TORAH READING FOR 28 TEVET 5786 Jan 16-17, 2026
SHAZOOM ONLY 6:30 PM Jan 16, 2026
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AND ALL THE VICTIMS OF CONFLICT AND VIOLENCE
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who frees the captives.
From “Mishkan T’filah / A Reform Siddur” CCAR, New York 2007, p.180
Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya’aseh shalom alëinu,
v’al kōl Yisraël, v’al kōl yoshvëi tëvël, v’imru. Amën.
May the One who makes peace in the high heavens
make peace for us, for all Israel and all who inhabit the earth. Amen.
PARSHA
From Reform Judaism https://reformjudaism.org/torah/portion/va-eira
Va’ëra (וָאֵרָא – “I (God) appeared [to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob]”) – Ex. 6:2-9:35
God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Eternal.” – Exodus 6:2
SUMMARY:
- Despite God’s message that they will be redeemed from slavery, the Israelites’ spirits remain crushed. God instructs Moses and Aaron to deliver the Israelites from the land of Egypt. (6:2-13)
- The genealogy of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and their descendants is recorded. (6:14-25)
- Moses and Aaron perform a miracle with a snake and relate to Pharaoh God’s message to let the Israelites leave Egypt. (7:8-13)
- The first seven plagues occur. God hardens Pharaoh’s heart, and Pharaoh rescinds each offer to let the Israelites go. (7:14-9:35)
HAFTARAH
Ezekiel 28:25-29:21
STRUGGLING WITH TORAH
Until further notice, we will meet on Fridays for Shazoom only. Please see the Shazoom schedule below. Read this week’s Torah Portion at https://www.sefaria.org/Exodus.6.2-9.35 and Haftarah at https://www.sefaria.org/Ezekiel.28.25-29.21.
RECOMMENDED READING
From Reform Judaism https://reformjudaism.org/torah/portion/va-eira
By: James Loeffler
ROSH CHODESH SH’VAT 2026 / רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ שְׁבָט 5786
Start of month of Sh’vat on the Hebrew calendar
Rosh Chodesh Sh’vat for Hebrew Year 5786 begins at sundown on Sunday, 18 January 2026 and ends at nightfall on Monday, 19 January 2026.
Start of month of Sh’vat on the Hebrew calendar. שְׁבָט (transliterated Sh’vat or Shevat) is the 5th month of the civil Hebrew year and the 11th month of the biblical Hebrew year. It has 30 days and corresponds to January or February on the Gregorian calendar. רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ, transliterated Rosh Chodesh or Rosh Hodesh, is a minor holiday that occurs at the beginning of every month in the Hebrew calendar. It is marked by the birth of a new moon.
Read more from ou.org
PRAYERS
From “Mishkan T’filah / A Reform Siddur”:
ROSH CHODESH SHEVAT – FOR THE NEW MONTH
From “Mishkan T’filah / A Reform Siddur” p.519
Our God and God of our ancestors, may the new month bring us goodness and blessing. May we have long life, peace, prosperity, a life exalted by love of Torah and reverence for the divine; a life in which the longings of our hearts are fulfilled for good.
FOR OUR COUNTRY p.376
THUS SAYS ADONAI, This is what I desire: to unlock the fetters of wickedness, and untie the cords of lawlessness; to let the oppressed go free, to break off every yoke. Share your bread with the hungry, and take the wretched poor into your home. When you see the naked, give clothing, and do not ignore your own kin.
O GUARDIAN of life and liberty, may our nation always merit Your protection. Teach us to give thanks for what we have by sharing it with those who are in need. Keep our eyes open to the wonders of creation, and alert to the care of the earth. May we never be lazy in the work of peace; may we honor those who have [served, suffered or] died in defense of our ideals. Grant our leaders wisdom and forbearance. May they govern with justice and compassion. Help us all to appreciate one another, and to respect the many ways that we may serve You. May our homes be safe from affliction and strife, and our country be sound in body and spirit. Amen.
A PRAYER FOR ISRAEL
Anat Hoffman – https://reformjudaism.org/beliefs-practices/prayers-blessings/prayer-israel
My God אלי
In this sacred moment, give us hope for Israel and her future.
Renew our wonder at the miracle of the Jewish State.
In the name of the pioneers who made the deserts bloom – give us the tools to cultivate a diversity of Jewish expression in Israel.
In the name of our fallen soldiers – give us courage to stand up to the words and ways of zealots. Those in our own midst and those among our neighbors.
In the name of Israeli inventors who have amazed the world with their innovations – help us apply the same ingenuity to finding a path to peace.
In the name of all these individuals – grant us the strength to conquer doubt and despair in Israel.
Replacing doubt with action.
Replacing despair with hope.
And let us say: Amen.
FOR HEALING – El Na R’fa Na Lah!
We recite MI SHEBËRACH for the victims of abuse, brutality, conflicts, fear, natural disasters, pandemics, tragedies, violence of all kinds especially directed at individuals and specific communities including us, and war; for all those at home alone or lonely; for all those in need of physical, emotional, and mental healing. “R’fuah sh’lëmah” – a complete recovery!
YAHRZEITS/ANYOS
We say KADDISH YATOM for those of our friends and families who have died and been buried this last week; those in the period of Sh’loshim (30 days since burial); those who have died in the last year; and those whose Yahrzeits/Anyos occur at this time; as well as the victims of brutality, conflict, disease, natural disasters, pandemics, tragedies, violence of all kinds, and war.
This coming week, 28 Tevet through 5 Shevat, we lovingly remember:
Marion Wiesel
First Yahrzeit – Holocaust Survivor, widow of Elie Wiesel
Ben Benson
Friend of Iris Adler
Gilda Joseph
Survivor of Mengele’s twin experiments, relative of Ruben Gomez
Those victims of the Sho’ah (Holocaust) who died at this time of year.
“ZICHRONAM LIV’RACHAH” – MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE FOR BLESSING.
SHAZOOM ONLY
We will meet for Shazoom ONLY this evening, Friday, January 16, 2026. Please see the Shazoom schedule below.
Zoom regularly updates its security and performance features. If a screen pops up when you first join Shazoom asking permission for the Host to unmute you during the meeting, for everyone’s ease and comfort, click on Allow. Making sure you have the latest version of Zoom, please join us online this evening with wine/grape juice for Kiddush and Challah for Motzi.
Shazoom – Erev Shabbat Service
Time: Jan 16, 2026 06:30 PM Arizona
To join Shazoom 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.
“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall do him no wrong. The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Lev. 19:33
Shabbat Shalom – Buen Shabbat – Gut Shabbos
-Ruben
PS – Schedule through February 2026 for Shazoom (Arizona Time Zone):
January 16, 2026 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
[January 18-19, Sun-Mon, Rosh Chodesh Shevat]
January 23, 2026 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
January 30, 2026 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
[January 30-31, Fri-Sat, Shabbat Shirah – Sabbath of Song]
[February 1-2, Sun-Mon, Tu B’Shevat – New Year of the Trees]
February 6, 2026 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
February 13, 2026 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
[February 14, Sat, Valentine’s Day]
[February 17-18, Tues-Wed, Rosh Chodesh Adar]
February 20, 2026 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
February 27, 2026 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
[March 2-3, Mon-Tues, Purim]
[March 3-4, Tues-Wed, Shushan Purim]