By Connor Hayes
Director of Community 
Programming

The late great Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks once said, “Whoever we are, whatever we do…, the single most important fact about our life, on which all else depends, is how we spend our time.” With that in mind, I decided to spend as much time as I could with the entirety of the Lehigh Valley Jewish community for as many of the holidays as possible in October. A seemingly tall task, to be sure. As a newer resident to the area, I had my work cut out for me, but I quickly learned that no matter which shul I davened at, spiritual life in the Valley revolves around three key tenets: community, authenticity, and conviviality. 

I began this journey on a gorgeous Thursday morning for shacharit (the morning prayer), on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, spending it with Congregation Keneseth Israel. Rabbi Shoshanah Tornberg led a highly spirited service, which, of course, included the clarion call of the shofar. The KI choir provided incredible accompaniment, leading to an air of peaceful reflection within the congregation. The duality of balancing the events of the past year with the hope for the new year to come became a prevalent, and necessary, theme through almost all the services I attended. 

Later that afternoon, I visited with Congregation Am Haskalah at the Rose Garden Pavilion in Allentown for their tashlich (ceremonial casting away of sins into water). Led by visiting Rabbi Armin Langer (a former Jewish studies professor of mine at the University of Florida), the vibrant community of young and old positioned themselves on the small bridge overlooking the waters of the garden and cast not the traditional bread but fallen leaves. 

After a brief illness that kept me from attending Kol Nidre, and a meaningful fast for Yom Kippur, it was time for Sukkot. I spent Erev Sukkot at Chabad of the Lehigh Valley, and after a Maariv (evening prayer) service led by the energetic Rabbi Yaacov Halperin, we gathered in the sukkah. The temperature had dropped, but as they say, it’s the windchill that gets you. A good thing, then, that this particular sukkah was insulated with not only heavy nylon walls, but also the ruach (spirit) of the wonderful folks within. After a speech by Rabbi Halperin that gave us the quandary of how to fulfill the mitzvah (commandment) to be joyous on Sukkot after a year that has brought so much grief and pain, we reflected deeply and dined and sang well into the night. 

The next morning came early, and with it, a trip out to Bethlehem, to Congregation Brith Sholom. Ironically, the building resembles a sukkah itself, equal parts open air and subdued natural accents. Rabbi Michael Singer’s service was highlighted by both an invigorating hakafah (procession), made all the more bright by the light that shone through the large windows that frame the sanctuary, and a message of outreach to the broader community not to remain insular during Sukkot. 

For dinner on the second day, I was in the company of Congregation Sons of Israel for an intimate Thanksgiving-style dinner and spent much of the evening hearing about the Jewish heritage of Allentown, as well as talking Yiddish history and studies with Janice Mikofsky. Though the night was cold, the spread was delicious and spirits were jovial. 

Shabbat Chol HaMoed was observed in Easton, with Congregation Bnai Shalom. Another newcomer to the community, Rabbi Adrienne Rubin, led a lively service with the help of the talented Cantor Dr. Robert Weiner. Rabbi Rubin’s style of combining practices from both Conservative and Reform traditions reflects the unique character of the community, which came about after the merger of two congregations a few years ago. As part of this, we participated in a mid-service, interactive Torah study that drew participation from all the congregants. 

Finally, as an October full of holidays came to a close, I spent Shemini Atzeret with Temple Beth El. Under the stained-glass canopy of the main sanctuary, Rabbi Moshe Re’em led a serene service, while the beautiful pitch of Cantor Shari Spark emanated throughout. In the spirit of duality, with the anniversary of the traumatic Simchat Torah of last year on the horizon, part of the service was reserved to remember those who were slain, along with a recitation of El Maleh Rachamim, and this same theme was followed later that evening for the hakafot (processionals) of Simchat Torah held at Chabad. In a celebration marked equally by memories of sorrow and hopes for a joyous future, the hakafot circled the bimah (podium) after Rabbi Halperin highlighted the efforts of all the Israel Defense Forces veterans who call the Lehigh Valley home, making them the guests of honor.

Having answered Rabbi Sacks’s imperative to be intentional with how our time is spent, I have found that we are blessed in the Lehigh Valley to have a veritable consortium of driven, energetic, and people-centered shuls that provide a holistic Jewish experience for all those who live here.