We may well face a new attempt by power-holders to smash much of what we have created. How do we prevent this?

Democracy, by Leonard Cohen

We may not know exactly what comes next, but we do know it’s not back to what has been.

Two weeks ago tonight we hosted The Great “Save-In,” our Hoshanah Rabbah actifest that marked Reb Arthur’s transition to Prophetic Envoy and mine to Director, as well as the world at a crossroads. And while there were a variety of crossroads we had in mind in planning that event, it was the national election that was most present in our thinking. Well, here we are. Two weeks later. Election day.

R’ Arthur shares an excerpt of a recent thought-provoking piece by Rick Perlstein, columnist for The American Prospect.

Reb Arthur’s first note from his desk as Prophetic Envoy.

After the passing of the lulav, messages of gratitude and welcome, and an invitation to action.

Rabbi Nate's remarks at The Great "Save-In," telling the story about his journey to becoming Director, articulating The Shalom Center's shared vision for the next chapter, and expressing his well wishes and appreciation for Arthur, as he passed the lulav to Nate and became our Prophetic Envoy, a title he has already embodied so meaningfully for many decades.

Please join us tonight, as we traverse the cosmic crossroads of this moment, tending to our hearts and caring for our spirits.

This Hoshanah Rabbah, October 22nd, in-person in Philadelphia or online via Zoom, come celebrate Arthur’s 91st birthday. Honor his legacy. Be present for his final moments as Director of The Shalom Center, 41 years after founding the organization, as he passes the lulav of leadership to Rabbi Nate DeGroot and the next generation.

Three celebratory markers for Sukkot

Our suggestion for Yom Kippur: A blessing brought together by Rabbi Toba Spitzer, the spiritual leader of Congregation Dorshei Tzedek in Masssachsetts and a former president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association.

A Hoshanah Rabbah actifest honoring Reb Arthur at 91 and marking the world at a crossroads, now accessible via Zoom livestream!.

Forget waiting for something or someone else to save us, we know that sometimes we need to take our saving into our own hands. We are not free to desist.

R' Arthur writes: "Gloria and I will be having a conversation for thoughtful and “feelingful” people the evening of Tuesday, October 22. It will highlight our free Hoshana Rabbah celebration, along with lots of music."

On October 22nd, The Shalom Center is hosting a Hoshanah Rabbah actifest in Philadelphia and online called The Great "Save-In." It is part of a broader GOTV-PA effort we are undertaking. Why connect Sukkot with voting?

A prayer/poem by Rabbi Elisheva Salamo for the High Holy Days liturgy.

A Hoshanah Rabbah actifest honoring Reb Arthur at 91 and marking the world at a crossroads.

Michael Walzer writes, "The theory of just war depends heavily on the distinction between combatants and civilians. In contemporary warfare, these two groups are often mixed together in the same spaces — often, indeed, deliberately mixed together, because the killing of civilians invites moral condemnation. . . . Still, a military responding to this strategy has to do everything it can to avoid or minimize civilian casualties."

In this time of jumble, both within and beyond, we are sharing teachings and opportunities that Shalom Center staff and lay leaders have recently offered into the world.