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Why Isn’t the Esrog Tied to the Lulav?

A whole group of Levi’s friends came to join us for Sukkos and bring even more Sukkos joy into our gigantic sukkah! And there is room for you too!

The Midrash teaches that the four species represent four kinds of Jews. The esrog, which has both taste and fragrance, represents the Jew who has both Torah and mitzvos. The lulav, hadassim and aravos represent Jews whose Torah learning or mitzvah observance may be stronger in one area than another, or may still be developing.

Yet on Sukkos, we bring everyone together.

The esrog, lulav, hadassim and aravos all become part of one mitzvah. And then we enter the sukkah, a mitzvah that surrounds every one of us completely. We walk in with our whole selves, even with our dirty shoes. Inside the sukkah, every Jew is equally surrounded by the mitzvah.

But there is something fascinating.

If the message is to bring all four kinds of Jews together, why is the esrog not actually tied together with the lulav, hadassim and aravos?

Chassidic thought explains that the esrog, representing the Jew who possesses both Torah and mitzvos, remains separate from the bundle. Yet it cannot remain distant. It must be held right alongside the other three species. It is close to them, connected to them, and through that closeness it helps elevate them.

Perhaps there is a powerful lesson here.

The Jew who is strong in Torah and mitzvos is not meant to withdraw from other Jews. Quite the opposite.

Be close to everyone. Love everyone. Bring everyone together. Connect, engage and influence.

But even while coming close, the esrog remains an esrog.

Never forget who you are, what you stand for and the Torah and mitzvos that define your life. When you find yourself in environments or activities that do not strengthen Torah and mitzvos, make sure that you are there to influence, not to be influenced, while remaining firmly connected to who you really are.

That is true Jewish unity. Not becoming identical, but standing close enough to strengthen one another while each remains rooted in who they are.

This year, because the first day of Sukkos is Shabbos, we begin shaking the lulav and esrog on Sunday, the second day of Sukkos.

Stop by, come into the sukkah, shake the lulav and esrog, and add your own Sukkos joy. The complete schedule is below and on www.chabaduptown.org/sukkotschedule

There is always room for one more Jew in the sukkah!

THE COHEN CORNER A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.

Most people think that getting out into nature means going backward. We leave behind our homes, our technology and the complexity of modern life, and return to something simpler and more primitive. At first glance, Sukkos seems to do exactly that. The Torah tells us that the sukkah reminds us of the Jewish people traveling through the desert, protected from the elements by Hashem’s miraculous Clouds of Glory. Thousands of years later, we leave our permanent homes, sit beneath branches and recreate that ancient experience. It seems like Sukkos is asking us to step out of the present and return, for a week, to our past. But there is a deeper message hidden in that return.

The sukkah is pushing us forward . Our permanent homes represent stability, security and routine, all of which are valuable, but they can also convince us that where we are is where we need to remain. The sukkah removes that illusion. We step outside the walls that make life feel settled and remember that we are still on a journey. There is still somewhere to go, something to become, and a world still waiting to be made more G-dly through one more intentional action.

Have a joyous Sukkos! Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka & Mendel Cohen

HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES & EVENTS: www.chabaduptown.org/celebrate

Fri. & Sat. Sept. 25 & 26, 7 pm - Community Sukkot Dinners Under the Stars
Tues. Sept. 29, 12 pm - Sukkot Lunch & Learn - Enjoy an upscale lunch in the Sukkah with like-minded friends for a spirited Torah class and meaningful discussion.
Wed. Sept. 30. 8 pm - YJP Dinner, Class & Social - In the Sukkah! www.yjphouston.org/wednesdays
Thursday, October 1, 6:30 pm - Smoke, Mirrors & Sukkot w/ YJP, YAD & Olami - Join young professionals in their twenties and thirties for an evening of magic, dinner, drinks and joy in the Sukkah under the Stars! www.yjphouston.org
Friday, Oct. 2 6:45 pm - YJP October First Fridays Shemini Atzeres Edition - Simchas Torah warm-up brief dancing and dinner in the sukkah www.yjphouston.org/pinkatzeres
Shabbos. Oct. 3 12:15 pm - Shemini Atzeret Yizkor with special Service to Honor the Memory of the Oct. 7 massacre
Shabbos, Oct. 3, 6:45 pm - Saturday Night ALIVE! Simchat Torah Uptown - Dance like a Star!

SUKKOS, CHOL HAMOED & SIMCHAS TORAH SCHEDULE 14-23 TISHREI 5787 | SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 4, 2026

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 14 TISHREI EREV SUKKOT 6:56 pm: Light Shabbat & Holiday Candles 7:00 pm: Mincha & Evening Services Community Sukkot Dinner Under the Stars RSVP: ChabadUptown.org/sukkotdinner

SHABBOS, SEPTEMBER 26, 15 TISHREI SUKKOT DAY 1 Lulav & Etrog are not used on Shabbos 9:00 am: Chassidus Torah Study 10:00 am: Morning Services Kiddush Lunch in the Sukkah 7:00 pm: Mincha & Evening Services After 7:49 pm: Light Holiday Candles Community Sukkot Dinner Under the Stars RSVP: ChabadUptown.org/sukkotdinner Yaknehaz: Special Kiddush / Shabbos Havdalla Combination

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 16 TISHREI SUKKOT DAY 2 7:13 am: Sunrise & Earliest Time for Lulav & Etrog 9:00 am: Chassidus Torah Study 10:00 am: Morning Services Kiddush Lunch in the Sukkah A Lulav & Etrog will be available for public use 7:00 pm: Mincha & Evening Services 7:47 pm: Maariv, Havdallah & Holiday Ends Living Torah

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 17 TISHREI CHOL HAMOED SUKKOT DAY 1 7:00 am: Shacharis 7:14 am: Sunrise & Earliest Time for Lulav & Etrog A Lulav & Etrog will be available for public use

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 18 TISHREI CHOL HAMOED SUKKOT DAY 2 7:00 am: Shacharis 7:14 am: Sunrise & Earliest Time for Lulav & Etrog A Lulav & Etrog will be available for public use 12:00 pm: Sukkot Lunch & Learn RSVP: ChabadUptown.org/lunch 6:45 pm: Guys Sushi & Scotch in the Sukkah RSVP: ChabadUptown.org/guys

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 19 TISHREI CHOL HAMOED SUKKOT DAY 3 7:00 am: Shacharis 7:15 am: Sunrise & Earliest Time for Lulav & Etrog A Lulav & Etrog will be available for public use 8:00 pm: YJP Dinner, Class & Social in the Sukkah YJPHouston.org/wednesdays

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 20 TISHREI CHOL HAMOED SUKKOT DAY 4 7:00 am: Shacharis 7:15 am: Sunrise & Earliest Time for Lulav & Etrog A Lulav & Etrog will be available for public use 6:30 pm: Smoke, Mirrors & Sukkot with YJP, YAD & Olami RSVP: YJPHouston.org/SukkotSmoke

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 21 TISHREI HOSHANA RABBAH 7:00 am: Shacharis Hoshana Rabba Special Service 7:16 am: Sunrise & Earliest Time for Lulav & Etrog Final day of the mitzvah. A Lulav & Etrog will be available for public use.

SHEMINI ATZERES & SIMCHAS TORAH FRIDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 2 SHEMINI ATZERES 6:45 pm: Mincha & Evening Services 6:48 pm: Light Shabbos & Holiday Candles YJP October First Fridays: Shemini Atzeres Pink Edition Simchas Torah Warm Up, Brief Dancing & Dinner in the Sukkah RSVP for First Fridays: YJPHouston.org/PinkAtzeres

SHABBOS, OCTOBER 3, 22 TISHREI SHEMINI ATZERES 10:00 am: Morning Services 12:15 pm: Yizkor Memorial Service Including a special service honoring the memory of those murdered in the October 7 massacre Tefillas Geshem Final opportunity to eat in the Sukkah 6:45 pm: SIMCHAS TORAH SATURDAY NIGHT ALIVE! Grand Hakafot & Family Celebration Celebratory dancing, refreshments & tremendous Simchas Torah joy Details: ChabadUptown.org/Joy After 7:40 pm: Light Holiday Candles Yaknehaz: Special Kiddush / Shabbos Havdalla Combination

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 23 TISHREI SIMCHAS TORAH 10:00 am: Morning Services Hakafot & Celebratory Dancing Mincha after Musaf 7:00 pm: Seder Niggunim 7:39 pm: Maariv, Havdallah & Holiday Ends Living Torah

What a Rosh Hashanah! Now Comes Shabbos Shuva & Yom Kippur

What a beautiful beginning to 5787!

Our Rosh Hashanah Community and Sefardi services were filled to overflowing, with an incredible crowd coming together to daven, hear the shofar, celebrate Yom Tov, and begin the new year as one community.

A special thank you to Chazzan Daniel Gavin for beautifully leading the davening, to Sara Tehilla, Elana, and Chanale for the wonderful children’s programs, and to Chanie for the decadent Yom Tov meals that brought everyone together around the table.

The photo captures some of those who stayed together after services for Havdalah and Living Torah, one more special moment of learning and connection at the close of a beautiful day.

Now, during Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, the Ten Days of Teshuvah, the focus turns inward.

This weekend is Shabbos Shuva, the special Shabbos between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It is a time to think more deeply about what Teshuvah is really about. Not simply looking back at what we may have done wrong, but returning to who we truly are, strengthening our relationship with Hashem, and preparing ourselves to enter Yom Kippur with greater meaning and purpose.

Below you will find the complete schedule and customs for Shabbos Shuva and Yom Kippur. We hope you will join us for Sunday & Monday for Kol Nidrei, Yizkor, Neilah, Break the Fast, and throughout these sacred days .

Gmar Chasima Tova. May we all be sealed for a good and sweet year.

THE COHEN CORNER Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.

In this week’s parsha, Haazinu, Moshe says that Hashem “found” the Jewish people in the desert. Of course, Hashem knew exactly where they were. He had led them there. Rashi explains that what Hashem “found” was something within the Jewish people: a depth of faith they had never been called upon to show before. They followed Hashem into an empty and uncertain desert, trusting Him beyond what reason alone could justify. Sometimes it takes an unfamiliar or demanding situation to reveal just how deep a relationship really runs.

The same is true of our Judaism. It is easy to connect when Judaism is comfortable or inspiring. Real growth asks us to discover something more within ourselves. As we begin a new year, each of us can identify an area of Jewish life that represents a personal stretch, whether quantitatively, by doing more, or qualitatively, by bringing greater depth and commitment to what we already do. Sometimes we only discover what we are capable of when we reach beyond where we are today.

Have a marvelous Shabbos!

Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka & Mendel Cohen

Mazel tov to Yehoshua & Sigal (Melnik) Rothman on the birth of a baby boy !
We send sincere condolences to Seth & Rivka Weisberg on the passing of her mother.

Chabad of Uptown looks forward to celebrating the holidays with you. Our doors are to the entire Jewish community to daven and to celebrate, regardless of background or affiliation. For the complete schedule of services, to RSVP for the Yom Kippur Break Fast, Sukkot dinners or lunches, visit www.chabaduptown.org/services .

Now is also the time to join or renew your voluntary membership to Chabad. Your partnership allows us to provide free, open and welcoming services to all, for the holidays and year round! www.chabaduptown.org/membership

HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES & EVENTS: www.chabaduptown.org/celebrate

Sun.-Mon., Sept. 20-21 - Yom Kippur Services and Break Fast
Wednesday, September 23, 8:00 pm - YJP & Moishe Pod Wednesday Dinner, Class & Social
Fri. & Sat. Sept. 25 & 26, 7 pm - Community Sukkot Dinners Under the Stars
Tues. Sept. 29, 12 pm - Sukkot Lunch & Learn - Enjoy an upscale lunch in the Sukkah with like-minded friends for a spirited Torah class and meaningful discussion.
Thursday, October 1, 6:30 pm - Smoke, Mirrors & Sukkot w/ YJP, YAD & Olami - Join young professionals in their twenties and thirties for an evening of magic, dinner, drinks and joy in the Sukkah under the Stars! www.yjphouston.org
Friday, Oct. 2 6:45 pm - YJP October First Fridays Shemini Atzeres Edition - Simchas Torah warm-up brief dancing and dinner in the sukkah www.yjphouston.org/pinkatzeres
Shabbos. Oct. 3 12:15 pm - Shemini Atzeret Yizkor with special Service to Honor the Memory of the Oct. 7 massacre
Shabbos, Oct. 3, 6:45 pm - Saturday Night ALIVE! Simchat Torah Uptown - Dance like a Star!

SHABBOS SHUVA & YOM KIPPUR SCHEDULE & CUSTOMS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, TISHREI 7 7:00 pm Mincha & Shabbos Service 7:05 pm Shabbat Candle Lighting

Custom to Light 24 hr "Teshuvah Candle"

Followed by Shabbat Dinner, RSVP

SHABBOS SHUVA, SEPTEMBER 19, TISHREI 8 9:00 am Chassidus 10:00 am Services Shabbos Shuva Lunch Kiddush & Farbrengen 7:05 pm Mincha Study of Laws of Yom Kippur & Sukkot 7:57 pm Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos ends Living Torah

YOM KIPPUR 5787 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, TISHREI 9

After 3 am & before 5:54 am ideal time for Kapparos (with money)

8:00 am Shacharis No Mizmor Lesoda, Tachanun or Avinu Malkeinu in Shacharis

Ask for Lekach
Men Receive Malkus
Men's Mikvah (10900 Fondren Rd) 9 am - 6 pm. Non-members $5/adult, $2/child, $2 Towel
Before Chatzos, 1:14 pm, eat Festive Meal with Challah dipped in honey & fish.

2:00 pm Mincha with Al Chet

Eat festive meal with Kreplach
Light 24 hour "Living Candle" for whole Family
L ight an additional 24 hour Yizkor Candle for those who say Yizkor

7:03 pm Light Holiday Candles and Fast Begins Blessings: Lehadlik Ner Shel Yom HaKippurim & Shehechiyanu

7:00 pm Kol Nidrei Simultaneous Main & Sefardi Services 7:00-8:30 pm Children’s Program

Five YK Restrictions: No Eating or Drinking, Washing Body, Lotions, Leather Shoes or Intimacy

YOM KIPPUR, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, TISHREI 10 7:00 am Sefardi Sunrise Minyan 9:30 am Community Morning Service 11:30 am-1:00 pm Children’s Program 12:30 pm Yizkor Memorial Service 4:30 pm Sefardi Mincha 6:00 pm Mincha Afternoon Service 7:00 pm Neilah Closing Service 7:55 pm Havdallah and Fast Ends Break the Fast Buffet following Services, RSVP required

THURSDAY, SEPT. 24, TISHREI 13 6:45 am Shacharis

This community would not be the same without you

As we stand at the doorway of a new year, we want to pause for a moment and say something from the heart.

A community is not built by one person, one family, or even one group of people. It is built by every individual who chooses to be part of it.

Some give generously. Some volunteer their time. Some help organize, cook, set up, clean up, teach, encourage, introduce a friend, or quietly lend a hand when it is needed. Some come every week, and some we may not see nearly as often as we would like.

But every one of you matters.

Sometimes, even when you are not physically here, simply knowing that you are part of this community, that you care, that you are connected, and that we can count on one another makes a real difference.

We feel deeply grateful for the privilege of sharing this community with you. The friendships, the simchas, the challenges, the ordinary moments and the special ones all weave together into something that feels like family.

As Rosh Hashanah begins, we want to wish you and your family a Kesiva Vachasima Tova, L’Shana Tova U’Mesukah.

Please join us at 12:15 pm on Sunday as we stand together as a community to hear the shofar blown.

May this longest possible complete year be filled to the max with Hashem’s brachos. May every bracha you are hoping for, every tefillah you are carrying in your heart, and every good thing you wish for your family be fulfilled in the fullest and sweetest way.

Thank you for being part of our community. It truly would not be the same without you.

THE COHEN CORNER New Year’s resolutions are familiar, and Rosh Hashanah similarly calls us to make positive resolutions in Torah and mitzvot. Yet we know how quickly resolutions can disappear. The problem is that most resolutions are based on what we want for ourselves. We want to be healthier, more productive, or more fulfilled. But human desires constantly compete. The person who sincerely decides to wake up early and exercise can wake up the next morning and sincerely decide that sleep is much more important. When one personal desire motivates a commitment, another personal desire can easily override it.

Teshuvah approaches change differently. It is not simply the desire to become a better version of myself, but the recognition that I am here to serve Hashem and can serve Him better than I have until now. When the commitment is about what Hashem wants from me, it is no longer competing with every other thing I happen to want that day. So choose one practical commitment this Rosh Hashanah: make Kiddush every Friday night, study the daily portion of Chumash, or volunteer to help the less fortunate. There will be days when we don't particularly feel like it. But when the commitment is rooted in what Hashem wants from us, it no longer depends on whether we feel inspired that day. That is how the inspiration of Rosh Hashanah can become something we carry with us throughout the year.

K’siva Vachasima Tova, L’Shana Tova Umesuka! Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka & Mendel Cohen

Chabad of Uptown looks forward to celebrating the holidays with you. Our doors are to the entire Jewish community to daven and to celebrate, regardless of background or affiliation. For the complete schedule of services, to RSVP for holiday dinners or lunches, visit www.chabaduptown.org/services .

HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES & EVENTS: www.chabaduptown.org/celebrate

Fri.-Sun., Sept. 11-13 - FREE Rosh Hashana Services , RSVP for Dinner and Luncheons
Wednesday, September 16, 8:00 pm - YJP Dinner, Class & Social
Sun.-Mon., Sept. 20-21 - Yom Kippur Services and Break Fast
Fri. & Sat. Sept. 25 & 26, 7 pm - Community Sukkot Dinners Under the Stars
Tues. Sept. 29, 12 pm - Sukkot Lunch & Learn - Enjoy an upscale lunch in the Sukkah with like-minded friends for a spirited Torah class and meaningful discussion.
Thursday, October 1, 6:30 pm - Smoke, Mirrors & Sukkot w/ YJP, YAD & Olami - Join young professionals in their twenties and thirties for an evening of magic, dinner, drinks and joy in the Sukkah under the Stars! www.yjphouston.org
Friday, Oct. 2 6:45 pm - YJP October First Fridays Shemini Atzeres Edition - Simchas Torah warm-up brief dancing and dinner in the sukkah
Shabbos. Oct. 3 12:15 pm - Shemini Atzeret Yizkor with special Service to Honor the Memory of the Oct. 7 massacre
Shabbos, Oct. 3, 6:45 pm - Saturday Night ALIVE! Simchat Torah Uptown - Dance like a Star!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, ELUL 29 7:14 pm Light Holiday & Shabbat Candles

Blessings: Shel Shabbat V'Shel Yom Hazikaron & Shehechiyanu

7:15 pm Community Evening Service 7:15-8:45 pm Children’s Program Community Holiday Dinner following Services, RSVP required

Hamotzi Dipped in Honey, then Apples Dipped in Honey
Eat from the Head of FIsh and Pomegranate in Meal

SHABBOS, SEPTEMBER 12, TISHREI 1 FIRST DAY ROSH HASHANAH 6:30 am Sefardi Sunrise Minyan 9:30 am Community Morning Services 11:30 am-1:00 pm Children’s Program

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