukkot 2023 begins at sunset on September 29, 2023 and ends at nightfall on October 6, 2023.

Sukkot is one of the most joyful festivals on the Jewish calendar. “Sukkot,” a Hebrew word meaning "booths" or "huts," refers to the Jewish festival of giving thanks for the fall harvest. The holiday has also come to commemorate the 40 years of Jewish wandering in the desert after the giving of the Torah atop Mt. Sinai.

Also called Z’man Simchateinu (Season of Our Rejoicing), Sukkot is the only festival associated with an explicit commandment to rejoice. Sukkot is celebrated five days after Yom Kippur on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, and is marked by several distinct traditions. One, which takes the commandment to dwell in booths literally, is to erect a sukkah, a small, temporary booth or hut. Sukkot (in this case, the plural of sukkah) are commonly used during the seven-day festival for eating, entertaining and even for sleeping.

Our sukkot have open walls and open doors, and this encourages us to welcome as many people as we can. We invite family, friends, neighbors, and community to rejoice, eat, and share what we have with each other.

Another name for Sukkot is Chag HaAsif (Festival of the Ingathering), representing the importance in Jewish life of giving thanks for the bounty of the earth.

Torah portion this week is Parashat Sukkot Leviticus 23:33-44

09/13/2023

As you all know, the High Holy Days begin this Friday night. Given the selection of exceptional High Holy Day services available online, we will not have our own services at TKH this year.
Rosh Hashanah starts the evening of Fri, Sep 15 and ends for Reform Jews on the following day. Yom Kippur begins the evening of Sun, Sep 24 and ends Mon, Sep 25, 2023.

Various congregations within the Reform Movement are still providing online HHD services for anyone interested. In some cases, registration is required. You may want to visit the four websites listed below for their latest information on the High Holy Days and how to access them. You can also google "streaming Reform High Holiday services 2023" to find other options.

Kol Ami (formerly Temple Emanu-El and Congregation Or Chadash), Tucson, AZ https://katucson.shulcloud.com/

Congregation Or Ami, Calabasas, CA https://orami.org/hhd/

Temple Sinai, Oakland, CA https://www.oaklandsinai-hhd.org/

The Union for Reform Judaism https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/rosh-hashanah/how-find-high-holiday-community-wherever-you-are


We will have Torah Study on Zoom next week on Friday, beginning at 6:00 PM, followed by Friday night services at 7:30.



Shanah Tovah!

Whether you’re traveling – for business or pleasure – during the High Holidays, studying at a college or university far from home, or otherwise not able to attend services where you usually do, ReformJudaism.org can help you find a High Holiday community – wherever you are.

04/18/2023

Temple Kol Hamidbar joins with communities worldwide today to remember the six million Jewish people who were killed during the Holocaust for Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. This solemn occasion is an important reminder of the atrocities committed against the Jewish people during World War II and serves as a time for reflection and education to ensure that such horrors are never repeated. May the memory of those lost be a blessing and a reminder to us all to work towards a more just and peaceful world.

03/06/2023

These gluten free delicate cookies are a traditional Persian treat.

12/19/2022

CHANUKAH/HANUKA

Chanukah (חֲנֻכָּה or חֲנוּכָּה ḥanuká) started yestereday evening, Sunday, December 18, 2022 (25 Kislev) at sundown, and ends at nightfall, Sunday, December 26, 2022. The name Chanukah comes from the Hebrew verb "חָנַךְ‎" (chanách), meaning "to inaugurate, to dedicate, to consecrate". On Chanukah, in 165 BCE, the Maccabean Jews regained control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple. It is also known as the Festival of Lights (חַג הַאוּרִים‎, ḥag ha'urim).

The festival is observed for eight days by lighting the candles of a Chanukiah (nine branched menorah) each night in a specific number and sequence, often followed by singing, eating and celebrating. There are some interesting variations between Sephardim and Ashkenazim customs, e.g., one Chanukiah or one per person, oil or candles, Shamash (helper candle) last or first, buñuelos/bimuelos or latkes, songs in Ladino, Yiddish, Hebrew or English. Chanukah is a relatively minor holiday in strictly religious terms, but it has attained major cultural significance in North America and elsewhere among secular Jews.

At Temple Kol Hamidbar we remain committed to keeping our community, friends, and family members as safe as possible. For various reasons, again this year we will hold our gathering by Zoom on Friday, December 23, 2022 starting at 6 PM with a short service followed by a Chanukah sing-along and party. We will begin by lighting the Chanukiah then the Shabbat candles each with their specific blessings.

Zoom regularly updates its security and performance features. Making sure you have the latest version of Zoom, please join us online this coming Friday evening with your Chanukiah, and favorite Chanukah food and drink.

Topic: Chanukah Celebration

Time: Dec 23, 2022 06:00 PM Arizona

To join the Chanukah Celebration click on the following link [you may need to copy it into your browser]: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/72510500854?pwd=Z3VQZWF4U1BBZytNYmh3aHFTWkFDZz09

Meeting ID: 725 1050 0854

Passcode: 4NrMk0

Hint: The last character of the password is the number zero. These are the same link/Meeting ID and Passcode we use for our regular Torah Study and Shazoom. We will return to our regular programming on Friday, December 30, 2022.

Whatever Chanukah means to each of us, and however each of us observes it, may each of us rededicate ourselves this Festival of Lights to struggling with Torah, dwelling together in unity, and Tikkun Olam – the repairing of our world.

Shavua Tov and Chag HaUrim/Chag Chanukah Sameach!

We want to thank all of you who have continued to support TKH financially with dues and donations, and also by attending our zoom services during this difficult time. Hopefully, we will resume live services at the Temple with a Chanukah party in December.
The well-being of your health will continue to be our main concern.
Please continue your support so we can reopen.
In addition to dues and donations, you can also support us by using this link whenever you shop at Amazon:
https://bit.ly/shopamazon4templekol

It won't cost you anything, and TKH will benefit.

We will soon send a similar link for shopping locally at Frys.

When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazon will donate to Temple Kol Hamidbar. Support us every time you shop.

04/07/2022

From our Temple member, Ruthie. Please help in any way you can, even if it's just sharing the post, or only with prayers.
"Sabrina came home yesterday. She was scheduled to come home via ambulance. I decided that we didn’t need a show in our neighborhood and knowing my Sabrina is is not about attention. I went to pick her up. She was very happy to see me . I showed up in the getaway car and got her walking papers and off to get her a quick bite as she was a little hungry. We met up with our dear friends then headed home.
She is having a very rough night as I type this. Hospice nurse is on her way now.
Back up just a bit….. I took her to see her cardiologist and she had labs done. His suspicions were on point. She has endocarditis on top of the CHF.
Endocarditis due to the neglect of her oral hygiene from the group home.
Now we are waiting on the second set of cultures and waiting to see if we can get her a bed ASAP and treat this with iv antibiotics. I hate this wait. My heart is breaking to see her like this. I’m so angry at that place that did this to her."

Hi, my name is Kristy Baccus, and I have an extraordinary someone in need. My beautiful niece Sabr… Kristy Baccus needs your support for Helping Sabrina Home