SHAZOOM ONLY 6:30 PM Jan 30, 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.178

SHALOM RAV al Yisraël amcha tasim l’olam, v’al kol yoshvëi tëvël, v’imru. Amen.

GRANT ABUNDANT PEACE to Israel Your people forever, [and all who inhabit the earth. Amen.]

From PARSHA B’SHALACH

EXODUS 15:1-18 [Song of the Sea/Shirat HaYam]

The ”Mi Chamocha” that we say in the morning and evening services is a prayer that thanks God for redeeming/freeing us from Egypt. It comes from the “Song of the Sea” found in the Book of Exodus after the Israelites crossed the Sea of Reeds.

Exodus 15:11

Who is like You, O God, among the gods that are worshipped? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, working wonders?

Exodus 15:18

The Eternal One will reign for ever and ever!

EXODUS 15:20-21 [Miriam’s Song]

The verses at the end of the Song of the Sea are sometimes called Miriam’s Song and open to a wide variety of interpretations. Based on the customs and practices of ancient cultures, it is most likely that something like Shirat HaYam would have been sung by Miriam and the women welcoming back their victorious fighters. Only later, for its use in Temple services, the Song of the Sea was composed and/or modified and attributed to Moses and the Israelites. The verses in Torah recorded the Temple version and retained a reference to the more common practice.

Exodus 15:20

Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, picked up a hand-drum, and all the women went out after her in dance with hand-drums. And Miriam chanted for them:

Exodus:15:21

Sing to the Eternal, for God has triumphed gloriously;

Horse and driver God has hurled into the sea.

TALMUD MEGILLAH 10b

A famous Midrash (or commentary) in the Talmud says that as the Egyptians started to drown in the Sea of Reeds, the angels began to sing praises, but God silenced them, saying, “the work of My hands are drowning at sea, and you wish to sing songs?”

SHAZOOM ONLY

We will meet for Shazoom ONLY this coming Friday evening, January 30, 2026. Please see the Shazoom schedule below.

You can read this week’s Torah Portion, B’shalach [When He Let Go], at https://www.sefaria.org/Exodus.13.17-17.16 and the Haftarah at https://www.sefaria.org/Judges.4.4-5.31.

Zoom continues updating its security and performance features. Making sure you have the latest version of Zoom, please join us online this coming Friday evening:

Shazoom – Erev Shabbat Service

Time: Jan 30, 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/3885401743?pwd=NTJNVGJvZVBqa1RZU3AvZ3Uxd0pYQT09&omn=84406565445

Meeting ID: 725 1050 0854

Passcode: 4NrMk0

Hint: The last character of the password is the number zero.

YAHRZEITS/ANYOS

This coming week, 13 Shevat through 19 Shevat, we lovingly remember:

Chuck Ross

First Yahrzeit – Friend of Ruben Gomez

Jacqueline Sanders-van Maarsen

First Yahrzeit – Am Yisrael – Friend of Anne Frank

Benjamin Caron

TKH Memorial Board, Father of Dr. Sam Caron, Temple President

Flory Jagoda

Am Yisrael – promoter and composer of Sephardic-Ladino Music

Jacob Joseph

Holocaust Survivor, relative of Ruben Gomez

Susan Rohbach

Friend of Various TKH members and friends

Those victims of the Sho’ah (Holocaust) who died at this time of year.

“ZICHRONAM LIV’RACHAH” – MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE FOR BLESSING.

TU BISHVAT 2026 / ט״וּ בִּשְׁבָט 5786 – New Year for Trees

Tu BiShvat for Hebrew Year 5786 begins at sundown on Sunday, 1 February 2026 and ends at nightfall on Monday, 2 February 2026.

Tu BiShvat or Tu B’Shevat or Tu B’Shvat (Hebrew: ט״ו בשבט‎) is a minor Jewish holiday, occurring on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat. It is also called “The New Year of the Trees” or (Hebrew: ראש השנה לאילנות, Rosh HaShanah La’Ilanot‎). Tu BiShvat is one of four “New Years” mentioned in the Mishnah.

Read more from Judaism 101 or Wikipedia

TU B’SHEVAT COMMUNITY SEDER – online February 1, 2026, 6:30 PM
Tu B’Shevat, the “New Year of the Trees,” begins at sundown on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Temple Kol Hamidbar will have an online Tu B’Shevat Seder starting at 6:30 PM MST led by Dr. Sam Caron, Temple President.

The Seder explores our relationship to nature and our impact on the world around us. We sing, eat symbolic foods and drink four cups of wine. It’s a fun (and light) way for us to celebrate Judaism’s long attachment to the environment.

To get the complete Tu B’Shevat experience, please have a bowl of water and towel for washing and drying your hands, and the following foods and drinks with you to consume during the seder. Grape juice can be substituted for the white and red wine. You only need to have one fruit or item from each group, but you can have as many as you like.

GROUP 1 – The World of Assiyah (Actualization)

1st cup of Wine – all white

Fruits and nuts with a hard outside and an edible inside, e.g.:

Walnuts, Almonds, Pomegranates, Coconuts, Pistachios

GROUP 2 – The World of Yetzirah (Formation)

2nd cup of Wine – white with a dash of red

Fruits with pits at their center, e.g.:

Cherries, Olives, Plums, Apricots, Avocados, Dates

GROUP 3 – The World of Beriyah (Creation)

3rd cup of Wine – half red and half white

Fruits that are entirely edible, e.g.:

Figs, Grapes, Raisins, Apples, Pears, Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Carob

GROUP 4 – The World of Atzilut (Spirit, Presence, Emanation, Birth)

4th cup of Wine – all red with a dash of white

Atzilut has no representative fruits because it is pure spirit and cannot be represented physically. Instead of eating fruit, we enjoy smells like, e.g., Cinnamon, Rosemary, Bay Leaf, Cedar, Spices.

To join the Tu B’Shevat Seder click on the following distinct link [you may need to copy it into your browser] or use the Meeting ID and Passcode provided [this is different from the meeting ID, passcode and link for the regular Friday evening Shazoom]:

Topic: Tu B’Shevat Seder

Time: Feb 1, 2026 06:30 PM Arizona

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3885401743?pwd=NTJNVGJvZVBqa1RZU3AvZ3Uxd0pYQT09&omn=84406565445

Meeting ID: 388 540 1743

Passcode: Shalom

L’shalom,

-Ruben

PS – Schedule through February 2026 for Shazoom (Arizona Time Zone):

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]

[TKH online Tu B’Shevat Seder Sun, Feb 1 at 6:30 pm]

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]