Yom Hazikaron

One of my most powerful memories from my first time in Israel for my Junior year of college in 1972-3 was Yom Hazikaron, Israeli Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Day. It is the day before Israel Independence Day (Yom Haatzmaut). I remember being in a cafe near Kikar Tzion in the middle of Jerusalem, unaware what was to happen. The siren sounded and the commercial center of Jerusalem (and the country) stopped. The waiters stopped. Everyone stopped.
Israel is such a small country - not only physically, but also in population. As many people experience, it's like extended family. I believe there is no one who does not know someone who was wounded or died defending the State of Israel. When everything stopped it was clear on the faces that everyone was thinking about friends and loved ones.
Through the years I've been to Arlington National Cemetery, to many communal Memorial Day services, and lead many prayers in synagogues on Memorial Weekend remembering those who defended the USA. But I have never experienced a moment like my first Yom Hazikaron - it is etched in the sacred recesses of my memory as a pure and holy moment of remembrance and tribute and hope for peace.

Birkat Hachama - Blessing of the Sun

I finished my studies and materials this morning to teach Massechet Hachama this Wednesday morning as part of Siyyum Bechorim - the Fast of the First Born. A couple of my colleagues created some wonderful source materials related to this short ceremony and various teachings from the tradition about the sun. We'll study this for a few minutes around 7 am and then take 5-10 minutes to do the ceremony, before we eat hametz for the last time until after Passover.
The last time this benediction was recited was during my last year of Rabbinical School. After davening that morning - we went over to Riverside Park, recited the Psalms, prayers and the blessing for God's Wondrous Creative Power. It was a sublime moment then and again this year.

This blessing, according to the tradition, celebrates the return of the sun to the exact place it was when it was created on the Fourth Day of Creation. Whether this is factually true or not, it is spiritually significant that we pause and appreciate the miracle of the sun. It is the source of life in our solar system. It is the primary source of energy for our planet. It impacts our lives every day in ways which we are not even aware. It's a chance to acknowledge some of the gifts we take for granted. And it occurs formally, Jewishly only once every 28 years.

My colleague Mark Greenspan summarized five truths about this rite:
1) God is our creator even if we can't discern the process
2) The sun is a gift which gives us life each day - life is impossible without it
3) We have a responsibility to celebrate these gifts and ALSO to be their custodians
4) God's gifts belong to everyone and we must learn to share them
5) Because something is always there - doesn't make it less of a miracle

So whether you join us in shul this Wednesday morning after early minyan (6:30 am) or just go outside anytime after sunrise until around 9 am - your can just recite the blessing ( ... oseh maaseh brayshit - ... who makes the work of creation) or check on-line for any of the fuller ceremonies - think about our world, its dependence and interconnection with the sun, and experience the wonder and maybe even God's Presence in the star that gives us life.

Rethinking Song of Songs as Passover approaches

Had a great class yesterday at the Washington Board of Rabbis with Dr. Erica Brown (Director of Adult Education at the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning), looking in a new way at Shir Hashirim. We know that the underlying affect of Passover and the Seder is God's love for Israel. Considering Song of Songs as an allegory is the rabbinic answer to including this incredible eroticism in the Biblical Scripture.
Using a couple of artists renderings of a few verses from the Song, the first powerful insight which I had not fully realized in the love poem is the degree of tension between whoever the lovers are in the poem. There is the repeated theme of distancing, of approach and disappearance, a kind of back and forth of passion and presence. It appears that characters in the underlying story are sometimes on different wave lengths, that not everyone is ready for the consummating, peak moment at the same time. (I'll return to this in a moment)
Dr. Brown then connected this with art in general and teaching. When we approach a painting or a piece of literature or a sacred text, we first experience the words. There's this initial interaction, visual ... which can be positive, makes us feel good, or sometimes negative. Then we start to really look at the object of inquiry and experience it's nuances - words, colors, characters, language, symbols, ideas. But to stay in this experience, we then need to bring information and cognition to greater appreciate the painting or the text. When we combine the activity/observation with the emotional reaction, and then combine that with our knowledge and past experience - we are fully, spiritually immersed in the moment. This is a kind of deep, spiritual experience which we seek and too often miss. But in truth, so often: We're not fully present to experience art or prayer or Jewish learning even when the opportunity is present.
Part of this is the responsibility of the teacher. Providing opportunities for this kind of learning is crucial. But as I think of my own sublime moments, it was often the case that months of learning suddenly made sense in a particular time and place. Some of the highs of my life - were experienced only by me - although there were dozens of others present. When I climbed Jebel Musa - "The Mountain of Moses" in the Sinai many years ago, and looked out to the Mediterranean, the Suez, and the Red Sea - wow! Maybe Moses really was here! This is the place where the Ten Commandments were given! Some us of felt this, some just felt the geography, others only felt exhaustion of the climb.
If there is anything that I am beginning to understand in recent years about the Jewish way - it is that all our learning and behaviors - create an awareness, a mindfulness of life. We don't take life for granted. We pause to reflect on our life journey frequently several times a day. We study to add meaning, connection and perspective on living life fully. We structure moments to be aware of doing the right thing and to feel the holiness of life constantly. If it took Ten Plagues before our ancestors had the self awareness to be redeemed from Egypt - then maybe for us too, it requires the investment of time and experiences to be ready for the sacred moments of love and the miraculous in our lives.

My Aunt Shirl

Yesterday morning, my little sister, Amy, called me to tell my that my Aunt Shirl, my father's only (older) sister had passed away. I find all my thoughts, when I'm not busy, are focused on her (and my father).
Shirley Bernheim was a character in more ways than one. During the second half of her life she was an accomplished actress. She had numerous Broadway (ex. Grease), off-Broadway, touring company roles, TV shows (an amazing, short part as a Holocaust survivor on Law & Order), and numerous commercials. She didn't like to be typecast; yet she was great a playing a little old lady, but happiest when the part allowed her full expression including profanity. She loved the dramatic - both on stage and in her own life. Happiness and pain flowed from her freely. Her neuroses and her flair were legendary. But she loved her friends who performed with her or came to watch with a wonderous devotion.
Two really funny stories: one from even before I was born; wicked sense of humor. My aunt served my grandfather dog food - claiming that it was stew. Apparently he liked it - until he found out what it was.
Also, during one of the few times as a child that my parents went away on vacation and my grandparents didn't take care of us - we stayed at my aunt & uncle's. Shirl wanted to make us something that we would enjoy - hamburgers.... BUT, with her amazing panache, she made for us lamb burgers with mint. None of us could eat them... But it's been a great story to remember over the years.
My few memories of recent years are so ambivalent. She's been a resident of The Lillian Booth Actors' Home of The Actors Fund in Englewood, New Jersey for about half a dozen years. Visiting her the few times I was able were a mixed bag. Most of the time she was still herself , caring and generous. But after various treatments, her mind could only be there for a short while. She was always glad to see "MARCUS AURELIUS, the noblest of the Romans,'" but it was difficult to sometimes not be recognized and for her to be unable to complete a thought. I am lucky my sisters were there for her - making sure she was OK, taking care of every need. She got excellent care there and we are grateful to the great nurses and aides for their kindness, as well as the circle of friends who were devoted to her.
I know my whole family owes her a great thank you. After her ex-husband, my Uncle Eddie, passed away, her generosity was typical. Not needing much for her own pleasures, she authorized a nice chunk of his estate be given to the Raphaels. The income from that investment enabled me to enjoy some great times with my immediate family.
I guess I feel blessed to have know this good, amazing soul. We're going to really miss her now. And we pray that she is now at peace.

Mishnah Yomit

Something pretty amazing happened - Wednesday April 25.

My Mishnah Yomit group finished Seder Zeraim!
The Mishnah, the great code of Jewish Law edited by Rabbi Judah the Prince in 200 CE, has six sederim, six major divisions. They deal with civil/criminal law, Jewish holidays, marriage/divorce, sacrifices, purity, and agricultural laws. Much of it is no longer observed but there is always something to learn, which has application in other aspects of life. Also, sometimes this is 'torah lishma" learning, study simply for the sake of learning with no practical application.
Seven years ago the Conservative Movement started it's process of learning Mishnah. Doing one Mishnah every day since April 19, 2002 we have just completed our fourth of the six seders. While none of us has actually read one mishnah a day - in our group of 4 everyone does seem to catch up at least for/at the monthly review sessions. It's a great honor to prepare and study with my fellow learners. And it's a really incredible commitment to Torah!
In my job I do study Torah every day. The commitment to Mishnah for all these years though is special. It's not only learning to prepare for teaching a class, which is so much of my learning. It's exploring the depths of Torah for its own sake - to learn what our tradition and God asks of us in order to be Jewish and to be fully human. I look forward to completing the Mishnah with by "group" in around three more years...

Finding the Balance

No funerals for a month - helps a lot...

I still find myself thinking constantly about all those who are grievously ill in our community - but at least I feel I have the balance again.
Grandparents Shabbat was great - just watching generations interact and share - is truly a joy. We also had a Simchat Habat (Celebration of a Daughter) this Saturday and I do love baby namings. We even had an incredible Healing Service Sunday Night - great sharing, incredible energy, and abysmal turnout. I have another Simchat Habat this weekend and one more planned for May after the April birth.
I learned as child that death and sickness are a part of life. How we cope with the sadness and pain of life says a lot about who we are as human beings. But we do need to find the balance - to see the light in the middle of all the darkness and clouds.
At the Healing Service I taught a piece from Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer about clouds. Last Shabbat's Torah portion, Vayahkel-Pikuday, has the cloud traveling with Israel and descending on the Tabernacle. God is "inside" the cloud and yet there is a kind of uncertainty about the Presence. That's true also in the clouds of life - the uncertainty. We're not sure what tomorrow will bring - it may be better, it could be worse. Are we moving into greater darkness, frozen in limbo or moving toward the light? I like this metaphor of clouds. There are days when there is overcast. There are days when the light peaks through. And there are days when the sun shines brilliantly. But most days have at least some cloudiness. That's life.
Even in the cloud though - God's Presence can be experienced. Sometimes that's almost impossible to do. But God is even in the cloud - and in hard times, it is good to remember that not only is God everywhere - but God's light and love can be experienced any time.

Appreciating and honoring

Sunday night our local United Synagogue Region ("Seaboard") honored its young leaders. It's the second year for this wonderful program. Last year we honored Laura Wallace and this year Marcie Lerner. The future of our synagogues is not only our children, but also the young committed adults who are the present and future leadership of our sacred communities. It is one of the best things United Synagogue does.
There's so much in the press last week about the tensions between United Synagogue and the other arms of the Conservative movement. A new Executive Director is being hired as the movement changes its top leadership at the Seminary, Rabbinical Assembly and USCJ, in just a few years. Unlike the Reform Movement, the center of our movement historically has not been the synagogue (UAHC now called URJ). The Jewish Theological Seminary was the wellspring of Conservative Judaism and as it trained rabbis, educators and knowledgeable lay leaders - was the fulcrum of creativity, economics and therefore the ability to act. Although the hiring process of the new Exec Director was not inclusive of the broader movement, the person hired is a rabbi. More important, even Sunday night, the Regional President of Seaboard USCJ collared me for a minute... we know how crucial it is that we work together. Only by combining the resources of our community: lay, rabbinic, cantorial, educational and administrative professionals - together seriously debate and implement plans together for the spirituality of our community can we be successful. We are filled with concern for many years that Conservative Judaism is shrinking. The changes of leadership and the quest for dynamic answers to serve our constiuency fill us with hope. I still believe that Conservative Judaism is existentially correct. Judaism is about tradition and change - while we have always evolved, Judaism has survived because we have also always remained true to the essentials of Jewish life.
Finally Sunday night reminded me of how important it is to acknolwedge and thank. I am not always good with this. Often, it's not enought to just say privately or publicly thank you. Sometimes I don't take the time to write the notes that so need to be written to express my gratitude. Appreciation is a core spiritual value. That's why the last three blessings of the Amidah every day, three times a day weekday - are about gratitude: for God's Presence, for the daily miracles and for the peace we do enjoy. In the face of all the pain and suffering in the world and in our community this year - it's good to pause and realize all the blessings we do enjoy - personally, in our families and in our community.