Writing the Waves

Dear Shma Koleinu Family,

During the High Holy Days, we prayed, reflected, and committed ourselves to livingwith deeper purpose — to turn intention into  action, to repair what is broken, and to build a world infused with justice, compassion, and sacred connection. Now, as we
step into the new year together, we have a series of opportunities to live out those very prayers — to transform words into deeds and aspirations into impact. Here are five ways you can join us in continuing the work we began during the Days of
Awe:

1. “Competing in Goodness” – Food Drive for the Houston Food Bank -  Our annual food drive is underway, and this year we’re turning tzedakah into friendly competition! Help us combat hunger in our city by contributing to our “Competing in
Goodness” campaign. Each can, box, and bag you donate is a tangible act of compassion and justice — a way to ensure that no neighbor goes hungry. Together, we can turn our prayers for abundance and care into nourishment for those who need it
most. Please bring your donations tomorrow night to HCRJ! What a great addition to your Simchat Torah Shabbat observance!

2. Simchat Torah Celebration – Tomorrow Night with HCRJ (October 17) -  Join us as we dance with the Torah and rejoice in the never-ending cycle of Jewish life and learning! Simchat Torah is the joyful culmination of our High Holy Day season
— a chance to celebrate renewal, joy, and sacred connection. We’ll gather tomorrow night with our friends from HCRJ to embrace the joy of Torah and community. Bring your spirit and your dancing shoes!

3. A Sacred Shabbat at Holocaust Museum Houston – Next Friday Night (October 24) -  Next Friday night, we’ll gather in a profoundly meaningful space for our first-ever Shabbat service held at the Holocaust Museum Houston. In this place of memory and resilience, we will celebrate Shabbat and especially the return of the hostages back to Israel! Please join us as we honor the sacred duty to “never forget” — and to act for a more just and compassionate future for all. It’s a powerful opportunity to embody the values we affirmed on Yom Kippur: remembrance, responsibility, and the pursuit of peace.

4. Combating Antisemitism: “How to Win Hearts and Change Minds” – Sunday, October 26 at the ERJCC -  In partnership with the ADL, we invite you to an important and empowering workshop led by Dena Marks: “How to Win Hearts and Change Minds: Communication Strategies for Combating Antisemitism.” This program will offer tools to turn our prayers for courage and strength into concrete strategies for advocacy, dialogue, and action — building resilience and understanding in our broader community.

5. Bridging Histories, Building Futures – A Journey of Black-Jewish Solidarity -  We’re excited to launch a new interfaith dialogue initiative, “Bridging Histories, Building Futures,” exploring the deep and powerful story of Black-Jewish solidarity.
Our journey begins with an informational Zoom session on November 6, and we invite you to be part of this transformative work. This is our chance to put into practice the prophetic call we voiced on the High Holy Days — to pursue justice, build
bridges, and repair the world together.

+ 1 MORE – Join Rabbi Scott and Natalie and Friends on our Journey to and Through Israel, March 5-15, 2026 - There could be no better time to deepen our connection to our people, our story, and our faith: CSK’s community trip to Israel, March 5–15, 2026. This journey will be more than a tour — it will be a pilgrimage of the heart, an exploration of history, resilience, and renewal. Traveling together as a community, we’ll bring our High Holy Day intentions to life as we walk in the footsteps of our ancestors, engage with the complexities and beauty of modern Israel, and strengthen our bonds with one another
and with Am Yisrael.

Each of these opportunities is more than an event — it’s a sacred chance to act on the teshuvah, tefilah, and tzedakah we committed to just weeks ago. Let’s walk this path together, turning our prayers into deeds and our intentions into change.

With hope and joy for the journey ahead,

Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss

Congregation Shma Koleinu