By Cantor Baruch Koritan Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley "Blessed is our God who created us for God's glory, who distinguished us from erring, who gave us the Torah of truth." This reassuring liturgic prayer is sung in the Hassidic tradition. on Shavuot, which begins at sundown on May 21st this year. In Harry Coopersmith's book, More of the Songs We Sing, he indicates this chanted prayer is to be sung "ecstatically." Why not? How many peoples on this planet were give

By Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley We will celebrate Shavuot as part of our Friday night Shabbat service on May 22, 2026. We are celebrating God‘s having given us the Torah, which we have been privileged to study and debate for more than 3,000 years. Among the major Jewish festivals, Shavuot is perhaps the most understated — and yet, in many ways, the most profound. Unlike Passover, with its rich home rituals including the Passover Seder using our

By Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan, Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley On the Friday evening before Thanksgiving, Nov. 21, Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley will host a special Interfaith Thanksgiving Service at 7 p.m. that promises to be both spiritually uplifting and deeply meaningful. I am delighted to share that four local ministers will be joining us, along with our Cantor Baruch Koritan and myself, in what has become one of the most inspiring traditions of our congregatio