A Prayer For Reproductive Rights Shabbat - January 28-29, 2022

As the Supreme Court is about to rule on a case that challenges Roe V. Wade, Abortion Rights are in danger of being taken away. I strongly believe that women have the right to decide how to care for their own bodies. Questions around healthcare, reproductive rights and abortion should be left to individuals. This past Shabbat, Temple Emanuel joined with congregations around the country as we focused our learning and prayers around protecting women's access to healthcare, birth control and abortion services.  Here is a prayer that I wrote for the conclusion of our service: 

Source of Creation:

Your lines of possibility are scrawled in pencil. We redraw and refine them in Your image.

So much of what once was out of reach is now part of our daily lives.

The boundaries of earth and sky, sea and stars challenge us to continue the sacred work of Creation.

As we open new horizons of learning and understanding, guide us to choose the good as we confront the possibilities before us.

We, too, have created lines, O God. Some protect and others oppress.

With each successive generation we seek to grow, to learn, and to change patterns of persecution forged by ignorance, misogyny, and fear.

Help us draw lines of openness and understanding.

Guide us as we seek Your presence in the painful choices we must confront.

We see You in the wonders of nature, in the perfection of our bodies and the struggle to free ourselves from the desire to control the rights and freedoms of others.

May our sacred strivings bring us closer to You, O God.

AMEN

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A Havdalah Prayer for Colleyville, TX

 

Eloheynu V’Elohey Avoteynu V’Imoteynu – Our God and God of our Ancestors

As we conclude this Shabbat Shira – this Shabbat of redemption and celebration – our hearts and minds are filled with fear as we watch yet another tragedy unfolding across our nation. We pray for protection and healing for Rabbi Charlie Cytron Walker and the remaining hostages at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville Texas.  May lives be saved and families reunited. Guide the hands of the negotiators and bring this situation to a safe end- without the loss of innocent lives.

We have known this fear before, God. In Pittsburgh, Pueblo and Poway; in the streets of Charlottesville, New York, and Los Angeles. In the riot at our Nation’s Capital and on websites, talk shows and the darkest alleyways of the internet. We see it on the Far Right and the Far Left. Anti-Semitism has no political boundaries or logical conclusions. It is as ancient as western civilization and as evergreen as the latest conspiracy theories polluting our discourse.

As we come together tonight in solidarity, may we find comfort in the presence of so many who share in our pain and seek an end to violence, hatred and oppression. 

On this weekend when we celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, may we find inspiration in his passion for non-violent protest. Dr. King understood that hatred only breeds more hatred. His gospel of love and reconciliation – combined with historical truth-telling is the only pathway to true peace.

Help us, God to work together as we stand firm against those who seek to create chaos and bring darkness into the world.

May the light of this Havdalah candle, the fragrance of our spices and the sweetness of the wine be a symbol of hope for a better tomorrow. As we invite Elijah the Prophet into our hearts and homes, may his message of peace spread throughout the world. We hope for a peaceful ending. We pray for an end to hate. We give thanks for the ability to find comfort in community.

AMEN

Poem: Debbie Friedman - Summer, 1972

(c) 2022 - Rabbi Joe Black

In a room sizzling with summer energy

Brimming with braces, tank tops, fears, insecurity and excitement:

    Each soul an empty bucket longing to be filled with love

 

She burst in-

   Brown fiery eyes peaking over the top of her massive Martin D-35 

Thumb and finger picks flying

Strings splitting open at breakneck speed

She commanded us to 

 

Sing.

   Unto.

      God.

 

And God help us if we didn’t….

God helped us and we did. 

 

In her presence we were special. 

In her passion we were perfect. 

How could so much joy flow through 12 jingle jangle strings?

 

We sang with lungs bursting and found harmony that transcended music.

 

 Dancing, clapping, laughing, slipping and crying on pathways to paradise. 

 

She taught us to see

She fed us 

Pain 

Joy 

Passion and 

Pathos 

 

We were hers

She was ours 

 

And for a brief moments we sprouted wings and floated, transcendent,

Over long liquid days of Wisconsin corn fields and mosquitos bites

Breaking free from the awkward, earthly chains of burgeoning adolescence

Transforming into Angels

Carrying messages of love and laughter

Hope and holiness

We fit. 

We were

One. 

 

And let us say:  Amen.

A Reflection on the 1 Year Anniversary of the Attack on Our Nation’s Capital-January 6th, 2022

One year ago, on January 6^th, 2021, the world watched in horror as violent protestors responded to a desperate and despicable call that broached both physical and ethical boundaries in our nation’s capital. What we witnessed on that fateful day was an act of desecration and chaos unmatched in American History. The cries of pain, fear, ignorance and terror that echoed through those hallowed halls still reverberate in our national consciousness. Today marks a sacred day of soul searching. Will we allow this anniversary to pass without acknowledging just how close we came destroying the basic foundations of our national values? The descent into mob violence and blind obedience to falsehood and manipulation provided a stark example of what History has taught us, again and again:  that freedom, human dignity and truth are fragile and easily discarded in the face of ignorance, prejudice and manipulation. 

As we remember the tragedy of that fateful day, let us strive to honor the basic principles that have guided our nation over the past 246 years of independence. We know that our Country is not perfect. The ugly truths that for too long have been swept under the rug of the myth of  American Exceptionalism call on us to see cracks in our system of governance and the imbalances of our history and work to correct them. And yet, our nation’s  founders created checks and balances designed to prevent the perversion of justice in the pursuit of power. This begins with a renewed effort to confront propaganda, misinformation and demagoguery wherever and whenever it raises its ugly head. It also challenges us to follow the Biblical Adage:  Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof – Justice, Justice Shall You Pursue.” (Deuteronomy 16:20).  

As Jews, we bear the burden of our own history. We know, all too well, the impact of authoritarianism and political turmoil. Those responsible for the tragedy of January 6^th, 2021 must be brought  to justice. At the same time, however, we also must strive to find ways to bridge the political divides that are destroying the fabric of Democracy and common decency in our nation. Healthy debate and disagreement lie in the cornerstone of our national consciousness.

Our sacred task is to try to see the holiness in all of God’s creation – even when we disagree. The lessons of this fateful anniversary call on us to look at those with whom we disagree with compassion, understanding and courage. This does not mean that we must abandon our values, but it does mean that, before we allow the divisiveness that is plaguing our political and social discourse to overtake us, we must strive to find common ground and the pursuit of justice. 

We pray for the  promise of Shalom. 

 

  

Reflections on yet another tragic shooting in Denver.

 Dear Friends,

 

I write this letter while on my Sabbatical.  For the past two and a half weeks I have been recording new music, reading, writing and taking time to relax, ski (despite the less than spectacular snow conditions…), and recharge my physical, emotional and spiritual batteries.  I look forward to returning refreshed and renewed on January 14^th for Shabbat Shirah.

 

Unfortunately, tragedy does not take a Sabbatical. It marches on.  Sue and I are currently in Taos, New Mexico with family and friends. We awoke this morning to the news of the horrific series of deadly shootings that took place last night in Denver. As of this writing, four innocent lives have been lost and a policeman is in critical condition – all from gunshot wounds.  The alleged perpetrator is also dead. We grieve for those killed and all who knew them. 

 

There are multiple levels to this tragedy:

 

·       The tragic loss of life.

·       The never-ending national saga of gun violence that we, in Colorado, know all too well.

·       The fact that events such as these, while horrible, no longer have the capacity to shock us anymore. The requisite news stories, press releases, and calls for “thoughts and prayers” will soon die down until the next horrific act of violence occurs and the cycle will repeat itself over and over.

 

In this week’s Torah portion, Vaera, we read of the first seven plagues that God rained down upon Egypt.  A plague can be defined as a phenomenon over which we have no control that impacts society in a disastrous fashion.  As we experience this this second year of COVID-19 and the frightening realities of the Omicron variant, we are all too familiar with the fears, frustrations and insecurities brought on by plague. A key understanding of how plagues impact our lives is that when we first confront them, we feel that we have no way to eradicate or deal with them. 

 

Gun violence, unlike COVID-19, is not a plague. It is a sickness that has permeated every aspect of our lives – but there are clear and concrete ways to eradicate it. Chief among them are sane gun laws and a willingness among our elected officials to end the idolatrous worship of firearms and obeisance to the gun lobby that continues to corrupt our political process.

 

While our constitution enshrines our right to bear arms, too many people have taken this guarantee out of context. The founders of our nation never imagined the technology or the propaganda that would transform a simple right to self-defense into a fanatical obsession with weapons of destruction and the obscene profits derived by Firearms manufacturers and those who work to prevent any sane legislation that protects innocent lives from being snuffed out with the pull of a trigger.

 

I am not opposed to guns. I am, however, very worried that our national obsession with gun-worship will continue to encroach on our ability to create a society where human life is valued more than our possessions or a perceived diminution of basic freedoms.

 

Whether or not this latest tragedy will result in renewed efforts to prevent further gun violence depends on how loud our voices can be as we advocate for sane gun legislation and the recognition that our society and it’s entire moral fabric is threatened by our worship of firearms. Now is a time to both grieve and act. Gun Violence is as much a health crisis as COVID. If you feel as outraged as I do, reach out to your elected officials and let them know.  Our very lives may depend on it.

 

L’Shalom (in Peace),

 

Rabbi Joseph R. Black

Drought- A New Poem

 

Drought – © Joe Black – December, 2021

 

Beneath my feet like blackened toast

I hear a crunching sound

With swirling winds that sound like ghosts

While leaves blow all around

The branches rattle with the wind

As dirt is strewn about

The winter sun is low and dimmed

At this time of drought

 

We pray for rain, we beat our breast

All to no avail

We can’t explain but do our best

To try and tell the tale

Of elders born in similar straits 

Who wrestled with their doubt

And puckish gods who swayed their fates

At other times of drought.

 

The patriots and the parasites

The devious and devout

The ancients and the acolytes

Who’d shriek and cry and shout

Those who lived to tell the tale

Those who chose to scream and wail

At clouds above to no avail.

All suffered from the drought

 

The deserts that we occupy aren’t only climate based

When demagogues are deified, and logic is replaced

By pundits and their party line

Who watch their venom sprout

And push the poisons they’ve designed

To profit from the drought

 

Scared souls will do anything

To quench a burning thirst

They’ll change the One they’re worshiping

If passions are well nursed

The tragic lessons of the past

Are easily shut out

The die may be already cast

Unless we end this drought.

Poem: Wakening

Wakening

November 27, 2021

(C) Joe Black

First I feel their eyes.

     Staring

       Breathless

         Focused 

Before I yawn, stretch, and acknowledge their presence. 

In semi-darkness I reach for wayward glasses pulling aside cocooned sheets

     The touch of a wet nose

     The rush of air stirred by excited tails 

     Fanning the flames of in-between awakening

Whimpers of hunger, love and delight

Pierce the early morning fog 

Building to a crescendo

As they pounce- inches from my face

I breathe deeply and take in 

Small remnants of canine dreams

Running, chasing, protecting and reveling

In dog-yeared time:

    Seven-fold reminders of joy and devotion-

    A delicious invitation to life

I struggle to my feet and shuffle as they leap and dance before me

Eager to greet a new day. 

I reach deep into the bin and pour their food

Then, fetching slippers and coffee 

I give thanks for this dogged devotion. 

 

I am unworthy