The words of Rabbi Marc Philippe of Temple Emanu-El were so inspiring as we nervously waited for Hurricane Dorian. I wanted to share them with those now in the “cone of uncertainty.”

“This Shabbat is Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the new Hebrew month of Elul. This month , preceding the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time when the Master of the Universe, compared to a King, comes out in the field -out of the castle- to be accessible to everyone who wishes to get close. It is a time of intense closeness with our creator, it is also a time of G-d’s physical manifestation.

“Rain is often compared to a physical manifestation of the Divine. This year, for the new month of Elul, the Divine is being manifested with great force, reminding us that despite our resources and our advanced technology, we are ultimately not in control.

“However, this isn’t entirely true. We do have some control: the power of our prayer.

“I pray that you may be blessed (and may you bless the community as well) that G-d’s Shelter of Peace protect you and give you comfort.

This Shabbat, more than ever, I invite you to come to Shul, let us take advantage of this closeness with our Creator in order to pray for everyone’s safety.

“We are a community and a family, please let us know if you need any assistance.”

With love,

Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Marc Philippe

It happens to all of us. We get a phone call from a phone scammer, and for just a few seconds, we believe it’s real. Before we know it, we are actually answering the questions from the scammer because it sounds so real.

Stop! No one calls you without a previous appointment, from a source that you have dealt with many times, to ask you personal or financial questions. Just make it a rule. You do not answer questions on the phone. There are no exceptions.

In fact, do not even engage in a conversation. Just hang up. This is not the time to start being polite. The folks on the other end of the call are trying to get information about you so they can make a sale.

Be safe, not sorry. You don’t need a major headache. Watch the video for a quick refresher on how the scammers operate.

Freaky

Many people look at art as having these walls around it. That’s not the art world in which I live. It’s people of all ages, races and cultures from around the world, and that’s a beautiful thing. I want more people to be exposed to that.” — Kathryn Mikesell, Founder Of Fountainhead Residency

Wonderful piece in Miami Today on The Fountainhead – https://www.miamitodaynews.com/2019/08/20/kathryn-mikesell-brings-global-artists-here-houses-local-artists-affordably/

Random photos from tonight’s event.

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I’m not sure why Business Insider ran a story about billionaires who dropped out of college. I hope it was not to convince more young folks to try it. Something tells me if these businessmen had to do it all over again, they would stay in school. It’s just a hunch. What do you think?

https://www.businessinsider.com/billionaire-college-dropouts-bill-gates-mark-zuckerberg-2019-8

Some seniors ease into retirement, others suffer. I know so many people who were forced into retirement and then they had health problems soon after. This is all a terrible predicament.

To make matters worse, a friend sent me an article from the Atlantic magazine that talks about how most careers peak at a certain age. People may stay on the job, but their chance of achieving something noteworthy is highly unlikely. Everyone has their good years, and then they coast.

Most folks don’t realize that they only have a stretch of time when they can do their best work. It varies from person to person so I suggest you read the article to figure out when you were the star of your profession.

The article didn’t come as a surprise to me. Even though I am still working, I can clearly see that I will never get the accolades and money that I commanded in the heyday of my career.

I have made peace with that. I get enough jollies from the work itself. I did think this article was helpful because it traces the careers of others. I liked learning about the theory of when most people are productive. It’s a lot to think about, and to pass along to the younger folks.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/07/work-peak-professional-decline/590650/