Message from our President

Dear Congregation B’nai Israel Members,

My husband, David, and I enjoy planting flowers at our mailbox twice per year. In the fall we plant Pansies to enjoy bright colors during the colder months. In the late spring we remove the Pansies and plant pink Begonias and a Mandevilla, which is a beautiful flowering vine. Mid to late summer, the Mandevilla vine begins to really put on a fancy show at our mailbox, its flowers and vines stretching in all directions. In fact, this past summer, the mailbox Mandevilla became huge and chaotic. Each time I wheeled in and out of my driveway, which was more often than I prefer, I would admire the show of the gorgeous blooms at the mailbox. More than once, I felt the Mandevilla at my mailbox was a visual metaphor for my life, chaotic and beautiful at the same time.

I am including a photo of my mailbox from late September. This was when our mailbox Mandevilla was in all its glory. Vines and blooms everywhere – chaos and beauty all in one place. The Mandevilla reminded me to look for the magnificence in all moments, especially the tangled-up moments that seem to weigh heavy. If you look deeply and hard enough, there is beauty within the chaos.

As we approach Thanksgiving this month, I wish each of you a wonderful holiday with the ability to see beauty in all of your experiences!

Happy Thanksgiving! Tina Lyon

I am thrilled to announce Stafford’s of Spartanburg is now stocking Judaica to enhance our Jewish traditions. I have visited the store recently and they have beautiful Judaica pieces that are wonderful gifts for a friend or yourself. I encourage you to stop by Stafford’s of Spartanburg and see what they have in stock. I have been told they will be receiving more Judaica pieces and plan to keep them in stock to serve our community!