President's Message: TAO - The South Florida Center for Jewish Renewal, Kabbalah, Spritual, Meditation

Dear Friend,

It is with great delight that I begin my tenure as President of this remarkable community. It is not a stretch to say that my life has been radically transformed by my experiences with Rabbi Marc and TAO.

We live in a harsh world. Here in South Florida it sometimes seems especially stressful. Well, these are the times when the peddle hits the metal and either we live the spiritual truths we've been studying or we don't. But it’s hard to stay steadfast in faith when people around are losing their homes and sources of income. Fear creeps in. We feel insecure. That’s when I turn to my rabbi and to my community to help keep me on track.

Rabbi Marc and Rabbi Phillip teach willing students how to open our hearts through Torah and the wisdom of the sages; wisdom that is given to inspire warmth, joy, peace and understanding. I am captivated by Jewish Renewal. Since joining TAO a scant 3 years ago, I have come to learn what an elegant, wise, humorous and practical blueprint for building a healthy, happy life Judaism offers. The teachings and rituals hit me viscerally and make me take notice and integrate the deeper meanings of Shabbat and holidays like Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Tu b’Shvat and, of course, the High Holy Days; Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and many more.

Added to this firm foundation of spiritual authenticity lies a spirited, intelligent, compassionate and fun-loving community. Rarely is there a gathering at which we do not sing, dance or play music. Deep and abiding friendships form and thrive here. And, most importantly ... at TAO we know how to laugh. And in these times laughter is often what we need most.

TAO’s mission is to be a warm expression of joyful Judaism, meaningful ritual and universal truth. I believe we achieve this with every Shabbat service, with our extraordinary High Holy Day services and virtually all of our programming. If you're a member, take advantage of the spiritual sanctuary and social opportunities offered by your community. Come to the events and check out our Members Only programming.

If you're not a member, there are many activities and events throughout the year at which you are welcome. Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and stay up to date on all of our great programming. You can't know what you're missing until you check it out!

B’Shalom,

Anne Goldberg