Yizkor Reflections

Since today is the last day of Passover (for Reform Jews), this morning, we will be having services. At these services, we will include the Yizkor, or memorial prayers. At the Yizkor service, we remember loved ones who have died. If you think about it, the concept of remembering loved ones during a festival is a bit strange. After all, holidays are supposed to be joyous. Why should we focus on something so sad at such a happy time?

The answer, of course, is that joy and sorrow and intertwined.

There's something about celebrating a holiday that makes us acutely aware of both joy and sorrow. Pesach, in particular, is filled with this duality. No other Jewish holiday is so universally celebrated. The experience of sitting around a seder table with loved ones and friends, telling our story that is both old and new, singing familiar songs, laughing at the same jokes – year after year gives us a sense of continuity and comfort. But there is also the awareness, as each year progresses, of beloved family and friends who once graced our table but who are no longer with us. When a loved one dies or becomes incapacitated, holidays, in particular, can be very difficult. The empty seats around our tables remind us of both the fragility of life and the need to hold on to each precious moment that we can share with others.

But loss is not only confined to death. My family started a tradition in Albuquerque of writing the names in one of our haggadot of every person who attended a seder at our home. Each year, as we open that particular haggadah, we see these names and remember who shared the holiday with us. This year, I must confess, was somewhat strange. Although we had a wonderful seder with many new friends and some family, it was different. The people with whom we had shared pesach for 14 years – whose names were written in our haggadah – while still life-long friends - no longer were our neighbors. They weren't at our seder. We know that we will soon begin new traditions here – and we have made wonderful new friends - and yet, it will never be exactly the same. With every new beginning there is always an ending. In addition, since we are still in the process of unpacking the myriads of boxes that are part of any new home, we couldn't find our own haggadot and had to borrow some from the Temple. As such, we didn't have the record of those previous seder guests written on the pages of the "memory" haggadah.

Even though the text of our borrowed Haggadot was exactly the same as our own, it still didn't feel complete. Our Haggadot had our wine stains and matzah crumbs from previous years. The books that we had always used had been held by loved ones whose presence then filled our hearts with joy and whose absence now reminded us of what once was and can never be again.

For me, personally, Pesach brings another tinge of sadness. Each time I lead a seder I think about my father. I remember how he used to lead the seder with energy and enthusiasm. He would sing at the top of his lungs and we loved to be around him. My father now is facing the end of his life in a nursing home – strangled by the fog of Alzheimers. Most of the time he sleeps or stares into the distance. But occasionally, he finds some spark of memory – oftentimes when hearing a song – oftentimes a song from the seder. The last time I saw him, I brought my guitar and sang to him – when he heard "Dayenu" he suddenly perked up and started singing along with me. Then we moved to "Echad Mi Yodea" – he knew every word….

Joy and Sorrow, laughter and tears – that is the essence of Pesach. Truly, that is also what it means to live life fully. When we embrace all that life has to offer; when we take the risk of loving another person, we know that, at some time in the future, that love may bring us to grief when we have to say goodbye. Grief and love are intertwined.

And so, we come back to Yizkor. By remembering those whom we have lost- even at our time of greatest rejoicing – ultimately, we are reaffirming the holiness of our lives, our relationships and our love.

Chag Sameach

Burning Books Redux

I read the news about the slaughter of United Nations workers in Afghanistan with dread and anger. That an angry mob would brutally murder International peacekeepers in order to revenge the burning of a book- any book- is chilling.

And yet, I was also chilled when I read about the "church" in Florida that put the Koran on trial, found it guilty of blasphemy, and sentenced it to death by burning.
When I was in Seminary, I wrote my Rabbinic thesis on an obscure book that documented a "disputation" between a Christian prelate and a Rabbi. Throughout the Middle Ages, Jewish communities in Europe were often subjugated to staged "trials" in which they were forced to defend their faith in order to avoid expulsion and/or the confiscation of property. Public burnings of the Talmud and other holy texts often took place at the conclusion of these events as well.

While there is no excuse whatsoever for the murderous actions of those responsible for the killings in Afghanistan, I shudder when I read of medieval tactics used to demonize faith. The Koran is not evil. Islam is not evil. History has shown repeatedly that those who feel called by their faith to commit acts of violence and condemnation are the true criminals.
Burning a book is not equivalent to murder. But book-burnings all too often lead to violence.

Rabbi’s Report, 5771

Dear Friends,

At our annual meeting on March 18, I gave the following report to the congregation:

Temple Emanuel Denver

Annual Meeting

Rabbi's Report

Rabbi Joseph R. Black

March 18, 2011

 

Dear Friends,

In the Jewish mystical tradition, numbers have important significance. The ancient practice of Gematria involves taking the numerical value of words and phrases and finding hidden meaning in these numbers. Since tonight is the 136^th annual meeting of Temple Emanuel, I thought I would try to find some significance in the number 136. Looking into the torah, I discovered that the Hebrew word, KOL added up to 136. Kol means "voice."

So tonight, in my remarks, I want to talk how, during the past 9 months that I have been your Senior Rabbi, I have come to appreciate and celebrate the myriad of diverse voices that make up our kehillah kedosha - our holy community.

 

Kol Avodah – the Voice of Prayer

Our congregation is very diverse. This diversity is reflected in the many opportunities and modalities for prayer that we offer. From "traditional" Friday night services, to celebrating b'nai mitzvah, to Tot Shabbat, Shabbat Unplugged, Youth and Family services, lay-led Erev Shabbat, Shwayder High Holiday Experiences, Minyan on the Mountain, "Just Shabbat Together" with The Hineneni project, Shabbat morning services and torah study – and so many more, there are many pathways to spiritual exploration that our members and community can travel.

Very soon, we will be exploring new territory as we introduce our movement's new prayer book, Mishkan Tefillah into the regular rubric of our services. I know that some people are very excited about this change, others, are not sure. That's ok. Any change is difficult. We will be introducing Mishkan Tefillah gradually into the pews. It is our hope that after the High Holidays, it will be fully in place. Over the course of the next few months we will be offering opportunities to learn about our new prayer book and we will have a variety of forums – both in person and online – to help with the transition.

Working with my Clergy Partners, Cantor Regina Heit and Rabbi Mitchell Delcau is a joy. We share a common vision for finding new modalities for spiritual growth as we savor and add to Kol Tefillah – the voice of prayer at Temple Emanuel.

 

Kol Torah – the Voice of Learning.

One of the most important Mitzvot that we can perform as Jews is becoming life-long learners. Our Education program, under the leadership of Ron Leff and his staff, is dedicated to providing an excellent Jewish education for our young people. Every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening, our building is humming with the sound of students celebrating being Jewish and learning about our traditions and heritage- as well as gaining essential skills for living fulfilled Jewish lives. Our Preschool continues to offer one of the best programs in the city. Cindy Wolfe, our preschool director and her staff, are dedicated to creating a nurturing and stimulating environment that is filled with Jewish content and state of the art curriculum. We are very proud of the fact that we have achieved a Qualstar rating of three stars and are well on our way to a four-star rating. Our Network program, under the leadership of Jodi Glater, offers stimulating and exciting programs every month. Kathy Steinberg, our librarian, keeps our library humming with the latest in Jewish books, DVD's and other periodicals. We also offer a variety of Adult Education classes - from Rabbi Cook's torah study on Shabbat morning, to Cantor Heit's Mishnah classes, to the many mini-courses offered by our staff, Clergy and volunteers on Shabbat mornings – including Meditation, Hebrew Poetry, Mishnah, Art History, Jewish Responsa and too many more to list here. Our Informal Education program, under the inspired leadership of Heather Feinberg, and our amazing Shwayder Camp – led by Zim Zimmerman is among the best in the country.

 

While our program is extensive, there is always room to improve. In that light, we have engaged the services of Rabbi Samuel Joseph, an internationally renowned expert on Jewish Education. Rabbi Joseph will guide us over the course of the next several months as we explore the values and mission that guide our educational program. He will also help us to learn about cutting edge programming that is taking place around the country and help us to formulate a new vision for Life Long Learning at Temple Emanuel. You will be hearing a lot more about this process in the weeks to come.

 

Kol G'millut Chasadim – the Voice of Loving-kindness.

During my 1^st 9 months in Denver, I have been impressed with the deserved reputation that our congregation has earned as a center for social justice and community activism. We are still the "Tuna Fish congregation." Our 8^th grade Gesher program teaches our students through text study and community involvement. Our Youth Groups, under the leadership of Heather Feinberg and her staff, do multiple social action projects throughout the year. Mitzvah Day continues to be a central part of our yearly calendar. K'vod Catering continues to feed the hungry every other week – cooking meals in our kitchen and serving them to the homeless. Our sisterhood and brotherhood work for Tikkun Olam on a regular basis. There are many other projects and acts of G'milut Chasadim that strengthen the voice of our congregation in the community as well.

 

Rabbi Foster's legacy of community activism is legendary. More and more I have come to respect and admire his pioneering actions of speaking out on issues of fairness, equality and justice for all. I share his passion and have begun to lend my voice to important issues as well. I look forward to more opportunities to represent my own beliefs and those of the Jewish community in the years to come. In addition, it is my hope that we, as a congregation might find more ways to be active together in the community – serving those in need and being a KOL – a voice for the silent as well as fulfilling the dictates of our prophetic tradition that instructs us that we cannot be silent. We are doing a lot – but we always can do more.

 

Kol Hadracha – The Voice of Leadership

We have been blessed to have had the leadership of our outgoing president, Jim Cohen, for the past three years. I first met Jim through the interview process. Knowing that he would be my first president was very comforting to me. His has not been an easy presidency. He has presided over a Rabbinic transition and a great deal of uncertainty in the community. Throughout it all, Jim has led out congregation with vision, wisdom, calmness and a unique sense of humor. I feel blessed to have been able to work with him as both partner and friend.

 

I am looking forward to partnering with Connell Saltzman, our incoming president. I've known Connell longer than almost anyone else at Temple. His parents were members of my former congregation - Temple Israel of Minneapolis, MN. I actually officiated at the "2^nd bar mitzvah" of his father, Connell Saltzman Sr. z"l (of blessed memory) when he turned 83. Connell and I got to know each other very well during the Rabbinic search process. I trust his judgment – he, his co-chair Susie Moss and their committee picked me….what more could you ask for?

 

Our Board of Trustees guides our congregation and ensures that the vision of Temple Emanuel is implemented. Our board meetings are never dull. We study together and envision the future of our community in a way that is respectful and stimulating. To our outgoing board members – thank you for your service. To our continuing trustees: I look forward to continuing our sacred work together.

 

Kol Kley Kodesh – The voice of our Staff

Finally, a word about the incredible staff here at Temple Emanuel. I am overwhelmed by the talent, dedication and partnership that I see in the men and women with whom I am blessed to be able to work every day.

 

Rabbi Foster has become a good friend, a trusted colleague and an important mentor. His commitment to my success means the world to me. I continue to be humbled and honored to be able to follow in his footsteps.

 

Cantor Regina Heit's beautiful voice is only matched by her beautiful soul. Her boundless energy and enthusiasm never cease to amaze me.

 

Rabbi Mitchell Delcau's passion for Torah and text coupled with his absolute dedication to this congregation are a blessing.

 

Ron Leff, our Director of Education, is a wealth of knowledge. He is committed to creating the best possible educational environment for our students. He is a true partner and for that, I am very appreciative.

 

Susie Sigman is an invaluable resource. Her creativity, positive attitude and willingness to work hard to ensure that every program is a success is a gift.

 

Heather Feinberg, our Youth Director, combines her passion for Youth, her empathy and creativity with a deep sense of spiritual depth that is the perfect combination for our Youth Program.

 

Zim Zimmerman – our Camp Shwayder Director is a veritable "Pied Piper" of camping. Zim embodies all that is magical about camp. He and his assistant Director, Jody Abrams, mold their staff into emissaries of Jewish life that resonate far beyond the two week experience in the mountains that our campers experience.

 

Cindy Wolfe and the entire Preschool staff ensure that our youngest and most precious students are nurtured and exposed to a wonderful learning environment

 

Julie Lucas, our bookkeeper, keeps us all in line with her laughter and enthusiasm.

 

Rita Dahlke, our religious school coordinator, does a wonderful job making sure that everything is in place in our school programs.

    

Pam Stroman keeps me sane – arranges my life and makes me look good. I don't know what I, or the other Clergy would do with out her.

 

Kathleen Gregory in the Religious School office keeps track of every student and every program. In addition, she keeps us on our toes in multiple ways.

 

Sura Veta, our receptionist, is the voice of Temple Emanuel – her warm welcome makes everyone feel at home the minute they call or step through our doors.

 

Cairo Lopez and the rest of the maintenance staff do an incredible job of keeping our building spotless and making sure that every service and program is set up.

 

Finally – a word about my co-CEO, Janet Bronitsky. Janet is amazing. Her ability to teach me and partner with me in creating a shared vision for Temple Emanuel is beyond description. As many of you know, Janet never minces her words. She speaks her mind and lets you know what she is thinking – no matter what. I so appreciate that. She has helped me learn about this congregation in almost every arena – from finances and budgets, to personalities and potential mine-fields. We are so fortunate to have her as our Executive Director. I truly believe that she is the best in her field – bar none. Thank you Janet.

 

To my family: to Sue, Elana and Ethan. Thank you for making this journey with me. I know it hasn't always been easy. Thank you for keeping me sane and humble. I love you very much.

 

In conclusion: As we conclude our 136^th year as a congregation, we are strong. We are growing. We are in transition. May the KOL – the voice of Temple Emanuel continue to resonate in our lives, in our community and in our hearts.

Ken Yehi Ratson – May it be God's will.

AMEN

Prayer for Japan

Dear Friends,

As this Shabbat approaches, I find myself pulled in multiple directions. Tonight, our congregation celebrates its 136^th annual meeting. This is a time of celebration and renewal for Temple Emanuel. This weekend is also Purim – a time of joy, frivolity and chaos. We are commanded to be happy – to cut loose – to let go of our inhibitions. But, for me, all of the celebration and joy of this weekend is dampened by the events taking place in Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.

I found the following prayer, written by my Conservative Colleague, Menachen Creditor, to be very powerful. We will be reading it tonight during Erev Shabbat services.

May you have a Shabbat Shalom and a joyous Purim – even in light of the events taking place around us.

L'Shalom,

Rabbi Joe Black

 

A Prayer in Response to the Earthquake and Tsunami

By Rabbi Menachem Creditor

Dear God,

Many, many images of God have been lost in earthquake

and fire and mighty waters just yesterday.

And so we turn to You, Adonai,

and we ask for Your strength and comfort.

We open our hearts one to the other

as brothers and sisters struggling in Your world.

"Above the thunder of the mighty waters,

more majestic than the breakers of the sea is Adonai (Ps. 93:4)."

Be with us as we offer what we can, through prayer and action,

to our sisters and brothers who are suffering in Japan

and who stand on alert around the world.

 

We ask for You to be the still, small voice after the fire,

allowing space for mourning and hope in the face of tragedy.

We see Your sheltering Presence and Your holy tears

in the receding waters of the Tsunami

and in the rescue work being carried out

by so many for the sake of a fragile world.

May it be Your will, Adonai our God and God of our ancestors,

to send healing to the injured and comfort to those in mourning.

May You be with those who are engaged in the sacred work of rescue.

Be with us as we bring shelter, food, and water to those in need.

May we merit to save many lives.

May those affected by this disaster know Your comfort.

May we act when we learn how we can help.

May our world be blessed by peace.

Amen.

 

 

Psalm 29: The Voice of God Upon the Waters?

Dear Friends,

 

Last Friday night, when I was with the Confirmation Class in New York, we attended services at B'nai Jeshurun congregation – a Conservative synagogue that is famous for the way that it celebrates Shabbat with song, dance and spiritual depth. This was my first time at their services, although I had heard about "BJ" for many years and I was greatly looking forward to the experience. Imagine, if you will, an Erev Shabbat service with standing room only. People waited in line in order to get a seat in the sanctuary. It truly was an incredible experience – one that our students will remember for a long time. Our "Shabbat Unplugged" services are partly based on the model created at B'nai Jeshurun. We can learn a lot from their successes….. But that's not what I really want to write about in this post.

 

As dynamic and creative as the service was, what I will remember most about that Erev Shabbat was a comment that Rabbi Felicia Sol made prior to the singing of the Psalm 29 – which is translated as follows:

 

1. A Psalm of David. Ascribe to The Eternal, O you mighty; give to The Eternal glory and strength.

2. Give to The Eternal the glory due to God's name; worship The Eternal in the beauty of holiness.

3. The voice of The Eternal is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; The Eternal is upon many waters.

4. The voice of The Eternal is powerful; the voice of The Eternal is full of majesty.

5. The voice of The Eternal breaks the cedars; The Eternal breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

6. God makes them skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.

7. The voice of The Eternal divides the flames of fire.

8. The voice of The Eternal shakes the wilderness; The Eternal shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

9. The voice of The Eternal makes the hinds to calve, and strips the forests bare; and in God's temple every one speaks of God's glory.

10. The Eternal sits enthroned at the flood; and The Eternal sits enthroned as Sovereign forever.

11. The Eternal will give strength to God's people; The Eternal will bless God's people with peace.

 

The news of the devastating earthquake and Tsunami in Japan had just begun to filter into our consciousness. This Psalm, which speaks of God's majesty and might, seemed eerie and discomforting in light of the devastation that we saw being unleashed by the power of nature half a world away. To read the words: "The voice of The Eternal is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders…" knowing that thousands of innocents had just been swept away in the Tsunami almost seemed inappropriate.

 

Rabbi Sol said that there will be those who will ascribe God's hand to the devastation in Japan. Others, she said, will use this disaster as a reason to deny God's existence. Our task, she said, is to see God, not in the devastation, but in how we respond to it. If we reach out to those impacted by this catastrophe; if we pray for those in pain; if we send out resources to help rebuild – then we can help bring a sense of holiness into the horror that is being inflicted on the Japanese people.

 

If you have not already made a donation to a Tsunami Relief fund, now would be a good time to do so.

 

L'Shalom,

 

Rabbi Joe Black

Friday Night in New York.....

Dear Friends,
After a VERY long day of learning, exploring, eating, text studying, eating some more and touring we finally have arrived back at the hotel for a brief respite in order to prepare for Shabbat.
Here is a summary of some of the highlights of our trip so far:

We arrived very early at the airport on Thursday morning for an 8:00 flight to La Guardia. Unfortunately, due to weather delays, we didn't actually leave Denver until some time around 10:15. This meant that we arrived in New York too late to visit the Hebrew Union College. Since we didn't eat on the plank, we stopped off a store to pick up snacks that would tide us over until dinner. We arrived at our hotel where we were met by Rabbi Bruce and Susan Greenbaum and 9 Confirmation students from Temple Israel in Carmel California. Rabbi Greenbaum is a rabbinic classmate of mine and a dear friend. He has been going on this trip with Temple Emanuel for over 22 years - ever since he came here as Assistant Rabbi in 1987.

Quickly changing into theater clothes, we dashed out to dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner - a fun place where all of the waiters are aspiring Broadway singers and dancers. While the food isn't great, the ambience is fun and the kids (and chaperones) had a great time.
After dinner we walked (or sloshed, might be a better word...) through the NY rain to see the musical "Spider Man - Turn off the Dark." I have a lot to say about the musical - more than I want to write here but, in a nutshell -t he technical effects and music were amazing - the plot was a little (no - a lot)_ convoluted, and we had a great time. We sloshed back to the hotel to dry off and go to sleep.

This morning, we started off our day at Battery Park where we boarded a ferry that took us to Ellis Island. WE toured this fascinating monument to the History of Immigration in our country. As we passed by the Statue of Liberty, the sun came out and we truly felt blessed to be where we were - especially as news of the Earthquake in Japan and the subsequent Tzunamis and aftershocks came filtering through to us.

After Ellis Island we had a wonderful study session with Ari Hart - and Orthodox Rabbinic student (who happens to be my nephew.) Ari is the co-founder of a group called "Uri L'Tzedek" (www.ultzedek.org) that works to bring issues of social justice to the Orthodox Community. Ari and his partners have created a special "Hecksher" (certification of keeping kosher) for restaurants that certifies not only that the food that is served is kosher, but also that all of the workers in that establishment are treated fairly and ethically. We studied Biblical, Talmudic and Kabalistic texts with our students over lunch. It was very enlightening and worthwhile.

After lunch we went to the Jewish Museum where we utilized their collection to examine issues of Jewish Culture and Identity.

WE came back to the hotel and quickly changed into Shabbat clothes. We went to services at B'nai Jeshurun Congregation where we sang, danced and celebrated shabbat with great joy.
Dinner was quite an experience. We went to Sammy's Romanian Steak House. Sammy's is like nothing else our students had ever experienced. We feasted on "Jewish soul food" -with enough schmaltz, kishke, chopped liver, gribbenes - to give an entire NY city block a quadruple bypass.....
WEe also danced, sang and celebrated with the music of Dani LEv on the piano -- sake your children about Sammy's - I guarantee they will cite it as a highlight.....

I must say how impressed I am with this particular group of 10th graders - both ours and those from Carmel. They have bonded with one another and are engaged and a lot of fun to be with.

With my very best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom, I am.....

B'Shalom,


Rabbi Joe Black

FRIDAY NIGHT - SHABBAT SHALOM

FRIAY NIGHT - 3/11
Dear Friends,
After a VERY long day of learning, exploring, eating, text studying, eating some more and touring we finally have arrived back at the hotel for a brief respite in order to prepare for Shabbat.
Here is a summary of some of the highlights of our trip so far:

We arrived very early at the airport on Thursday morning for an 8:00 flight to La Guardia. Unfortunately, due to weather delays, we didn't actually leave Denver until some time around 10:15. This meant that we arrived in New York too late to visit the Hebrew Union College. Since we didn't eat on the plank, we stopped off a store to pick up snacks that would tide us over until dinner. We arrived at our hotel where we were met by Rabbi Bruce and Susan Greenbaum and 9 Confirmation students from Temple Israel in Carmel California. Rabbi Greenbaum is a rabbinic classmate of mine and a dear friend. He has been going on this trip with Temple Emanuel for over 22 years - ever since he came here as Assistant Rabbi in 1987.

Quickly changing into theater clothes, we dashed out to dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner - a fun place where all of the waiters are aspiring Broadway singers and dancers. While the food isn't great, the ambience is fun and the kids (and chaperones) had a great time.
After dinner we walked (or sloshed, might be a better word...) through the NY rain to see the musical "Spider Man - Turn off the Dark." I have a lot to say about the musical - more than I want to write here but, in a nutshell -t he technical effects and music were amazing - the plot was a little (no - a lot)_ convoluted, and we had a great time. We sloshed back to the hotel to dry off and go to sleep.

This morning, we started off our day at Battery Park where we boarded a ferry that took us to Ellis Island. WE toured this fascinating monument to the History of Immigration in our country. As we passed by the Statue of Liberty, the sun came out and we truly felt blessed to be where we were - especially as news of the Earthquake in Japan and the subsequent Tzunamis and aftershocks came filtering through to us.

After Ellis Island we had a wonderful study session with Ari Hart - and Orthodox Rabbinic student (who happens to be my nephew.) Ari is the co-founder of a group called "Uri L'Tzedek" (www.ultzedek.org) that works to bring issues of social justice to the Orthodox Community. Ari and his partners have created a special "Hecksher" (certification of keeping kosher) for restaurants that certifies not only that the food that is served is kosher, but also that all of the workers in that establishment are treated fairly and ethically. We studied Biblical, Talmudic and Kabalistic texts with our students over lunch. It was very enlightening and worthwhile.

After lunch we went to the Jewish Museum where we utilized their collection to examine issues of Jewish Culture and Identity.

I must say how impressed I am with this particular group of 10th graders - both ours and those from Carmel. They have bonded with one another and are engaged and a lot of fun to be with.
Tonight we will be welcoming Shabbat at Congregation B'nai Jeshurun (or BJ - as it's known here in NY.) They are famous for the music and spontaneous dancing that fills their overflowing sanctuary every shabbat.) Following services, we will be having dinner at Sammy's Romanian Steakhouse - an experience in and of itself. If we are not utterly exhausted after dinner we may spend some time exploring Chinatown or Little Italy as we make our way back to the hotel.

With my very best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom, I am.....

B'Shalom,


Rabbi Joe Black