Clergy Posts

What Does it Mean to Be a Jew? READ THIS TO FIND OUT!

Dear friends,

Two weeks ago I wrote to you with a link to a poem written and recited by Andrew Lustig entitled “What it Means to be a Jew.” I was impressed by Lustig’s work and perceived it as an invitation to respond. So did many of you! Below are selections of poetry and prose written by Beth David congregants about what being Jewish means to them.  I was truly moved by the responses I received, and they helped me focus my own thoughts.

There are commonalities in much of what our fellow Beth David members wrote about what it means to be a Jew: shared values, mutual obligation, common tradition, cohesive community, interconnectedness, culture, struggle, history, memory, Israel, and Hebrew. These similarities reflect the underlying purpose of belonging to a group people, sharing an ethnicity, and adopting a particular religion as a way of life. Fundamentally, Jews share in a covenantal relationship with God exemplified through the performance of mitzvot. We all feel an obligation to Jewish community and also understand the necessity of our role as Jews in the larger world. However, being Jewish is also a quite personal experience. We each live out the hallmark features of Jewish existence differently. Just as no moment can be experienced by two people in exactly the same way, being Jewish cannot be experienced by two Jews in the same way. (As we all know, two Jews experience Judaism in three ways!) This is an obvious fact of life and reality. However, the panoply of ways Jews define what it means to be Jewish reflects another facet of Jewishness worth sharing.

In his epic work, Man is Not Alone, Heschel writes: “Judaism is a theology of the common deed…dealing not so much with the training for the exceptional, as with the management of the trivial. The predominant feature in the Jewish pattern of life is unassuming, inconspicuous, piety…Thus, the purpose seems to be to ennoble the common, to endow worldly things with hieratic beauty; to attune the comparative to the absolute, to associate the detail with the whole, to adapt our own being with its plurality, conflicts, and contradictions to the all-transcending unity, to the holy (p. 271).”

In essence, being Jewish is dramatically different for each of us because Judaism’s predominant focus is on the quotidian moments in our lives. The essence of Judaism is not about liminal moments in lifecycle events or awe-inspiring Yom Kippur experiences or even about the rockin’ Passover seder you have every year. Rather, our Jewishness is best observed in how we approach the normal, unremarkable moments in life. Being Jewish is about how we eat and sleep, how we spend our free time, how we interact with our friends and family. Being Jewish is about how we think about war and peace, justice and freedom, love, friendship, sexuality, and history. Being Jewish is about acting Jewishly in every moment of every day in every situation.

This is why being Jewish is a different experience for every Jewish person. Each of us lives a different life from one another. Furthermore, we all let Judaism into our lives to a greater or lesser extent. Therefore, our experience of what it means to be Jewish varies. However, the tie that binds us together as a people is the perspective through which we approach our varying daily routines. Being a Jew is about elevating each moment, interaction, word, and deed from the sublunary to the holy. Being a Jew is about imbuing the quotidian with meaning and purpose. Being a Jew is about enacting God’s will and bringing God’s presence more fully into our world to the greatest extent possible. For me, this is the central element of what it means to be a Jew.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Philip Ohriner

What it Means to be a Jew—Gary Nankin

Being a Jew means being part of a story that tests everyone’s imagination. Is it rational that such a small People survived more than three millennia while other much larger and more physically domineering civilizations have become extinct? How can we explain our existence in the face of incredible adversity with so many powerful enemies who have aggressively sought to destroy us? The fact that Jews have not only survived, but also thrived to impact the world so disproportionately to our numbers raises countless questions about our secret sauce.

The answers lie in our strong foundation.  Notwithstanding our challenges, being Jewish is far more of a gift than a burden.  Our identity goes hand in hand with the ideal and most important values that we have contributed to civilized society: family, social justice, compassion, charity, education, etc.  The legacy of the Jewish experience is our treasure, but carries with it a special obligation for each of us to play our part to make the world a better place.

Our continuity has depended and will depend upon our ability and willingness to live up to our responsibility to teach and inspire our children and next generations about the richness of our history and our heritage.  Only by perpetuating our tradition to retell our story can we continue to thrive as a People, enabling Jews, individually and collectively, to follow the path of our ancestors who moved from slavery to freedom. We are all still enslaved in our own ways, so this is an ongoing mission.

The kinship that we have with each other, as Jews, is enhanced because of our common destinies. We are guided by the central theme that we are created in the image of God; the more we live our lives accordingly, the greater will be our sense of fulfillment, as Jews and as human beings, and our contribution to the world.  In the Torah, it is written: “I call heaven and earth to witness you today: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life”; our tradition sends a clear message that every action we take from birth to death matters, as we strive for tikkun olam.

Today, particularly in America, internal threats to Jewish continuity are more dangerous than external ones. Jews here can affirm or ignore their identity, so we must consistently answer the question “Why be Jewish” to current and future generations. The Jewish world has changed so quickly in many of our lifetimes as we have seen the renaissance of Jewish sovereignty in the State of Israel and the re-awakening of Jewish life in the former Soviet Union. As Israel is so central to our continuity and sense of connection and purpose, and its future existence is not assured, we can take nothing for granted, so we must “Stand With Israel”, regardless of our individual political views.

Finally, Judaism thrives by creating a sense of connectedness like having an enormous extended family.  In our individual ways, we can ideally use our incredible history, tradition, and teachings to infuse spirituality into our daily lives.  By doing so, we can not only strive for personal redemption, but we can also uplift humankind with the moral and ethical principles that are at the core of our being.  This is the essence of our Covenant, providing all of the valuable tools we need to deal with the complexity and hectic nature of modern life.

Judaism is—Aaron Nankin

Judaism is the space between God and humanity where we strive to be

teetering back and forth as if each Jewish life was a drawn out Kedushah

Judaism is a framework that shapes extraordinary lives

breathing godliness into lungs

forging selfless fingers and hands onto arms

and molding holy language that can inspire nations

Judaism is patience, and understanding that long term gain is all about evolution not just creation

Judaism is gold, not the color but the value, a precious stone which needs to be discovered, mined, melted down, and delicately carved into an intricate masterpiece

Judaism is more than a stale bagel left to harden after Sunday brunch

It is the cream cheese, spread with ease, like an ancient breeze on the Dead Sea

It is the porcelain god, just kidding, it is that herring and cod, mashed together into an abhorrent ball to create an ancient staple we call Gefilte Fish

Judaism are the principles, on which a people so mighty and resilient, holy and brilliant have been built

It is loving thy self, thy mother, thy father, thy wealth, not money but health, not honey alone, but milk as well

Judaism is community glue

it is me

it is you

it is that child in the Alum Rock School District who is beaten by his father and is reading 3 grade levels below average

it is the brilliant Biomechanical Engineer studying robotic arm design to save lives in East Africa

It is the professor whose paper on Alzheimers will shake the foundation of societal mental decay

It is the mental wrestling match I experience each time I make a difficult decision on how to conduct a holy life

a decision which sometimes has me pinned on the mat for days, months, even years

struggling with all my might to roll over, praying the referee won’t blow his whistle

It is Broken Glass on KristalNacht, and Broken Glass of joyous marriages

It is a clumpy alphabet soup containing acronyms like BBYO, JDC, ADL, YAD, AEPI, AIPAC and USY

It is Amare Stodamire’s appearance on Shalom Sesame,

Jon Stewarts wit pointing out truth using comedy

Rick Recht’s lyrics uniting a thousand Campers in song

it is Adam Sandler from Don’t Mess with the Zohan

It is this poem, it is all poems, and it lies within the absence of poetry

Where unlikely beauty is hidden

What It Means to Be Jewish—Jeanette Lerner

What is means to be Jewish is having an identity, a core set of values, a feeling of belonging and sense of pride.  A rich history giving me the basis for the above.   I love being Jewish.

What It Means to Me to Be Jewish—Len Jacobson

To feel pride when something good happens to or because of a Jewish person (or because I perceive the person is Jewish)

To feel sadness or shame when something bad happens to or because of a Jewish person

To feel the warm, nostalgic feelings I feel when I remember the holidays with my grandfather, hoping he would call on me to read part of the Hagaddah , sitting in shul on Yom Kippur when he would daven the Mincha service, and remembering the huge smile on his face on the day of my Bar Mitzvah when I looked down at him from the bimah

To feel enormous pride when they talk about the proportion of Nobel Peace Prizes awarded to Jews around the world

To be struck incredulous at the unfair, illogical treatment that Israel receives in the world community

To be outraged when the world demands that Israel return one inch of land that it won in war, when the entire span of recorded history shows no other case of a victorious nation having the same demand placed upon it

And to not even know the words to use to explain my complete outrage when some will declare that Israel has no right to exist

To feel pain when I listen to the words of a song, written and performed by a young Israeli girl, Yedidah Freilach – she says:

רק לישראל אין זכות להגן,

כי מדם יהודי העולם מתעלם.

Only Israel has no right to defend itself,

Because the world ignores the blood of the Jew.

To love the idea that our children speak Hebrew

To feel enormous pride that our younger son, David, is the president of his shul, that he and his wife keep a kosher home (even though we do not), that he goes twice a month to the maximum security federal penitentiary in their town to lead Jewish services for the Jewish inmates, that his children know beyond a doubt that they are Jewish

To feel joy that our older son, Danny, and his wife light candles every Friday night (even when we are not with them!!), that the first word I ever heard their younger daughter say was מוצץ (pacifier) and the second word she said to me was סבא (Grandpa).  (Not to exaggerate this – the rest of the words were all in English.)

To brag to anyone within earshot about the Hadassah Medical Organization and how my wife was the President of the Northern California region and how she devotes so much time to Hadassah.

To realize that I have a need to let people know that I am Jewish in the most subtle or unsubtle ways within minutes of meeting them.

Andrew Lustig’s poem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJe0uqVGZJA&feature=youtu.be

Kohen and Kohenet

Since I was ordained 38 years ago, one of the major developments in Conservative Judaism has been its transformation into a predominantly egalitarian movement. There is a spectrum of practices, but the overwhelming majority of Conservative congregations grant women equal roles in ritual practice, as well as rabbinic leadership. One remaining area has been puzzling to me, and after research and reflection, I am proposing a change in our practice. That is the status of women as Kohen and Levi in terms of synagogue honors.

First, let me note that Beth David has never insisted on only calling a Kohen and a Levi for the first two Aliyot. If we did, on Shabbatot when there is a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, we would not have flexibility in giving out the two congregational Aliyot. However, on other Shabbatot, we do try to fill the first two Aliyot with a Kohen and a Levi.

Over the years, women who are bat-kohen or bat-levi have asked that they be called to the Torah the same way as male kohanim and levi·im. I had felt that somehow these status issues were different from other matters of equality, since they trace back to specific roles in the Temple worship that were only taken by males. The question persisted, and so I looked to the decisions of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly, which is our authority on halakhah (Jewish law). There is a responsum (legal decision) from the committee that was written by Rabbi Joel Roth. Roth is one of our great experts in Jewish law and typically comes down on the stricter side. In this case, his research led him to conclude that female kohanim and levi·im should be given the same honors as males.

The discussion revolves around one key question: “whether the rights of the priests and Levites to the first two aliyot accrue to them by virtue of their general sanctity, or by virtue of their right to offer sacrifices on the altar. If we discover that their right is dependent on their sacrificial responsibilities, the daughters of kohanim are excluded from aliyot because they do not share any right to offer at the altar with their brethren. If we discover that their right is dependent upon their general sanctity, and not exclusively upon their rights to serve at the altar, we shall have to analyze whether the daughters of priests possess sanctity at all.”

Rabbi Roth then analyzes a wide variety of sources (the 14 page paper has 53 footnotes!) to show that a kohen or levi have their status not because of their roles in Temple sacrificial worship, but because of their lineage. He also presents sources that demonstrate that daughters of priests and Levites shared in some of their perquisites.

He concludes, “On the basis of the evidence adduced it seems reasonable and proper for the Law committee to decide that daughters of priests and Levites be accorded the same aliyot that are normally accorded to priests and Levites’. This should be the case whether they are single or married. Their status regarding being called to the torah should not be determined by the lineage of their husbands but by their own paternal lineage.”

Based on this, in my role as Mara D’atra (legal authority) for Congregation Beth David, I have decided that woman shall be called up as kohen and levi for the first two aliyot on those occasions when we are assigning those aliyot to a kohen or levi.

Links:

You can read Rabbi Roth’s paper on line: The Status of Daughters of Kohanim and Leviyim for Aliyot

What It Means To Be a Jew? How Do You Answer the Question?

Dear friends,

Perhaps some of you have seen this video currently going viral throughout the Jewish world. It is a poem written and recited by Andrew Lustig, who is currently studying at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem. Take a listen. The poem starts one minute in:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJe0uqVGZJA&feature=youtu.be

I like this poem a great deal, not so much for its content, per se, but rather as a model of expressing identity. What does it mean to be Jewish? Sure, there is a halakhic definition by which we decide who can have an aliyah to the Torah, lead our congregation in prayer, or have a bar/t mitzvah,  but this sense of “being Jewish” is only the beginning—an opening into a specific worldview and life practice. To say that being Jewish is to be the son or daughter of a Jewish mother or a Jew by choice who has gone through the requisite process of conversion is barely the tip of the iceberg. Being Jewish requires us to move far beyond a basic definition of identity. We find real meaning about our own Jewish identity by contemplating the triggers that bring us pride, excitement, and shame as Jews and the existential reality permeating our own sense of Jewishness.

Lustig’s poem is an invitation to each of us: what would we write in our own poem about our own personal Jewish identity? I do not pose this as a rhetorical question. I think there is real value in accepting the invitation. So, I invite each of you to write something, whether prose or poetry, that expresses your own notion of what it means to be Jewish. If you feel comfortable, please send me your poem, either with attribution or with instructions to leave it anonymous so that we can share our collective work with one another.

And just to give you some hizzuk, some motivation, I promise to share my version of “What it Means to be Jewish” with all of you on this blog in two weeks when I post again.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Philip Ohriner

True Religion

I’d like to share with you my recent comments on Parashat Vayigash. As Joseph is seeing off his brothers as they return to Canaan to tell Jacob that Joseph is still alive, he says, “Do not be quarrelsome on the way.” (Gen 45:24)

One comment on this verse is perplexing: “R. Elazar said: ‘He said to them: “Do not engage in a halakhic [Jewish law] discussion, lest you go astray.”’” (Babylonian Talmud Tractate Ta·anit 10B)

This seems far from the context, which probably meant something like, “Don’t indulge in mutual recriminations about the past.” Pinchas Peli, a 20^th century Israeli rabbi and teacher, has a great insight.

 Why such a warning at this particular moment? Perhaps Joseph feared that by using halakhic methods of argumentation, his brothers, in order to justify themselves, might arrive at the conclusion that what they had done to Joseph was actually right “according to Halakha”. He wanted them to face head-on their wickedness in selling him, and draw the proper moral conclusions. Causing suffering and humiliation cannot always be condoned with the argument of “but, this is the Halakha!”

This is the sin of self-righteousness and self-justification—which is a particular temptation for those who consider themselves religious and pious. The rabbis of the Talmud were very aware of this pitfall:

R. Huna said: Once a man has committed a sin once and twice, it is permitted to him. ‘Permitted’? How could that occur to you? — Rather, it appears to him as if it were permitted. (Tractate Yoma 86B)

Rabbi Yisrael Salanter added that if he sins a third time, he thinks it’s a mitzvah! Religion can be a wonderful thing, but in the hands of self-serving human beings, it can be twisted in harmful ways. That is why Judaism has meta-principles, like “Love your neighbor as yourself,” and “You shall be holy,” to preserve the spirit and purposes of the Torah.

Recent events in Israel come to mind. Elements of the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community in Bet Shemesh have been harassing a moderate Orthodox school for girls, but the last straw was their behavior toward Naama Margolese, an eight-year-old Orthodox student. Haredi men cursed her, called her a whore, and spit at her. This for a little girl dressed in a long skirt, long sleeves and a high neckline. She was quoted: “When I walk to school in the morning I used to get a tummy ache because I was so scared … that they were going to stand and start yelling and spitting. They were scary. They don’t want us to go to the school.”

When this story broke on Israeli news, it stirred national outrage and demonstrations. I’m proud that the Masorti movement in Israel was front and center. There were also strong protests from the Orthodox community as well.

How can self-styled pious Jews act so cruelly? Authentic Judaism goes deeper than how someone dresses or what he professes. Human beings, not angels, practice religion, and sometimes, in short-sighted fervor, they go astray. As Rabbi Salanter once taught, “One who rushes headlong to perform a mitzvah can destroy the whole world in his path.”

Orthodox Rabbi Marc Angel wrote a wonderful article titled, “Righteousness and Self-Righteousness: Reflections on the Nature of Genuine Religiosity.” There he lists some questions we should ask ourselves: “Is our behavior genuinely religious, or are we simply acting as though we are religious? Is our motive in fulfilling Torah the pure desire to serve God, or is our motive tainted by egotistic considerations? For some people, religion is a framework for spiritual growth; for others, religion is a place to hide. It is not uncommon for people with bad character traits to try to pass themselves off as servants of the Lord. They delude themselves. What they find in religion is not humble devotion to God, but a framework for self-aggrandizement, influence over others, an outlet for aggression. They use religion to build themselves up.”

We should be honest and admit that anyone, including us, can yield to the temptations of self-righteousness. We should also be careful not to tar all Orthodox Jews with the failings of one element. And we certainly should not let bad behavior in the name of Judaism tarnish the image and value of Judaism itself.

Love, respect, and compassion. Righteousness without self-righteousness. That’s the Judaism I love. That’s the Judaism we share with Jews of every religious stream. Living up to that ideal is a full-time job. It’s our full-time job. If we work on that, we won’t have time or energy to indulge our egos.

The Haftarah for Vayigash, from the Book of Ezekiel, contains God’s promise to reunify the Jewish people: Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms. May the highest values of Judaism prevail over the narrow sectarianism that threatens Jewish unity, and may God’s promise be fulfilled in our days.

Some links:

A statement from the Masorti Movement in Israel:

http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/story/statement-negative-atmosphere-israel?tp=25

A powerful editorial from Aish Hatorah:

http://www.aish.com/jw/s/An_Open_Letter_to_the_Beit_Shemesh_Spitter.html

Rabbi Angel’s article:

http://goo.gl/KzAvF

A delightful short film by our Masorti Movement on religious pluralism:

http://masorti.org/media/black_white_video.php

My New Year’s Resolution (and hopefully yours, as well)

Dear friends,

Shoshana, Ari, Eli, and I spent the last week of 2011 in Knoxville visiting with my parents and celebrating my mother’s retirement from a 27-year career in teaching elementary school. At her retirement party, I gave a toast in her honor about the impact she made as a teacher of our country’s youth. I also spoke about the supreme importance of education for “our people”.  Reflecting on that wonderful event and my own remarks, I began to think about my role as a teacher, and more importantly, my role as a student.

Virtually nothing is of higher value for us as Jews than learning. Numerous passages from the mishnah and midrash speak of the importance of learning Torah in order that it will influence and shape us.  The Talmud tells us “study is great for it leads to action”. The learning of Torah can help shape our behavior, even our essential nature, if we are open to allowing it into our souls. When I began learning Torah in earnest 10 years ago I was a very different person than I am today. Of course there are other factors, but learning Torah has most assuredly played a prominent role in my growth as a human being. Like anything else in the world, the more we expose ourselves to particular concepts or ideas, the more they influence us. This is why our tradition encourages us to learn at least a little bit of Torah each day.

Being a daily student of Torah is not nearly as difficult as it might seem, but it is not so easy either. One needs direction and dedication. When ordained as a rabbi at JTS, you choose a previously ordained rabbi, generally a mentor, to give you a blessing. My mentor, Rabbi Martin Cohen gave me two blessings. His first blessing was that I dedicate time to learn Torah every day. Of course, the fact that he chose this blessing for me is telling. Even as a rabbi, engaging in serious Torah-learning every day takes planning. I know that personally, the transition from being a full-time student of Torah to a rabbi was hard on my daily learning. Frequently, I hear Martin’s voice encouraging me to make more time for Torah.

So, in honor of my mother’s retirement from formal teaching and in consonance with my desire to make Torah learning and observance an ever-increasing part of my life, my New Year’s resolution for 2012 is to increase the amount of Torah-learning I do each day. And (you guessed it!) I cordially invite you to join me!  One of the most beautiful aspects of Judaism is that we all share in the obligation of learning Torah and can experience the joy of learning, both on our own or together with friends and fellow congregants. Learning is not just the province of rabbis and scholars. Torah calls to each of our souls, beckoning us to make space in our lives for its wisdom and guidance. Take this opportunity as we begin 2012 to pick up a Jewish book. Sign up for one of the myriad of online sites that will send you some Torah to learn each day. Come to one of our Conversations in Jewish Learning lectures on select Tuesday evenings (see the CBD calendar or events blast). Stay for our weekly learning opportunities on Shabbat afternoon following lunch. Join us in March for our scholar-in-residence weekend with master storyteller Dr. Peninnah Schram.

Most importantly, email or call me if you need suggestions for some individual learning or reading. Nothing would make me happier than to help every single member of Beth David decide on a Jewish book, topic, or theme to explore this year! In just five or ten minutes each day you will be amazed at how much you can learn and the impact that learning can have on your life if you allow it.

May this New Year of 2012 bring blessings of increased Torah-learning, deeper knowledge, and fuller souls to us all.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Philip Ohriner

Some opportunities for Jewish learning

Limmud Bay Area: Feb. 19 and 20 at Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove

Register here: http://networkedblogs.com/qTIHQ

A Still-Relevant Hanukkah Thought

Today is the last day of Hanukkah. I’d like to share with you my D’var Torah from the congregation’s annual meeting, since I think its message is relevant year-round.

The broad story of Hanukkah is familiar, but a lesser-known incident early in the First Book of Maccabees echoes down the ages:

Word reaches the king’s forces in Jerusalem of Mattathias’ rebellion. The king’s men set out to the desert hiding place of one group of rebels we know as the Hasidians, or pietists. They refuse to fight on Shabbat, with dire consequences.

With a large force [the king’s army] pursued them and, on coming upon them, they encamped and formed in battle line against them on the Sabbath day, saying to them, “Come out to us and obey the word of the king, and we shall let you live.” They, however, replied, “We shall neither come out nor obey the word of the king to profane the Sabbath day!” Accordingly, they advanced quickly upon them in battle line. But the Jews neither replied to them nor hurled a stone at them nor blocked the entrances to their hiding places, saying, “Let us all die in our innocence. Heaven and earth bear witness over us, that you condemn us unjustly.” They attacked them in battle line on the Sabbath. They were killed with their wives, their children, and their cattle, to the number of one thousand human beings.

When Mattathias and his followers hear of this, after grieving over the losses, they realize that they must make an important decision. Maccabees continues:

They said to one another, “If we all do as our brothers have done and do not fight against the gentiles for our lives and our laws, they will now quickly wipe us off the face of the earth.” On that day they came to a decision: “If any man comes against us in battle on the Sabbath day, we shall fight against him and not all die as our brothers died in their hiding places.”

This is the earliest example we have of the halakhic principle of piku·ah nefesh doheh Shabbat — “Saving of life supersedes Shabbat.” But there is also a deep theological conviction at work here.

As Rabbi Adam Raskin puts it, “A further corollary to the Maccabean theology was the refusal to passively rely on God as the exclusive provider of succor and rescue. In the fundamentalist model, every element of both persecution and salvation was predetermined by God. Human encroachment on that plan was not only useless but heretical. Hanukkah’s audacious theology suggests that humans have ultimate responsibility for their destiny. God is the Source that invigorates their perseverance. God is the Power that inspires their commitments. Rather than humans waiting for God’s intervention, it is God who awaits human action.”

In a particularly fine phrasing, Raskin affirms, “God’s outstretched arm was now the esprit de corps that animated righteous, brave, indeed miraculous human endeavors.”

This idea of partnership with God, that we must be God’s outstretched arm, is an important component of Conservative Judaism. For example, we may not say to a hungry person, “God will provide”—we must stretch out our hands with food and compassion. Likewise, synagogues may not rely on miracles. Synagogue members are called upon to be God’s partners in maintaining and sustaining them. That term we like to use, kehillah kedoshah, sacred community, reflects our partnership with God. Beth David is a kehillah — a community of Jews. We are diverse in our observance, beliefs, and practices, but united by our commitments to Beth David, to Judaism, and the Jewish people. We are also kedoshah—holy, seeking to align with God’s purposes in the world through prayer, life-long Jewish learning, and deeds of lovingkindness.

In both aspects of the synagogue enterprise, God supports our work but God will not provide. We are responsible for supplying the human and financial resources for Beth David to fulfill its mission. That is why we are here today, to learn about the past year, to appreciate what we as a congregation have accomplished, and to elect board members who will continue this holy work. But year-round, we hope that all of our members will feel personally responsible for our kehillah kedoshah, and that this will be reflected in their investments of (as the saying goes) “time, talent, and treasure.”

During Hanukkah, we add one light each night to the hanukkiah, following the practice of Hillel. The Talmud explains: we must increase holiness, never decrease. My prayer for this annual meeting and four our congregation is that it will inspire all of us to increase our involvement in our Kehillah Kedoshah and that the light and spirit we thus create will add holiness and blessing to our lives.

Appreciating the Difference Between Israeli Culture and the Jewish Religion

Dear Friends,

As I noted in my last blog post, there has been a firestorm of debate and commentary on a series of advertisements released by the Ministry of Absorption of the Israeli government aimed at bringing home Israelis living abroad. In sharing my thoughts on these ads, I should begin by saying that I find nothing wrong with these ads in theory. After all, what country does not want their successful, educated expatriates to return home! Personally, I wholeheartedly agree with one part of Jeffery Goldberg’s critique of the ads where he gives his own thoughts on what might have constituted a more fitting approach. As Goldberg writes: “How about, “Hey, come back to Israel because our unemployment rate is half that of the U.S.’s”? Or, “It’s always sunny in Israel”? Or, “Hey, Shmulik, your mother misses you”?”.  These concepts would have provided a similar message without inciting the ire of so many Diaspora Jews.

Content-wise, I found little troubling in the ad about yom hazikaron (Israeli memorial day) and the ad about the Hebrew language. However, the third ad about Hannukah provides tremendous insight into some of the problems within Israel and the way in which Diaspora Judaism is thought about in Israel.

Here is a link to the Hanukkah ad if you have not seen it yet:

http://goo.gl/Kb0wi

If the point of all three ads is to lure Israelis back to Israel, the reasoning implicit in this one is most offensive. This ad implies that a Jewish child raised in the United States is less likely to be a part of the continuity of the Jewish faith than a Jewish child raised in Israel. It implies that if this child’s parents raised her in Israel she would not only know it was Hanukkah but would also be better connected to her religious identity as a Jew. I believe this premise is deeply flawed and speaks volumes about the misconception of the Israeli government regarding Diaspora Judaism and the accepted truth in many Israeli communities. The premise essentially asserts that the survival of Judaism and sole solution to Jewish assimilation is the mass aliyah (immigration to Israel) of Diaspora Jewry and the return of Israelis living abroad. However, living in Israel is certainly no guarantee of religious connection or observance. Even if a non-orthodox Israeli living in Israel is inclined to investigate Jewish spirituality and Jewish living, it is often terribly difficult. As my colleague Rabbi Julie Schonfeld writes in response to the ads, “The Jewish “selves” of Israelis are the constant victims of coercion and harassment from a state-run religious monopoly that impinges on their most precious and private human affairs. Their marriages, their divorces, the burials of their fallen soldiers must be the rabbinate’s way or no way…”

With no positive associations for Jewish religion, what will lead non-orthodox Israeli Jews, known collectively and inaccurately as hilonim (secularists), to seek out Jewish life in Israel, America, or anywhere else in the world? The concern portrayed by this ad is not a product of Israelis living in the Diaspora. Rather, it is an outgrowth of a larger societal problem in Israel, itself.

As the authors of this ad demonstrate, many in Israel cannot separate Israeli culture from Jewish living. I hear it over and over again from Israelis in our own community at Beth David. Many tell me they had no idea how hard it would be to raise their children as Jews in the US. They did not realize the difference between being Israeli and living a life imbued with a sense of meaningful Jewish identity until they were forced to confront this challenge by living outside of Israel.  In Israel it is easy to accept Judaism into the periphery of one’s life while still holding it at a distance. In the Diaspora, Judaism must be grasped with our hands, mind, body, and soul all together. Here, in the Diaspora, Judaism takes hard work and dedication. It is this struggle that makes our connection to our faith strong.

Sure, our children are forcefully confronted by Christmas here in the United States, and yes, this requires us to work hard in helping them develop a healthy Jewish identity.  However, to insinuate that this struggle leaves Jews living in the Diaspora with a deficiency that can only be resolved by moving to Israel displays a tremendous lack of understanding regarding the status of Judaism in both Israel and the Diaspora. As Rabbi Schonfeld notes at the end of her article, the fact that Israelis living in the United States might struggle in finding a way to imbue their children with a strong sense of Jewish (as opposed to cultural) identity says little about living in the Diaspora and much about the state of Judaism in Israel where these expatriates were raised.

It is true, as this ad implies, we cannot be passively Jewish in America. If we do not work diligently and invest in Jewish experience actively, our children will be more interested in the secular culture of Christmas than celebrating their own faith as the ad implies. However, our engagement with Judaism here in the United States, whether as Israeli expatriates, Americans, or immigrants from around the world, actively infusing our lives with Jewish values, Torah learning, and mitzvot is not only necessary for Jewish continuity but also makes us rich in faith.

Living in an American cultural context, the effort we expend every day in bringing Judaism into our children’s lives and our own is something about which we should be proud. The Israeli government would do well to learn what our struggle truly entails, how it makes us stronger Jews, and how our approach to Judaism might help the religious Jewish identity of many living in Israel.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Philip Ohriner

P.S. Here are some funny, if not stereotype-enforcing spoofs making light of the whole situation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uec_Rrf0B9s&NR=1&feature=endscreen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKBSiBVLtX4&feature=related

Jeffrey Goldberg’s article in The Atlantic that broke the story:

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/11/netanyahu-government-suggests-israelis-avoid-marrying-american-jews/249166/#.TtefRK-YooU.facebook

yom hazikaron ad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP3gJN_YScM&feature=player_embedded

Hebrew language ad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfuUa_yNz9s&feature=related

Christmas ad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAkXBULjUCk&feature=endscreen&NR=1

Rabbi Schonfeld’s thoughts in Haaretz:

http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/israelis-lost-sight-of-a-meaningful-jewish-identity-in-the-diaspora-1.399883

My Colleague, Rabbi Gerald Skolnik’s response:

http://www.thejewishweek.com/features/rabbis_world/thoughts_israeli_ad_campaign

Report from the United Synagogue Kallah

On the weekend of December 2^nd-4^th, I attended the United Synagogue Kallah (conference), along with Joanne Cornbleet, Margie Pomerantz, and a special guest appearance by Howard Gannes. This was not a convention, with plenary sessions, elections, or resolutions. Rather, it was a chance for United Synagogue leaders to gather to study and worship together, to reflect on Conservative Judaism and where it is going, and to honor programs and leaders leaders. For now, a few brief impressions.

First, the caliber of the people I met was quite impressive. They were dedicated, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about Conservative Judaism. Worship with these lay people from across North America was spirited and inspiring. That was, in fact, one of the themes of the event: Jewish worship and how to enrich it. There were various options for each service: traditional, meditation, musical. I went to the musical one, which was led by two remarkable Hazzanim (cantors) and heard some wonderful new melodies. There were two Torah services on Shabbat, one with the full Torah reading and the other with the Triennial reading. I was given the honor of teaching Torah at the Triennial service.

Second, the level of the learning was high. There were many Torah study sessions, and every one that I attended was excellent.

Third, the awarding of the Solomon Schechter awards was very well done. It is always impressive to learn about the creativity in our movement’s synagogues. This was emphasized this year by the decision of the awards committee to single out ten congregation programs for a presentation with slides and narrative. Our Sugihara dedication was one of them. Special thanks to Abe Bromberg who championed this idea.

Our other award was for our wonderful Hazak group, the second time they have received gold level recognition. Howard Gannes made a special effort to travel to San Diego to be there. Many thanks to him and the Hazak steering committee for all they provide for our 55+ members and for the congregation as a whole.

Saturday night USCJ honored Jackie Saltz, who I knew as a wonderful USY youth director fifty years ago (!). She has continued to be dedicated to our youth, and is a vivid, dynamic personality to this day. I enjoyed seeing some of the people who came down from LA to honor her, some of whom I hadn’t seen in decades.

Lastly, on Sunday there was an amazing program: a performance of “Freedom Song,” an original musical from Beit T’Shuvah, a unique is both a residential treatment center for those suffering addiction and a full-service congregation. “Freedom Song” started as a Passover program, and has become a powerful musical play that speaks to anyone struggling to find freedom from addiction. It was a moving close to the weekend.

I stayed for the national board meeting, where new by-laws were adopted, part of the remarkable makeover and renewal that the USCJ is undergoing. I will have more to say about that in my upcoming D’var article. For now, let me conclude by stating how proud I am of Beth David for its two Solomon Schechter awards, and for its many exemplary qualities (something I am reminded of when I speak to people from other places). Yashar Koach (well done!) to us all!

Take a look at the USCJ web site, newly refreshed and full of information: uscj.org

Look in particular for the details of the new strategic plan: http://uscj.org/Aboutus/StrategicPlanning/default.aspx

Read about “Freedom Song” and Beit T’shuvah: http://www.beittshuvah.org/Freedom-Song

Our responsibility Regarding Bullying

Deciding what message to share with you every other week is a daunting task, and it isn’t because there is nothing to say! Just to give you some perspective, I begin thinking about my email to you about 6 days before it arrives in your inbox. In our world today so much changes in six days!

This week I planned on writing to you about the Ministry of Absorption in Israel and the advertisements they put out in the US encouraging Israelis to move back to Israel. The ads were not received well by the American Jewish community or the American press and were subsequently removed by the Israeli government. The ongoing conversation about the ads says much about Jewish American identity and the relationship between American Judaism and Israeli Judaism.

However, on Sunday this video popped up on my Facebook feed. It brought me to tears, and I felt compelled to share it with all of you instead of the Israeli advertisements. Please take a moment to watch it:

http://www.youtube.com/user/BlahBlahBlah2145#p/a/u/0/TdkNn3Ei-Lg

This young man’s name is Jonah Mowry, and if you Google him, you will see how much of an inspiration he is to many teens around the world.  As of yesterday, his powerful video had received over 400,000 hits. As I watched Jonah painfully tell the world about his life, his cutting, his struggles, and his pain, I thought of all the children in our community who might be silently suffering through similar circumstances.

In Jonah’s brave act we are confronted by the devastating consequences of bullying (amongst other things). Whether in person, over text messages, or online, bullying has become a pervasive scourge burdening our children and grandchildren. Over half of all students in elementary, middle, and high school have witnessed bullying firsthand. According to familyfirstaid.org, almost 30 percent of teens in the United States are involved in school bullying as either a bully or a target. The problem is immense, and it is not going away.

As we all probably intuit, bullying is antithetical to Judaism. My question to you is whether your children or grandchildren know this, as well. Our tradition teaches that every human being is created in God’s image and should be treated with respect. Judaism also teaches that we must continually strive to bring holiness into our world through acts of compassion, for just as G-d is compassionate, so too must we be compassionate. Additionally, the Talmud tells us that when one shames another person in public, it is as if they shed blood. Most importantly, our sage, Hillel, teaches us that the entirety of the Torah is an outgrowth of the commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself”.  In a sense, all of Jewish practice and belief works to eradicate bullying.

It is incumbent upon all of us to convey Judaism’s strong denouncement of bullying to our kids and grandkids. They face a complex world with precious few proper role models as they find their way at school, on the internet, and in all their daily interactions with their peers. We can share this wise guidance from our tradition in how to treat others with them just by engaging them in a conversation about bullying. Have they been bullied in the past? Do they have friends who are being bullied or who are the bully? We must also be vigilant in monitoring  their online lives and keep an eye out for behavior that might indicate they are acting as a bully or are the target of bullying. Stopbullying.gov is a wonderful resource we can all use to educate ourselves about what youth in this country face and how we can collectively combat bullying in our community and in the lives of our children.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Philip Ohriner

For more information on bullying for parents, grandparents, educators, and kids see:

http://www.stopbullying.gov/

Judaism has something to say about one aspect of the political process. Jewish law is concerned with good governance, because, starting with Moses, the Torah and Talmud recognized that the ideals and principles of the Covenant had to be embodied in a polity. So Jewish law, which includes ritual, ethical, criminal and civil law, must be enacted by flawed human beings. For this reason, the halakhah (Jewish law) is very specific and quite strict about conflict of interest.

For example: Among the many regulations for judges, we find, “What is the reason for [the prohibition against taking] a gift? [Even where the judge intended to act justly.] Because as soon as a man receives a gift from another he becomes so well disposed towards him that the other becomes like his own person, and no man sees himself in the wrong. What [is the meaning of] shohad (bribe)? She-hu had (for he is one).” (Ketubot 105b) This is a play on words: the recipient is one with the giver. Our Rabbis understood that even when people tell themselves that they are not being swayed by gifts or favors, they can and will be influenced.

The Talmud (Ketubot 105b) tells the story of R. Ishmael son of R. Jose, whose tenant farmer used to bring him a basket full of fruit every Friday, [As rent, from R. Ishmael's garden which he cultivated] but on one occasion brought it to him on a Thursday. Rabbi Ishmael asked him, ‘Why the change in routine?’ ‘I have a lawsuit,’ the other replied, ‘and thought that at the same time I might bring [the fruit] to the Master.’ He did not accept it from him [and] said, ‘I am disqualified to act as your judge.’ He thereupon appointed two other Rabbis to try the case for him. As he was arranging matters, he [found himself] thinking, ‘If he wished he could plead thus, or if he preferred he might plead thus. ‘Oh,’ he exclaimed, ‘the despair that waits for those who take bribes! If I, who have not taken [the fruit at all], and even if I had accepted it I would only have taken what is belongs to me, am in such [a state of mind], how much more [Would that be the state of] those who accept bribes?’”
In the Mishnah we learn (Shekalim 2:3), that whoever entered the Temple treasury was not allowed to wear a cloak with a cuff or shoes or sandals or tefillin or an amulet, out of suspicion that he might smuggle money out of the treasury. Now the likelihood of someone smuggling out money in the tefillin is pretty small. It would be much work for a tiny gain, yet it is forbidden. Why? The Mishnah says, “For it is a person’s duty to be free of suspicion before people as before God, as it is said: And be guiltless towards the Lord and towards Israel (Num. 32:22), and again it says: So shall you find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and humanity (Prov. 3:4).

Rabbi Ya’akov Beifuss explains, “We are not legislating against an active suspicion alone, but on the matter of guiltlessness, which is a mitzvah in its own right. The foundation of this mitzvah is keeping far even from the shadow of a shadow of any kind of suspicion. Whoever does not keep himself far away by these measures is not considered to be guiltless.”
Jewish law is comprehensive and complex, and you can’t make it fit a straight liberal or conservative party line. However, there are issues where Jewish law is clear, applicable and helpful. If we take seriously Jewish law’s explicit and total ban on bribery, conflict of interest, or even the appearance of influence, then we will insist on the highest standards for all leaders, and laws with teeth to enforce those standards.

Let our goal be the same as the Talmud’s: to have lawmakers and leaders who are not only above suspicion, but who stay far from even the shadow of a shadow of suspicion. Let’s hold candidates to these high standards, and let them be major criteria in our choices. Then we will have a democracy worthy of the name, and leaders deserving of our respect.

 
Some interesting links:
This is a good article Jewish governance, including conflict of interest standards for leaders: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0016_0_16177.html
This is an article applying Jewish laws of conflict of interest to the financial meltdown: http://goo.gl/Qtz48
What about conflicts of interest in science: http://www.aish.com/ci/be/48964361.html
This articles shows that conflict of interest can occur in synagogue governance: http://www.aish.com/ci/be/78398852.html 

Showing Up

Woody Allan is no one’s idea of a traditional Jewish sage, but he once wrote something that is definitely a Jewish value: “Eighty percent of being successful in life is showing up.”

There is a mitzvah in the Torah called Mitzvat Re’iyah—the commandment to appear; literally, to be seen: “Three times a year — on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Booths — all your males* shall appear before the LORD your God in the place that He will choose. They shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed, but each with his own gift, according to the blessing that the LORD your God has bestowed upon you (Deut. 16:16-17).”

The Talmud explains, “Just as he [the pilgrim] comes to see, beholding (so to speak) the Divine Presence manifested in the sanctuary, so he comes to be seen, presenting himself as it were to the Divine Presence” (Hagiga 2a).

You couldn’t send your gift to the sanctuary with a proxy—you had to show up. You had to see and be seen. And so it is with many aspects of life, not least the kehillah kedoshah—holy community—that Beth David aspires to be. Judaism affirms that relationships, including communal ones, are panim el panim—face to face.

Look at it from another angle: the phrases “non-participatory community,” and yes, “online community” are oxymorons. They are inherently self-contradictory. Community requires presence. The many cruel abuses one finds on-line are a direct result of the lack of direct human contact. People allow themselves to post words they would never say to a person face to face. The communal necessity of human presence is symbolically, and practically, expressed in Judaism by the requirement of a minyan—ten Jews—for worship. Ten Jews have to show up.

From all this I derive that 80% of synagogue life is showing up. So I offer a simple request: please show up! Friday night services and weekday minyans in particular will benefit from your showing up. And if you are uncomfortable in services, or find them unfamiliar and difficult to follow, guess what? The remedy is showing up! Come often enough and the strange will become familiar.

This is likewise the case for Jewish study (which has always upheld the ideal of a hevruta, a study partner), the social aspects of synagogue life, and volunteer work. What transforms a member into a full participant in Jewish community? Showing up. I invite you to take your calendar right now, and schedule some times when you will appear at Beth David: services, adult courses, speakers, whatever. You will find community; you will enrich your life; and perhaps even sense the Divine Presence. I hope to see you soon.

Of course, the relevant link is: www.beth-david.org.

* Of course, for our contemporary purposes we expand this to include females.

It was great seeing you all on Rosh Hashanah. I have heard many positive comments about the new Mahzor, and for myself as both the leader of the service and as a praying Jew, I thought it was wonderful.

Building a Strong Relationship with the Land of Israel

JOIN US ON DECEMBER 1^st AT 7:30PM IN THE SANCTUARY

Dear Friends,

I don’t have the best memory of details from my childhood or even early adolescence. I have always lamented that fact, particularly because Shoshana has amazing memories of being a child. It simply is not a blessing I enjoy. However, I do have amazingly vivid memories of the mission trip to Israel my family took when I was 13. I remember boarding the El Al flight with a new Gameboy given to me by my parents for the long trek. I remember getting off the plane and watching grown-ups kiss the tarmac. I remember going to the kotel for the first time and spelunking through the tunnels under the Old City. I remember walking around the old city of Yaffo at dusk and picking out a tallit at Gabrieli’s. I remember more of that first trip to Israel than I do of my own bar mitzvah, my High School graduation, and pretty much every other event in my youth. Needless to say, the trip made an indelible impression on me. I consider it to be one of my most formative Jewish experiences.

As American Jews we have an obligation to be hovevei tzion, lovers of Israel. Often, we express that love by educating ourselves about the nuances of Israeli society, reading about Israel in the news, and of course, debating the correct path to peace in the Middle East. However, to truly fall in love with our holy land, we must see it with your own eyes, if only for a short time. We must get a taste of what it means to be in a place where the majority of the people are Jewish. We must experience what it is like to hear people speak our holy language in the streets, on the radio, and in taxis. We must visit the site where Abraham almost sacrificed his son to G-d, where David hid from King Saul, where Jewish pioneers turned swamps into forests, and deserts into kibbutzim. To fall in love with Israel for the first time or the tenth time is to eat shawarma with a laffa and shakshuka with pita on the streets of Jerusalem.

Today, I invite you all to give your children or grandchildren the gift given to me by my parents, the gift of a thrilling, relationship-building adventure in Israel. This June 17^th-27^th, Rabbi Pressman and I will be leading concurrent trips to Israel. Rabbi Pressman will be leading a “Touring and Torah Israel” trip, and I will be leading a “multi-generational Israel Adventure” trip. On December 1^st, we will have an informational meeting about the trips in the sanctuary at 7:30pm.

I know the trips are expensive and many are experiencing financial hardships, but this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cement your love for the land of Israel and expose your children and grandchildren to the beauty, complexity, and hope that is our holy Land. I never properly thanked my parents for taking me to Israel as a child—for allowing me the privilege of getting to know our homeland with all of my senses. That first trip with my family paved the way for my love of Israel to blossom as I became an adult and a rabbi. So, mom and dad, I just want to publicly thank you for making sacrifices so we could take that trip. I know it was not easy financially, but it was worth every penny.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Philip R. Ohriner

Itinerary for “Touring and Torah Israel” trip

http://www.israeltours.com/categories/synagogue-tours/Congregation-Beth-Davids-Touring-and-Torah-Israel-Tour.asp

Itinerary for “multi-generational Israel Adventure” trip

http://www.israeltours.com/categories/synagogue-tours/Congregation-Beth-David-Family-Multi-Generational-Israel-Adventure.asp

Some Follow-up

Now that we are through all the holidays, and have a little time for reflection, I’d like to ask you to consider following up on the High Holy Days in a few ways.

First, Rabbi Ohriner gave a splendid sermon on simple, sacred gifts and the building of community. The takeaway from that sermon was an invitation to sign up on-line at for some opportunities. Some of you have already done this, but we hope for many more. The choices are varied, specific and time-delimited.

I wanted to add some thoughts on community. Many years ago I came upon an article about community by John McKnight, an expert in community development. He says that community incorporates a number of strands. Communities “are built upon the recognition of the fullness of each member because it is the sum of their capacities that represents the power of the group.” In other words, the community recognizes that every individual is valued and needed, and so makes a place for everyone, a way for every person to contribute their talents.

This leads to the next aspect of community: collective effort. He writes, “It is obvious that the essence of community is people working together. One of the characteristics of this community work is shared responsibility that requires many talents.” It seems to me that this is an essential difference between a community and an institution. In institutions and organizations we depend on someone else, an often faceless them, to do for us. In community, we understand that everyone contributes and everyone benefits.

          From this and much other thought and experience, I can sum things up simply: community is not just something you have; it’s something you do. So I join Rabbi Ohriner in inviting you to sign up and add to the richness of shared responsibility in building our kehillah kedoshah (sacred community).

Eighteen years ago I gave a sermon called “Bethdavidville.” I concluded with a paraphrase of Dr. Mcknight: “We all know that community must be the center of our life because it is only in community that we can be Jews. It is only in community that we can find care. It is only in community that we can hear people singing. And if you listen carefully, you can hear the words: ‘I care for you, because you are mine, and I am yours.”

Creating and sustaining such a community belongs to all of us offering our simple, sacred gifts. Please sign up.

Click here:  

The second follow-up is to invite you to reflect with me on the new Mahzor Lev

Shalem. I have heard some feedback, but would be interested in hearing from you. What was your general response to it? Did it help enhance your High Holy Day worship experience? What did you like best? What did you like least? You can simply e-mail me with your thoughts.

Second, we do have a limited number left for sale. If you didn’t buy your own copy yet, you can contact Barbara Biran and order — while supplies last.

Meanwhile, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Steve Jobs (z”l)

Dear friends,

As I was in the final stages of preparing for Yom Kippur, Steve Jobs passed away. After thinking of his family’s suffering and loss and his tremendous importance to the world of technology, I am sure every rabbi in the country had the same thought: “Do I mention him in my High Holyday remarks?” I always had a tremendous amount of respect for Jobs as an innovator and a businessman. In addition, he was very much a self-made man, which I admire. However, after much thought, I decided not to change my sermons. I did not know Jobs personally, nor did I I feel it appropriate to eulogize him in shul.

Over the course of the following two days leading up to Yom Kippur, I was surprised by the number of articles that popped up criticizing Jobs, particularly his philanthropic giving. Just google “Steve Jobs” and “philanthropy” together in a query and you will find a large number of articles criticizing Jobs for not giving more of his immense wealth to charity. Other pieces fault him for being brusque. Some of my rabbinic colleagues even posted messages on Facebook stating that his personality and dearth of giving were reasons to omit Job’s passing from our High Holyday remarks. I was appalled by these articles and comments.

Regarding charity: Judaism, most famously through the tzedekah pyramid laid out by Maimonides, places a premium on anonymous giving. It is considered to be one of the highest levels of tzedakah. I don’t have any way to know whether Jobs gave money to tzedekah or not, but I do know it is not my place to judge. I would have loved to have seen Jobs join the Gates-Buffett Giving Pledge, but his refusal should not be taken as absolute proof of anything. Regarding his personality: I never met Jobs (probably like most of the authors who felt their criticism was appropriate) nor do I have any real knowledge of his personality beyond what I read on the internet. What I do know is that Jobs made an indelible mark on our world through his work. He changed the lives of many, evidenced by the public outpouring of sadness after his death on Facebook, Twitter, and the internet as a whole. The mishnah tells us in Avot that we should always judge people favorably. It is befitting of every Jew to give Jobs the benefit of the doubt regarding his philanthropy and character until definitively proven wrong and leave judgment to the one true Judge. Avot also teaches that there is something to learn from everyone. Certainly we can all learn from Jobs’ work ethic, dedication, creativity, and perseverance. May his memory be a blessing to his family, to all who knew him, and to us all.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Philip Ohriner

Gilad Shalit:

The holiday of Sukkot is called z’man simhateinu—the time of our rejoicing—in our liturgy. This year we have special reason to rejoice. I watched the video from Israel as a gaunt Gilad Shalit returned home after five sunless, lonely, oppressive years. Then I read about the hero’s welcome given to the first group of terrorists and murderers by their Palestinian brethren. I noted in particular the chants of “The people want a new Shalit!” Let’s kidnap some more Israelis.

Rabbi Avi Weiss turned a good phrase about the long-hoped-for liberation of Gilad Shalit: “A Heavy-Hearted Celebration.” Of course we celebrate his release. But the price seems high. The long campaign to bring Gilad home has its roots both in Jewish law—the principle of pidyon shevuyim, redeeming captives—and modern Israeli values: “No soldier left behind.”

Maimonides sums up Talmudic rulings on redeeming captives: ““The redeeming of captives takes precedence over supporting the poor or clothing them. There is no greater mitzvah than redeeming captives for the problems of the captive include being hungry, thirsty, unclothed, and they are in danger of their lives too.” (Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Matanot Aniyim 8:10)

But in ancient days they understood the dangers of paying a ransom: “One does not ransom captives for more than their value because of Tikkun Olam  (literally: “fixing the world”; for the good order of the world; as a precaution for the general good. (Mishnah Gittin 4:6)

Rabbi David Golinkin summarizes the reasons given in the Talmud: “because of the [financial] burden on the community”; and “so that they [=the robbers] should not seize more captives”—i.e., paying a high ransom for captives will encourage kidnappers to kidnap more Jews and demand still higher ransoms.

“The Talmud does not decide which explanation is correct, so halakhic authorities throughout the ages stressed one or the other, leading to different conclusions. Rashi, for example, says that if you accept the first explanation, a relative could pay an excessive ransom, because that does not place a financial burden on the community; whereas according to the second explanation, a relative may not pay the high ransom because that will still encourage the kidnappers to kidnap more Jews.”

Israel faced exactly the same dilemma, trying to balance the value of a human life and the ingrained imperative to redeem captives, in particular captured soldiers, against fear of emboldening the enemy.

Clearly Hamas, which gladly sends teenagers to be suicide bombers, sees our concern for one soldier’s life as a weakness. Clearly the Israeli leadership agonized over this decision. But the opportunity to free this young captive trumped the (quite rational) reluctance to release so many villains.

 Pidyon shevuyim is never an abstract principle. It always involves living, breathing human beings. That’s why historically Jews paid the ransom despite their better judgment, because real lives won out. Gilad Shalit’s determined parents and their many allies, Israeli solidarity, and Jewish values led to the difficult decision to trade 1000 for 1.

Beyond all the political, strategic, and legal discussions is the fact that a young man who has suffered for so long is with his family.  God grand Gilad Shalit healing of body and healing of spirit from his ordeal.

I conclude with this prayer prepared by our Masorti Movement in Israel:

Links:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement of the deal: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/shalitrelease.html

Rabbi Avi Weiss’ beautiful words: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-avi-weiss/gilad-shalit-release-reflection_b_1018161.html

Another excellent piece, by Rabbi Brad Hirschfield: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/for-gods-sake/post/gilad-shalit-returns-one-israeli-for-1027-palestinians/2011/10/18/gIQAPivMuL_blog.html

Rabbi David Golinkin, one of our great legal scholars and head of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, wrote a responsum a number of years ago at the time of another prisoner exchange which is a good summary of the issues: http://www.schechter.edu/insightIsrael.aspx?ID=58

Your Simple, Sacred Gift: All You Have to Do is Click

Dear Friends,

Today I am following up on the request I made in my Kol Nidre/Yom Kippur remarks. I am asking you to pledge a simple, sacred gift— a small, finite, time-delimited contribution to our community. All you have to do is fill out the form (click the link at the bottom of the page), and we will follow up when there is an opportunity for you.

Your simple, sacred gift need not take hours and hours of time. Volunteer to cook, deliver, or coordinate a meal for a fellow congregant who just had a baby or experienced a loss through our reinvigorated Chevrat Chesed initiative. Visit a homebound congregant once or twice a month for an hour with our new inreach initiative: Project Hiddur Zaken. Attend just one of the many events sponsored by our social action committee or plan an event for one of our many auxiliary groups. I am not asking you to chair a committee or even join a committee. I am asking you to pledge one simple, sacred gift.

Each of us has the power to further Beth David’s quest to be a relational community, dedicated to one another as benefactors and recipients of holy acts. We all have a responsibility to further our congregation’s quest to be a fully realized kehillah kedoshah.

In the afterglow of Yom Kippur, I have to tell you once again, how abundantly blessed I feel to serve as a rabbi at Congregation Beth David. Yesterday, particularly during Neilah, I felt honored to stand on the bimah looking out over a community of holy souls dressed in white, earnestly endeavoring to improve their own lives through prayer and reflection. Beth David has come so far over the course of its existence, adding holiness to the lives of our members, our community, and the world-at-large. Today we each have an opportunity to add a little bit more. All it takes is your simple, sacred gift.

L’shalom,

Pledge your simple, sacred gift now!

http://goo.gl/qPOsD

Shanah Tovah!

Dear friends,

On this day before Rosh Hashanah, I  eagerly await the opportunity to pray, learn, and grow together as a community. You will be hearing quite a bit from me over the next ten days, so today I am just sharing some fun links from the internet related to Rosh Hashanah, as well as a beautiful message from Dr. Arnold Eisen, the chancellor of JTS. Shoshana, Ari, and Eli join me in wishing each of you a shanah tovah u’metukah. May 5772 bring you and your family nothing but goodness and sweetness.

L’shalom,

A message from Dr. Eisen:

http://www.jtsa.edu/documents/pagedocs/high_holidays/High-Holiday-Message-5772.pdf

Some music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FlcxEDy-lr0

Some dancing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_M5-qthA8w&feature=player_embedded

Some art:

http://www.jarted.org/video

Some history about shofar blowers in Jerusalem during the British Mandate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIfLbkx4ZIM

Some humor: a shofar and a dog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00vFNzlXmNU

clip from the global shofar flashmob:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7HfYlKBHgw&feature=related

Tools for Elul and Beyond

Dear friends,

Today marks the beginning of the final week in the month of Elul, meaning that Rosh Hashanah is just a week away! It is an incredibly busy time of the year here at Beth David as we welcome all of our religious students back from summer, begin Hebrew High, start our full adult-ed program, and prepare for the holidays. Needless to say this is a very busy time of year for your rabbis!

With everything going on, I sometimes find it difficult to embrace the challenge of performing heshbon hanefesh, the introspection required during Elul. I am sure you do too! In my last blogpost, Love in our Lives, I posed a number of questions to assist all of us in focusing on the work at hand in preparation for the High Holydays.  Today, I’d like to share two resources available on the Internet that might be useful to you during this last week of 5771 and the Ten days of Repentence.

1. Jewels of Elul

For the past seven years Craig Taubman has collected short stories, anecdotes and introspections from some fascinating people from an eclectic group of people including President Barack Obama, Eli Winkelman, Desmond Tutu, the Dali Lama, Sarah Lefton, Eli Wiesel, Deepak Chopra, Pastor Rick Warren, Kirk Douglas, Rev. Ed Bacon, Rabbi David Wolpe, Ruth Messinger, Jeffrey Katzenberg and over 100 other inspired voices . . . well known and not so well known. Each day a “Jewel” is published to help us prepare for the High Holydays.  This year the theme is “The Art of Seeking Light”.  You can check them out on their site or have them emailed to you daily.  The vignettes are beautiful and inspiring, but better yet, all the money raised through voluntary contributions supports Beit T’shuvah, a residential healing community of Jewish spirituality, 12 Step recovery and psychotherapy for people grappling with addiction and substance abuse in LA.

2. 10Q: Reflect. React. Renew. Life’s Biggest Questions. Answered By You.

10Q is a project established by Reboot, an organization that seeks to “reboot” the culture, rituals, and traditions we’ve inherited and make them vital and resonant in our own lives.  10Q is an attempt to reboot the process of repentance and make it easier for all of us to participate. How does it work? Answer one question per day in your own secret online 10Q space. Make your answers serious. Silly. Salacious. However you like. It’s your 10Q. When you’re finished, hit the magic button and your answers get sent to the secure online 10Q vault for safekeeping. One year later, the vault will open and your answers will land back in your email inbox for private reflection. Want to keep them secret? Perfect. Want to share them, either anonymously or with attribution, with the wider 10Q community? You can do that too.

Next year the whole process begins again. And the year after that, and the year after that. Do you 10Q? You should.

L’shalom,

My last blog post with questions to ponder these next two weeks:

http://beth-david.org/category/clergy-posts-category/rabbi-philip-ohriner/

A link to Jewels of Elul:

http://www.letmypeoplesing.com/jewels/

A link to 10Q:

10Q: Reflect. React. Renew. Life’s Biggest Questions. Answered By You.

This coming Sunday I will officiate for the first time at a commitment ceremony for two Jewish women. This decision was a long time coming (I’m sure that some would say “too long”), but I am convinced that it is the right thing to do.