Summer Shabbatot: Enjoy and Relax

Come this Friday June 26!

I love our 6:00 pm Shabbatot T'filot (plural of Shabbat and service) especially during the summer.  We try to have as many of our t'filot outside as possible and I love to come to unwind and then go home to Shabbat dinner.  My Friday afternoons usually include time to make a nice dinner so I can get to Lakeside on time.  You could also order Pizza or order your favorite take out for dinner.  Shabbat is a time to take it easy and enjoy.

Getting into the habit of coming to Friday night services is just that a habit.  If you have not been come and try it out.  Enjoy our music and lean back and relax. Not in my area?  Try out your local synagogue; I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised and I am happy to send some recommendations your way of synagogues to try.  

During the summer and especially on Shabbat I also look forward to reading for our Lakeside Book group or just fun.  This summer I have already read:  The Orphan Train, Boston Girl and for young adults: Ember in the Ashes and The Red Queen. I leave for  OSRUI in a few weeks where I have SOME time to read.  On my list is:  The Mathmeticians Shiva, The Museum of Ordinary Things and this is just the beginning.

Take a minute, take a breath and enjoy our summer.  I look forward to seeing you at services.

#BlogElul 8 Believe in a good book

Today's word is Believe and I am combining my favorite 10 books (having been tagged in Facebook, thank you Rayna Forman and of course Rabbi Phyllis).  I love reading and believe that it is the best thing you can do for yourself.  When I was growing up I read all the books in the children's section...there was NO young adult books, NO teen section.  The books in Crystal Lake Library, like libraries all over in the 1960's-1970's went from Children's books to adult books.  I read the book many adult books before I should have because I had run out of children's books to read.

So here are my top ten books, which is not easy to narrow down but it's a start:

1. Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott
2. Anne of Green Gables(which I shared with my best friend, we took turns buying the books in the series)
3. Exodus
4. The Source (which I read in Israel in 1979 and I read all the Michener books)
5. The Little Prince (which I read the first time in French)
(At this point I checked in with my Goodreads list to see what books I had given 5 stars and found)
6. Hunger Games
7. Harry Potter
8. To Kill a Mockingbird
9. The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night
10. The Red Tent

As an adult who works with children I have found great delight and fun in ready current young adult books and my list reflects my love of these books. I believe that books open the world for you.  As a child I had to be coaxed outside and to put down my book.  I still find time to read although I do have to do work and can't read all day.  This summer on Cape Cod sitting at the beach and reading was my perfect vacation.  Pick a good book and read; need a suggestion?  Check out my Goodreads list with different shelves including: Jewish, Israel and young adult.