Community at Temple Israel
Rabbi’s Message – October 1, 2026
“Turn it over and turn it over, for everything is in it,” teaches Ben Bag Bag in Pirkei Avot (5:22). Tomorrow, as we celebrate Simchat Torah, we will do that quite literally: unrolling the Torah together, then rolling it back to the beginning for another year of reading.
Of course, Ben Bag Bag is asking us to do more than turn a scroll. He invites us to keep studying, trusting that there is always more to learn. Even when the words are familiar, we may notice something we overlooked before. Another person’s question can change how we understand a passage. Our own experiences can make a teaching feel newly relevant.
With a new year come new learning opportunities, and ours begin next week. On Wednesday, October 7, at 10:00 a.m., our Torah study group will begin using Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’s I Believe as our new commentary. If you have been thinking about joining Torah study, this is a good time to begin. You don’t need previous experience—just curiosity and a willingness to join the conversation. We would love to welcome some new faces around the table.
We also have a wonderful opportunity to welcome back our Rabbi Emeritus, Rabbi David Sofian, who served Temple Israel from 2003 to 2015. Fortunately, his retirement did not end his relationship with our congregation. For several years, he has generously taught a fall class for our community, sharing insights from his summer studies at the Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.
Studying with Rabbi Sofian provides us with plenty to think about—and usually something to laugh about, too. Those who have learned with him appreciate his candid answers, firsthand experiences in Israel, and deep knowledge of Judaism. If you haven’t yet had the chance to learn with him, I hope you will take advantage of this opportunity.
Rabbi Sofian’s “Being Human” class begins Wednesday, October 7. Drawing on traditional Jewish sources, he will explore anger and compassion, dehumanization, being a mensch, and agency and empowerment.
He will also open the Ryterband Brunch Series on October 11, sharing his firsthand observations of life in Israel, including the upcoming Israeli elections, and discussing how the Gaza War has affected antisemitism. There will be time to ask questions, and I look forward to hearing his perspective as Israelis prepare to vote.
Whether you are returning to a familiar class or trying something new, I hope you will make learning with us part of your year.