The word of the week:
Beginning this evening and continuing tomorrow we celebrate Yom Ha’azmaut (Israeli Independence, 5th Iyar). The original date corresponds to May 14, 1948. For those of you who have traveled to Israel you know that there are few places in the world like it. My first trip to Israel was at the age of 17. It was part of a tour organized by a group called “Small Synagogues Israeli Teenage Pilgrimage”. We spent five weeks touring Israel including the Sinai which was still part of Israel at that time. For me, it was a soul stirring experience that ignited a deep connection to my Jewish faith. One night they had planned a sleep out on the beach in the Sinai not knowing a sandstorm would arrive out of nowhere. They woke us up and got us onto the bus only to have the windshield of our bus cracked by the force of the sand.
This last week in Barbados feels a bit like that experience. In St. Vincent the La Soufriere volcano continues to explosively erupt, ash and debris. Over 16,000 people have been evacuated. People are in shelters and are struggling to find the basic supplies of water and food.
In Barbados, we continue to experience the ash from the volcano. It is like nothing that I have ever seen before and unfortunately, we do not know how long this will continue. But as difficult as it is here in Barbados, the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines are being devastated.
OPTIONS FOR ST.VINCENT:
If you would like to assist the people of St. Vincent, here are just a few of the many ways that you can help.
fundly.com/volcano-relief-for-evacuated-in-st-vincent
Rotary Trust Fund Project:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScLC_gVNPRo2OzfSoS614vhinw5M7SYuzrg2OcUG3nGGwWcuQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
YOM HA’AZMAUT :If you would like to join some of the activities for Yom Ha’azmaut please click this link from The Hub https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgxwLtQWskmPSrMPmDHZMkpdnnBrQ
COUNTING OF THE OMER: Today is the 18th night of the Counting of the Omer.
ZOOM SERVICES – Due to the current conditions in Barbados we are unable to hold services in person this Friday as we had hoped. We will be holding services on ZOOM instead, Friday, April 16, 2021 at 6:30pm. The link to join our services is here. For the passcode please email bjc@jewishbarbados.org.
Please see the below link for a copy of our siddur.
https://www.bethshalomnb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Shabbat-evening-SIDDUR-SIM-SHALOM.pdf
Shabbat Shalom!
Sharon Oran
President, Barbados Jewish Community
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