Voices

Bylined opinion and news columns published by United Hebrew Congregation Terre Haute.

Sisterhood maintains in Covid cocoon, assists religious school with VCSC Backpack Fund

By Patty Lewis
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We’ve been through an election and the holidays are approaching but with COVID still around, I’m sure everybody understands that our lives have changed and things won’t be getting back to normal just quite yet.

Thanksgiving dinner may experience some adjustments as we alter routines to protect our families. Hanukkah is coming in December and it, too, won’t be the same. Sisterhood will not operate its traditional Hanukkah gift shop this year.

Religious school remains involved in the community and has taken on the Vigo County School Corporation Backpack Program as its latest project.

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In our spiritual lives, at school and at the polls, fall is a time for new beginnings

By Betsy Frank
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The Hebrew calendar advises us that here in the northern hemisphere, the Ten Days of Awe, when we practice Teshuvah, occur during the fall (or in some years, late summer).

Sukkot also occurs in the fall. And on the secular calendar, students go back to school as fall begins.

This year, many of the seasonal celebrations have occurred virtually and parents, students and teachers are coping with online education.

Nevertheless, fall remains a time of new beginnings, even in a virtual environment.

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A meditative teshuvah brings us back to our breath, our values and our God

By Student Rabbi Emily Dana
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A few weeks ago, I sat on a Zoom call with our rabbi and four other rabbinical and cantorial students from my childhood synagogue to talk about teshuvah.

You might ask, “what is teshuvah and how do we do it?”

Teshuvah, which literally means “repentance” and comes from the word “turning”, is the process that we are called to undertake during the High Holidays, especially Yom Kippur.

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Emily Dana brings focus on interfaith outreach, disability rights to term as UHC student rabbi

By Student Rabbi Emily Dana
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Shalom, all!

My name is Emily Dana, and I am overjoyed to be joining your community for the coming year as United Hebrew Congregation’s rabbinic intern.

What do you need to know about me? I was born in Boston and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, where I attended Beth Emet Synagogue in Evanston.

Growing up, I went to Camp OSRUI in Oconomowoc, Wis., where I also served on staff for a number of years.

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