Emanuel Congregation

🍎 High Holy Day Registration is Now Open! 🍯

As we prepare to welcome the New Year together, registration is now open for all of our High Holy Day services.

Whether you're:
✨ An Emanuel member
✨ A non-member joining us this year
✨ Or looking for one of our family-friendly services
..we're looking forward to sharing this meaningful season with you.

Please register using the link below to help us prepare for a warm and welcoming experience for everyone.

🔗 Registration Links: https://www.emanuelcong.org/high-holy-days-year2026

We wish you and your loved ones a sweet, healthy, and peaceful New Year, and we can't wait to celebrate with you.

Shabbat Reflection | Parashat Pinchas (Reform Perspective)

This Shabbat we read Parashat Pinchas (פִּינְחָס) — a portion that begins in a moment of extreme zeal and moves, quite quickly, into questions of law, leadership, and the long work of building a just society.

“The Eternal One spoke to Moses, saying: Phinehas, son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath… so that I did not wipe out the Israelite people.”
— Book of Numbers 25:10–11

📖 Torah: Numbers 25:10–30:1
📜 Haftarah: Book of Jeremiah 1:1–2:3
🕯️ Shabbat: Parashat Pinchas
📅 July 4, 2026 / 19 Tammuz 5786

A Reform lens on this week’s portion:

Parashat Pinchas opens with an act of violence that is then described as halting a crisis. The Torah responds with a “covenant of peace,” placing a theological frame around something deeply difficult. From a Reform Jewish perspective, this tension matters.

We are invited to wrestle with the question:
Can zeal ever be the foundation of peace? And if so, at what cost?

Rather than idealizing zealotry, Reform Jewish thought tends to emphasize that enduring holiness is built through law, accountability, and the slow work of ethical community-building, not through acts of unilateral violence.

The rest of the parashah shifts sharply away from crisis toward structure and future:

• A census that prepares the people for equitable land distribution
• The daughters of Tzelofchad, who successfully challenge inheritance norms and expand justice within the system
• The appointment of Joshua as Moses’ successor, modeling intentional leadership transition
• A detailed calendar of offerings that establishes rhythm, responsibility, and communal continuity

In this way, the Torah itself seems to pivot from immediacy and intensity toward systems that protect the future from being ruled by impulse.

Not a Member Yet? Our Doors Are Open 🚪

Whether you’re curious about Emanuel, looking for community, or just want to see what we’re all about — you are warmly welcome here.

We’d love to meet you. If you’re thinking about becoming a member, please reach out to Tracy to start a conversation about joining our community:
📧 [email protected]

In the meantime, there’s no need to wait. Come experience Emanuel for yourself:

🚪 Share Shabbat Dinner & Service

Join us for a meaningful Friday evening of Shabbat dinner, prayer, and community connection.

🚪 Attend a Friday Service & Visit the Temple

Come for services, meet the Rabbi, and experience Shabbat in our sacred space.

🚪 Meet Our Leadership & Community

Get to know the people who make Emanuel home — ask questions, connect, and explore what belonging looks like here.

You don’t need to be a member to participate. Our doors are open, our table is set, and we would be glad to welcome you in.

Join us this Friday for Pride Shabbat at Emanuel Congregation as we come together in celebration, affirmation, and community. 🏳️‍🌈

This special Shabbat is a time to honor the sacred dignity of every individual and to uplift LGBTQ+ voices within our congregation and beyond. Through prayer, music, and reflection, we celebrate the beauty of being created in the Divine image—just as we are.

All are welcome as we gather in joy, solidarity, and love. 💜