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Shalom . . . Good Yom Tov In 1913, on July 10th, Death Valley, California, experienced the hottest temperature ever recorded, before or since, (with the possible exception of this year). The recorded temperature was 134 degrees Fahrenheit. This August and last August had a day that reached 130 degrees. Some climate experts dispute the 134 degree temperature, but even 130 is a scorcher. It’s no wonder that the desert seems so barren. In a typical year Death Valley receives only one to two inches of rain. What can live there? Who can live there? For those of you who have never been in the desert in our American South West, I can tell you that I have been there on days when I literally was blistered by opening a door on my camper. That is hot! For the record, in the Spring of 2004, some six inches of rain fell in Death Valley. In the following year, the desert blossomed. Fields of wild flowers covered the desert floor with color and a beauty that had been invisible for untold generations. People and cattle have died on that desert for lack of hydration. Also for the record, I know that the desert is teaming with life adapted for such harsh conditions. Which is not where this little talk is going. Imagine the shock and surprise that wild flower field must have had on that day. Remarkable. Mostly people don’t know about this sort of event, because why would they? For most of us, in this age of cynicism, the Five Books of Moses, the Talmud, the Mishnah, are pretty barren, rarely visited and too hot to handle. Now, I’m not saying that you should blindly accept and celebrate the writings of the sages. What I am saying is that even the most modest of study can seem like a thorough watering of a parched life. And, well watered, the words and the images they promote give us a window to who we are and the subtext as to why we have come to be the people we are. The writings of the sages reveal the journey we have taken to be where we are today. With study, each of us, like the desert, can explode with life. The Brevard Jewish Community was started in 2001, with a small group of people. For Jews, Transylvania County has been a desert of sorts. Our people have lived here for many years, but prior to the year 2001, the only hint our people have occupied this community were the good works they shared. The Silversteens, the Ros Man connection, the Pattersons, the Strauss family, etc. Though each one of these ‘families’ contributed much to the community, they never built a Jewish Community here. We can be proud of the good work they did and hope that their good works were in some way related to their efforts to perform acts that could ‘repair the world.’ Today, the Brevard Jewish Community is reaching out to you for your continued financial support. Like fertilizer, your support will keep the wildflowers growing. We are not destitute, but your support can help us bring more speakers, more connections with the community, more support for our neediest neighbors, and a sense of security for the future of our little bit of a Jewish Community. There will be envelopes at our services which you can take home and return. Or you can just send your contribution to Brevard Jewish Community P.O. Box 2162 Brevard, NC 28712 L’Shana Tova, Norm Bossert, Lay Leader