Retirement Party Remarks (part 1)

MAY 12 REMARKS

Several short thoughts for this bitter…sweet moment

First was triggered by Tuesday’s Op Ed by Eugene Robinson about European Austerity
He tried to make the case: Europe needs to grow… that the solution to it’s problem.
And: We know about Kehilat Shalom’s austerity literally over the last 4 years

Short term, like Europe, we cannot grow our way out of our fundamental fiscal conundrum
We do have a small window of opportunity once we sell our School building to try to rejuvenate
I am not without hope

That hope comes from here (hold up Tanach) and from Jewish history
Communities have faded from the map but Judaism creatively evolves especially in hard times
The 1st Temple was destroyed >2500 years ago and Judaism should have died out like the 10 tribes – but prophets and the first synagogues saved the Jewish pathway to God
When the 2nd Temple was destroyed @1900 yrs ago, the rabbis made Jerusalem portable through study of torah and acts of loving-kindness, which we still live today. We have found creatively radical solutions to challenges that should have erased our legacy.
In the 30s, sociologists predicted the end of Orthodoxy in the US and in the 50s the end of Reform Judaism. Both are still going strong. And for the past 20 years the “experts” have predicted the end of Conservative Judaism and we’re hemorrhaging … but still alive and kicking. Yes… We’re in crisis, but like our ancestors we quest for new solutions to our present day challenges.

It begins here (Tanach) Bereshit…
God creates the world in an act of unconditional love. God is creator. God organizes, God is intentional, God is creative and God evaluates creation. How absolutely radical when compared to the pagan myths of gods! We are not whims of the gods, we are partners in the on-going work of creation – to repair our imperfect world. And in the middle of Genesis through the rest of Exodus and the Torah, the patriarchs and then Moses become God’s hands in the world… organizing, being intentional, and evaluating their creation of sacred community and inspiring a model of ethics and holiness to the whole world. Being created in the image of God means: we do God’s creative process for the well-being of ourselves and our community.

Technologically and sociologically in just the last 10-15 years the world has changed radically. Synagogues in the next decade across the liberal spectrum will be grappling with those changes…
But we’ve evolved before and we can do it again.
To connect with the “emerging adults” we’ve going to have twitter and use the internet and only God knows what else will be the next technology. I know those mediums are fundamentally about sharing information and expanding connections, not about relationship and depth. But the ability to share the wisdom of Judaism / and to build connection / and to connect people questing … is an untapped potential for those willing to invest in the process.
The next decade is going to be hard for shuls. For shuls: Technology,/ economics,/ kinds of affiliation/ and use of facilities/ will all see experimentation and the stress that goes with the risks of transitioning to something new and better

Retirement Party

My Retirement Party this past Saturday was lovely. People spoke eloquently. Kids were wonderful with their presentations. My father, sisters, and my immediately family were inspired. For me it was bittersweet.

It's still hard to pick up and move on. I know for my physical and spiritual well-being it's time ... but for half my life I've been a pulpit rabbi and now I'll be teaching or doing chaplaincy. Actually I'm ready for the change.

Left do before June 30 (biggies): three conversions, seven bnai mitzvah total, and four more classes including the siyyum for Bible Study, when we finish Devarim and 10 years of Torah learning.

It's strange to be lame duck with so much still to be done, but I'm ready to ... really follow through on my job search.

Our Student Rabbis and My Plans

It's a strange time for me. For the second weekend in a row we are interviewing Friday Night, Shabbat morning, and Sunday Morning wonderful rabbinic students to be the next rabbi of Kehilat Shalom. They're all amazing, talented, soon to be ordained rabbis with skill sets for the rabbinate of 21st Century. It's been great emailing, shmoozing, hosting, and trying to help them think through their decision about their professional future. I hope one of them will love Kehilat Shalom as much as I have and become it's next spiritual leader.

As for me, my cover letters and updated resumes are ready to go out. After all my months of networking I'm not as interested in not-for-profit work. Primarily I'm looking to my first love, to be able to teach full time, probably Day School. I'm also exploring part-time CPE Chaplaincy with stipend, in conjunction with part-time teaching. As long as I'm teaching I know I'll be fine. I need CPE (Continuing Pastoral Education) because the one aspect of chaplaincy I have consistently found significant is hospice counseling. At some future time with proper training, I know I would be energized by supporting souls approaching the end of life and their loved ones.

Really looking forward to spending the day with my Dad in NY on Monday.

Shabbat Shalom.

The Week in Review

Two highlights of this past week
1) Sunday we had a wonderful Tu B'Shevat Seder. The food, the YouTube Videos, the coloring pages, and the music all worked. Kids and adults who were present had time to think about trees and our ecosystem and just have fun.
2) Went to Adas in DC on Wednesday to participate in two conversions (I was not the sponsoring rabbi) On several levels the job of the rabbi is to "make Jews": to work with those who are born Jewish to connect to God and our tradition ... and for those who are "Jews-by-choice" to help them find their pathway to Jewish spirituality. Sitting on the tribunal is always joyful - to hear the stories of the journey between countries, on the roller coast ride of life ... to find deep meaning and joy in spiritual family, community, and tradition - is always moving and significant.

A Busy weekend coming up
Early Childhood Center Shabbat tonight
Reading the 10 Commandments in the Torah tomorrow morning
Fourth Grade Havdalah Service Saturday Night
Adult Bnot Mitzvah Class Sunday morning followed by the brainstorming session for the future of the Religious School
A full weekend of good activity

Three highlights of the week

It's been a good week. No pastoral emergencies and some interesting experiences.

On Monday, on MLK Day, I helped facilitate AIM's Annual Retreat. We broke into small groups and role played/dramatized the issues AIM is pursuing this Spring/Fall. We hope to insure that the Dream Act Referendum does not overturn the legislation. And we are also doing House Meeting throughout the county on Senior Issues. We hope to have actions for the county to enhance the quality of life for seniors in our area.

Wednesday Morning I drove to Annapolis and on invitation from District 39 State Senator Nancy King invoked the Senate of Maryland. I had done it before about 10 years ago, but it's still cool to be in our historic capital building and set a tone for the day. I spoke briefly about Martin Luther King's inspirational leadership and how great leaders tell great stories and frame challenges which unite us in common quest for meaning and community. Thanks to Ben Goldstein-Smith, from Senator King's Staff (and who I "bar mitzvahed" many years ago) for helping to make the arrangements.

On Tuesday and Wednesday following up our Yom Kippur initiatives to re-energize our community we had orientations for volunteers to serve as Ushers/Greeters. It is important to have a caring and warm face for everyone who enters our spiritual home to worship. Thanks to those who attended the workshop and a special thanks to Howard Glassman for reorganizing the greeter/usher guidelines and leading the sessions.

This Shabbat ... Sisterhood Shabbat. Sisterhood's doing almost everything... it's almost a Shabbat off!

I've changed my mind - January Bulletin article

I’ve changed my mind. In December 2006 the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative Movement voted two papers about the “Status of Gays” in our part of the Jewish world. One opposed changing Jewish law and a second, reinterpreted Jewish law to permit the ordination of a gay rabbi. In the February 2007 Shofar, I had written my support for the paper of my teacher, Rabbi Joel Roth, which maintained the status quo and rejected the ordination of gay rabbis.
After four years of reflection and continued study I’ve changed my mind. In the same way as Rabbi’s Roth Responsa of 1984 lead to the ordination of women as rabbis, the legal ‘paper’ of 2006 lead directly to the ordination of homosexual and lesbian rabbis. In 1984 Rabbi Roth created a new legal category. In order to lead the community in public prayer one must have the obligation. Traditionally women do not. Roth posited that women could voluntarily accept the same obligation as men to worship and therefore bind themselves to pray and empower themselves to thereby daven for the community. It was a brilliant solution to a halachic barrier.
In the same way, the 2006 Responsa of Rabbis Dorff, Nevins and Reisner reinterpreted the Torah and said the Torah’s prohibition of homosexuality refers only to ‘Anal Sex’ between two men. All the other mitzvot regarding prohibitions of homosexuality and lesbians are rabbinic in origin. With regard to rabbinic law the value of “human dignity is so great that it supersedes a commandment of the Torah.” The acceptance of this “Torah” prohibition of the specific behavior therefore empowers full participation in Jewish life, even ordination as a rabbi. This is a brilliant solution to a halachic barrier. The humiliation of being excluded and the anguish of being unable to observe certain mitzvot are inconsistent with our basic respect for every soul. Instead of alienating caring and committed souls, we can welcome and enable full observance and participation in Jewish life.
For today, this is my personal commitment to state and do what I believe is the truth of our tradition. Consistent with my new understanding I would be honored to officiate at a commitment/wedding ceremony (within the laws of the jurisdiction of the ceremony).
I look forward in the coming months to continue our common quest to understand God’s teachings and truths for our community and every soul.

My "year" of Kaddish is done

I finished my 11 Jewish months of saying Kaddish for my mother yesterday, so hopefully I'll be back to writing at least once a week on my blog. It's been a trying year. Last year at this time we knew my mother's time was short and she did pass away in February. A few weeks later my sister-in-law died and then a week later I officiated at the funeral of a special cousin/"uncle". At the same time, in a tumultuous process, Kehilat Shalom considered it's future and after months of fractious discussion about a possible merger voted to stay independent as long as possible.
So looking back on the year it's been year of sadness and loss and stress and incredible loving support. I've attended minyan at Kehilat Shalom almost every night and at Bnai Israel in Rockville almost every morning. People at Kehilat Shalom especially in the weeks after my mom's death were incredibly kind and supportive. And the 'gang' at Bnai Israel every morning feels like extended family... I'll continue to support them as they've helped me by continuing to go every Friday morning.
I also see that my family is doing good. My son is healthy and happy at college. My wife, Diane, is OK and trying to take a little better care of herself. My sisters and their families are all doing good. My father is doing amazingly well. He's walking with a walker and his memory is good almost every day... both are tremendous improvements for previous years.
It will be good to "get back" an hour and a half every morning (early rush hour to Rockville to minyan and back) ... to sleep a hour more and go back to the gym every morning. I'll still pray at home every morning and think about my mother and the other family who I remember at every service.
A good and healthy 2012 to all...