A Few Words From Mandy Herlich, RJE

הִנֵּה מַה טוֹב וּמַה נָּעִים שֶׁבֶת אָחִים גַּם יַחַד

Hinei mah tov u’mah naim, shevet achim gam yachad.

How great and how pleasing it is for people to sit together in unity.

Many of us have sung these words to various melodies throughout our lives. Over the past year and a half, I have sung them on countless Zooms, almost always on mute, of course. Most recently, I was fortunate enough to sing them in person, outside in nature, surrounded by campers, counselors, staff, and faculty at the Union for Reform Judaism’s 6 Points Creative Arts Academy in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Hearing the beautiful sound of voices blending together for the first time in so long brought me to tears. The fact that the words of this particular song are about the theme of togetherness only made it feel even more special.

After a year of learning together remotely, we are now preparing to be back together for ECRS in person starting in September. Our Opening Day on September 26 will, of course, involve fun, learning, singing, and celebrating. As has been our tradition, the Men of Emanuel are already preparing for our Welcome Back Picnic. We cannot wait to welcome everyone back to our building and to get to, once again, enjoy seeing each other face to face. If you have not yet registered for religious school, please click HERE. Of course, if you have any questions throughout the summer, please feel free to be in touch!

How great, how pleasing, and how special it will be to once again sit together.

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