TORAH READING FOR 24 CHESHVAN 5786 Nov 14-15, 2025
SHAZOOM 6:30 PM Nov 14, 2025
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AND ALL THE VICTIMS OF CONFLICT
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.]
PARSHA
From Reform Judaism https://reformjudaism.org/torah/portion/chayei-sarah
Chayei Sarah [חַיֵּי שָׂרָה – The Life of Sarah] – Genesis 23:1−25:18
Sarah lived to be 127 years old – such was the span of Sarah’s life. – Genesis 23:1
SUMMARY:
- Abraham purchases the cave of Machpelah in order to bury his wife Sarah. (23:1-20)
- Abraham sends his servant to find a bride for Isaac. (24:1-9)
- Rebekah shows her kindness by offering to draw water for the servant’s camels at the well. (24:15-20)
- The servant meets Rebekah’s family and then takes Rebekah to Isaac, who marries her. (24:23-67)
- Abraham takes another wife, named Keturah. At the age of one hundred and seventy-five years, Abraham dies, and Isaac and Ishmael bury him in the cave of Machpelah. (25:1-11)
HAFTARAH
I Kings 1:1-31
STRUGGLING WITH TORAH
Until further notice, we will meet on Fridays for Shazoom only. Please see the NEW Shazoom schedule below. Read this week’s Torah Portion at https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.23.1-25.18 and the Haftarah at https://www.sefaria.org/I_Kings.1.1-31.
RECOMMENDED READING
From Reform Judaism https://reformjudaism.org/torah/portion/chayei-sarah
The Righteous Are Called Living in Their Death
By: Rabbi Lea Mühlstein
SIGD 2025 / חַג הַסִּיגְד 5786
Ethiopian Jewish holiday occurring 50 days after Yom Kippur
Sigd for Hebrew Year 5786 begins at sundown on Wednesday, 19 November 2025 and ends at nightfall on Thursday, 20 November 2025.
Sigd is an Amharic word meaning “prostration” or “worship” and is the commonly used name for a holiday celebrated by the Ethiopian Jewish community on the 29th of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan. This date is exactly 50 days after Yom Kippur, usually falling out in late October or November, and according to Ethiopian Jewish tradition is also the date that G-d first revealed himself to Moses.
Read more from Wikipedia
ROSH CHODESH KISLEV 2025 / רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ כִּסְלֵו 5786
Start of month of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar
Rosh Chodesh Kislev for Hebrew Year 5786 begins at sundown on Thursday, 20 November 2025 and ends at nightfall on Friday, 21 November 2025.
Start of month of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar. Kislev (כִּסְלֵו) is the 3rd month of the civil Hebrew year and the 9th month of the biblical Hebrew year. It has 30 or 29 days and corresponds to November or December 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
ROSH CHODESH KISLEV – 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
From “Mishkan T’filah / A Reform Siddur” 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, 24 Cheshvan through 1 Kislev, we lovingly remember:
Carol Coss
TKH Memorial List
Julius (Archie) Zalla
TKH Member
Tillie Amarilyas Molho
Friend of Ruben Gomez
Yehudit Toledano
Friend 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, November 14, 2025. Please see the NEW Shazoom schedule below.
Zoom regularly updates its security and performance features. 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: Nov 14, 2025 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 – Shazoom and Observances schedule through December 2025 (Arizona Time Zone):
November 14, 2025 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
[November 19-20, 2025 – Sigd, Ethiopian Jewish Holiday 50 days after Yom Kippur]
November 21, 2025 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
[November 20-21, Thursday-Friday – Rosh Chodesh Kislev]
[November 27, Thursday – Thanksgiving Day]
November 28, 2025 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
December 5, 2025 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
December 12, 2025 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
[December 14, Sunday – Erev Chanukah, First Candle]
[December 15 to 22, Monday-Monday – Chanukah]
December 19, 2025 – IN-PERSON SERVICE AND PARTY (Chanukah Sixth Candle)
[December 19-20, Friday-Saturday – Chag HaBanot–North African Chanukah Festival of Daughters]
[December 20, Saturday – Shabbat in Chanukah]
[December 19-21, Friday-Sunday – Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Tevet]
[December 21, Sunday – Eighth Candle]
December 26, 2025 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
[December 30, Tuesday – Asara B’Tevet – Fast, Siege of Jerusalem]
[December 31, Wednesday – Secular New Year’s Eve]
[January 1, Thursday – Secular New Year’s Day 2026]