I want to personally extend an invitation to you. Please join me this coming Shabbat morning, May 12th, at Kehillat Maarav. I will be leading the service with Rabbi Michael Gotlieb, a very dear friend. The service begins at 9:30 and ends at 12:00. I will be singing from the beginning and throughout the service. The service is very participatory and unaccompanied. I know you will enjoy the intimacy and informality combined with the unique sense of community the service offers. The sanctuary is small and the feeling is intimate and warm. I am very excited about my participation in this service.

It would be great if you could join me. Your friendship and support mean a lot and your attendance would be really inspiring. I have provided the synagogues web page address for your convenience:

http://km-synagogue.org/

The address is 1715 21st Street, Santa Monica. It is right off of Olympic Boulevard.

See you on Shabbat morning. Warmest regards, Joe

I am in the process of picking the music for our opening concert in Germany. As you may know, together with my colleagues of the Cantors Assembly, we are traveling to Germany and Israel. Our mission, which will be joined by lay people from congregations all over the world, is part of the Cantors Assembly goal of spreading understanding, peace and love through the universality of our liturgical music. Our goal is to link the past to the present by acknowledging and learning about the history of our people and understanding the important contributions they made to the culture and society of where they lived. I picked several selections of Louis Lewandowski (1821 – 1894), who composed for the Rykesstrase Synagogue in Berlin, the site of our opening program and concert. Louis Lewandowski’s music is used throughout the world and many of his melodies are part of almost every service. One of my congregants attended services at the Rykesstrase Synagogue when she was a little girl. Imagine being in a synagogue where the music we are singing was first presented and heard 150 years ago. I want to extend to you my personal invitation to join with me on a historic and unforgettable trip to Germany and Israel. I promise you it will be one of the most memorable experiences of your life. JG

Join me on the Cantors Assembly Mission to Germany and Israel. Please click below for details:

http://www.ayelet.com/CA2012BROCHURES/GoleBrown.pdf

This past week, I met a truly remarkable man. He is a French Catholic Priest who has dedicated his life to locating the mass graves of the first victims of the Holocaust. We owe Father Patrick Desbois a debt of gratitude and appreciation for memorializing those whose disappearance would be otherwise lost to the annals of history. Father Desbois, a man of profound personal faith, understands the power of words and teaching and most of all the importance of action. All of us need to learn from him and rededicate ourselves to taking action when we see injustice, to not empowering those who do evil by remaining silent. Today provides us with the opportunity of making a difference. We need to make a commitment to take action and fulfill our obligation of opposing evil and pursuing justice. JG

A wonderful group of people are going with me to the Cantors Assembly Mission to Germany and Israel. If you have not signed up, please make sure you do so immediately and please tell your friends about this unique, cultural and spiritual journey and opportunity. Cantors from all over the United States and Canada will join together in song, prayer, and community to create unforgettable experiences of a life time. Visit the following site for information, itinerary and details. Please call me if you have any questions or require additional information.

Join me on the Cantors Assembly Mission to Germany and Israel. Please click below for details:

http://www.ayelet.com/CA2012BROCHURES/GoleBrown.pdf

Cantor Joseph Gole
Sinai Temple
310 481-3235 (Admin. Assistant)
310 481 3254 (Direct Line)
310 920 9081 (Cell Phone)
Email: joseph
Web Page: josephgole.com

Every day is a gift to cherish, embrace and rejoice. The realities of today are the memories of tomorrow. The dreams of tomorrow become the realities of the future. I find great comfort and tranquility in living in the moment of today and remembering that yesterday is a memory of the past and the future is a dream not yet realized. JG

The Passover holiday celebrates our Jewish peoples liberation from slavery to freedom. The holiday also celebrates the concept and belief that all humankind are created equal with the right to be free. The universal message of liberation to freedom is as relevant today as at the time of our slavery in Egypt. Our world continues to struggle with those who deny freedom to others. We continue today with the struggle against those who deny the rights, liberties and freedoms of others. What is it in our human condition that causes us to struggle for power, control and influence over other peoples lives? Metaphorically, we as individuals struggle with our own enslavement that is much more insidious because it is a self imposed slavery that denies the validity of our feelings and imposes limitations on our ability to be free, giving, present and transparent. The slavery of inner conflict and depression is a type of slavery that is invasive and destructive. The insidiousness of our inner slavery can destroy from within and can be as devastating as the slavery that is imposed by external forces. May all of us find the strength and courage to free ourselves from the slavery we feel from within and help free those who are in slavery caused by the actions of others. May we be blessed to bring about and usher in the freedom of humanity and to experience our own inner freedom of self. Chag sameach with love and friendship to all of my family, friends, congregants, community and those whose paths I may be blessed to converge upon. JG

I think all of us are oftentimes very hard on ourselves. The constant worry of what others may think leads us to be what we are not. We need to accept ourselves for who we are and respect ourselves for our own unique talents, feelings and thoughts. By being ourselves, we have the capacity and the freedom to give freely to others. Our tradition says that “we are made in the image of God (b’tzelem Elohim).” God resides in each of us. Let us allow ourselves to share the beauty and sanctity that is within each of us with everyone around us. That way each of us can help make this world a better place. JG

I pray each day that through my actions, I have made someone feel a little better, a little more appreciated, a little more valued, a little more important, a little more validated. If I smile and make someone else smile in response, I feel a certain completeness about my day. Each moment is an opportunity to touch people in a positive and loving way. I want to experience as many moments as possible filled with love and caring. I think by showing our love to others, we sanctify time and space. JDG

This is very poignant to me and I know it will be for you as well. Have a blessed day and reach out and touch someone and make a difference. Shabbat shalom, JG

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the ‘Peanuts’ comic strip.
You don’t have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them.
Just read the e-mail straight through, and you’ll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.

4 Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6. Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies.. Awards tarnish.. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the
most credentials, the most money…or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most.

Pass this on to those people who have either made a difference in your life,
or whom you keep close in your heart, like I did.

”Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!”
–
Join me on the Cantors Assembly Mission to Germany and Israel. Please click below for details:

http://www.ayelet.com/CA2012BROCHURES/Gole.pdf

I have not posted since the beginning of the year. I hope everyone is doing well. Heard an interesting quote this morning. “I wish his life was as happy as it looks.” Maybe we all come to believe that everyone else is content and happy and it is only us alone with challenges and problems. How many of us wake up in the morning and express gratitude to God or to a higher power acknowledging the countless blessings we have in our life. Everyday is a miracle. Every moment is a gift. Every relationship is a treasure. Every breath is a moment in which to say thank you. JG