The Rabbinical Association of Greater Kansas City will hold an evening of discussion and Torah learning in preparation for this year’s High Holy Days.
The program will take place at Congregation Beth Torah, which is hosting the event on Sunday, Sept. 22.
The evening will begin with a dessert reception at 6:30 p.m., followed at 7 p.m. with a discussion with panelists Rabbi Caitlin Brazner of The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah; Rabbi Mark Glass of Congregation Beth Israel Abraham and Voliner; and Rabbi David Glickman of Congregation Beth Shalom. The rabbis will share and discuss texts and teachings on the topic: “Grappling with Failure.” Each rabbi will share one of their favorite Jewish texts related to failure and as a group discuss different perspectives and approaches to wrestling with missteps from the past year.
“The Rabbinical Association is excited to offer this new High Holy Day preparation program for the Greater Kansas City Jewish community,” Rabbi Brazner said. “This gathering will give everyone an opportunity to come together as we wrestle with one of the hardest challenges the upcoming season poses: grappling with our mistakes and ‘failures’ from the last year. What does it really mean ‘to fail?’ How can we transform our missteps from the last year into intentions for change and growth in the year to come? This night will give us all the chance to engage with these tough questions and help prepare ourselves for the cheshbon hanefesh, the accounting of our souls, that this season demands.”
After the panel, attendees will have an opportunity to participate in small breakout discussion groups and be invited to share their personal reflections on the provided texts and their own experiences of grappling with failure, especially in the context of the chesbon hanefesh which we are invited to do during the Yamim Noraim (the Days of Awe).
“The Rabbinical Association decided to pivot towards a new High Holy Day preparation program in lieu of the previously offered Community Selichot observance,” Rabbi Glass said. “We’re responding to feedback that our previous Selichot program, while meaningful and engaging, was challenging for the wide range of observance and practice of our community. It is our hope that this new program, focused on learning and discussion, and scheduled for a Sunday evening as opposed to Saturday night, will be more accessible for the entire Jewish community.”
More Information is available at https://www.kcrabbi.org or by contacting Annette Fish, Rabbinical Association administrator, at or 913-327-8226.
Registrations must be done by Thursday, Sept. 19, at forms.gle/8c9Pwb9fgkphLnm36.
This program is offered by the Rabbinical Association of Greater Kansas City in collaboration with area congregations and support from the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City.
