February 27, 2009

Dear Friends:

A number of months ago, I was asked to try to express in concise fashion what it means to me to be Jewish. Below, you will find what I came up with. I thought I would share this with you for feedback, and with the hope that it will provoke some thought and conversation among our members and friends.

We are open to experiencing a relationship with a single, indivisible God in our lives, acknowledging that while we may perceive God in different ways, the essence of God does not change. Even if we wrestle with God at times, we always strive for a meaningful relationship with God, one that likely will change as we move through different points in our lives.

We have an ongoing relationship with the Jewish people. We are connected to all Jews since Abraham and Sarah, wherever and whenever they lived. We share a history and a destiny with all Jews.  Each of these two relationships is a b’rit, a covenant, a sacred commitment.  These covenants place certain expectations on us. They include both Jewish ritual behavior as well as the highest standards of ethical behavior in relation to all people, Jews and non-Jews.  We come to understand these covenants as well as we can through a program of life-long Jewish learning.

We crave the day when the Messiah or the Messianic Age will be upon us, and we work to bring that time about ourselves through our acts of tzedakah (charity), chesed (kindness), and tikkun olam (repairing the world). This is the ultimate fulfillment of our b’rit with God.

Interestingly, when I shared this document with our high school juniors and seniors, they identified mostly with the idea of being connected to all Jews. The students wanted this expressed in stronger terms. We should not just acknowledge that relationship, but also pursue it and build on it.

You will notice that this document makes no mention of Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox. Hang on for that one, as, at least for now, I expect to be speaking about that at the High Holidays in the fall. Among other things, just to plant a seed, I have a growing sense that many Reform Jews have a view of ourselves as being less than authentic. I want to see us build our awareness, history, and pride in our movement and its philosophy.

Give it some thought, and let’s start a conversation.

Don’t forget our youth service tonight. Plan on being with us for Purim on March 9th. As always, it will be a highlight of the year.

Shabbat Shalom u’m’vorach. Have a Shabbat of peace and of blessing.

Sincerely,
Jack P. Paskoff,
Rabbi

February 20, 2009

Dear Friends:

Please remember our special Shabbat services this month: tonight is a 6:00 service, then let’s enjoy dinner out together. Next week, we will dedicate new Torah covers and pray with and learn from our high school students. That will be the last night to bring in gift cards for Lowes or Home Depot, which will be sent to Waveland, Mississippi, to aid in Katrina rebuilding. Enough announcements for now.

For those of us who trace our ancestry to the shtetls of Eastern Europe, we tend to think of the difficulties they faced. We see them as poor and illiterate. The faced pogroms frequently, and we probably imagine them as people of great piety. At best, especially if we’ve seen “Fiddler on the Roof,” we may think there was something quaint about their lives and their communities. Those generalizations may or may not be true. What is much more likely to be true is that these shtetls guaranteed their residents a comprehensive social welfare program, providing care from cradle to grave. Among other things, these towns cared for the sick and for the families of those who were ill. They saw to it that even the poorest bride would have a dowry. For those who needed financial support, there were free loan societies, and the dead were cared for by the Chevra Kaddusha.

In our little shtetl here, Sisterhood provides meals for “new mothers and others.” They provide a seudat havraah, a meal of consolation for those returning after a funeral, and part of the routine maintenance at the cemetery is handled by Brotherhood. The rest falls to the congregational Hineini Committee. Members of Hineini visit those in the hospital, make calls to checkup on our congregants who have experienced challenging times, drive some of our seniors to the supermarket and doctors’ appointments, visit our folks living in nursing homes. They facilitate a cancer support group and an addiction support group.

And now, we need your help. As our congregation grows and ages, we need more volunteers. We need volunteers who are going to commit to a day and time in advance, who will keep that time open, whether there is a need that day or not. When we put out an open call to 50 people, it is too easy to assume someone else will step up. Anyone who has ever been the beneficiary of these services knows how valuable they are. As Jews, we are all called upon to do our part.

Stefanie Heller is the chair of our Hineini Committee. Contact her at 569-2774 or . She’s waiting to hear from you. Be prepared to tell her how you can help and which days and times are best for you. So much of shtetl life is best left in the past. This part needs to be reclaimed and renewed.
When we can provided this kind of care for all of our congregants, each of us will make every Shabbat one of peace and blessing.

Shabbat Shalom u’m’vorach.

Sincerely,
Jack P. Paskoff,
Rabbi

February 06, 2009

Dear Friends:

The past 50 years have seen great strides on the part of the Catholic Church towards reversing two millennia of anti-Semitism that either came directly from the Church or from individuals and governments acting in the name of the Church. Much of this was brought about nearly 50 year ago through the efforts of Pope John XXII and the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. That good will was renewed by Pope John Paul II. Sadly, the current era in the Catholic Church seems to be moving in a contrary manner, reversing these decades of strong interfaith effort.

The first indication of this came when Pope Benedict permitted the restoration of a prayer to the Catholic liturgy that prays for the conversion of the Jews. When I first heard of this, I wasn’t happy, but so be it. What right do I have to tell people of another faith what they should and should not be praying for?
Over the past two weeks, though, it sees that the Church has entered a new chapter in the annals of anti-Semitism, with two priests making the claim that the Holocaust never happened. Where is the Vatican condemnation, and what are we to assume about their intent for the future of Catholic-Jewish relations? I’m left sad and angry that this could be the reality of the 21st century.

This coming Tuesday, I will begin teaching my class for this year at the Lancaster Theological Seminary. No, it is not a Catholic Seminary, but I have the opportunity, in a small way, to influence how Christians of several denominations view Jews and Judaism. For one semester each year, I get to engage in substantive interfaith dialogue, with the hope that the best way to eliminate anti-Semitism is through education.

This approach is the philosophy of the Jewish Chautauqua Society, an affiliate of the Men of Reform Judaism, consisting of congregational brotherhoods throughout the country. The JCS helps to fund my course at the seminary and at schools all over America. Yes, in part, this is the work supported by all the men of our congregation who are members of Brotherhood (If you aren’t, shouldn’t you be)?  As I try to do every year, I will share with you what I learn form my students.

Jewish tradition teaches us the idea of k’vod ha-rav, honor for our teachers. I honor my parents, Samuel (may his memory be a blessing) and Bryna Paskoff for teaching me about the important work of the Jewish Chautauqua Society.

Of course, the best response to anti-Semitism is to live our Judaism fully, with pride and joy. In that spirit, I hope to see you all tonight for Friday Night Live!
For this week, Shabbat Shalom u’m’vorach. Have a Shabbat of peace and of blessing.

Sincerely,
Jack P. Paskoff,
Rabbi