Being a Real Hero


In a few days we will begin the celebration of Hanukah. I know it is hard to believe- seems like it was just Rosh HaShannah! But this is a very unusual year of the Jewish calendar playing “catch up” with the solar calendar so here we are- Hanukkah and Thanksgiving falling together so close. Maybe that is a good thing- we can concentrate on Hanukkah without all the distractions of Christmas (although we will have to compete with Black Friday!)
Although Hanukkah is a minor festival we have made it into a major event. I only hope that we make the lessons of Hanukah just as major in our lives. Hanukkah is uniquely a Jewish celebration but one that contains lessons that all people can understand. The “underdog” who has no chance of victory emerges from a long struggle to defeat a powerful enemy: the oppressed minority that struggles for its identity and its very existence, and the unimaginable bravery of a few individuals who stood up to the voice of tyranny. I think that just as the story of the Exodus has inspired people of all faiths through the ages, the story of Hanukah can also inspire people- all we have to do is share the story.
Luckily we do not have to physically struggle to insure our existence as Jews. Thank God we live in a time in which we are free to celebrate our heritage. There is another struggle, however, that we do need to engage in- the struggle to be proud of who we are. We live in a time in which it is not always popular or “politically correct” to celebrate who you are or what your heritage is. We hear voices that call for unity and uniformity. To me that means that if our society becomes a meaningless pot of homogeneity our social, economic, and political problems will somehow disappear. Sometimes I think such “appreciation” of diversity is a ploy- it tends to equate every tradition with every other. We lose any reason to preserve our identities- one group is the same as another so why be proud of your unique tradition.
I want to be a part of a group that is identifiably different- I want to be a part of a people that has stood the test of time. I want to be Jewish. I know full well that we, as a people, have incorporated the best of every culture in which we have participated. I also know that such “gifts” that have come to us in our travels through history have never come at the price of abandoning our own identity.
In the ancient world the Jews knew they were different than the Romans or the Greeks. Like today, our ancestors were but a small minority in a vast cultural expanse but they also took pride in being who they were. Today we are a small minority in a world that, at times, says “don’t be different.” Looking at history we should be sure that it is only our difference, our uniqueness, and our sense of peoplehood that allowed us to become the “eternal people.”
Being a hero at Hanukah does not call for armed battle as it did in the days of the Maccabees. Being a hero today can be a small thing- something that may not even show on the outside. Being a Jewish hero today may be as easy as being proud to be a Jew, being proud of the amazing history of our people, and proud that we can be part of a much bigger world without surrendering our identity.
This Hanukah I hope you find some small steps to become a hero- share the Hanukah story with non-Jewish friends. Maybe you can explain why Jews don’t celebrate Christmas but we do celebrate Thanksgiving. Maybe you can just look in the mirror and be proud to be a part of the great miracle of Jewish Existence.

Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder

Two weeks ago my colleague Rabbi Warshal reported and commented on the 2013 Pew Research Center study of the American Jewish community. This study represents the latest statistics that we have about our community, our attitudes, and our affiliations. Rabbi Warshal’s synopsis of the study seemed to be filled with the good news that the American Jewish community is larger and more vibrant than ever. He noted that there are 6.8 million Jews in America. That in itself is good news. Rabbi Warshal concluded his comments with “The conclusion is that we are happy Americans. Not a bad time or place to be Jewish…” While I appreciate the positive spin that my colleague put on many of the statistics and agree with the fine distinction that he made between “religious” Jews and those who are positively connected to the Jewish community, I think that we need to look at the Pew study as a wakeup call.
The study showed that fewer Jews than ever are affiliated with a congregation. That disheartens me- while many Jews describe themselves as “spiritual,” that description is not manifest in any communal way. We exist because we have a common set of actions- mitzvot- that express the particularly Jewish aspect of spirituality. Some vague notion of being a “spiritual person” that is devoid of Jewish practice does not constitute community. It may be a group of spiritual individuals doing their own thing but does not constitute an expression of uniquely Jewish values. Rabbis will place the blame on those who do not observe tradition and the “spiritual” will blame the rabbis for not meeting their deeper needs. We need to rethink the quest for spirituality and find new paths to give the spiritual quest a deeply Jewish context.
That issue brings me to another aspect of the study. Overall we see the number of Jews affiliated with a denomination is falling and falling quickly. This means fewer people are part of congregations. It is clear that, over the years, we have suffered from the dreaded “edifice complex”- as long as we keep building more synagogues people will keep coming. Here in South Florida and other areas we see how wrong our priorities were- now we have lots of empty building with no one in them. More and more congregations are renting their buildings to schools or other groups just to keep their doors open. We have learned that it takes more than a building to keep them coming. If anything the Pew study shows that it is not the building but what people experience in the building that makes a synagogue. People feel no connection, no reason to affiliate, and, hence, no reason to identify with formal Jewish life. It is time that we rethink synagogue life. Perhaps the old labels, Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, just don’t work anymore. The Pew study tells us that the Jewish community of the future will be defined by more than denominational labels.
Rabbi Warshal succeeded in putting a positive spin on intermarriage. He quotes statistic to prove that, since the majority of intermarried Jews raise their children “Jewish,” our demographic numbers will actually increase- we will have more Jews because of the choices intermarried Jews are making! Somehow this does not add up to me. I assume that those who marry a non-Jew are the least committed to Jewish survival. I do not want to bank on them to sustain the future of American Jewry.
I am also wondering why Rabbi Warshal is so shocked that 40 percent of American Jews believe that God gave us the Land of Israel- he calls this a type of fundamentalism that he says “gives him pause.” For some reason he then mentions that 82 percent of white evangelicals believe this also. I would not call this Jewish fundamentalism but a Jewish fundamental. It is only the belief that we were given a Divine gift that the dream of a homeland survived for two millennia. If we are to ever see any hint of the truly miraculous we surely see it in the return to Eretz Yisrael. One does not need to be a fundamentalist to affirm the promise given to Abraham. It seems that while the belief in the Divine gift of Israel bothers Rabbi Warshal as an expression of an inexplicable fundamentalism, he is “especially heartened” to mention that most Jews are Democrats and embrace liberal social causes. Does this imply that, somehow, our religion dictates our politics? Hmmm… seems to be a strange liberal fundamentalism that gives me pause.
As I mentioned above, Rabbi Warshal’s conclusion is that we are “happy Americans” in the best time and place to be Jewish. While we may be “happy Americans” I read the study as a statement that we are “unhappy Jews.” The institutions that promised Jewish survival are not able to keep that promise. Those of us (myself included) who have been given the task of teaching Judaism have failed in some ways. As a community we have failed to disseminate a clear message about who we are and what we believe. (The Pew study reports that 34 percent of Jews think that believing that Jesus was the Messiah is compatible with being Jewish.) The report is not taps—Judaism is not dead. The report is a bugle call- it is time that we seriously evaluate our institutions, our beliefs, and our spiritual identities. If anything the Pew findings show that even if you and I both say we are Jewish, we may mean very different things.
I read the study very differently than Rabbi Warshal. I guess beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. We have been given a great deal of information about ourselves as a community- now is the time to sit down together and explore what we have learned.

All in the Family



As we make our way through the book of Genesis Abraham comes to the center of the stage. We are told about his great faith, his amazing trust in an unseen and unnamed God, and his zeal to spread the message of monotheism in a world not yet ready for the truth.
While most commentators, rabbis, and teachers focus on the spiritual attainments of Abraham, I think we do our ancestors a disservice if we do not look at his story from a very human viewpoint. Abraham was a rebel and a free-thinker! To his contemporaries Abraham was positing ideas that went against the status-quo. He was teaching revolutionary ideas that countered everything that any of his listeners had been taught. We never think of Abraham in those terms- we tend to think of a kindly older man, maybe a grandfather type, who is urging people to do the right thing. We hardly ever see the real struggle that he faced as a proponent of a revolutionary new way of looking at the world. Abraham was a real hero but a hero who was little appreciated in his own time. He displayed a daring bravery to speak the truth in an age in which people had become all-too-accustomed to believing in the lies and myths of the past.
As Jews we take pride in being the descendants of Abraham. We boldly assert that we, the people of Abraham, have taught the world that there is only one God. We take pride in tracing the source of our religion back to a man who was but a single voice for truth. I would ask you to consider making another bold assumption about your “yichus” to Abraham.
If Abraham were alive today he would be considered the most politically-incorrect person alive. He would state what he believed without the fear that he would offend someone else and without the need to “qualify” his values and opinions. No, he would not try to offend other people or to detract or demean their beliefs but he would have no hesitation in standing for what he thought was right. Most of all he would never feel the need to apologize for his beliefs. If only we could have a little of his spirit now!
Very few of us will live up to that connection to Abraham. Far too many of us are afraid to say what we really think because we are afraid that it might be unpopular. The world we live in today seems to be one that discourages belief in anything- anything and everything is “fine.” You mind your business and I will take care of mine. Do realize that if you said “I am proud to be a Jew” some would accuse you of being ethnocentric or bigoted or worse. God forbid we should encounter someone who offers a value judgment concerning right and wrong. Such a person instantly becomes a pariah, a snob, a “hater.”
Abraham did make it possible for our people to be moral teachers, to teach about one God, and to teach that even God is subject to an absolute sense of morality and justice. Abraham also still challenges us by example- we fall short of that example any time that we do not speak up for our beliefs, any time we hesitate to speak because we are worried about what is “popular.” Find your voice- find your “inner Abraham.”

Each in His Own Way
This week we observe Yom Kippur- a day of fasting and prayer, a day of fresh beginnings. I share with you a story that gives an insight into the potential that each of us harbors. On Yom Kippur we can harness that potential or ignore it for another year.
The rabbi noticed a man in the back of the synagogue who was crying. While the rest of the congregation stood dutifully intoning the holiday prayers, this man stood silent except for the faint sound of his weeping. Hoping to console him the rabbi made his way back to him to inquire why he wept. The man told his story: “Everyone else has come to pray to the Almighty. They recite the holy words of our ancestors and God hears their prayer. I cry because I am a simple farmer. I never learned to read. All I know is to recite the Aleph-Bet. Surely God will not answer my prayer.”The rabbi responded: “Your sincere tears are prayer enough for God to hear. You may worship God by reciting the Aleph-Bet. That is your special way to petition your Creator.”
This is an important lesson to learn for Yom Kippur. We can fall into the trap of thinking that everything we do has to be judged in comparison to others. We may be a part of a congregation reciting communal prayers but only we know what is in our hearts. The man in the story mistakenly thought that only formal prayer was worthy of God’s attention. His simple recitation was as precious as the prayer of the most gifted Cantor. God allows each of us to be a unique individual. Doesn’t make sense that each of us might have a special, individual way to worship Him? No matter how you are able to address God the simple fact of wanting to address Him is the essence.
Although Yom Kippur is a “community” holiday, it is perhaps the most personal and intimate of the holidays. We all ask for forgiveness but only you know why you are asking. We all ask for long life but only I know what I hope to do with the years I am given. We all say we will do better but that phrase means something different to each of us.
In Hebrew we call worship “avodah,” a word that means service or, in modern Hebrew, work. If we truly want to worship God we do so through service. Very often we best serve God by serving our fellow human beings. Like all aspects of worship, that service may be something different for each of us. In the year ahead you may be presented with many opportunities to live up to the words you recite on Yom Kippur. Whether you are fluent in Hebrew or can only recite the Aleph-Bet God hears and heeds the petitions you place before Him. What he asks in return is that you find your unique way to serve Him in return. That is the real potential for the year ahead- to find that unique talent or gift that God has given each of us and put it to use in creating a world that is a little bit more like Yom Kippur- all of us working toward the same goal.

Celebrating a Labor-less Day

This year everyone will be saying that Rosh HaShanna “came early.” Of course if you look at the Jewish calendar you will see that Rosh HaShannah came just when it should. The idea of “early and late” comes from our reference to the civil calendar that we use every day. This year our sense of “early” is also due to the fact that Rosh HaShannah comes right after Labor Day. (Oy, so early!) Let’s take a look at what Labor Day can teach us about celebrating Rosh HaShannah.
Labor Day is a day to honor those who work hard- we do so by giving them (and ourselves) a day off from working! Well, how would we honor labor, by making everyone work harder? Jewish holidays are like Labor Day- we mark the cycle of work and accomplishment by a day of rest. It is a good reminder that the best part of the ride is taking the time to get off the rollercoaster and watch it go by. Just as Labor Day comes once a year so does Rosh HaShannah- it is an annual event that gives us the chance to “hop off the train” and catch our breath. It is both the anniversary of the creation of the world and the creation of humanity. Rosh HaShannah marks the creation of the raw materials and the creation of man who, through creativity and labor, was given the task of bringing all the raw material to its full potential.
I have always wished that I had more creative ability- I am always amazed by artists who can paint a beautiful picture guided only by the vision they see in their mind. I have always wondered how an artist knows that a painting is “done.” How do you know when the last brush stroke has been made? When to stop mixing colors in search of just the right shade? When is that “ah-ha” moment when the picture is done and the artist can stand back and appreciate his own work?
Those questions are the ones that confront us on Labor Day and Rosh HaShannah. When do we know that our efforts are complete? When can we stand back and say that we have attended to every detail? For some projects it’s an easy question- if you are painting a house it is pretty easy to know when every wall has been painted. It’s a much harder question to know when the task of turning a house into a “home” is completed.
In each of our lives we are called upon to perform many tasks- some of which, we can, on those “labor-less” days, stand back and say “job well done.” There are other tasks (usually the more important ones) that have no end. On “labor-less” days we can only stand back and look at the progress that we have made.
Rosh HaShannah is such a day- we celebrate creation- an on- going process- we pause from our labor to see how we are doing as God’s partners. Rosh HaShannah is also a day on which we pause to look at the efforts we have made in the tasks that will never be completed- self-betterment and the painting of our personal masterpiece.

A Call To Heal

With this special issue of the Journal we are reminded of the many lives that have been impacted by Breast Cancer. We are reminded of stories of loss as well as stories of triumph. More and more women are now comfortable sharing their stories- the more we know the more we can join together to take steps to see that healing comes to all in need.
It is ironic that as I scan today’s news I am reminded of the inability of our leaders to reach a workable solution to the health care question- at a time in which public awareness has grown like never before we still face the same debate- how do we provide medical care for all of the people in our country. I have no magic answers but I do have faith that there is some solution that will work.
I think it would be hard to find someone who has not been impacted by the sufferings caused by Breast Cancer- all of us have family members, friends, and loved ones who have been plagued by a disease that has become all too common. This special issue of the Journal should spark a common reaction among all of us- “What can I do?” We put our faith in doctors, we try every form of treatment, and we still feel like we are not doing enough. There is nothing worse than seeing someone we love suffer and feeling powerless to help.
One thing we can all do is very tangible and will help everyone- let’s put politics aside. We already know that “business as usual” has crippled our nation. Whether you are on the right or the left you cannot ignore the truth- there has to be some way to insure (no pun intended) that all people can receive the medical treatment that they need. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is the right time for all of us to focus on the needs of those who need healing. No one would disagree but no one has answered the call.
Judaism places an absolute value on every human life. You may have heard the phrase “He who saves a single life has saved the entire world.” Those words were never more meaningful than at this very moment. We now have the science and treatments to heal many diseases. We are growing closer to being able to eradicate more diseases but, at the same moment, we are locked in a battle about how to accomplish these goals. Yes, it is complicated. Yes, it is expensive. Yes, it has brought our government to a total standstill. None of these facts mean that it can’t be done. What would you do to restore health to someone you love? Anything it takes? That’s what our leaders need to do.
If your life has been touched by Breast Cancer you know that it is not an abstraction- it is as real as real can be. It is the nightmare diagnosis that we all fear to hear. Let’s use what we have learned about the power of public awareness and public advocacy to a larger arena. The chances are that most of us will, at some point, need serious health care. We can’t allow that care to be beyond the reach of some of our people. Our government can’t figure out how to do this but I believe that, working together, we can.

Say a Blessing

There is an adage in the Talmud that says a Jew should recite one hundred blessings a day. Most of us are familiar with a few blessings: one for bread, one for wine, one for a joyous event, and even one for a new fruit. There are actually many other kinds of blessing that are little known. These tend to be blessings to acknowledge unusual events or seeing usual things. One could say that Jews are constantly stopping to thank God for every event during the day. So what is the point- an usual or joyous event in our lives brings its own reason for pause. An open heart can’t help but pause a moment as we see a beautiful sunset or the beauty of the ocean. We don’t necessarily need to be reminded of such special moments. The point is that we need to be reminded to be thankful for every, albeit less inspiring moments, like the simple act of eating.

There are many times that religious teachers struggle with explaining the important principles of Judaism. We like short simple answers – we especially like short simple answers to long complicated questions! Such a question that I hear all the time is “What is the most important idea for a Jew to believe?” Of course there is no single, most important idea or doctrine. It would be like asking the most important ingredient in a recipe. It is the sum total of ingredients that make the dish, not just one spice or flavor. I never like to say that Judaism can be boiled down to one such ingredient- it’s the sum total of Judaism’s recipe for life that makes us the holy nation that we are. It takes many ingredients for such a complicated recipe. Just think about it- how many people have wondered the how and why of Jewish existence.

While being Jewish is no easy dish to prepare, I do think that some of the ingredients are essential. One of those essentials is a big dash of gratitude mixed with a healthy proportion of perspective. We are always quick to think of what we lack rather than appreciating what we have. We are always quick to dismiss what is around us in search of something, the next big thing, the exotic. That is when we need to open Judaism’s cookbook and be reminded of what counts most in this messy, messy kitchen called life.

Judaism asks us to always pause and be thankful for each precious moment and be thankful for the ability to create such moments. Sometimes we might speed right by the best moment in the day and not even know it. Take a deep breath and thank God for life- if you were ill you would be very grateful for that moment! Walk on the beach and appreciate the beauty of the ocean. Take a moment and enjoy the flavor of fresh bread. All ample reasons to say a blessing, all ample reasons to keep perspective.

Be a Jew who is grateful for everything that comes your way. No, it may not all be good but that is where perspective teaches you to say a blessing for your ability to keep going. Find one hundred reasons to be grateful and I guarantee that you will find one hundred more.

Syria: A Lose- Lose Situation

For the past two years we have watched the civil war in Syria spiral into more and more human tragedy. As we go to press the death toll stands at 90,000 (more by some estimates) and our government has announced that Assad has crossed the “red line” as solid evidence mounts that he has used chemical weapons on the rebels. For many of us it is very hard to be concerned- Syria is an enemy of Israel- so we take some solace in the fact that our enemies are on a course of self-destruction. Our solace will be very short lived if we only take a look at the bigger picture. I would like to offer some thoughts about why you, an American Jew, should be concerned about Syria.

First, as a human being, you should be concerned about the loss of human life. There is nothing more precious than a single human life no matter what his or her religion or politics. To tolerate a government that murders its citizens with chemicals is wrong- the world should react quickly and strongly to end Assad’s rule. He has joined the ranks of Hitler and Stalin by killing his own people and ignoring the international consensus that chemical warfare is immoral. Although it is not something that I say or write lightly, I hope that America will lead the way in helping the rebels defend themselves.  I also recognize that that too is a lose-lose situation because of another reality.

Everyone who calls himself a friend of Israel should be concerned about the civil war in Syria. We cannot just stand back and watch with the “let them kill themselves” attitude. If the lessons of the so-called “Arab spring” have taught us anything it should warn us to be careful about what we wish for – the Arab spring brought groups into power that are filled with more hate than the governments that fell. It seems as if the Middle East is on a non-stop course from bad to worse. Do not believe the naiveté of those who speak about democracy and freedom in the Arab world- that is a dream that will never happen. Assad has been a constant threat to Israel but there are many indications that a rebel-lead government would be even worse. Again a catch 22 – do we hope that Assad will survive the challenge because he is a known quantity? Do we just sit back and hope that a new regime won’t be “that much worse?”

Many Americans have grown war-weary. In retrospect we see that Iraq was a mistake. We see that Afghanistan is a fiasco only waiting to get worse. We are bitter about the loss of so many American lives that, in the view of many, will have been for nothing. We are also bitter about the economics of war- millions of dollars spent fighting wars and helping other countries at a time in which our own country and our own people are in desperate trouble. The money keeps getting printed. People make less. Everything costs more. Against that background it is very hard for many of us to really worry about a civil war in a country that most Americans could not find on a map. Again a lose-lose situation. It is a little too late to become isolationists but it is also a little too late to continue to believe that America can police the entire globe.

Bottom line? We will have to take a terrible gamble- to leave Assad in power is an insult to humanity. The world has to have a shared voice and take a shared action against every regime that murders its own people- it is a moral obligation. We must make the loss a power an immediate threat to any government that sanctions murder. It is the only way we have of protecting humanity against the tyranny of self-appointed rulers. We also have the obligation to be alert – there is no promise that the new bully on the block won’t be worse that his predecessor.

Getting To Know You




When I speak to veterans of World War II there is one story that seems to be repeated all the time- boot camp. The young Jewish draftee is dumped in some camp in a place that he never heard of and finds his way to the barracks filled with soldiers who had never met a Jew before. You know the rest of the story—the young Jewish draftee is asked to show his horns! As crazy as it sounds to us I know those stories are true and, yes, the other soldiers really did expect to see horns.

If anything positive came of such encounters I hope it was a barrack filled with men who learned that Jews do not have horns and, in fact, are just like them in so many ways. It was a reciprocal education- many young Jews learned to live out in the “goyisha velt” and many non-Jews learned that all the stereotypes they had heard were not true. I believe it was a positive encounter. I have always believed that anti-Semitism is bred by ignorance. People will believe almost anything about someone they don’t know. As a rabbi I feel it is a real mitzvah any time I can teach a non-Jew about our religion.

It seems strange but these veterans’ stories came to my mind as I read about a recent vote in the Israeli Knesset. No, not a story about Israelis and Palestinians getting to know each other but about Israelis getting to know each other. Last week a bill was passed that requires young Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men to be drafted into the Army at age 21. Until now that community had been exempt from service. Needless to say, this has caused much bitterness from those who serve. This move is not a done deal- religious political leaders are still threatening to pull their votes from the coalition government and, as written, the law does not take effect for four years.

There will be much more political fallout to come and no one knows what will happen but I believe there could be one very beneficial effect- by serving in the IDF religious and secular Israelis will be forced to live together and to get to know each other. These two worlds exist side by side in Israel- the secular and the Orthodox. They live in physical proximity but they live in different worlds. This creates a wall that very few ever bother to scale. It only creates hatred and mistrust in both communities

There are several truths that stand behind this new bill. Israel needs a standing army- universal service is not an option it is an unfortunate necessity. Until the burden of protecting Medinat Yisrael is shared equally by all, such service will remain a point of friction and resentment. I know that the Haredim have their own reasons for not wanting to serve in the military but I believe their service and the interaction that it will foster could go a long way toward uniting two parts of Israeli society that have been and remain total strangers to each other. It will be a bitter medicine to many but I believe the patient will be healthier and stronger in the end.

Women of the Brawl


Several days ago there was a very tragic scene that unfolded at the Kotel. What the Israeli press described as “a public brawl” took place as members of the ultra-orthodox communities tried to block the service that had been planned by “Women of the Wall.” WOW, as they are known, represents observant woman who wish to pray at the wall. Many of them wear tallitot and observe other rituals that are traditionally observed by males. The on-going friction between them and the Heridi community has often erupted in controversy leading to arrests and court orders.

This month the game changer came when an Israeli court ruled that Women of the Wall can legally hold services at the Kotel in any manner they wish. Needless to say, the Orthodox community has refused to recognize their rights to worship. Government officials have even suggested that the Kotel plaza now have three sections- “Men,” “Women,” and “Egalitarian.” This suggestion has done little to ease friction. The question of religious pluralism continues to be a thorn in the side of Israeli society. While the Orthodox rabbinate continues to use its political power to keep hold of authority, small steps have been taken. The real tragedy is that the situation only aggravates other social divisions in Israeli society.

“Jewish unity” has become a real buzz word lately- it alludes to some far off time in which all Jews can work together for the common good of our people. Under current circumstances such “unity” is a bad joke. What site is holier or more a focus of Jewish peoplehood than the Kotel? Yet even the Kotel is a battleground for Jews who just can’t agree on how to worship the God of Israel. Why is mutual respect and tolerance for your fellow Jew so elusive? I believe in Israel as a Jewish state- as an observant Jew that Jewish state must have a Jewish soul. Without Judaism a “Jewish state” becomes an ethnic caricature. But that Jewish soul has to be large enough to dwell in everyone. Putting the “Jewish” in Jewish state is not just the job of the ultra-right.

Women of the Wall deserve a place at the Kotel. Every Jew deserves a place at the Kotel. One of the things that always makes me proud to be a Jew is that we are a people which has never been embittered by the pain that history has inflicted upon us. That positive spirit has allowed us to exist under the worst of circumstances- it also has been the spirit of constant spiritual growth. To see Jews attacking other Jews on religious grounds is a sign that we are slipping backwards, that the impetus to withdraw from the world is out pacing the honest need to confront the world and modernity itself. Those who act as if Judaism could exist in a vacuum are condemning Judaism to the status of a relic.

Women of the Wall represents another step in the Jewish confrontation with modernity. It may be a battle but it is a battle that we have always confronted and, so far, we have won. I hope somewhere out there we can find a voice to reconcile the growing gap between modernity and tradition.



This article appeared in the South Florida Jewish Journal

Our Torah, Our Purpose




Next week on the 15th and 16th we celebrate Shavuot, the holiday the rabbis called Zeman Matan Toratanu. Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai but the rabbinic phrase actually means “the time of the giving of our Torah. There is much to learn in this little phrase, after all wasn’t it God’s Torah that he gave to Israel. Why should the sages go out of their way to emphasis that it is our Torah?

Today one of the buzz words we often hear is about giving someone a reason to “own” an idea or a cause. It means giving someone a reason to commit fully- to give them “ownership.” While this may make a lot of sense in the corporate world, it also reveals what Judaism is all about. When we, as a people, accepted the Torah at Mt. Sinai it did becomes ours. The Torah is a code of holiness, a code of conduct, and a code to “unlock” the secrets of human life. The Torah is also a blueprint for creating a better world. If Israel was not ready to turn abstract ideas into the daily workings of human society then the Torah was really God’s book not Israel’s Book.

In the Torah the loftiest spiritual messages sit side by side with some of the seemingly most mundane details of human life. This often confuses people. What would God care about the way in which people harvest their crops or make their clothes or anything else that is so pitifully human. God does care about these “little details” because they reflect much larger ideas. You live what you believe. If you perceive the world as a sacred place you will treat it as such. If you treat it as something that rests beyond God’s concern then it is beyond your concern also.

Shavuot celebrates the giving of our Torah because it is we who bring Torah into the world of everyday life. Consider the recent factory tragedy in India. An eight story factory was constructed without permits or supervision of any kind. The building was used as a clothing factory to turn out clothes that would be sold in America. This labor force worked for ten cents a day to create the clothes that we wear. When the building literally fell in on itself hundreds of people died. They are still searching for bodies. Is it any wonder that the Torah includes laws on how to treat workers?

That is but one example. If you search the pages of the Torah you will see why our “ownership” is critical. Only by each of us making the effort to address the world as it is, and longing to make it what it could be , does God’s Torah become ours. There is an old saying that “the devil is in the details.” In reality it is God who is in the details.

Shavuot is something to celebrate- no people has ever had the opportunity to share in re-creating the world in the way we have. The only question is if we will make the Torah ours or, through our inaction, let God keep it to Himself.

This article appeared in the South Florida Jewish Journal.

Our Not-So-Secret Weapon

As we celebrate Israel’s birthday in this special issue, it is a perfect time to reflect on what Israel means to all of us. There is so much that we need to know to fully appreciate the miracle of modern Israel. Three generation of sabra’s have created a modern democracy from the ashes of destruction. Israel, while living in the daily shadow of lethal threats, has created an economy and workforce that leads the world in technology and innovation. Recent news coming out of Israel even tells us that Israel will soon achieve something even the United States has not done- thanks to recent oil and gas discoveries Israel will soon be energy independent. Not a bad record for a sixty-five year old work in progress!

All of these miracles have occurred for a nation that most observers wanted to wipe from the pages of history. No people could lose its land and then return to rebuild. No nation has faced genocide and returned stronger than ever. No nation but the Jews. Thanks to Israel the future of Jewish people looks brighter than ever. I believe that the future of Judaism is also looking brighter than ever thanks to Israel.

Yes, I know you might disagree- “Lots of Israelis aren’t even religious,” “Lots of Israelis are too orthodox,” “There is no middle ground in Israel, I feel out of place.” All these responses are true, I admit that. Israel is no utopia. Israeli society deal contains all the flaws of every other modern society. I also admit that sometimes Israeli and American Jews see things so differently that it is hard to even hold a conversation about religion, politics, war, and, yes, even peace.

With all these shortcomings and disagreements there is one thing that I know. For those of us who worry about the Jewish future, for those of us who want our children and grandchildren to live a full, proud Jewish life there is nothing that fills the Jewish heart with pride, hope, and self-respect like the land of Israel. We live in an age in which sociologists have predicted the disappearance of the American Jew. No not by an enemy without, but from the enemy within. The enemy of apathy. I believe those predictions are wrong but we all still wonder what we can do to insure that the coming generations will be proud to be Jewish and, more importantly, love being Jewish. We all know there are a million reasons that Jews find not to be involved in Jewish. What we need for the future is more reasons to be involved.

That’s where Israel comes in- for all her flaws Medinat Yisrael is still the catalyst that has saved Jewish souls. In an age of assimilation and apathy, at a moment in which too many young Jews are “falling between the cracks,” the experience of going to Israel is a life changing event. There are so many amazing programs for teens and college students. Each and every one of them offers a different take on Israel but what they all share is the unique experience of exposing young Jews to the concept of a Jewish nation. In a Jewish nation you are related to everyone, hopefully you can relate to everyone, and for the first time understand that being Jewish means being much more than an individual or member of a single family- it is being part of a people with a unique history and a unique future.

I think that historians will look back at the 21^st century and be amazed by what we will achieve as a people. They will also be at a loss to understand it. How could it be? What allowed the Jews to survive, to flourish, to write their own future? The answer to that question will, in no small way, be answered by our not-so-secret- weapon. We built the Jewish future based on the Jewish past and by our secret weapon- the Land of Israel.

 

Pictures to Share

While I usually reserve this blog for articles and reviews, I was asked to share some photography on the blog. I want to remind you that you are always welcome to come by my other websites for other projects. Here's a run down to help you find what you are looking for:

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"SHIP WRECKED"



CREATION



HOME TO NO ONE

In an Ideal World

Did Elijah show up at your Seder two weeks ago? Oh, yea, he forgot to come to mine too! Why do we open the door every year and wait for this perpetual no show? Why do we even care now that Passover is over and gone? Elijah is supposed to come to every Seder to bring good news- he comes to announce the Messiah is on his way! Hey, speaking of the Messiah, he seems to be a perpetual no show too! All of this Elijah and the Messiah talk centers around the Passover season because, according to Jewish tradition, Passover will be the time of redemption for the Jewish people and the entire world.

So here we are- we have celebrated Passover, invited Elijah, and waited for the Messiah for over 3000 years. We are still waiting and yet the coming of the Messiah is still an important part of Jewish theology. Why haven’t we abandoned all this Messiah talk after all this time? I think it is because we still believe that an ideal world is possible. We still believe that it is worth dreaming about a time in which all people can live in peace.

It seems like peace has always been a pipedream and war has been the reality. As Jews we have never given up on the possibility of peace. That is the job of the Messiah- to usher in a time of peace, a time described as a time during which “the lamb will lay down with the lion and none shall be afraid.”

The last few days have shown us just how far we still are from that ideal world- new attacks in Israel have put us on edge, North Korea’s insane saber rattling bewilders us, and war is still waged around the world. It seems like it never ends. I wonder if a study of human history could discover a single year in which there was not a war somewhere on this small planet. Probably not.

Perhaps that is the best reason of all to open the door for Elijah- maybe we should make it a daily practice. The consequence of modern technology is the possibility of modern warfare. We now have to think in global terms- a war in one place can have tragic “fallout” for the entire planet. We no longer worry about the death of individuals or even nations. Now we worry about the destruction of our entire world as we know it.

We have often been described as a stubborn people. That is often meant as an insult but I would like to think of it as a compliment. We are stubborn- despite the history of the human race we still believe an ideal world is a possibility. We have waited a long time with disappointment but have been too “stubborn” to give up the dream. Elijah still keeps forgetting to come with his announcement but we still keep opening the door and waiting.

Like many of you I often turn the news off- too much bad news, too many crazy people in the world, too many people who place no value on human life. How can we react otherwise? The Jewish reaction is to keep the door open- as long as the door is open we can still dream of an ideal world.

• Jews and Christians: Working For Israel

   

  The South Florida Jewish community has good reason to take pride in the accomplishments of our congregations and institutions. We are one of the largest Jewish communities in America with leadership that often sets the standard for communities around the country. I recently sat down with Eric Stillman, President and CEO of Jewish Federation of Broward County to discuss an important project that he has supported both personally and professionally. I share this column with my readers to make them aware of important, ground-breaking work in Jewish- Christian dialogue that touches each of our lives and promotes the safety and security of Medinat Yisrael.

  Q: Eric, you have been involved in Jewish- Christian dialogue for the past two years. How did you get involved in this project?

  A: The then Israel Counsel  General, Ofer Bavly, suggested that Pastor Mario Bramnik and I work together  to explore ways in which the Christian community and the Broward Pastors Network could work with Federation to develop pro-Israel programming in Broward county. I then understood that this joint effort was very important to the government of Israel. It proved that we were all on the same page about Israel advocacy. Over the past two years I have come to understand that we have much in common and share many of the same goals. Having had the opportunity to get to know many pastors and leaders of organizations like Christians United For Israel, I have come to appreciate a very fundamental truth: this Christian community does not want to convert Jews to Christianity. They support the State of Israel and the Jewish people because they believe that it is time to make amends for historical acts of Christian Anti-Semitism. They believe that they should embrace the Jewish people and embrace Israel as the Jewish homeland.

  Q: After your meetings with Consul Bavly and your discovery that Jews and Christians could create a powerful platform to support Israel did you find the community accepting of this new partnership or suspicious? Did the community understand how important this partnership was to the Israeli government?

  A: Many members of the community and the Federation leadership immediately saw the potential this initiative had- they encouraged others to support the work. I believe the leadership of our community understands that the Christian community’s support for us and for Israel is sincere and unconditional. I am happy to say that one of the outgrowths of our joint work for Israel has been the breaking down of many walls of mistrust and created opportunities for Jews and Christians to be open with each other.

  Q: What have you personally come away with through the process of building this partnership for Israel?

  A: I have learned that there are many members of the Christian community who understand our fear and skepticism about working together. They understand that there is good reason that many Jews see the cross as a weapon that has been used against us for centuries. I have come to understand that they truly want to create a bond with the Jewish community and, if you will, to make amends for “the sins of the fathers.”

  Q: How do you think this new kind of dialogue will affect Jewish attitudes about Christian support for Israel and a new beginning in interfaith communication? Can the progress made of the institutional level be translated into something tangible in the broader Jewish community?

  A: It’s not just the large scale events that get the message out- when rabbis and pastors speak to their congregations they can bring the message of Jews and Christians working together for Israel to their congregants. I have tried to do so by speaking about the subject at meetings and making the dialogue the subject of my weekly articles to the community. By talking openly we bring the message that this is important to us. Many people have told me that our programs have opened their eyes to many new ideas. They never knew or understood that the Christian community could be so supportive in helping us advocate for Israel.

  Q: Do you think that the ground-breaking work that you and others have been doing here in Broward county will serve as a model for other communities?

  A: Our efforts have been noticed by other federations and national organizations and we have received many inquiries about ways in which our achievements can be duplicated. I believe that other communities will start to emulate what we are doing. Our work is being replicated already and all of us stand ready to help other communities embrace this opportunity.

  Q:  Having spent so much time in the building of these new bridges to help Israel, where do you think these bridges lead for the American-Jewish community?

  A: We are healing the wounds that are deeply felt in the Jewish community. If we have personally experienced Anti-Semitism or heard the experiences of others we can heal those wounds by sharing our feelings with Christians who are genuinely aware of that pain and want to share a new kind of future with the Jewish community. It is important to know that we have Christian neighbors who are on our side and have our back for our right to live as Jews and for Israel to exist as the Jewish homeland.

   

   

  
  

Life after the Seders

As we prepared to celebrate this week of Passover most of us focused on the Seders. There is good reason to- the Seder tells the story of Passover, it is the Mitzvah of retelling the Exodus story, and it is that special evening that we get to sit around the Seder table enjoying family and friends. Even in homes in which very few of the holidays are observed, most families get together for this great evening of Jewish storytelling. While not everyone may hold both Seders, Passover is a special time to embrace the lessons of hope and freedom that emerge from 4000 years of Jewish history. I remind you, however, that Passover does not end with the Seder; in fact it is only the beginning.

The fact is that there is life after the Seder! It is in fact the quintessential essence of Jewish life- taking in the spirit of the Jewish past to animate the Jewish present. A Jew without history is an orphan. Like a child without parents, we would have no idea of where we came from, how we got here, or, most importantly, why we are here. While the Haggadah does much to help us understand our pedigree, it is the rest of Passover that ties up our “loose ends.” For an entire week we taste the bread of affliction, we eat the bread of slaves, and we celebrate the birth of our nation.  Then at the end of Passover we get one final chance to see the panorama of our people unfold both in terms of our life as a people and our lives as individuals.

Today tracing the history of one’s family has become the new kind of “scrap- booking.” People spend hours on ancestry websites trying to discover small pieces of unknown family history. The reasons for this “craze” may be many but I believe one is more important than the others- we long to know who we are- the only way we can truly understand that is by knowing from where and from whom we have come. Passover is our ancestry website. We log on using the Haggadah, we share what we have learned during the Seder, and, at last, we personalize the lesson on the eighth day of Passover by observing Yizkor. Yizkor then serves as our own personal ancestry lesson. We remember who made us who we are. We reconnect with where we came from. We realize we share a history and fate with all those who join in the recitation of Yizkor.

http://youtu.be/j0269QdDeKM


Click the YouTube link above to watch my Interview with Pastor Carlos Ortiz of Christians United For Israel. Remember that To Life LChaim now airs at 10:00 pm EST on Jewish Life TV

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The Purim Paradox

Next week we will celebrate Purim on Saturday night and Sunday. We set the stage for Purim in the time that has passed since the coming of the new month of Adar. Our tradition tells us that when the month of Adar arrives we are to increase the joy that we feel. This is an anticipatory kind of happiness- looking forward to celebrating should put us in a good mood, make our hearts more receptive to feeling joy, and inspire us to embrace the holiday. All this talk of joy makes me wonder what our sages had in mind- can we really be joyous just because a holiday comes? Can we choose to be “happy” with just the turn of the calendar?

I think most of us feel that happiness is not something that we can just turn on or off at will. There are times that we feel so sad that we can’t imagine ever smiling again. There are also times that we feel so happy that we forget that we ever felt sad! Most of our lives are spent somewhere in between those two extremes, living a mixture of happy and sad. The kind of good news/bad news the average day brings! So what did our Sages have in mind? Did they really think we could be “happy” at the drop of a hat? For some of us it might seem a paradox that we are being command to be happy. Both joy and sadness are feelings that creep into our hearts unexpectedly- we hardly ever think of them as the result of a conscience decision. I think all of us would choose to be happy if only it were that simple!

So what is all this talk of well-intentioned happiness over the month of Adar and the anticipation of Purim? Perhaps it’s the Jewish take on the old “is the glass half empty or half full” thing. When you really think about Purim seriously could become sad and, in fact, discouraged. Purim was the first act in a play that has run the entirety of Jewish existence. Purim: Haman hated us because we were different. He called us “outsiders.” He said we should not be included in society because of our beliefs. His words were repeated over and over by generations of those who hated us for no other reason than our very existence. For that we have suffered over and over. Good reason to be sad. Good reason to be saddened by a pain that has plagued our people in every time and place.

But to that temptation our Sages said “No!” It is not sadness that we feel but joy! The glass is “half full.” Every would-be Haman has failed. We are here to tell the story and mock (and erase) his memory. We choose to celebrate the continuity of Jewish life and to make light of every threat that we have faced. God said this to Abraham: Those who bless you shall be blessed, those who curse you shall be cursed.” Our Sages “command” us to find the joy in Purim because it is a day to celebrate rather than mourn.

Some of us choose to find the joys of being Jewish but some of us act like it is a curse. Purim is a good time to choose the joy of being Jewish. Despite all that we have faced we are the ones who are still around- telling and retelling the story each year and being happy just to be able to do it.

 

Keeping Israel Safe

 

What would you do if your neighbor had a canon pointed at your home? I think you would agree that just deciding to keep your windows closed might not be enough!  That canon would be a big exclamation point reminding you that it was time for action. We all know that Israel lives with multiple canons pointed at her everyday and yet the world says “Just close your windows and you will be safe.”  Windows offer no safety when your entire home has a big target painted on it. The only real safety is in removing the canon.

That is exactly what Israel did last week when it attacked an arms convoy inside Syria. The arms were to be delivered to Hezbollah terrorists to be used against Israeli planes. Yes, Syria and Iran have vowed to retaliate- is that anything new? Israel acted to protect itself and I praise the Israeli government for protecting its citizens. Am I a war monger? Don’t I understand that an attack inside Syria is dangerous? Yes, I do understand- but not to act is more dangerous.

Often times Israel is criticized for protecting herself or for acting is a pre-emptive strike. Whenever I hear such arguments I am reminded of a principle that our Sages discussed- the law of the rodef. Rodef is a Hebrew word meaning “to pursue.” The principle is simple and clear- if someone is pursuing you with the clear and explicit intent of hurting or killing you it is time to act. In our faith it is a moral imperative, a mitzvah, to protect yourself. You have often read my words about the preciousness of life. Judaism teaches that your own life is precious too. If someone plans to end your life you have an obligation to defend it. That may sound strange to many modern ears but speaks volumes about the wisdom of our tradition.

It is unfortunate that Jewish history is filled with examples in which people waited too long to act, waited too long for that canon to go away by itself, or for someone else to take it away. I think Americans are just beginning to understand the Israeli mentality. Recent violent events in our country have forced us into a new kind of awareness. Can you imagine living under the threat of not just “random” violence but the daily threat of terror and war?

Israel will be threatened and criticized for its action inside Syria- but it is vital that you remember that that this was not an act of war but an act of self-defense. To do anything less would be to betray the safety and future of Israel’s citizens.