A Prayer for Shabbat Lech Lecha - Before the Election

Our God and God of all people:  God of the Right and God of the Left. God of the Democrats and God of the Republicans; God of the undecided and the underwhelmed. On this Shabbat of Lech Lecha- where we retell the story our ancestors’ journey of discovery, we as a nation stand at the precipice of an election fraught with divisiveness, rancor and tension.  As Abram and Sarai ventured forth into unknown territory, we too are navigating a perilous course. We see the demonization and de-humanization that these past months, weeks and days of fevered campaigning have brought forth.

We cannot remember a time when we have seen such division. We are exhausted and fearful of the ugliness that surrounds us.

God - help us to see the beauty in one another. May our partisanship turn to partnership as we work to rebuild our trust in our nation and in ourselves – regardless of the outcome of the Polls.

Help us to keep faith in both our electoral process and in You – the source of hope and good in the world.

May this election help to heal the wounds that our nation has experienced. May Hubris give way to Holiness. And let us say, AMEN.

Reflections on being an Alternate Delegate to the World Zionist Congress

Dear Friends,

Over the last couple of days, I have served as an alternate to the Reform Movement's delegation to the World Zionist Congress (WZC). The WZC meets every 5 years and is made up of Zionist organizations from around the world and across the wide political and ideological spectrum of modern Zionism. The WZC is not part of the Israeli political landscape per-se, but it does include representation from members of the Israeli Government and helps to lead and direct the direction and policy of the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), the Jewish National Fund (JNF) and other important institutions that both represent and proliferate the Zionist movement. One of the main reasons that the WZC has become so important is that delegates to the Congress not only determine the leadership of the Zionist movement for the next 5 years, they also vote on how hundreds of millions of dollars will be distributed. The very first Congress was convened before in Basel, Switzerland in 1897 – prior to the establishment of the State of Israel - by Theodor Herzl. This year marked the 38th Congress.

While the WZC ideally represents the totality of the Zionist movement among the Jewish people, it also, in recent years, has become a lightning rod for the divisions among us as well. The tensions between the Secular, Ultra-Orthodox and Progressive Jewish movements have played out in back room negotiations and floor fights. In recent years, world Progressive Jewry - in particular the Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative movements - have been very successful in mobilizing our constituencies to vote for their slates so that we could have a powerful role in the deliberations. This year, we were very successful and had a robust coalition- thereby giving us an important seat at the table. But we were not alone. At the beginning of the congress, there was an attempt by Far-Right Wing and Ultra-Orthodox movements to hijack the leadership of the WJC with a hostile takeover. It almost succeeded. But, thanks to the involvement of several "legacy" Zionist organizations (that traditionally have not exercised their right to vote on contentious issues of leadership) such as B'nai Brith, Hadassah and The Federation movement, cooler heads prevailed.

As American Jews, we do not (and should not) have a role to play in the Governmental elections in the State of Israel.  Most of us are not Israeli Citizens. We can, however, allow our voices to be heard in the arena of Zionist ideology and organization. This is why the WJC is so important. The attempts to sideline progressive Jewish voices is alarming and disturbing. While the Far-Right groups failed this time, they did gain a strong foothold.

I want to thank everyone who voted for the Progressive Jewish slate in this year’s congress. Because of your efforts, we were able to maintain the essential balances of power that represent the reality of world Jewry. Our fight is far from over, however. I am attaching a statement by Rabbi Rick Jacobs  - president of the Union For Reform Judaism and leader of our delegation – that gives additional perspective.

L’Shalom,

Rabbi Joseph R. Black

--------------------------------------------

Reform Movement Statement Following the 2020 World Zionist Congress

We remain committed to fight on behalf of an inclusive Zionism and our values

October 22, 2020 - Following today’s compromise agreement by the World Zionist Congress reflecting more inclusive representation, the leadership of the organizations of the Reform Movement issued the following statement: 

The Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative Movements, along with our partners in our international and progressive Zionist organizations, have successfully mobilized our Movements in Israel and around the world to prevent the marginalization of progressive voices at the WZC. That effort toward marginalization, reflected in the dangerous “Agreement on Principles” by leaders of the right-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties, would have weakened the World Zionist Organization and the Israeli National Institutions (WZO, KKL, JAFI, Keren HaYesod). This new agreement specifies the important roles our Reform leaders will hold in the Zionist institutions and will continue funding for our Movement’s critical work in Israel and around the world.

The broad coalition we helped assemble proved to be the decisive difference in turning a disastrous agreement into one that we can affirm. We are proud that through our collective efforts we defended the long-standing principle that these institutions serve as the roundtable in which all Jewish Zionist viewpoints are recognized and respected.

There is no question that the current agreement, which reflects the current Israeli political reality, grants significant power to the right-wing parties. However as a result of our negotiations, there will be more pluralistic leadership that will enable important checks and balances and help enforce the critical need for transparency and accountability.

We are enormously proud of our global Reform Movement’s efforts over the past year to turn out the vote in the WZC election and over these last days for standing up for an Israel that respects and includes all of our people and all of her citizens.

In 1897 Theodore Herzl hoped that the World Zionist Congress would be the “Parliament of the Jewish People” with a wide cross section of Jews and Zionists joined in common cause for the Jewish People and the Jewish State. We are committed to continuing our efforts to fight on behalf of that vision and the Israel we love. Thanks to our Movement, all voices that believe in gender equality, inclusion, pluralism, tolerance, and Jewish unity will continue to be represented in the World Zionist Organization. 

 

https://urj.org/press-room/reform-movement-statement-following-2020-world-zionist-congress?fbclid=IwAR3mEI71_NSmx6mOi-xFwHlgQSSCLtXUZkYcMFb03vI1jvYmIiC1NYvxEHg

Bereshit: Holiness and Helplessness

 

Why do we have a story of creation at all?  What purpose does it serve?

I suppose we could say that it needs to be included in order for us to know from whence we came…but I believe that there is much more to the story than the fact that we had to start someplace.

Our task, as Jews - as careful readers of our sacred scriptures - is to see the world  from the perspective that all we experience must be filtered through the prism of the promise that we are created in the image of God – that we are to be a blessing – and we need to live out that blessing. 

We can go on with our lives oblivious to that message and charge, but if we do, we lose a basic existential understanding of what it means to be Human – to be created in the image of a benevolent and Divine sacred being.

If we look at all the stories that follow Bereshit, they can be understood on their own, but if we place them in the context of God’s creation, they show us a radically different perspective.

In addition, each story builds upon the one that preceded it:

·        God calls Abram and Sarai and tells them Lech Lecha – go forth – and be a blessing

·        God tells them that through their offspring, goodness and blessing will flow throughout the world

·        Through trial and error – the messages of God’s presence and the demands that God makes upon us become manifest.

·        Our forefathers and Mothers were imperfect beings – they make mistakes, and yet, they grow and ultimately learn that they – and we who are their offspring - have an obligation to be a blessing – to build upon the lessons learned in previous generations; to avoid making the mistakes of those who came before us– to see the holiness in all of God’s creation.

You see, the function of Bereshit is to teach us three basic ideas

1.     Life is a gift

2.     We are imbued with a capacity for experiencing and expanding holiness in the world

3.     Because we see life as a gift and experience the holiness that is a consequence of our creation, we must work to increase the good in our world.

In Pirke Avot 3:14  we find words that encapsulate these three ideas: 

“Beloved is humanity for we were created in the image [of God]. Especially beloved is humanity because we were made aware of the fact that we were created in the image [of God]…”

This awareness is a key component of both our humanity and the holiness within us. As we both observe and participate in the world, Judaism teaches that the decisions we make – about ourselves, our communities – even our elected officials – must reflect these basic ideas and values.

God’s Creation is in turmoil right now. We who have inherited the legacy of Bereshit face multiple threats – here in American and around the globe:

• The Pandemic that has radically reshaped our world shows now signs of slowing and, as we have learned today from both our Governor and Mayor, the dangers of infection are exponentially increasing.  Our healthcare system is stretched to the limit and our ability to help those impacted by COVID-19 is increasingly being tested.

• In addition to those who are ill, so many others have been hit hard by economic turmoil.  Each day that we are unable to resume “normal” life increases the pressure on our livelihoods.
• The economic divide between the wealthy and poor is growing. While a select few are enjoying enormous success, the vast majority of our society is languishing. 
• Racial tension increases every day. 
• Our climate is threatened. The Wildfires that ate raging in our State of Colorado and around the world are stark warnings of the hubris and harm that we have inherited.
• The political and ideological divides that face our nation are widening. These toxic tensions are eating away at civility and I fear for the repercussions of our post-election society.

Now, more than ever, we need to focus on finding the holy in our lives-wherever and whenever we can.  This does not mean that we avoid the problems that we are facing.  The other day, I had a conversation with a friend who shared with me that he is uncomfortable when issues that he deems to be “political” enter into our worship experiences. “I come to services as an escape, Rabbi.  I don’t want to hear about current events!” he said.

I shared with him that I agree that politics have no place on the pulpit (or zoom screen as the case may be…), but prayer must never serve as a means to avoid the tensions that surround us. A central purpose of worship is to acknowledge both the holiness that exists in the world, as well as opening a portal to perspective.  As I am fond of saying, Rav Kook – the first Chief Rabbi of the modern State of Israel taught that one should never pray in a room without windows. In order for prayer to be meaningful, we need to see God’s creation Spread out before us – warts and all.  If worship – if prayer - merely serves as an escape, then it is not real. If our liturgy does not reflect the reality of what is occurring around us, then it is merely words – with no efficacy, meaning or purpose.

To be created in the Divine Image is to accept the radical and life-changing awareness that we are partners with God. Like the flaws in our ancestors; like the prophets that God sent to chastise the people for their inability to see the ugliness in society and in themselves, our partnership with our Creator is not only efficacious when times are good – no – our awareness of the potential for holiness within us calls us to strive to perfect this all too imperfect world every day.

This week, we have begun a new chapter of Torah. Let us pray that other new beginnings will soon be upon us – replete with opportunities to make real change.

AMEN  Shabbat Shalom.

 

The Presence Of The Past

This past January, I officiated at the tragic unveiling of a young man taken too soon. After the service, I wrote this poem. Given the state of our nation today, it is important to remember how decisions made in places of power do not only have political implications - they impact families and individuals on a deeply personal level - whether about healthcare, national security,  the Supreme Court or a myriad of other topics. 

As Castanada taught: Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.

Here’s a YouTube link to the song:  https://youtu.be/zYdRFg_-PjI

The Presence Of The Past 

Rabbi Joe Black 

(C) January 20, 2020 

A sunny day in January 

A mother’s hand caressed a stone 

The cruel wind in that cemetery 

Blew harshly as it moaned 

The Diamond ring upon her finger 

Cast rays of prism’d ancient light 

A teardrop on her cheek did linger 

As though frozen, holding tight 

The Winter grass was almost golden 

Against the wind it stood steadfast 

No clouds above to hold the cold in 

We felt the presence of the past 

In halls of power, men are meeting  

Charting out our nation’s course 

You can hear the war drums beating 

As they scheme with no remorse 

Their arguments are taut and twisted  

Biting like the winter wind 

Their pockets full, their spirits lifted 

 Last year’s hope, they now rescind 

And as soldiers wait their orders 

There’s a question no one’s asked: 

Before we trample all the borders 

Where’s the presence of the past? 

Each time we fail to raise our voices 

Each time we sit and acquiesce 

Each time we watch as fatal choices 

Push us deeper in the mess 

The die are cast with every lesson 

Whenever good folks fail to ask 

The one important, vital question:  

Where’s the presence of the past? 

In solemn fields, the headstones glisten 

In rows so straight and long and vast  

When will those in power listen 

To the presence of the past?