Report from Jerusalem

Dear Friends, Shalom From Jerusalem! As is always the case with Rabbinic missions to Israel, our days haver been filled to the brim with briefings, classes and meetings. We have been in Israel for about a day and a half. Already we have done more than most people do in a week. Here's a brief rundown: Upon arriving at Ben Gurion Airport, our group travelled to the Ministry of Defense where we received high level briefings from Major General (res.) Udi Shemi - Director General of the Ministry of Defense and Amos Gilad - Director of Policy and Political-Military Affairs at the Israel Ministry of Defense. While I cannot share all of the information we received at this briefing due to space and security constraints, one of the key messages we left with was that Israel is currently in the midst of a period of strength and safety. On many fronts, things are going very well. BUT - the forecast for the future is shaky. The reality of a Nuclear Iran looms large on the horizon. This was not news to any of us. What was very interesting, however, was the fact that, in the list of all of the security challenges that Israel is currently facing: - Iran - the "Arab Spring," - Syria, - Military Aid, - changing relationships with Turkey - attempts to delegitimize Israel around the world - to name a few For the first time, in a long time, the Palestinian issue was not on the top of the list. This doesn't mean that it is not important or that facts on the ground might not change, but it would appear that, from a strategic point, the IDF feels that the greatest threats that Israel are facing are more global than local. While the situation is difficult, we left our meeting feeling that Israel is prepared for whatever contingencies might arise. After our briefing, we travelled to Jerusalem where we met with JErry Silverman, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America. He gave us a progress report on the impact that Jewish communities across the United States are making on addressing the many issues that confront the JEwish people - in America, Israel and around the world. The fact that we had just witnessed first-hand the challenges and triumphs of rebuilding Jewish life in Hungary helped us to re-connect with why it is so vitally important for Jews around the world to dedicate ourselves to ensuring a Jewish future for ourselves and those yet to come. Rabbi Foster and I will be speaking about this soon. We began our day today with a briefing on attempts to delegitimize Israel through an organized campaign of Boycotts, Sanctions and Divestments (BDS). These campaigns have had mixed results - but we need to remain vigilant to ensure that the true story of Israel and Zionism is told. We then went to a center in Jerusalem that deals with the critical issue of unemployment among young Israeli adults. We also learned more about the efforts of the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in the Former Soviet Union. Following this briefing, we travelled to Bet Shemesh a fast-growing community located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Some of you may have read about the incidents that took place recently between a minority of Ultra-Orthodox radicals who were terrorizing a Modern Orthodox Jewish girls school. We visited with the head of the school, Pirchiya Nachmani (see picture) as well as students and parents. Pirchiya was inspiring in her description of how parents, teachers, students and community leaders all came together to fight hatred and extremism. They were determined to prevent this explosive situation from derailing their mission of teaching tolerance, faith and Zionist ideals to their students. This truly was a highlight of the trip so far. After visiting the school, we had a luncheon with leaders of the Bet Shemesh community and learned about how a rapidly growing community was dealing with the complexities of meeting the needs of multiple ethnic and religious groups - all of whom are competing for space, power and influence. We then travelled to the Kiryat Ya-arim Youth Village where we learned about a special program for high school graduates who chose to postpone their army service for one year so that they can volunteer in a social service capacity. WE met with some of these students to hear how they felt that they wanted to give back to Israeli society prior to entering into the IDF. These 17 and 18 year olds felt that they needed to revitalize the Zionist ideals of their parents and grandparents. Once again, we were moved by their passion and commitment. Tonight, we will have a panel on The State of Religion in Israel - led by leaders of different religious movements. Tomorrow, we will meet with Natan Sharansky - the Chair of the Jewish Agency for Israel. That's all for now. I look forward to the luxury of being able to sort through all of my thoughts and experiences and sharing them with you soon. Shalom! Rabbi Black

Report From The Rabbinic Mission to Budapest and Israel 1

February 27, 2012 9:00 AM Dear Friends, I am writing this blog post at the El Al Departure lounge of the Budapest airport. Rabbi Foster and I, along with 38 other Reform, Orthodox and Conservative Rabbis have just concluded the 1st leg of our trip to Budapest and Jerusalem. The past 3 days have been overwhelming. Our group, sponsored by the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) and the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), has been given a crash course in post-Communist Hungarian Jewry. We have also visited with the US and Israeli Ambassadors to Hungary, had a VIP tour of the Hungarian parliament, studied and prayed at several synagogues in Budapest, observed first hand how the Hungarian Jewish community is preserving and celebrating their heritage while, at the same time, dealing with the precariousness of living in a society that is seeing a disturbing rise in anti-semitism and far right politics. We participated in a wreath laying ceremony at the Raoul Wallenberg memorial along with a US congressional delegation, attended a special reception at the US Embassy hosted by the Ambassador and her family, learned about a unique program that brings together Holocaust survivors and Hungarian young people, visited holocaust memorials and celebrated Havdalah with a group of young Hungarian Jewish Youth who embody the concept of "Celebrate Being Jewish." ....and that's just a small taste of what we have done. This afternoon, after landing at Ben Gurion airport, we will begin the Israeli half of our trip by visiting the Ministry of Defense where we will receive a special briefing on the security situation in the MIddle East. One of the key themes that we encountered during our stay in Budapest is the way in which many young Hungarian Jews have discovered their heritage. Over and over again we heard the same story: young people discovered that they were Jewish almost by accident. Parents who wanted to shield their children from the history of oppression and persecution that was inexorably linked to Hungarian Jewish history kept their identity a secret. Often it wasn't until they were in their teens that these young people learned the truth. But what happened next was truly inspirational. Rather than allow the fact of their religion to become a burden, increasing numbers of young Jews are actively seeking out avenues to learn about and express their Jewishness. From summer camp, to religious schools, jcc's and Israel cultural centers, the Hungarian Jewish community- with the help of agencies like the JDC and JAFI - is revitalizing itself. Our group witnessed first hand a burning hunger for knowledge and a love of Judaism that neither the Nazis, the Fascists or the Communists could extinguish. Rabbi Foster and I will share our impressions soon from the pulpit. I will write more about the Israel portion of the trip when I am able. I the meantime, "Shalom M'Yerushalayim"- shalom from Jerusalem. Rabbi Joe Black.

Invocation for the Colorado State House of Representatives - February 9. 2012

 

Our God you have placed us in a world filled with beauty.

You have given us the ability to see, hear, feel, taste and smell Your creation.

But with these gifts come responsibilities, O God.

When we see injustice, You taught us never to be blinded by expedience.

When we hear intolerance, You taught us never to be deafened by indifference.

When we feel the sting of oppression, You taught us never to be dulled by complacency

When we taste the bitterness of bigotry, You taught us never to be lulled into the trap of dehumanization

When we smell the stench of hypocrisy, You taught us never to be fooled by the tyranny of the commonplace.

There is so much work to be done in O God! Help these legislators to use all of their senses to distinguish between the politic and the poetic, the sordid and the sacred.

 

May the urgency of the deliberations that will take place in these hallowed halls move beyond these rigid walls. May they provoke a visceral reaction in our society – stirring us all to strive to achieve our best and truly appreciate the many gifts you have given.

Bless these leaders and bless these proceedings with a passion for justice and a longing for righteousness.

May this day bring about change.

May this day be filled with hope.

May we all be open to Your presence.

AMEN

Opening Prayer – Colorado State House – February 2, 2012

Opening Prayer for the State House of Colorado

February 2, 2012

Rabbi Joseph R. Black – Temple Emanuel - Denver

 

Our God and God of all people,

God of the strong and God of the weak.

God of the fortunate and God of the tormented

God of those who have no God.

Bless our doubts, O God. Bless our second guessing.

Bless our mortality and bless our frailty.

Help these legislators to ask important questions of one another – and, most importantly, of themselves.

Help them to win the battles towards which they have dedicated their office.

Help them to lose their battles with grace and understanding.

May the spirit of compromise infuse these proceedings and triumph over partisanship

May the passions that arise in the midst of debate be only for the sake of the good of our nation, our beautiful State and the communities from which these dedicated men and women have been selected to serve.

Grant us all the courage to grow, to learn, to laugh at ourselves and to see the holy in every person who enters these hallowed halls.

Keep us humble God – Keep us humble.

But push us also to strive to see the holiness that You have implanted within every human being.

We are nothing but dust and ashes. We are little lower than the angels.

Help us to live within the balance of our limits and our legacy.

May this be a day of new beginnings. And let us say: AMEN

Praying at the State House

Last fall, I received a call from the Colorado House of Representatives asking if I would like to be a chaplain for the next legislative session. "What does that mean?" I asked the person on the other end of the line. "It means that you are responsible for delivering the prayer at the opening of every session on a particular weekday. We start in January and end in May. Do Thursdays work for you?"
I thought about it for a moment. Over the course of my 25 years in the Rabbinate, I've delivered a lot of opening prayers. Usually, when a clergyperson is asked to deliver a prayer, it's a one-shot deal. You go to the function, sit on the dais, offer your prayer and that's about it. The nice thing about delivering an opening prayer is that, because they are usually a "one shot" type of event, one can reuse phrases and concepts on occasion.
This, however, was different. To deliver a prayer every week to the State House of Representatives meant that I would have to come up with new ideas each week. But it was also an intriguing opportunity. If I spoke to the legislators once a year, they probably wouldn't remember what I said. If, however, I spoke each week, they might remember what I had to say.
But before I could say yes to this request, I had to wrestle with how I felt about the concept of offering an opening prayer for a governmental agency. After all, aren't we supposed to value the separation of Church and State in our nation? Is it really kosher to offer a prayer prior to legislative action? Might that compromise my values? One the other hand, however, I knew that there were many clergy who would relish the idea of inserting God into the House of Representatives. Perhaps my presence could be a moderating and balancing factor to the more fundamentalist preachers who would seize on the opportunity to evangelize and insert their particular brand of religion into the legislative process?
And so, I agreed to do it.  
I have a question for you all: If you could deliver a prayer to the Colorado House of Representatives, what would you like to say? I really do want to hear from you. No guarantees that I will use your ideas, but I promise to read them all.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Joe Black

Tebow, Faith and Fantasy

What a Game!!!!  I’ve noticed that much of the hoopla surrounding the Denver Broncos recent spate of last-minute nail biters has revolved around faith:  faith in the team, faith in Tim Tebow and, of course, Tebow’s faith in God.  If you were to go through all of the post-victory commentary surrounding his recent victories and count all the times the words:  “faith,” “believe” and “believer” were uttered I’m pretty confident it would be overwhelming.  Last week, I was interviewed by a reporter from the Wall Street Journal about how Tebow is being perceived by the non-Christian Faith Community.  (Here’s the link:  http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052970203501304577088210195890268.html%3Fmod%3Dgooglenews_wsj&h=5AQH02-uRAQFq0XaMygq6ItJOU0doJwIEJ48Qh5MpV4ryNQ)
The basic premise of the article was that Tebow’s unabashed expressions of faith have provoked as strong a reaction within the general populace as his remarkable ability to rally to victory in the last few minutes of every game.

What is it about Tim Tebow’s faith that is so compelling?  Why do so many people find it difficult to swallow the fact that he sees no disconnect between his actions on the field, in his house of worship and in his daily life?  There is no doubt in my mind that he is genuine.  He believes – deeply – in God and is convinced that God has placed him here to witness the power of what he believes God’s truth can do.

From a theological perspective, the idea that God favors one football team over another is ludicrous at best – taken to its logical extreme it is disturbing, even obscene at worst.  Yes – our stadium is located a Mile High – but that doesn’t mean that we are closer to God.  And, to his credit, Tebow has never stated that God is on the side of the Broncos.   At every opportunity he has praised his teammates and acknowledged his frailties.   And yet, it’s hard not to consider, even for a moment, the possibility that Tebow’s last-minute comebacks might have just a little bit of divine intervention in them.  And if you read some of the comments posted on the right-wing blogospere, you will see that there are many who have no doubt that God is a Bronco fan who wears an orange and blue jersey with the number 15 on the back.

The problem is that those who claim to have God on their side areusually dangerous.  Football is fairly benign.  There are other, far more sinister arenas where the concept of Divine Triumphalism has taken its toll.   Throughout history - from the Crusades to September 11^th  - holy warriors have been responsible for great suffering.  Perhaps this is why so many people are upset with Tebow’s prayers and pronouncements.  If God favors one side then, by logical extension, the other side must not be in God’s favor.  What would happen if every team prayed for victory before every game?  Instead of looking at coaching, game plans, raw talent and luck we might instead have post game analysis linked to theological consistency and liturgical spirituality…..The possibilities boggle the mind.

Moving away from logic, there is one upside of the Tebow phenomenon.  It has people talking about faith, about God and about belief.  In my opinion, these are all good things.  If we are uncomfortable with Tebow’s faith, what kind of faith is comfortable for us?  And who said that faith needs to be something we are comfortable with?  From my experience, those moments when we confront our faith are the times when we are out of our comfort zones:  times of great joy and great sorrow; times of angst and times of absolute certainty.  Judaism teaches that we should search for God not only in the highest of highs and the lowest of lows – but every day.  God is found in the “still small voice” that calls to us when we are ready to hear.

So I want to take this opportunity to thank Tim Tebow for giving us the opportunity to have this discussion.  Go Broncos!!!

Two Different Kinds of Light

My Dear Friends,

In a few weeks, we will be kindling the candles on our Chanukiot (Chanukah Menorahs.)  There is an interesting argument in the Talmud between the Schools of Hillel and Shammai regarding the proper way to light the Chanukiah.  Shammai contends that we begin with eight lights and remove one each night.  Hillel says the opposite – we begin with one and add more until the last night is the brightest.  The law, of course, follows the school of Hillel – and yet, in order to show respect to Shammai, we light the candles from left to right – instead of right to left.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about lighting candles. As many of you know, my father, Sidney Black died and was buried last month in Chicago.  Immediately upon returning from the cemetery, my family and I lit a Shiva Candle that burned for seven days.  We spent the first half of the shiva in Chicago and the second half here in Denver.  Unlike the Chanukiah which increases in brightness with every added candle.  The light of the Shiva Candle is designed to gradually extinguish itself– a powerful reminder of both of the passage of time and the fragility of our lives and those whom we love.
Over the 25 years of my rabbinate, I have guided many families through periods of mourning.  I have stood by and said prayers when loved ones tear the keriah ribbon – acknowledging the wounds in their hearts.  I have stood at graveside and said kaddish and shuddered at the sound of earth falling on a coffin.  I have helped light Shiva candles and held the hands of those who were saying kaddish for the first time.   Until now, however, I have never had the experience of experiencing the power of allowing others to be there for me in my time of loss.

Like the gradually extinguishing light of the Shiva candle, the path of mourning is designed to help those who grieve to descend to the depths of their emotions and gradually to rise up once again to become part of society.  It is a slow and deliberate process that allows and forces us to confront both

For my family and me, the most powerful aspect of sitting Shiva has been the outpouring of support and love we have experienced from our community.  It was not merely the words that were said to us, but the physical presence of others that reassured us that, although the flame of my father’s life has been extinguished, his memory will still glow in our hearts.

The word, Chanukah means rededication.  The act of mourning can force us to rededicate ourselves to living our lives in keeping with the highest ideals of those whom we remember.  May the light of the Chanukiah help all of us to see the brightness and the beauty of the community in which we live and may it reflect the glow of love that we have been given by those who came before us.

L’Shalom,
Rabbi Joseph R. Black