BY SANDI GOODMAN
September seems to be a transitional month. Even during the dog days of August, a sudden cool breeze interrupted the heat and humidity of summer reminding us that autumn was not far behind, even if the calendar says autumn begins on September 22nd and the threat of the Zika virus is lessening as the weather cools.
Labor Day is always thought of as the end of Summer and though there will still be many warm days, there is an energy that has taken over. Parents and children shopping for new clothes and supplies for school, vacations ending, and life in our City will be a bit more energetic than the lazy hazy days of Summer.
Baseball is in full swing although the chances of a subway series this year is not good. The excitement of the Olympic Games in Rio has abated and Team America has done us proud. Sports enthusiasts are excited about the start of football and Queens residents, in particular, await the reopening of the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, with its new retractable roof, allowing tennis to be played in all types of weather and where the 2016 U.S. Open began on August 27th.
September 11th will mark the 15th Anniversary of another late summer day, a beautiful warm day with blue skies and fluffy white clouds which at 8:57 a.m. became a day of unbelievable horror as the skies turned to ash grey, black and blood red. Yet, amid that terror, we New Yorkers did ourselves proud. People of all creeds, races, religions and economic status came together to pray together, to cry together and to be the best we could be, together. This day is now known as Patriots Day and there will be many observances throughout Queens to remember the day that will forever live in infamy. A day that showed the world that Americans were able to come through it intact and stronger than ever before
People of the Jewish faith begin preparing for the New Year 5777. Our beautiful temple, The Rego Park Jewish Center is busy putting finishing touches inside to insure that everything is beautiful and ready for the New Year.
Prior to the start of Rosh Hashanah on October 2nd, our synagogue, like many others, will hold Selichot services on Saturday evening, September 24th, at 9 p.m. Selichot is a prayer of penitence. We pray for a spiritual reawakening in anticipation of the High Holy Days, with open and forgiving hearts and in an effort to prepare ourselves to receive the blessings of another year of Life.
There is no charge. We invite you to be part of the stirring services conducted by Rabbi Romiel Daniel. For more information, please visit our beautiful website – www.rpjc.org.
