Shalom!
Welcome to Clifton Park Chabad Jewish Center! Here at Chabad, you will find a wide array of programming designed to enhance Jewish life in southern Saratoga County. We strive to create an environment where every person is welcome, every individual Mitzvah is cherished, and where Judaism is an accessible reality to all Jews regardless of background, affiliation or age!
Through Shabbat Dinners, Holiday events, Jewish Womens circle, Chabad Hebrew school and everything in between, we are cultivating a community together. We look forward to meeting you in person at a Shabbat dinner, Torah class or a casual coffee date.
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Clifton Park Chabad
Where every Jew is family! Come join our ever-growing family in Southern Saratoga County.
No one crosses a desert leaning on a green twig. To make it through a long and difficult journey, you need a strong, sturdy staff. A fresh branch bends under pressure, but a seasoned staff stands firm, giving you support every step of the way.
This week we read the double Torah portion of Matos-Masei. Matos means "staffs" and also refers to tribes. Masei means "journeys."
Hebrew has two different words that both refer to tribes—Shevatim and Matos. They also describe two kinds of branches.
Shevatim are branches still attached to the tree. They are alive, flexible, and growing.
Matos are branches that have been cut from the tree and have become strong, solid staffs. They are no longer flexible, but they are sturdy enough to support someone on a long journey.
It's no accident that the Torah combines Matos with Masei. It teaches us that the strength we need for life's journeys comes from having something solid to lean on.
Sometimes it feels like we have to choose between holding on to our values and moving forward. We wonder if staying true to our traditions will keep us from growing or changing.
Matos-Masei teaches the opposite.
Movement without roots is just drifting. A leaf may travel miles on the wind, but it never chooses its destination. It simply goes wherever the current carries it. Real growth begins when we know what we stand for.
Torah and mitzvahs become the sturdy staff we carry through life. They strengthen our faith, shape our values, and give us the courage to face challenges, make difficult decisions, and keep moving forward with confidence.
Lean on that staff. Then take the next step on your journey- a difficult conversation, a new beginning, or a good resolution you've been meaning to embrace- and walk forward with confidence.
The roots we carry are not meant to hold us in place. They exist for the sake of the journey. They enable us to travel farther and with purpose.
May we all walk life's journeys with a firm grip on the staff of Torah and mitzvahs, drawing strength from our timeless values as they lead us ever closer to Hashem, to our purpose, and ultimately, to the Promised Land.
Shabbat Shalom!
Light candles at 8:17 pm
Shabbat ends at 9:26 pm
Please continue to pray for miracles for Tinok hakohen Ben Raizel
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As we welcome Shabbat here in New York, Kara and Lana, our very own Clifton Park CTeens, are celebrating Shabbat in Jerusalem!
After visiting Poland and seeing firsthand all that was lost, they arrived in Israel and prayed for all of us at the Kotel (the Western Wall) tonight.
As we welcome this Shabbat and bless the new month of Menachem Av, together with the uplifting call of "Chazak, Chazak V'Nit'chazek" as we complete the 4th book of the Torah (Bamidbar), we ask Hashem to bring true comfort to the Jewish people with the coming of Moshiach. May we all merit to join them in the Holy Land, speedily in our days.
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Join us for a beautiful Community Shabbat Dinner next week! Let’s gather for good food, great company, and a warm Shabbat atmosphere. ✨
🗓️ Friday, July 17, 7:30 PM
Reserve your spot here: jewishcliftonpark.org/events/community-shabbat-dinner-7-17/
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