May 2019

Dear Chevre,

Have you heard the terms "digital native" and "digital immigrant," referring to people who were born into the world of internet connectivity versus people who have had to master new cyber skills as adults? I am certainly a digital immigrant, but I am blessed to have a full time tech team of five young adults in the form of my children. Rosi is in charge of my website and gmail, Raffi attends to music issues, Zoe does Twitter with and for me, Joey is on call for hardware trouble shooting and Mozi handles photos. Without them I would be much less functional. But not everyone is lucky enough to have this level of tech support and that brings me to a reflection for our own community.

Just as we hold the value of welcoming the immigrant with compassion and care, we have an opportunity to extend kindness and support to those in our midst who are technologically challenged. It is easy to act condescending and mocking but I have been moved when I've witnessed offers to help and to problem-solve. This is one area where we are called into kindness, chesed, a key Jewish value.

I am looking forward to our May and June Shabbat services and to our Annual Meeting. Let's have a strong spring season.

Love and blessing,

Rabbi Julie