Temple Beth Ami

23023 Hilse Lane, Santa Clarita, CA 91321  (661) 255-6410

 

 

 

 

Schedule of July Events

Tuesday, July 1
Torah Study
9:00 a.m.

Wednesday, July 2
Talmud Study
7:00 p.m.

Friday, July 4
Shabbat Services at
Bridgeport Park
Picnic @ 5:00 p.m.
Services @7:00 p.m.

Monday, July 7
CAMP TBA BEGINS
9:00 a.m.

Friday, July 11
Shabbat Service
8:00 p.m.

Sunday, July 13
Youth Group Movie Night
4:00 p.m.

Friday, July 18
Shabbat Sounds Service
7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, July 22
Torah Study
9:00 a.m.

Wednesday, July 23
Talmud Study
7:00 p.m.

Friday, July 25
Shabbat Service
8:00 p.m.

Tuesday, July 29
Torah Study
9:00 a.m.

Wednesday, July 30
Talmud Study
7:00 p.m.

 

Interested In
Joining TBA?

Click Here

 

Read about Rabbi Mark Blazer
and Temple Beth Ami's
recent trip to Israel

Click Here For The Blog

 

 

 

 

Rabbi's Message

As most of you know I turn 40 this month. And if I was not feeling my age, the Lord in infinite wisdom provided me with a wonderful lesson.

As most of you also know, I am typing this article with a broken hand. Suffered while attempting to make a jumping stop at second. No, I didn't make the play (note my word attempting). And as I recover, I am reminded each day that I am not as young as I used to be.

You reach a point where your body can no longer keep up with your heart, and the reality is the body wins. By now I should have enough sense to weigh the consequences of diving for a softball. I guess I haven't yet.

Which is ironic, because according to Pirke Avot, at 40, I have reached the age of discernment. In other words, by about now I should have known better.

By the time we reach 40 most of us should not only know better but should also have our lives in order. Be headed in a good direction. Be comfortable with our livelihoods and lives in general. And yet it seems there are many people who are either closing in on this age or have already soared past it without finding their place in this world. Is it too late?

It's never too late, as our tradition also teaches us something about what can happen even in middle-age.

Our greatest leader, the exemplar of Jewish vision and scholarship began his career at 40, if not older. Moshe Rabbenu, Moses our teacher, spent roughly 40 years in Egypt, with little if any connection to his people. He didn't lead our people out of Egypt until he was 80.

While we don't have to be Moses (and we might not get the 120 years he did), our Torah teaches by example that we are never too old to be great, to be the greatest. And by learning and studying, our tradition not only permits us, but enables us, to make the journey toward realizing our potential at any age.

More than 1,000 years after Moses, Akiba was a Jewishly illiterate shepherd who was simply trudging through life until he reached his 40th year. Akiba, noticing a stone at a well that had been hollowed out by drippings from the buckets, said: "If these drippings can penetrate this solid stone, how much more powerfully can the word of God enter the human heart." He went and sat with the 5-year-old students learning the alef-bet, and worked his way quickly through his studies. His humility and dedication resulted in his ability to advance quickly. Soon he was a great teacher, acquired many students of his own, and his scholarship and inspiration resonates even today. All this from an individual completely disconnected from Jewish learning for the first half of his life.
There are many modern stories of people who have had relatively late changes of direction in life. Some remarkable biographies of mid-life transitions are well known — others, less celebrated. What we learn from all these testimonies is the potential of the human spirit.
We must never forget that life provides opportunities at every age. And the door that opens for us at 40, 50, 60, 70 or even beyond, may not have been there when we were 20.

I hope none of us is afraid to step through it when the time comes. Whenever the time comes. I hope this summer allows us some time to reach our potential. And on the way, just don't break anything.

B'Shalom,

Rabbi Mark Blazer
rabbi@templebethami.org

 

Revised: June 29, 2008  

 

 

Let's go to Camp TBA!

Hurry! Camp begins
on Monday, July 7th

All children, ages 2
through 5 are welcome.

Click Here for More Details

 

Happy 4th of July!!

Join us for
Shabbat Under the Stars

Bridgeport Park

Picnic at 5:00 p.m.
Service at 7:30 p.m.

Click Here for the Flyer

 

Buy Scrip!

Help raise money for TBA
by spending your regular
shopping dollars using scrip
at your favorite stores

.

Click Here for a List of
Participating Merchants
and Order Form

 

The
JWest Campership Program
awards financial incentives of up to
$1,800 to first-time campers entering
6th, 7th, or 8th grade in fall 2008

Find out more by clicking here

JewishCamps

 

 

Buy your unique
Jewish Wrapping Paper
and Cards Here and
Support the Temple

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for More Information

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Directly to Jewcy Wrap

(Please be sure to select
Temple Beth Ami
when ordering)

 

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