Temple Beth Shalom Donates Winter Hats to Israeli Soldiers

In December, Temple Beth Shalom joyfully donated over 200 winter hats to sailors serving in the Israeli Navy.  Recently, we received the following letter of thanks along with a great photograph of the sailors aboard the Israeli Naval Ship Keshet.

Also below (after the break) are copies of the letter that Rabbi Perlman sent to the crew of the Keshet and the letter that our community received in return from Major Steven Gordon.

Currently, Temple Beth Shalom is working on another wonderful project to support Israeli soldiers.  This time, dozens of members of our community are hand-knitting caps that our own TBS community members will hand-deliver when we travel to Israel in December 2014 as part of our “TBS Israel Adventure.”  For information on how to knit or support this important effort, please contact Margie Glou (mglou@comcast.net).   

December 10, 2013
Shabbat VaYechi 5774

Dear Sailors of the Israeli Navy Ship Keshet,

My name is Jay Perlman and I serve as rabbi at Temple Beth Shalom in Needham, Massachusetts.  We are a Reform congregation of about 800 families just outside of Boston.  When we learned of the need for warm hats for those serving to protect Israel our community was more than happy to help.

Please accept these caps on behalf of our entire congregation.  We are grateful for your service and feel a strong connection to Israel and her people.  Over the years, our congregation has brought hundreds of our members to Israel to help deepen that relationship.

If there is any other way that we can be supportive of your work, please do not hesitate to let us know.  And if any of you happen to be in Boston in the future, please do reach out as I would very much like to personally welcome you.

In Torah, as you know, the “keshet” is the “rainbow” of Noah.  It is symbolic of an upside down “bow” (of war) placed by Gd to promise future peace.  May your crew continue to serve with bravery and strength – helping to bring us all one step closer to the Shalom for which we all yearn.

L’Shalom,

Jay Perlman, Rabbi

 

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Major Steven Gordon
Commander,
INS Keshet.

January 15, 2014




Rabbi Jay Perlman
Temple Beth Shalom
670 Highland Avenue
Needham, MA  02494

Dear Rabbi Perlman,

On behalf of the entire crew of the INS Keshet, I would like to thank you and your congregation for the generous gift.  It warms our hearts (and our heads, in this case) to feel such a strong connection with people we’ve never met, and over so great a distance.  I’m filled with gratitude towards your act of kindness; thank you for reaching out to us.

The INS Keshet is a 4.5 Sa’ar class missile ship.  While the defense and safety of Israel is our daily task, the Keshet is a symbol of peace, as you mentioned.  And although we live in often troubled times, and must always be prepared for any eventuality, peace is indeed what we as a people and a country have always aspired towards.

On a similar note, I am proud to say that the INS Keshet, as an interdependent group of people who work together form the ship’s crew, is founded on the ideals of friendship, hard work and excellence, with a high regard for morality.

As you so graciously invited us to visit you in Massachusetts, I’d like to formally welcome you to the INS Keshet family.  You and any member of your congregation are more than welcome to visit aboard the ship.  I look forward to deepening this connection between us.

Sincerely,


Major Steven Gordon
Commander, INS Keshet