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- Monthly Rabbi: August 2008
Dear Friends,
Many of you know that I love Professional Football. I don’t have a favorite team; I am a fan of the game. I love the strategy, the teamwork, the individual effort, the pressure of the clock, and so many other aspects. I also love the history of the game, so much so that I convinced my dear wife to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, for our first wedding anniversary! (I know, I owe her big time for that one!)
Football is a team sport but played by individuals. There are many parallels to life, which we live as individuals and part of groups and a society. In football you have to do your part, play your position, and defend your territory, but you also have to rely on your teammates to do likewise. No one can win the game all by themselves, and yet without the individual effort, the team fails.
One of the descriptive phrases used to describe a great effort on the playing field is “intestinal fortitude.” When the ball is on the goal line and it’s player against player, one side against another, each person has to dig down deep and find what they are made of. The same is true in life. If we think back to the great struggles of our age, it was the intestinal fortitude demonstrated by individuals that ultimately won the game. We can think of Abraham Lincoln, the Suffer Jets, Gandhi, the pioneers who settled and created the State of Israel, Martin Luther King, Jr., and so many others who showed personal courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
I am proud to be a Jew and a rabbi, and particularly proud to be a Reform Jew and a Reform rabbi. Why? Because Reform Jews, Reform Judaism, and Reform rabbis have been at the forefront of the struggles for all the advancements this society has made. We are the ones who have put our personal needs aside and given everything for the team. We, who were once slaves in Egypt and who know what it is like to be strangers in a strange land – we are the ones who have fought for the oppressed and downtrodden of this world. We have fought for economic justice and we spoke of caring for the earth long before Global Warming ever received any media attention.
Of course, sometimes there was a price to be paid. Rabbis had to take unpopular positions, even unpopular in their own congregations and communities. Their jobs, homes, and sometimes, their very lives were threatened. But they stood up to evil and they showed the intestinal fortitude that it took to change what they knew to be wrong. As an inheritor of that tradition, I wonder sometimes how I would have reacted and acted in similar circumstances.
Many rabbis today are afraid of controversy. They fail to speak out about the moral issues of today, and they fail to demonstrate moral leadership as so many of those who came before did. Of course, it has to be done in a proper way and this, I believe, is an ever-changing dynamic given the current climate in which we live.
I invite you, then, to come to our second Friday service and program on August 8th where I will show a new video produced by the American Jewish Archives entitled, “Voices of Moral Leadership.” This film, debuted at the Central Conference of American Rabbis’ annual conference in Cincinnati last April, highlights several cases of Reform rabbis who showed moral leadership and changed Judaism and our society. Following the film, we will discuss the proper role of rabbis today on difficult and controversial issues. I’d love to hear your input.
I hope you are all having an enjoyable and safe summer.
- Monthly President: August 2008
Yin and Yang. I am not sure what the Jewish equivalent is. Perhaps mazel and tsuris? Whatever terms are used, the concept of balancing forces bringing equilibrium to the universe is comforting to me. Surely we could never truly value all the beauty, miracles of life, and love that surround us were it not for the bad things in life that give perspective to those good things. Conversely, how could we live in a world of constant pain without also experiencing the many joys in life?
However true the above statement is, please forgive me for feeling that tsuris has had more than its fair share of time with our congregation over the last few months. I am always informed by our Temple office or by friends when health issues affect our Temple family members. I have been overwhelmed with sadness by the number of calls I have received these past few months informing me of serious illness or loss of life. I pray for full recovery to all those in need of healing and for strength to our Temple families that have experienced the loss of a beloved family member. I am grateful for the presence of Rabbi Milhander and Rabbi Asa who can help bring perspective to me and to all of us.
The Plans for Project Legacy are moving forward nicely and construction could begin by February, 2009. For more details, please refer to Lila Pesner’s and Henry Cohen’s article in this issue of the Scroll. There is just one “small” detail that I want to address. We still need more money! See, I told you it was a small detail. We are at a point now where we are very confident of the amount of money needed for the Project, and we have successfully raised 80% of the funds necessary to reach our $2.4-2.5 million total. We are pursuing all avenues to get us to our goal.
Your support has been asked for many times by me and by others. Most of you have contributed both generously and to your ability. However, please remember that reaching 80% of our goal is tantamount to reaching 0%. We will not begin construction unless our financial goals and plans are 100% in order. I wish I had the words to say to you that would magically inspire you to contribute more. I do not have those words because, in truth, the correct words must emanate from inside you. The words that come from inside me break down the simplest way I know. If all 250 families at Temple Beth Tikvah contributed an additional $1.10 a day for 5 years we will have raised an additional $500,000 and the Project Legacy dream that started in 2004 will become a reality in 2009. I have raised my family’s modest pledge by $2,000 ($1.10/day). Whether your family has already pledged generously or whether your family has not yet pledged, I pray that you will find the words inside you that will allow you to reconsider your commitment. Doing this together is the only way it will get done.
- Monthly Religious School: August 2008
I recently had a conversation with a friend who teaches English as a Second Language. As she described the students with whom she works, I was reflecting on my experience in teaching adults who have been in past adult B’nai Mitzvah classes. I have to admit that as much as I like teaching children, there is nothing like seeing adults learn a new language.
Many times adults enter a beginning Hebrew class with fear that they will be unable to learn something new. They need a little extra coaxing to “get their big toes wet,” but after the first lesson, they see that Hebrew is not beyond their grasp. Even those who are sure that they will never be able to read a prayer in Hebrew, read Hebrew without vowels, or chant from the Torah – they do accomplish the seemingly impossible.
Scientific research tells us that it is important that we continue to exercise our brains throughout our lives, if for no other reason than to fight brain degenerative diseases (this is admittedly not the reason I play mah jongg every chance I get!). What better way to maintain brain cells than by learning a new language, or challenging yourself to linguistically dissect a piece of Hebrew text that you have always read/sung by rote!
Rabbi Milhander and I will be starting a new class of Adult B’nai Mitzvah this fall. We will meet for the Judaica portion (taught by Rabbi Milhander) on Mondays at 5:00-6:00 p.m. I will then teach the Hebrew section from 6:00-7:00 p.m. No previous Hebrew experience is necessary (I won’t even take for granted that you know that Hebrew is read from right to left J). The class will culminate in the winter of 2010 with our Adult B’nai Mitzvah service.
If you never had the opportunity to celebrate your Bar/Bat Mitzvah (remember, you become a Bar/Bat Mitzvah when you turn 13 years of age, regardless of whether you participated in a service and chanted from the Torah), here is your chance to reclaim that milestone in a way that will be meaningful to you as an adult. I can’t promise that you won’t get nervous when you read in front of your classmates, but remember that everyone will be there to cheer you on … and they will feel the same way. Being in an adult class like this is also a way to make new friends and participate more easily in Shabbat and holiday observances.
If you are interested in joining our class, call the TBT office, or email me (miriamtbt@aol.com). I look forward to hearing from you … and teaching you!
- Monthly ECLC: August 2008
The school year ended so quickly! Thanks to the Weitzman family, the kids enjoyed every lick of it!! Yes, I said lick. Greg and Danny Weitzman came in on our last day of school and surprised the kids with an ice cream party. Just imagine 35 kids, a vat of ice cream and 80 degree weather! Luckily we were prepared as the kids were already enjoying an end of the year mud day celebration. It was messy fun! THANK YOU to the Weitzmans for the wonderful treat and a new tradition!!
The children are enjoying Camp I Am, especially messy art day and water days. So far they have been exposed to dance, music and puppetry. One of our personal highlights was during our week of ballet. ECLC Alum Emilie Liron came in and talked about all the different types of shoes worn for each style of dance. She also performed and taught the children some basic dance steps. Thank you, Emilie, for sharing your talents with us!! Our famous person of that week was Mikhail Baryshnikov. There is nothing quite as cute as hearing a two-year-old say his name! During our music week we discovered one of our new parents, Erica Steele, is a musician/songwriter. She came in and performed an original song, as well as some kid favorites. The Didgeridoo (an Australian instrument) was a crowd favorite.
School enrollment for the fall is open; however, space is limited!! Most classes are close to capacity, so come in soon for information about registering your child.
We would like to welcome our newest students: Maya Zalob, Hannah and Benjimin Green, and Liam Summerhill.
- Weekly Rabbi: Off to camp – again! July 2008
Did you hear the one about the talking donkey? No, I’m not talking politics, I’m talking Torah! Balak, King of Moab, is concerned about the Israelites. He asks Balaam to go and curse the Jews. This was before television and the Internet which our enemies use today, so Balaam saddles his donkey and heads out to proclaim his evil words. Standing in the way of the donkey is an angel of God which Balaam cannot see, but the poor animal can. Balaam beats the donkey several times but it will not move. Eventually Balaam’s eyes are opened and he realizes that he was blinded by his hatred. Instead of cursing the Israelites, he blesses them with the familiar words of Mah Tovu repeated in our prayer book, all thanks to the actions of one talking donkey! If only our enemies today could have such an awakening.
Our challenges today do not just come from the outside. There are internal or domestic challenges as well. As I have written many times, I am not a numbers guy. I do focus on Jewish survival as much as others do. Though I am concerned about assimilation and other factors that draw Jews away from Judaism, I tend to focus on quality instead of quantity.
One quality experience that we know enhances Jewish identity and a strong sense of values and tradition in our children is summer camp. Kids who go to summer camp tend to have stronger Jewish identities and a higher affiliation with Judaism in later years. Along with formal education offered in synagogues, the importance and impact of the informal educational setting of a sleep-away cannot be underestimated. Children begin to learn how to cope without their parents, they learn the important life lessons they will need to survive in the future, they learn that Judaism can be fun, and most importantly, they see older Jews (counselors and other staff) as positive role models.
This Sunday, I will be heading to the San Bernardino mountains for two weeks as I attend Orange County Jewish Community Center’s Camp Yofi as Camp Rabbi and song leader. I am very excited as this is only Camp Yofi’s third year. As the only Jewish residential camp in Orange County it is critical that this program thrive and grow, and I am hoping that I will be able to bring something very positive to what they have already created.
Along with my experiences in Israel as a teenager, nothing cemented my desire to become a rabbi and to serve the Jewish people more than my time at camp as a child and later as a young adult. My head is still filled with incredible memories and some of my most spiritual moments have been with my peers and with kids in the camp setting.
As I will not be here for the next few weeks, I know that you will be in good hands with Cantor Avdee and our lay leaders. Before I go, of course, we have our early service tonight and our program at 7:30 PM, “The Jews of Iran.” Tomorrow, Torah Study and our morning service as usual. Have a great couple of weeks and a safe and enjoyable summer, and if you see a talking donkey, let me know as soon as possible!- Weekly Rabbi: Proud to be an American July 2008
When I was in Hebrew School, the teachers would always ask us if we considered ourselves a Jewish-American or an American Jew. Presumably, whichever adjective you put first showed which was more important or significant to your life. As I grew older and wiser, I realized that the adjective was far less important than the noun, and that which noun or adjective one used is not really that important because for most of us they are two sides of the same coin.
Ever since the first Jews arrived on the shores of North American in 1654, we have played a significant role in shaping American history. We have contributed to the fabric of this great nation far beyond our numbers and Jews have served in the armed forces ever since the War of Independence. The United States, in return, has been the greatest, freest, most liberating nation our people has ever lived in. Clearly because of our Constitution and Bill of Rights, the Jewish people and the Jewish religion have been able to grow and thrive, not just merely or barely survive as we did in so many other places.
In recent years and in particular recent months, the notion of patriotism has been featured prominently in the media. I have to say that I find the questioning of someone’s patriotism abhorrent. Whether or not one served in the military, the natures of one’s service in the military, whether or not one wears a flag pin on one’s lapel, etc, etc, etc, none of these have anything to do with one’s patriotism. Like one’s religion, patriotism is something that is felt most deeply inside, in your mind, heart, and soul. We all want what’s best for our nation and our world. I would like to think that we can debate what really is best without questioning anyone’s dedication and devotion to their country.
Today marks 232 years since Congress adopted the wording of the Declaration of Independence. It is not known if the actual document was really signed on this day as is commonly believed. Of course, that’s not important anymore because the date of July 4th is not just a day but a symbol like December 7th and September 11th. What really happened on that day is a debate for historians. For the rest of us, it is what has followed these past 232 years that we should focus on.
As Jews living in the United States, we have much to be proud of and much to be grateful for. I for one can say that, despite all our downfalls, problems, and mistakes, I am proud to be an American. I thank God every day that my great grandparents left Russia and Poland when they did and that they came here, to a land teeming with possibilities and opportunities. Clearly, we are not perfect. We make mistakes, and sadly, we even repeat mistakes. Our domestic and international policies have been and sometimes still are wrong. Our civil rights policies too far too long to mature to where they are and I don’t believe they are where they should be.
Still, despite all our problems, we are still the most free, most independent, and most prosperous nation on earth. And without question, the state of the Jewish people, the Jewish nation, and the Jewish religion would not be where they are today without the unique and interconnected history and destiny of Jews and America.
Tonight, we will have Family Shabbat services at 7:30 PM preceded by a potluck dinner at 6:30 PM. I invite you to come to temple in casual clothes as we will have our service in the Social Hall. You are welcome to stay for our festive oneg and fireworks from around the OC. Tomorrow, Torah Study and the Shabbat morning service as usual. Have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend.- Weekly Rabbi: Impatience June 2008
I can vividly remember my grandparents collecting Green Stamps.
They had an entire cupboard filled with books they would fill with those
stamps, eventually saving up enough to buy some incredible item, like a new
toaster! Collecting Green Stamps disappeared decades ago along with 8-track
tapes and the Pet Rock, but along with them also disappeared something else,
something very important and critical: patience.
Today, we live in an immediate society. You can have virtually
anything right now and pay for it later, or even never at all. My own
children probably see hundreds of commercials on television every day and
all I hear is "I want that!" They don't understand that everything costs
money and that proverbially "money does not grow on trees." They don't
understand that when I use a credit card, I eventually have to pay that
bill. Unfortunately, most Americans don't understand that either.
We have lost our ability to have patience, to work for a goal, to
have delayed instead of immediate gratification, to save up for something we
want, to look beyond right here, right now, and our own needs. But like
everything else, this is nothing new.
In our Torah portion this week, Korach (for whom the Parashah is
named) and a band of followers become impatience with Moses' leadership.
Out there in the wilderness, he grows tired with desert life and wants to
get to the Promised Land. He waxes poetic about life back in Egypt and
criticizes Moses and Aaron for leading the Israelites into the abyss. God,
however, is very displeased with this rebellion, and for his troubles Korach
and his followers are swallowed up whole by the Earth.
Our Sages have offered up many explanations for this seemingly harsh
punishment, and they have tried to justify God's actions. I would like to
think that Korach was really swallowed up by his own impatience. He lost
the ability to look forward, to set goals, to see the bigger picture, and to
see beyond himself and his own needs. Like so many of our children and
adults today, he wanted it all and he wanted it now. And also like so many
people today, he was overcome by his own needs and desires.
Now I am not suggesting that we return to the days of Green Stamps
when you had to save for a month to buy a toaster, because today we'd have
to save for a month just to by a gallon of gasoline! But what I am
suggesting is that we try to learn the lesson of Korach . that patience is
more than a virtue; it should be part of our mindset and modus operandi.
Especially for our children, we need to teach them to set reasonable goals
and to work towards those goals. Even though we live in a "have it now"
society, we need to teach them that getting it now is not always best, and
that working hard and earning something brings much more fulfillment than
just being handed something on a silver platter.
Tonight at Temple we will have our Musical Shabbat Service so come
and enjoy our special music and shake your very own shaker egg. Tomorrow,
Torah Study and Shabbat Morning Service as usual. A reminder that next week
we will be having family services on Friday, July 4th. We invite you to
come casual (or more casual than usual) and enjoy our potluck dinner
followed by an outdoor service if it's not too hot. Have a safe and fun
weekend!- Weekly Rabbi: Moments of Transition June 2008
This past week marked the thirteenth anniversary of my ordination as a rabbi. Every year at this time, I recall that very special and incredibly emotional moment when Dr. Gottschalk, then-President of the Hebrew Union College placed his hands upon my shoulders and proclaimed me to be a “teacher in Israel.” That had been a moment I had dreamed about and longed for for many years, and it had finally happened. Now, thirteen years have passed, four children have been born, I have served several congregations, and of course, I am a few years older.
That this week’s anniversary of my ordination would coincide with the festival of Shavu’ot is very significant. Shavu’ot commemorates the giving, and more importantly, the receiving of the Torah by Moses and the People of Israel. As I became a rabbi on June 10, 1995, I also accepted upon myself certain burdens and responsibilities, just as the Israelites did when they accepted that very special gift from God.
This time of years is very special for many people. We celebrate graduations from elementary school, high school, college, graduate school, and even rabbinic school. Many people also choose this month to get married. Given the recent California Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage, the media is reporting that next week there will be a flurry of activity at county clerk offices throughout the state and those who cater to couples getting married are seeing a boom in business.
All of these events are special and meaningful because they are moments of transition. They signify an immediate and drastic change in a person’s life. After such an experience, we are transformed and not the same person we were the day before. This can apply to happy events such as a graduation, marriage, or birth of a child, or a sad event such as a divorce or death in the family.
I believe that these moments of transition are best celebrated or marked within a religious framework. Religion gives us the scaffolding around which to build our lives, and being a part of a congregation gives us a community to share our lives, the good times and the bad. Like our ancestors in the Torah who were transformed by their experiences, so too are we. Abraham was called to embark on his journey, Isaac wrestled with an angel, and Moses met God at the Burning Bush. Each of these moments of transition, among many others, was symbolized by a change, either physical or emblematic. Our moments of transition are marked in like manner.
Mazal tov to all of our graduates, from elementary to graduate school! I wish you all much success in all future endeavors. Tonight at temple we will be honoring our outgoing board members and installing our new board for the coming year. Services begin at 6:00 PM and we are honored to have with us Rabbi Alan Henkin, Director of the URJ Pacific Southwest Council. Tomorrow we have Torah Study and Shabbat morning service as usual. Happy Father’s Day to all dads, and “Go Lakers!”
- Weekly Rabbi: Sinai June 2008
What happened at Sinai? How you approach and answer that question
speaks volumes about what kind of Jew you are. Traditional Jews give the
traditional answer that God revealed His law to Moses who transmitted it to
the People of Israel. Throughout the centuries various interpretations have
been given and those too were revealed at Sinai but only discovered or
needed at a later time. Those who take a more progressive or Reform
approach to Judaism generally believe that "something" happened at Sinai but
they are unsure as to exactly what. Reform Judaism teaches a belief in
progressive revelation, that God has been revealed to us many times
throughout history, not just once at Sinai. God continues to be revealed to
us and that is what allows us to apply the tradition to modern
circumstances.
Of course there is a huge range of opinions in between those two and
even within those two. However you answer that question and whether or not
you believe anything happened at Sinai, there is no denying that the story
of the Jewish people at Sinai has been central to Jewish life ever since
that event happened (or didn't happen). Along with Creation and the
Redemption from Egypt, the notion of Revelation completes what I call the
"Jewish trinity." These three themes are reflected in every worship
service, every Shabbat observance, and virtually every other Jewish holiday.
This Sunday evening marks the beginning of Shavu'ot, traditionally
believed to be the day on which Moses actually received the Torah on Mt.
Sinai. Shavu'ot comes seven weeks after Passover and was traditionally the
deadline for our ancestors to bring their Passover sacrifice to the Temple.
After the destruction of the Temple, the holiday was reinterpreted and given
the historical significance as the Day of Revelation.
A little over 100 years ago, the Reform Movement created a new
Jewish ceremony modeled after the one with the same name in the Protestant
Church: Confirmation. Initially proposed as a gender equal substitute for
Bar Mitzvah, Confirmation marks the end of our students' formal religious
education. In Hebrew, Confirmation is known as Kabbalat Torah, the ceremony
of receiving the Torah and in most congregations, the Confirmation ceremony
is held on or near Shavu'ot. On the day when we commemorate the giving of
the Torah, we ask our young people to likewise symbolically accept the Torah
and all that it stands for. We celebrate their accomplishments and send
them on their way just as God did with Moses and the People of Israel. God
gave them the gift of Torah, but the rest was up to them (and us!). And so
it is for our teens. We have given them the gift of a religious education,
and now the rest is up to them. I hope you will join us tomorrow morning
for our Shabbat Morning Service at 10:00 AM as we celebrate with this year's
Confirmation class.
Tonight is our Family Shabbat service with birthday and anniversary
blessings for June. On Monday evening at 7:00 PM, we will have a special
Yizkor / Memorial Service. Yizkor is said four times a year in memory of
our loved ones. Please come and help us make a minyan. Have a great
weekend and stay cool!- Monthly President: June 2008
June 1 marks the beginning of the 2008-09 fiscal year for Temple Beth Tikvah as well as the beginning of my second term in office. Thank you for making my first year so awesome, so enjoyable and so humbling. I have learned so much, and I hope to do a better job of using that knowledge in this coming year. I could not have done justice to my position without the constant help and input from so many of you. Thank you to Rabbi Milhander and to Miriam Van Raalte for their constant support. A special thanks to Executive Vice-President Mark Filowitz who has used both his leadership skills and his spot-on moral compass to keep me on course. Lila Pesner holds a special place in both my heart and in the heart of TBT for her historical knowledge of our Temple and for her willingness to help with any project, whether it is Project Legacy or making sure the silver on our Torahs is polished for High Holy Days. Thanks to TBT’s Board of Directors for working so hard and accomplishing so much this year. Perhaps my biggest thanks go to my wife, Sheri, and my son, Danny, for being so understanding of the many hours I have missed, and will miss, being a husband and father, while attending to my responsibilities at TBT.
For every one person I am remembering to thank, I am remembering dozens more who are also deserving of thanks and I realize I cannot possibly do so on this page. I can only hope that I always remember to be thankful and grateful every time I meet you. I do want to acknowledge those on the Board of Directors whose term has expired and have stepped down from their position. Education Vice-Presidents Dolly Boliver and Mindy Liron completed an important project to survey both the ECLC parents and the Temple congregants on a wide range of subjects. We listened to everyone’s thoughts and ideas on how to improve what we do and how we do it. Temple Leadership is in the process of making some changes reflective of those results and we were also very pleased to hear that, for the most part, there is wide approval for the manner in which the Temple operates. Membership Vice-presidents Ann Nanes and Louise Sussman worked hard to find creative ways to make Temple Beth Tikvah even more inviting to prospective and new members than it already is. They instituted our monthly “wine and cheese social” that has become very popular. With their creative ideas and their knowledge of how to get things done, Facilities Vice-Presidents, Lynda Trachtman, Sherri Chapman, Bob Cohen (continuing), and Joe Bloomfield made significant contributions to the beauty, safety, and integrity of our structure. The new roof, remodeled social hall and kitchen, and the improvements in the sanctuary were the visible parts of the many improvements made this last year. Publicity Vice-Presidents Tom and Tracy Green continued to make what we do at TBT visible to the outside world and they continue to lead our Outreach effort with many creative programs. Religious Practices Vice-Presidents Marilyn Roberts and Ariel Feldman (continuing), facilitated making sure all our religious and High Holy Day services ran smoothly and that the manner in which those services run is in keeping with Reform Judaism and our Temple’s own culture. We wish Marilyn and her husband Ken well in their new life in Reno. Ways and Means Vice-Presidents Rachael Wager-LaCross and Sandy Wager made unforgettable successful contributions to our Temple last year. Casino Night was well run and very profitable. We will always be especially grateful for the many, many hours they spent making the “Haim and Elaine Asa Dinner and Tribute” a wonderful, memorable evening and the most successful one-night fundraiser in our history. The new Board members have large shoes to fill and will be given all the support needed from all of us.
It was, all in all, a good year for TBT. We also left much undone. Our fundraising effort for Project Legacy has been very successful, but not complete. We are certainly more than 80% there, and when our modified plans become finished in the next few weeks, I am sure there will be renewed excitement and new pledges, allowing us to begin construction within the next few months. I have been amazed and gratified by the growing support by our Temple community for this all-important project. Our monthly “Town Hall” meetings will continue to keep you informed and allow you to voice your comments.
2008-09 promises to be one of the most eventful fiscal years in our history. Every one of us has an important part to play. I promise to do my best to fulfill my part. I hope every one of you will fulfill yours. Together we can continue to keep Temple Beth Tikvah the warm, caring community that it has always been.