A Message from Rabbi Bellows

October 4, 2026/24 Tishrei 5787

Dear Friends,

This week we begin reading the Torah again with Breisheet—“In the beginning.” Every year, we return to these familiar words: God creates the world, human beings are placed in the garden, Cain and Abel struggle, and the first family discovers just how complicated being human can be.

What strikes me about Breisheet is how quickly things go wrong. Adam and Eve make a mistake. Cain becomes consumed by jealousy. Relationships fracture. And yet, the Torah does not give up on humanity. The story continues.

Perhaps that is one of the gifts of beginning the Torah again each year: we are reminded that being human has always been complicated. We make mistakes. We hurt one another. Sometimes we fail to live up to our own values. But failure does not have to be the end of the story.

After Cain kills Abel, God asks him, “Where is your brother Abel?” Cain responds, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Torah leaves us with a question that has echoed through generations.

I think the answer is yes. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers—not because we are expected to solve everyone’s problems or carry the world on our shoulders, but because none of us is meant to go through life alone.

That is one of the gifts of synagogue. We show up for one another. We celebrate together when life is joyful, sit beside one another when life is painful, learn together, pray together, and help one another find our way when the path is difficult. Sometimes we are the ones offering support, and sometimes we are the ones who need to receive it.

Perhaps that is what Breisheet can teach us as we begin the Torah reading cycle again: we are created for relationship. We need one another, and we have something to offer one another. In a world that can sometimes feel fragmented and lonely, creating a community where people know they do not have to walk alone may be one of the most important things we can do. I am grateful for your presence in the Beth Am community.

May we go from strength to strength! 

Rabbi Bellows