September 2012 Bulletin - From Aurora to Elul

My Dear Friends,

I write this article in the aftermath of the Aurora tragedy.  In the days following the shooting, the world press took the spiritual, physical and emotional pulse of our community.  I was contacted by multiple new sources and asked 2 basic questions.  The first question was:

Where was God in this tragedy?

My answer was straightforward and simple.  God had nothing to do with the tragedy. God was in the response to tragedy. God was present in the acts of heroism, comfort and consolation that we witnessed.  God was in heroism of the police officers, EMT’s, ambulance drivers, medical professionals, 911 Emergency personnel and everyone else who answered the call to help.  God was in the acts of those who risked and, in a few occasions, lost their lives in order to save others.

The second question was always some form of:   

What should the religious response be to terror?

Again, my response was simple and straightforward:  The religious response to terror can best be found within the context of community. By coming together – to pray and to grieve, to comfort and console one another we were bringing God into our lives.

Soon we will be entering into a new year.  When we gather together at Temple for High Holy Day services, we are doing more than simply performing an age-old ritual.  We are also affirming the importance and centrality of creating and celebrating sacred community.  Whether we are at “Rosh HaShanah Unplugged,” or in our sanctuary service, or at Shwayder camp, the simple act of coming together as a community strengthens our souls and our congregation.  This year, in the shadow of the events in Aurora, our need to pray, to celebrate and experience community is all the more intense.

The sounding of the shofar is a clarion call for us to support one another – in times of difficulty and in times of joy.  Each note offers us an opportunity to engage in the process of Cheshbon HaNefesh examining ourselves and our souls in the context of our community.  If it has been a while since you’ve been in Temple – it doesn’t matter:  we want to welcome you home.  If you are new to our congregation – now is the perfect time to find your place.  We need and want your presence.

I look forward to worshipping together very soon.

Sue, Ethan and Elana join me in wishing you all a Shanah Tovah U’metukah – a good and sweet new year.
 
L’Shalom,
 
Rabbi Joseph R. Black

4 Weeks of Elul 5772 #3 Personal/Professional Relationships

Four Weeks of Elul 5772

Week three: Personal and Professional Relationships

Dear Friends,

Like many of you last week, I watched several hours of coverage from the Republican national convention.  While the speakers and pageantry were effective in presenting the positions and platforms of the party; while the pageantry and excitement that the convention created were palpable – there was one aspect of the convention that was disturbing to me.  This had nothing to do with political positions, but rather the way in which ad hominum attacks were cavalierly delivered from the podium and in the announcer’s booth - by politicians and pundits alike.  I have no illusions that next week’s Democratic convention will be any different.

I fear that our political process and the multi-layered campaigns of persuasion and manipulation that accompany it are coming dangerously close to dehumanizing candidates and destroying relationships.  This makes it difficult, once the elections are over and the work of governing begins, for elected officials to work together in the aftermath of “scorch and burn” political campaigns.  The past several years of gridlock in Washington – and here in Colorado, for that matter - can be seen as but one example of the dangers of allowing the passions of the campaign to enter into the process of governing.

I feel strongly that our nation needs to learn how to build relationships.  We need to understand that intellectual disagreement is not a stumbling block to human interaction. But it is not only in the political arena that we experience these types of impediments to healthy relationships.  How many times over the course of the past year have you found yourself losing patience and cutting off personal relationships with others whose beliefs or opinions are different than your own?

The month of Elul provides us with opportunity to reflect on every aspect of our lives as we prepare in enter into the Yamim Noraim – the days of Awe.  In particular, as we engage in the process of Chesbon Ha-nefesh­ – taking an inventory of our souls – all too often, when we think about our relationships with family, friends and co-workers we realize that we may have not lived up to our highest potential for good.  It is sometimes easy to take out our frustrations, fears and anger on those who are closest to us.  They are convenient targets and we know that we will be forgiven for momentary lapses.  And yet, each time that we fail to see the holiness in those around us – whether at home, at work, or in the community, we damage the relationships that make life worth living.
Our tradition teaches that on Yom Kippur the sins we have committed against God will be forgiven if we are truly repentant. The sins we commit against others, however, cannot be forgiven unless and until we have asked those whom we have wronged to forgive us.   In many ways, this is one of the most difficult aspects of Cheshbon Ha-nefesh.  It means that we have to take risks by reaching out to others.  We may encounter resistance, anger, or resentment.  Sometimes it is impossible to reach out to others – and yet, it is our duty to do all that we can to assess whether or not reconciliation is possible.  If there is a slightest hope – then we need to try – even if we fail.
 
In the same vein, when others come to us with a pure heart to ask for our forgiveness, our tradition teaches that we are obligated to forgive them.  Sometimes granting pardon is even harder than asking for forgiveness.  And, of course, there are some actions which are too difficult to forgive.  Nonetheless, if we are asked for forgiveness, we need to try our best to see these requests as opportunities to bring holiness into the world.

The following questions are designed to make us think about the current status of the many different relationships in our lives.   Again, this is by no means a complete list.  Hopefully it will provide you with a starting point for improving the relationships in your lives.

 

1.      How many times in the past year have I taken the love and friendship that others offer me for granted?

2.      Are there people I have wronged that I need to ask to forgive me?

3.      Will I be able to forgive those who come to me to ask for my forgiveness?

4.      Have I taken part in any business or personal transactions this past year that were against my religious, moral or ethical principles?

5.      Have I taken time recently to let the most important people in my life know how much I care about them?

6.      Have I allowed politics to come in the way of relationships?

7.      Have I shut out the pain of others in other parts of the world?  In my country?  My City?  My congregation?  My neighborhood?  My family? 

Again, I welcome your comments and suggestions for additional questions and formats that we can use.   If answering them causes you to want to speak to one of the Temple clergy, Rabbi Immerman, Cantor Heit and I would welcome the opportunity.  Note that all of these materials will also be available in hard copy at the Temple Office. If you know of anyone else who might want to receive these mailings – whether or not they are members of the congregation, contact Susie Sigman at Sigman@emanueldenver.org .

 

L’shanah Tovah U’metukah – May you have a good and sweet new year,

 

Rabbi Joe Black

The Four Weeks of Elul – 5772 – Week 2 – Our Communal Selves

Rabbi Joseph R. Black

Temple Emanuel, Denver, CO

 

Dear Friends,

Several years ago, in Albuquerque, I officiated at the funeral of a dear friend who died suddenly after being diagnosed with a very aggressive form of pancreatic cancer.  She was a pillar of the community and a past-president of our congregation.  At her service, I read an essay she had written about her relationship to the congregation.  In her essay, she recalled a time when she was travelling to Israel and she had the following dialogue with an El-Al security officer:  “Are you Jewish? “he asked?  “Yes,” she replied.  “Where do you belong?” he then asked her….

 That question, “where do you belong?” is the key to understanding the importance of our communal selves.

 Jewish tradition embodies communal life.  We cannot pray unless we have a minyan – a community.  The call to unity in community is reflected in many Rabbinic teachings such as:

·         Kol Yisrael aravim zeh ba zeh – all Israel is responsible for one another

And

·         Al tifrosh min ha-tzibbur – do not separate yourself from the community

 And yet, we also are aware that if we focus only on our particularistic concerns, we fail to connect with the holiness that is implanted within all of humanity. 

 As Rabbi Hillel taught: 

Im ein ani li. Mi l?, U’k’she-ani l’atzmi, mah ani? V’im lo achshav, ey-matai? 

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?  But if I am only for myself, what am I?  And if not now, when?

We need to balance our legitimate concerns for our own people with those of the world around us. 

When we strengthen our communities, we strengthen our world and, I truly believe that we become more acutely aware of God’s presence.

During this, the 2^nd  week of Elul, I want us to focus on our relationship to the various communities in which we live.  We need to ask ourselves the question:  “Where do I belong?”

The following questions will help you to focus your Elul preparations on how you can make a difference for good in your congregation, community and, indeed, the world itself.  Again, this is by no means a complete list.  There are many other areas that can be explored.  Hopefully, this will provide you with a starting place for a much longer process.

 

1. Have I been generous enough in my support - financially or otherwise - of the institutions and charities that I find important?
2. Have I done all that I could to help those impacted by recent tragedies and natural disasters – here in the US and around the world?
3. Have I worked to strengthen my congregation?  Have I given of my skills and expertise when asked? 
4. How often have I been content to complain when I was affected by a problem – but after complaining, not done anything to help solve the problem?
5. Have I allowed petty squabbles and disagreements to distract me from the importance of staying involved in my community?
6. When I am at synagogue, have I done all that I can to make others feel welcomed in the same way that I want to feel welcome
7. Have I spoken out when I perceived discrimination or inequity based on economics, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation in our community?

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions for additional questions and formats that we can use.   If answering them causes you to want to speak to one of the Temple clergy, Rabbi Immerman, Cantor Heit and I would welcome the opportunity.  Note that all of these materials will be available in several formats:  electronically - via email, on our Temple website and Facebook page, in my blog:  www.Rabbijoeblack.blogspot.com;  and in hard copy at the Temple Office. If you know of anyone else who might want to receive these mailings – whether or not they are members of the congregation, please contact Susie Sigman at Sigman@emanueldenver.org .

May this time of Cheshbon Hanefesh be fruitful for all of us as we prepare to enter into the holiest days of the year.

L’Shalom,

 

Rabbi Joseph R. Black

 

Four Weeks of Elul - 5772 - Week 1

My Dear Friends,

I write this letter on August 19, 2012.  Today is also the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul.  In exactly one month we will be welcoming in a New Year on Rosh Hashanah.  During this month of Elul it is customary to begin intensive personal preparations for the New Year.  This process, called Cheshbon Ha-Nefesh – ‘an inventory of our souls’ – requires that each of us engage in a process of self-examination.  We need to look closely at our relationships, thoughts, deeds, fears and dreams.  We do this so that we can enter into the Yamim Noraim – the Days of Awe – spiritually and personally refreshed and prepared.  This is a powerful time of year:  when our tradition teaches that we need to ask those around us whom we have wronged to forgive us for our actions.  We are also commanded to forgive those who ask us as well. 

As we reflect back over the past year, it is important that we put every aspect of our lives into perspective.  For the past two years, I have continued a tradition here in Denver that I started in my previous congregation of sending out weekly lists of seven questions (one for each day of the week) during the month of Elul.  These questions are designed to help us examine our lives in all of the varied aspects and arenas in which we live:  Spiritual, Physical, Interpersonal and Communal.  Hopefully, by answering these questions we will be better prepared to welcome the New Year - 5773.  The purpose of these questions is not to make us feel bad or unworthy, but rather to “nudge” us into looking at these vitally important aspects of our lives.  There will be seven questions in each list – one for every day of the week.

I welcome your comments and suggestions for additional questions and formats that we can use.   If answering them causes you to want to speak to one of the Temple clergy, Rabbi Immerman, Cantor Heit and I would welcome the opportunity.  Note that all of these materials will be available in several formats:  electronically - via email, on our Temple website and Facebook page, in my blog:  www.Rabbijoeblack.blogspot.com;  and in hard copy at the Temple Office. If you know of anyone else who might want to receive these mailings – whether or not they are members of the congregation, please contact Susie Sigman at Sigman@emanueldenver.org.  She will be happy to forward them.

May this time of Chesbon Hanefesh be fruitful for all of us as we prepare to enter into the holiest days of the year.

 L’Shalom,

 Rabbi Joseph R. Black

 

The Four Weeks of Elul 5772

Week One: Spiritual Selves

As we enter the month of Elul, we begin by examining our spiritual lives.  Spirituality is one of those words that mean different things to different people.  For the purposes of this list of questions, I want you to focus on Spirituality as referring to those aspects of your life that help you to feel connected to something greater than yourself. 

The past several weeks have been very difficult.  The shocking details of the Aurora shootings and the echoes reverberating in the Sikh Mosque outside of Milwaukee have forced many of us to ask difficult questions about how a caring and compassionate God could allow such evil to take place.  This is not the first time that tragedy has forced us to question. Unfortunately, the Jewish people are well acquainted with grief and loss.  And yet, Judaism teaches that questioning can strengthen faith.   Our tradition is filled with exemplary men and women who challenge God.  From Abraham and Moses, to Rabbis Sally Priesand and Miri Gold, we have learned the importance of challenging the status quo and finding new paths to the Divine as a result.

We grow spiritually when we feel that our lives have meaning and purpose and that we are part of a Divine Plan.  The liturgy of the Yamim Noraim – the Days of Awe – is filled with the language of God’s judgment.  Rather than perceive this is a negative or punitive light, try to imagine that we are being judged for the way that we fulfill the spiritual potential that God has given us.

This week's questions deal with our Spiritual Selves. During this time of Chesbon Ha Nefesh, one of our tasks is to examine the status of our relationship with God, Torah, and our own mortality.  As always, the following questions should not be perceived as a complete listing – they are merely a beginning. If you have other questions that you think may help others in our community, I would love to receive them.

QUESTIONS – WEEK ONE – SPIRITUAL SELVES

1.      Over the course of the year, how much time have I been able to dedicate towards appreciating the beauty of God’s creation?

2.      When/where was the last time I felt close to God?

3.      With the memory of the recent tragedies, how has my faith been tested this year?  How has it been affirmed?

4.      How has my faith evolved since I was a child?

5.      When was the last time I was able to pray without any distraction?

6.      How often, during the course of the past year, have I been able to set aside my own needs for something bigger than myself?

7.      If I were put in the position of explaining my beliefs to others, would I feel comfortable in doing so?

 May you utilize these and all of your questions to help you gain a better understanding of your spiritual selves.

L’Shanah Tovah,

Rabbi Joseph R. Black

Black@Emanueldenver.org

My remarks at the Aurora Prayer Vigil

Tonight I participated in a prayer vigil at the Aurora Civic Plaza. Many people from around the country saw the proceedings live on national television. From my perspective, sitting on the dais, the scene was somewhat surreal. There was a sea of faces - tens of thousands of people - all coming together to find some comfort in the days following a terrible event.  The pain and the hope in the crowd were both palpable. 

For me, the most powerful moments came when the families of the slain and the wounded were ushered in to the proceedings.  As I looked at the faces of these men, women and children – some in wheelchairs or crutches, others carrying pictures of loved ones who had died – my heart broke.  We had been hearing about numbers and statistics for so long – now we were seeing, face to face, the true toll of evil. 

There were many aspects of the vigil that were beautiful.  Other parts of the event could have been different – especially the lack of any Islamic presence in the program.   Aurora has the largest mosque in Colorado.  There are many Muslims living in the city.  I hope that the lack of a representative was due to the fact that we are now in the time of Ramadan – and no one was able to be there. 

The fact that the vast majority of the prayers and hymns offered were Christian – with specific Christological references -  made some of the Jewish dignitaries on the dais uncomfortable.  As someone who has participated in similar events for many years now, it didn’t surprise me.  After 25 years in the Rabbinate I know that the only way to avoid this is to engage in a process of dialogue and discussion.  Clearly, we have our work cut out for us.  And yet,  this was not a time to bring this up.  That can wait until the future. 

What follows are my remarks.  Thank you to the many people who texted, tweeted and posted comments on my Facebook page in response to the televised broadcast.

A Prayer for Peace – in the Aftermath of Terror

City of Aurora Prayer Vigil

Rabbi Joseph R. Black- Temple Emanuel – Denver, CO

July 22, 2012

Our God and God of all People,

God of the rich and God of the poor.

God  of the faceless and God of the famous.

God of the victims and God of all who cry out on their behalf.

God of those who have no God:

We have come together at this sacred and solemn hour to pray for peace. 

These past days have been filled with horror.

We have seen the devastating effects of Violence on those killed and injured –on their loved ones – and on those who may have escaped physical violence but who bear painful wounds deep within their souls.

We have held tightly to our children and played out the scenarios of “what ifs” and “why nots” over and over again in our minds.

We are drained.

We are in pain.

And we are angry.

Tonight we pray:  spread over us the shelter of Shalom - of peace – knowing full well that peace can seem out of reach in the aftermath of devastation. 

Help us to see the potential for holiness that resides within each of us.

We have felt your healing presence in the outpouring of love and caring that binds this community together.

We have witnessed your love in moments of clarity that cut through the deafening sorrow that fills our hearts and our homes.

We have learned of selfless acts of courage that stir our souls and remind us of the inherent goodness you have implanted within us.

Guide us to see the good in the midst of evil.

Grant us peace – Your most precious gift – and help us to be partners with You in shining the light of peace in the darkest corners of Your creation.

Oseh Shalom Bimromav – He Ya-ahseh Shalom Ahleynu va’l Kol B’nai Adam –

May the One who makes peace in the High Heavens –send peace to us and  to all Creation.

And let us say:  AMEN

Opening Prayer for a Shabbat in the aftermath of tragedy.

Eloheynu V’elohey avoteynu,

We come here tonight to this sacred place – numb with shock and grief – in the aftermath of a senseless tragedy that has shaken our state and our nation to the very core.  Our hearts are heavy as we contemplate the horror of this day.  WE realize just how precious and fragile are the lives with which we have been gifted.

We have been a witness to Evil O God..  We pray for the families and loved ones of those who were murdered.  We ask for Your healing blessing upon those who are wounded.  Guide the hands of the surgeons and healers who labor feverishly to save the lives of the injured.

On this Shabbat, in addition to our prayers for our own community here in Colorado, we are also  mindful of those who died and were wounded  in Bulgaria at the hands of terrorist murderers.  That this tragedy occurred on the 18^th anniversary – to the date – of the bombing  of a Jewish center in Argentina makes out horror more acute.  All of these victims of terror lost their lives simply because they were Jews.  They paid for their innocence in blood.

God – we pray for hope on this Shabbat.  In this time of Sinat – Chinam – baseless hatred, we ask that you help us to find and create – Ahavat Chinam – unrestricted love.  May we find pathways of peace that will help us to see you in the beauty of your creation – unrestricted by the blinders of hatred and violence.

Give us strength as we comfort one another.

Give us hope as we contemplate the possibilities for healing.

Help us to work to build a better, safer world.

We thank you for the gift of community. 

We thank you for this Shabbat – this day that provides us with an opportunity to reflect on our lives with meaning and purpose.

AMEN

Reflection on the Aftermath of a Tragedy

Reflection on the Aftermath of a Tragedy

 On Friday night, July 20th, one day after the tragedy that occured in an Aurora Movie Theater, I delivered the following sermon:

Reflection on the Aftermath of a Tragedy

Shabbat Mattot-Massey

July 20, 2012

Rabbi Joseph Black – Temple Emanuel – Denver, CO

Dear Friends,

On this Shabbat  we come together to find comfort.  We look for answers in the depths of this terrible tragedy. 

·         We ask ourselves and one another:  how could this happen?  How could something so horrific, so monstrous happen – especially here – in this community that only recently experienced a similar horror in Columbine?

·         We seek answers.  We ask:  How could God allow this to happen?”

·         The truth is – there are no answers – none that give us comfort.

·         The randomness of this act of violence makes the horror of what we have heard all the more intense.

·         AS a rabbi – there are times when I wish I could put things in perspective and tell you about the true reasons for pain, suffering and evil in this world – but I cannot.

·         That this tragedy occurred on this day – when, in the State of Israel the bodies of 4 men and a pregnant woman were buried as a result of an act of unspeakable terror in Bulgaria makes the realization of this horror all the more painful.

·         That this tragedy occurred on the 18^th anniversary of the bombing of a Jewish Center in Buenos Aires – a fact not lost on the terrorists in Bulgaria – compounds our sense of fear and powerlessness

·         That this tragedy occurred at the same time that the International Olympic Committee has refused to acknowledge the 40^th anniversary of the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches at the Munich Olympics only adds more outrage to our pain.

·         Tonight we also begin the Hebrew month of Av –the month when we, as a people, remember the destruction of the 1^st and 2^nd Temples – as well as many other tragedies that have befallen on our people throughout the ages.

This morning, after being awakened with the news of the shootings, I was contacted by a reporter from CNN who wanted to know what the “religious” perspective on this horrible event might be.  My first response was to tell the person on the other end of the line that there is NO religious response.  Religion had nothing to do with the killing of 12 innocents and the wounding of dozens more. 

But then, as I gathered my thoughts together, I realized that, yes, there was a religious answer – but it was not necessarily a Theological response.  My first instinct, once I heard about the shootings, was to find out who in our community was impacted by the events of last night.  Then I felt the need to reach out to the entire community and let them know that we all felt the same shock, horror and pain.

You see, the religious response to horror and terror is caring and community.  It is found when we come together – to grieve, to cry, ask questions, to get angry – to find comfort and to comfort one another. 

·         It is in Community that we find comfort. 

·         It is in Community that we find God.

·         It is in Community that we grieve and we allow ourselves to express our loss and fear.

But it is in Community that we also find strength.   The purpose of terror is to isolate us – from one another and from God.  We need to come together at times such as these and proclaim that we will not allow fear or violence or hatred to rip us apart.   And that is why we are here tonight and that is the answer to those who would use violence and hatred to destory the fabric of our lives.

In this week’s torah Portion, Mattot Masey, there is a terrible story.  God instructs Moses to wipe out the entire Midianite Population – to spare no one: Men women and children alike.  The Israelites attack the Midianite encampment and massacre all the men and the children – but they spare the women.  Moses is furious.  You see, last week’s parasha told the story of how the Midianites sent women to seduce the Israelites – and were almost successful.  By sparing the women – who, in Moses’ eyes were the cause of the debauchery of the Israelites, not only were his people disobeying orders, but they were displaying the very same weakness that almost destroyed them in the first place.

Each year that we approach this portion – I cringe.  There are so many problems that it poses:

·         What kind of God commands us to commit genocide?  

·         How can we read this in a post-Shoah world and not be sickened? 

The truth is, we cannot.  An essential aspect of Reform Judaism is the understanding that there are times when we must accept the fact that there are portions of Torah that are anathema to our vision of the world.  And it is permissible to reject them – or to try to find some redeeming aspect of their narrative – if we feel that the message does not fit with our understanding of the world in which we live.

Tonight, our rejection of the violence of this week’s parasha is all the more poignant and painful in light of the carnage of Aurora and Bulgaria.  As we remember the victims of our recent past:  in Buenos Aires and Munich – and so many others – we need to stand firm and resolute in our rejection of violence and our faith in the holiness implanted within each human being.

From another perspective, if we are to have a response to the events that took place in Aurora yesterday,  we might start by looking at why it is possible for any person to purchase an automatic weapon capable of carrying out this kind of carnage.  We might ask why gun lobby feels it necessary to flood our nation with weapons.  We might ask why any politician who questions the sanity of easy access to multiple weapons is targeted for defeat by the bottomless coffers of those who want to protect our right to bear arms…..

Would better gun laws have prevented this tragedy in Aurora from occurring?  Maybe – maybe not.  But I believe that it is in the best interest of our nation to find ways to reduce the culture of violence that has permeated every aspect of our lives.

We have been here before.  Unfortunately, we will probably be here again.   But that does not mean that we need to accept the status quo.

Tonight we grieve. Tonight we try to find comfort in our community.  We remember the victims and pray for the survivors.

If we can take anything away from the tragedy it is to remember that we cannot allow our fears and our hatred to control us.  They cannot become the driving force in our society.  We need to combat hatred and violence with love and peace – with caring and community.  Then, and only then, will we be able to put this terrible tragedy behind us.

May we find a way to build a world of peace.  AMEN.