Winter is a seed-time, a kind of night. In our Torah readings we read of Pharoah’s dreams and the dreams and promises of freedom for our ancestors. In our lives as well, we enter a kind of waiting – a between time. For now, we peruse our seed catalogues and dream of gardens. To everything there is a season.Dream time at the temple too. This month we’ll celebrate the new year of trees, Tu B’shevat. Our membership will gather for it’s semi-annual meeting on the same day – January 24. We’ll hear of the efforts of active committees so far this year and dream together about long-range goals and near season programming. Come help build our calendar and community on Jan 23. (See Calendar for details)I bet you don’t know that something happens here at TI every weekend. First and fourth Fridays we meet for Shabbat services. Second and third Saturdays we meet in the morning. This coming Shabbat , the 16 will be a chanting service followed by a Torah study discussion. The following Shabbat morning will be a regular Shabbat service, followed by a Kiddush luncheon. The singing has been great. Please come and enjoy our prayers together.To get ready for Purim, I am offering two opportunities to read the book of Ester together, once in Shelburne and once in Greenfield. We will retell together the book of Ester on March 23 at our Purim celebration. After we read the story, we plan to break it up into narrative chunks and create small plays and vignettes that tell the Purim story. Let me know if you’d like to help with the playful plays. You do not need to come to the reading groups in order to participate!The two readings will be 5-6:30 Monday January 25 in Shelburne and 12:30-2 the following day, Tuesday January 26 at the temple (in place of Torah study group that week). For directions to the Shelburne address (21 Gudnow Road) email me at the contact form