SHAZOOM ONLY 6:30 PM September 4, 2026
KETIVAH VECHATIMA TOVAH – A GOOD WRITING AND SEALING!
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AND ALL THE VICTIMS OF CONFLICT
From “Mishkan T’filah / A Reform Siddur” p.60
BARUCH atah, Adonai Elohëinu, Mélech ha’olam,
yotzër ‘or uvorë chóshech, ‘oseh shalom uvorë et-hakol.
PRAISED ARE YOU, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe,
Creator of light and darkness, who makes peace and fashions all things.
SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS, ANNIVERSARIES, AND SIGNIFICANT EVENTS
Mazal Tov – Mazal Bueno to all those celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or significant event during the Month of September. If we were together at Temple Kol Hamidbar, we would extend a Tallit over you, say a special prayer for you, and recite the following blessing (cf Num. 6:24-26):
- May the Eternal One bless you and protect you!
- May the Eternal One deal kindly and graciously with you!
- May the Eternal One bestow favor upon you and grant you peace!
KËIN YEHI RATZON (Let it be so!)
SHAZOOM ONLY
We will meet for Shazoom ONLY this coming Friday evening, September 4, 2026. Please see the Shazoom and Observances schedule through September 2026 below.
Read this week’s Torah Portion , Nitzavim (Standing) and Vayëlech (He Went), at https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.29.9-31.30, and Haftarah at https://www.sefaria.org/Isaiah.61.10-63.9.
ZOOM
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: Sep 4, 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.
YAHRZEITS/ANYOS
This coming week, 23 Elul through 29 Elul, we lovingly remember:
Rita Zwerdling
First Yahrzeit – Temple Sinai, friend of Ruben Gomez
Ed Gemigniani
Cousin of Ruben Gomez
Hakim Monsour
Friend of Jane Kolber
David Rosenblatt
Father of Temple Kol Hamidbar Founding member Simon Rosenblatt
Those victims of the Sho’ah (Holocaust) who died at this time of year.
“ZICHRONAM LIV’RACHAH” – MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE FOR BLESSING.
ELUL CUSTOMS
It is customary to blow the shofar every morning (except on Shabbat) from Rosh Hodesh Elul (the first day of the month) until the day before Rosh Hashanah. [Reciting] Psalm 27 every day from Rosh Hodesh Elul through Hoshanah Rabbah on Sukkot (in Tishrei). [Reciting] selichot (special penitential prayers) [starting with a special service the Saturday night] immediately before Rosh Hashanah, or, if starting [then] would not afford four days of selichot, then the [Saturday night] one week prior [Ashkenazi Reform tradition] or every morning during the entire month of Elul (Sephardi tradition). [In addition, visiting] the graves of loved ones throughout the month in order to remember and honor those people in our past who inspire us to live more fully in the future.
Another social custom is to begin or end all letters written during the month of Elul with wishes that the recipient have a good year. The standard blessing is {“Ketivah Vechatima Tova”} (“a good writing and sealing [of judgement]”), meaning that the person should be written and sealed in the Book of Life for a good year. Tradition teaches that on Rosh Hashanah, each person is written down for a good or a poor year, based on their actions in the previous one, and their sincere efforts at atoning for mistakes or harm. On Yom Kippur, that fate is “sealed.”
PSALM 27
- Show me Your way, O Eternal One,
and lead me on a level path because of my watchful foes.
- Do not subject me to the will of my foes,
for false witnesses and unjust accusers have appeared against me.
- Had I not the assurance that I would enjoy the goodness of the Eternal One
in the land of the living…
- Look to the Eternal One;
be strong and of good courage!
O look to the Eternal One!
Ketivah Vechatima Tovah – A Good Writing and Sealing!
L’shalom,
-Ruben
PS – Some High Holy Day Greetings besides Shanah Tovah and Chag Samëach:
Tizkú Leshaním Rabbót (“May you merit many years”),
to which the answer is Ne’imót VeTovót (“pleasant and good ones”)
or
Muchos Anyos (“many years”) to which the answer is I Muchos Mas (“and many more”) or Dulces i Buenos (“sweet and good [ones])
PPS – Shazoom and Observances Schedule through September 2026 (Arizona Time Zone):
September 4, 2026 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
[September 5, after nightfall, Leil Selichot]
[September 7, Labor Day US]
September 11, 2026 – NO Shazoom
September 11, 2026, Friday PM – Erev Rosh Hashanah
[September 12–13, Saturday-Sunday – Rosh Hashanah (mostly one day in Reform)]
September 18, 2026 – Erev Shabbat Shuvah – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
[September 19 – Shabbat Shuvah (Shabbat of Return)]
[September 20, Sunday – Erev Yom Kippur – Kol Nidrë]
[September 21, Monday – Yom Kippur]
September 25, 2026 – Erev Sukkot (TBD)
[September 26-October 2, Saturday-Friday – Sukkot]
[October 2, 2026 – Erev Shabbat (TBD)
[October 2-3, Sh’mini Atzéret (Eight Day of Assembly) and Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in the Torah); Reform Movement combines as in Israel]