tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77570430997786697282024-03-12T16:39:51.070-07:00tacklingtorahusing ancient torah wisdom to tackle current issues in the jewish world.
by: elyssa cohenElyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-13772965033016385232013-07-11T09:02:00.001-07:002013-07-11T09:14:20.388-07:00Our Jewish American Journey<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am sharing a d'var torah that I wrote for Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel on July 5th, 2013. The inspiration came from a Jewish Women's Archive conference I attended in late June. All feedback, and thoughts are welcome.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tacklingtorah,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Elyssa</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZntLTohtABM/Ud7Zufkqn1I/AAAAAAAAAOg/_6hTEBrDCO8/s1600/lowereastsideofnewyorkc1900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZntLTohtABM/Ud7Zufkqn1I/AAAAAAAAAOg/_6hTEBrDCO8/s320/lowereastsideofnewyorkc1900.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Parshat Matot-Masei</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yesterday, we celebrated July 4th, a day that represents freedom in our American History. Nowadays, we look forward to July 4th as a day when we gather with family and friends, enjoy the weather, maybe bbq and watch concerts and fireworks either in person or on television. We may lose sight of the events that took place which granted our country it’s freedom. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Interestingly, in this weeks torah portion Matot-Masei we read about the Israelites who are on the cusp of reaching the promised land of Canaan, they have been on a 40 year journey, through the desert, towards freedom.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Here we are, at the end of the book of numbers, and we are reaching the end of our wandering from Egypt to the plains of Moab. As we stand here, we take a moment to look back on where we came from and to look forward toward Canaan, where we are going to.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Torah gives us the opportunity to annually reflect on what it means to live in the Diaspora, and about the challenges that face a refugee in the wilderness. As we read the stories in B'midbar (the desert) we see a lot of themes of what it means to be an immigrant in a foreign land. We learn about the battles, the challenges, and we learn about the victories. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The second name of this double torah portion, Masei, means a journey. And here, the torah outlines the major events of our journey towards Canaan. We start Numbers chapter 33 with the lines: These are the journeys of the children of Israel who left the land of Egypt in their legions, under the charge of Moses and Aaron. Moses recorded their starting points for their journeys according to the word of the Lord, and these were their journeys with their starting points.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m curious to think about what is our </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Journey,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">not as Jews entering the promised land, but as Jews entering America in pursuit of the American dream.As American Jews, we are often stating two identities. While we all may have been immigrants at one point, we now consider ourselves to uphold strong identities and loyalty to both our country and our religion. I want to think back to a time when that may not have necessarily been the case. To a time when we fought to be one or both of these identities we hold dearly today.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When Jews from Eastern Europe began immigrating to the United States in the early 1890's it was not an easy passage and it was one which challenged the identities that they held. Similarly to the Israelites, as they look towards Canaan, these immigrant Jews coming to America had a glimmer of hope in their eyes of what they imagined ‘the American dream to be’ as they voyaged to a better world.But, when they arrived, they faced many challenges as they fought to provide for their families in a place where they didn’t know the language, and the customs were different from their own.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">By choosing to adapt to life as an American, there were ways in which these Jews made sacrifices of their Jewish traditions in order to live in an American society. A large one of these decisions was whether or not to keep sabbath as the "american" day of rest was not Saturday, but rather Sunday.Early on in their journey, people were asked to choose their religion over there need to feed their families and in many cases their need for work and money became the main priority as they struggled to adjust to a new environment.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I want to share with you a version of the prayer for the Sabbath candles that was re-written in a Jewish supplications for women book published in the year 1916 while many were struggling to uphold their religious and family obligations. It is titled: “A New Supplication for Candle Lighting in America” and was written to be said after saying the candle lighting prayers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I ask you, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that you should guard and shelter</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">me, my husband and my children from Sabbath and holiday desecration. Send us</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">to our livelihood in pleasure and not in sorrow . . . and we shall by no means due to</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">livelihood not be able to make the Sabbath or holidays weekly and we shall be able to rest on the holy days and serve you with all of our hearts."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Annie Pollard, Education Director at the Tenement Museum in NYC and a well versed writer in this topic wrote an article titled: Working for the Sabbath, in which she analyzes this adapted prayer.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Annie says:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In adapting to American conditions, immigrant women were cognizant of changed economic conditions and displayed a certain sense of flexibility in accommodating to the urban environment’s economic demands and secular enticements. In carrying out their role in the family religious economy, some women hewed to Jewish law and others forged their own sacred economies.. Despite variations in reconciling the Sabbath to the new economy, most immigrant mothers and wives performed the religious work of preparing for the Friday night dinner and collectively profoundly shaped family and neighborhood patterns.</span></span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">By looking at the shift in how religion was able to be practiced among new immigrants at the turn of the century we can see the struggle these early immigrants had between choosing whether their American or Jewish identity was more pressing to them and their economic situation.Today, we have the ability to hold strong to our identities of both nationality and religion. But, have we simply forgotten what it means to be a foreigner? Have we forgotten what it means to be strangers in a strange land? (Don’t worry I’m not going to talk about Immigration Reform tonight, rather I want us to think about our Jewish American immigration)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ok, now I’m going to ask you for some help, don’t be shy.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">By a show of hands how many of you here today know the history of your own immigration story? (no really you can raise your hands, …... thank you, you can put your hands down) Now, by a show of hands, how many of you here today know with confidence that the youngest generation of your family knows that immigration story? Now look around. (Thank you, you can put your hands down)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I feel that the future generations of American Jews often forget to ask where they came from. To some, it may seem like the distant past, to others it may only be a generation before. But for many we may not know first hand the voyage of our own American Judaism. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I know that in my own family my great-great-grandparents immigrated here in late 1890’s and early 1900’s. When they got here they lived in NY city. One grandfather was an embroiderer, and the other a hat maker, one grandmother owned a dry goods store after the death of her husband, and the other died young. The upward mobility and assimilation of their children happened quickly. On one side, my great grandparents went to college, and made careers for themselves in engineering and teaching, and on the other side my grandfather was the first to go to college. They all believed in education and hard-work but along the way the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">American piece</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> of their identity won out.They came here being cultural Jews, which means they lived along the Jewish life cycle span and observed holidays. Because they lived within a Jewish community, they never had to be intentional about being Jewish, it was all around them.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But slowly, over time, since they were cultural and not synagogue going Jews their families assimilated quickly, meaning little religion at all. Since Americans held many cultural and religious identities, religion became a choice. And so my great grandparents on my mothers side chose to belong to a conservative synagogue, so as not to lose the religion.While I grew up in a reform synagogue, much like KI, religion became out of my mothers conscious decision to carry on traditions and to hold on to our past, and our Jewish values. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I often find that today, when we are freely able to hold onto our Jewish identities along side our US citizenship, this narrative of our own immigration is sometimes forgotten. I wonder how we ensure we are teaching our Jewish values to the future generations of American Jews. It wasn’t until I thought to ask my grandmother, this past week, that I uncovered my own link of Jewish Immigration.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As a Jew of a younger generation and a future Jewish leader this troubles me. As Jews isn’t it our obligation to teach the past to future generations? We are a people who certainly like to talk, and share our stories. Why then are the youngest generations among us lacking in their own Jewish history? Have we simply forgotten to share our stories with them?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This year in working with the 7th graders at KI one of their core classes requires them to interview a Jewish adult, other than their parents, that they know. We spend time as a class coming up with questions to ask their interviewees. The kids are genuinely interested in what it means to be a Jewish adult and why people have made certain choices regarding religion in their lives. I wonder how it would change them if each adult in their lives was willing to share the stories that they know about their family’s immigration and their ancestors personal struggles and stories of where they came from.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">While we aren’t still wandering the wilderness of Maob, or navigating the hard working conditions of the lower east side, we must not forget what it means to be a newcomer to a foreign land.And we must take alongside us the reminder that we are the links to our past and our future. We serve as the reminder to not take for granted our ability to be both freely Jewish and American at the same time and to empathize with the conditions new Americans face today. For just as we were slaves in Egypt, so too were our families the ones who paved the path for great opportunity.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We must not forget that just as we read about our journey in Torah to the promised land, we take a moment to reflect back and revisit the many places we stopped along the journey through Egypt so too should we continue to share the story with ourselves and our future generations of how we got to be American Jews.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-54211888239297779192012-10-29T13:59:00.001-07:002013-07-11T08:51:39.988-07:00High Holiday D'var Torah in time for the election!<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Here is one from the beginning of school for my Jewish Traditions class, but as it is election appropriate I will share! </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">As the days of awe or Jewish high holidays approach I am struck by the idea of communal responsibility. As jews we are accustomed to the idea that we each have the power to change our own fate by partaking in mitzvot, or good deeds. During the high holidays we are judged for the good deeds that we have done, and repent for the times when we have sinned. We undergo personal teshuvah or return by asking for forgiveness in our lives, we apologize to our loved ones, and we reflect on ways we have transgressed promising to renew our committment to torah and righteousness. We are given the opporunity to pray for mercy and inscription in the book of life. But what would it look like if the high holidays were about communal forgiveness and responsibility?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In reading Eliyahu Kitov's "The Book of Our Heritage" he speaks not only of the individual but additionally of the communal. He writes, "Each person has merits and transgressions. If one's merits exceed his transgressions-- he is a tzadik; if one's transgressions exceed his merits -- he is rasha; if both are equal-- he is beinoni. The same applies to each country. If the collective merits of its inhabitants exceed trangressions, it is deemed a just country. If their transgressions exceed their merits, it is deemed iniquitous. And the same applies to the entire world. .... if a countries transgressions exceed its merits, it is subject to immediate destruction. This judgement is not quantitative one however, but a qualitative one."</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">But how do we measure a countries transgressions? How do we know if our merits exceed our transgressions? In the United States where we have varying opinions on how we inact freedom and whose opinion is right it certainly seems like a hard task to judge. Do we measure by what laws seem just, what attitudes seem appropriate, or what acts of kindness outway our policies? If our whole country felt that each decision they made would be judged in terms of merit or destruction would they we be able to work together for the sake of the countries survival?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">As I watched the democratic convention this past week I related to Past President Bill Clintons speech when he cited the mere fact that the discussions revolving around the upcoming election has changed from statements about the issues our country is facing to statements about individuals themselves. Bill said, he was not raised to hate replublicans whereas implying that todays generations are taught that their opinions vary so much from the oppossing party that they don't even attempt to see the goodness in the others opinion and therefore we have become a divisive country rather than one which works together.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Bill says, " Though I often disagree with Republicans, I never learned to hate them the way the far right that now controls their party seems to hate President Obama and the Democrats. After all, President Eisenhower sent federal troops to my home state to integrate Little Rock Central High and built the interstate highway system. And as governor, I worked with President Reagan on welfare reform and with President George H.W. Bush on national education goals. I am grateful to President George W. Bush for PEPFAR, which is saving the lives of millions of people in poor countries and to both Presidents Bush for the work we've done together after the South Asia tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and the Haitian earthquake.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">When times are tough, constant conflict may be good politics but in the real world, cooperation works better. After all, nobody's right all the time, and a broken clock is right twice a day. All of us are destined to live our lives between those two extremes. Unfortunately, the faction that now dominates the Republican Party doesn't see it that way. They think government is the enemy, and compromise is weakness. "</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How are we suppossed to live in a divided country like this? When we view eachother as the 'other' and not see ourselves as sharing responsibility for our countries merits how will we face gods judgement together? It seems that politics in our country has turned into the blame game more than ever before because we find ourselves in a depressed situation where we have dig ourselves out and each party thinks that they have the answers and if elected they will enact them. What we don't realize is that we have so much work to do just to speak the same language again. Each party talks about hope, and change and the capacity to build greatness while each party maintains that they will not give in to the opposing side. Regardless of who is elected we must committ to working together to shared goals of kindness and the qualitative goals not the quantitative numbers for either side to achieve. In order to be a country that is worthy of other nations respect we must take communal responsibility for the transgressions we have communally committed.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">As Kitov shows each person plays a role in this communal judgement. He says, " Each person should therefore see himself-- during the entire year-- as if he were half meitorious and half guilty. Likewise (should he see) the entire world as half meritorious and half guilty. If he commits one sin-- he tips the scale of guilt for himself and the entire world and causes its destruction, as well as his own. If he commits one mitzvah, he tips the scale of merit for himself and for the entire world and causes its salvation as well as his own.' Kitov sites Rambam with this idea.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This is not the first time in Jewish history where destruction for sin was at stake. In the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gemorrah Abraham pleads with god to save the cities if he is able to find righteous men, when he is not able to find enough rightous men the cities are in fact destroyed. I fear that our country too may get to the point where we are no longer able to outway our merits with our transgressions. Everyday that we continue to produce hate for one another is another day when we are not moving forward towards mitzvot.</span></span><br />
<br />Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-40585863347052348152011-11-22T09:30:00.000-08:002013-07-11T08:51:28.242-07:00Tol'dot:The Ethical Actions of Authority (Genesis: 25:19-28:9)<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2f26Ll1kkdg/TsvdBZ32gsI/AAAAAAAAAMo/eI21aIhQ55k/s1600/Wall-Street-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677874771425395394" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2f26Ll1kkdg/TsvdBZ32gsI/AAAAAAAAAMo/eI21aIhQ55k/s320/Wall-Street-1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 211px;" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: 85%;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.26738407609737824" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After a hiatus to focus on life pursuits I’m back to tackle the torah!</span><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">In our Lives:</span><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I think the shock of hearing about unethical news in our lives comes from our own struggles with what to do when faced with tough ethical decisions. Do we stand up for what is right, or hope it fades into the background (and that no one notices)? The news lately has been a series of tragedies and lies: The Penn State scandal, presidential candidates fumbling their way through policy positions they don’t seem to understand, big banks continuing to post record profits, or the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme we have seen questionable ethics. We have seen the use of power and authority in our government acting unethically or amongst private companies who don’t look out for the best interests of even their employees! </span><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Reflecting:</span><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When we hear of such news we wonder if we ourselves would act better? How are we educating future generations? Are we teaching (by example) to only look out for ourselves? Do we consider how these acts of deceit effect others? Ultimately it seems the truth inevitably comes out but at what sacrifice? For me, when thinking through decisions where ethics are at play I like to think that I consider who will get hurt, what would by the favored outcome, and is it “just”? Not all decisions are easy but all should treat people fairly. And I think the consequences should adequately reflect appropriate punishment for unethical choices. Otherwise we are simply letting power breed power in our society. And if you aren’t sure what to do heed my mother’s advice “you get more flies with honey” it works every time!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Occupy wall street has been an interesting way to think about the consequences of treating US citizens indifferently by big businesses. While I am unclear of their demands and the common message they represent it is clear that Americans are unhappy. The economic gap has grown to 99% vs. 1% where the poor get poorer and the rich get richer and some of those in power are seeing to it that this discrepancy remain. Occupy wall street and other Occupy movements are working to regain the people’s right to democracy, to voters views mattering and being heard. The popularity of this movement has signified to me that injustice has consequences and people have re-recognized their ability to hold others accountable for their actions. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">From the source:</span><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The upcoming parshat this week Toldot deals with the story of brothers Jacob and Esau and with common themes of stealing, hatred and lying. But the plot runs deeper as the lies are intentional and done with power by authority. Rebekah, mother of twins Jacob and Esau tricks her husband Issac into giving the birthright to the younger son Jacob since he is her favored son (and Rebekah thinks more deserving of the blessing). Rebekah, acting authoritatively in her roles as wife and mother lies and aids Jacob in stealing the birthright. But as a result of this act Jacob must leave his family due to what he has done and Rebekah is without her favored son. I think this can serve both as a lesson to those with power to act ethically since the consequences of selfish acts can be grave, and to those without power to not just go along with what the authority says but to stand up for justice and to ask yourself if the act is ethical and if not what you can do about it! While the reasoning behind Rebekah’s acts may be for a more favorable outcome of Issac’s blessing. I am more concerned with the lying and deceit that those with power partake in (as shown above). If in fact Jacob was the better son to receive the birthright then it should have been bestowed upon him because of his merit and not by way of an unethical act. Jacob is the one who is held accountable for Rebekah’s actions not Rebekah even though she assured Jacob this would not be the case. These actions seem similar to Americans having to carry out their promises to banks or fulfillment of laws even though the banks and the rules keep changing and not upholding their end of the deal. It cause me to question if those in authority don’t even lead by example who will? </span></span>Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-17413302440081651622011-08-11T09:47:00.000-07:002011-08-12T07:54:45.490-07:00Homelessness/ Loneliness: What does Tisha B’av have to do with it?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I6tbCVnxy0E/TkQJYGOL24I/AAAAAAAAAMM/A4NbwzICSbw/s1600/Tisha%2Bb%2527av.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I6tbCVnxy0E/TkQJYGOL24I/AAAAAAAAAMM/A4NbwzICSbw/s320/Tisha%2Bb%2527av.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639642942966324098" border="0" /></a><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >On Tuesday August 9th, the Jewish people observed Tisha B'av. In all honesty I’ve never been to a Tisha B’av service, and only have a brief understanding of what the holiday is all about. But I do know it is about mourning for the literal and metaphorical destruction that has been caused and looking forward to “olam ha’ba” the world to come. </span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">So I’m gonna try to unpack this holiday a bit for myself and hopefully for you. Here goes….</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><i>In our lives:</i></b> Each year my close friend sends a very personal message in the spirit of Tisha B’av on her own challenges that are acting destructively in her own life and reflects on how to turn these challenges into a positive light. Each year I’m able to learn about her current struggles and am pushed to see the world through her eyes and reflective process where she finds the good out of the bad and continues to strive towards building this positive energy.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">As with Yom Kippur it is tradition to fast on Tisha B’av since you are consumed in a full day of prayer and mourning. Fasting reminds us of physical pain which to me represents the pain that our people have felt each time there was further tragedy on this historic day of tribulations.
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><i>Reflecting: </i></b>For me, the destruction of the first and second temples and the expulsion of Jews from Spain and England all of which occurred on the 9<sup>th</sup> of<span style=""> </span>the Jewish month of Av symbolize a greater feeling of homelessness. <a href="http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/Tisha-B-Av-Calamities.htm">Here is a full list of the losses on Tisha B’av (the 9<sup>th</sup> of Av)</a>. Homelessness doesn’t necessarily have to mean without a physical home for prayer as it may have meant for the Jews in 586 and 516 B.C.E. it can mean many things. It can mean feeling alone, or left out from your family, or community. When we feel like we don’t fit in we may feel physically and spiritually homeless, or uncomfortable. Loss in our lives can create this feeling as well whether actually losing a home, a job, a parent, family member, or a friend we mourn that which we no longer have. Our home which once was is no longer and our morning consumes us. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><i>Where to go from here:</i></b> I think a good amount of reflection on our lives and the ways we interact with others allows us to grow spiritually. If we continue to live our lives without a healthy self-check and evaluation of where we are and where we are going we can wind up being very distant from even ourselves. Tisha B’av is about morning communal loss. But you can choose to bring that closer to home by evaluating the ways in which you have been destructive to your home, your family, your friends, your professional relationships. Are you working on building the new “metaphorical” temple or are you tearing down the walls around you? Where do you turn towards home? Do you feel homeless or at a loss for what once was? On Tisha B’av the Jewish community mourns with those who feel alone and defeated. But the next day we pick up and begin to hope again for the beit hamikadash (house of the holy).<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:10pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;">“I think it's important to recognize that we can't just hope. We can't just have faith that mashiach will come. We have to be proactive. We must examine who we are, what we're doing, and what we need to do to be worthy and meritorious of the next step in our cycle.” Cindy Kaplan Tisha B’av thoughts 2010.</span><span style=""> </span>
<br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:10pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >So whether you feel lonely or without a home, or whether you are grateful to have a life where you feel uniformly whole we each could gain something from reflecting on destruction and rebuilding within our lives. Don’t just mourn take steps towards repair, and then we truly will live in a holy world.</span><span style=""> </span> </span></span></p> Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-71408669647693688022011-06-23T09:31:00.000-07:002011-06-23T09:51:01.285-07:00Reinventing Rituals: June, A Month of Pride and Same-Sex Marriages<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5gdLru4UdO8/TgNt7KBpDZI/AAAAAAAAALg/LweeaXgik5w/s1600/Kleinbaum%2Balbany.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 188px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5gdLru4UdO8/TgNt7KBpDZI/AAAAAAAAALg/LweeaXgik5w/s320/Kleinbaum%2Balbany.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621457622959459730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This post originally appeared on </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.pursueaction.org/">Pursue</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. It is the second in a series on </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.pursueaction.org/tag/ritual/">reinventing Jewish rituals</a> (which I will be writing for Pursue). To read the first post on memorials/yartzeits, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.pursueaction.org/rituals-renewed-memorializing/">click here</a><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span><br /><br />June is full of irony: not only is June<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_pride"> Pride</a> month, but it is also the unofficial start to wedding season. So many are still fighting for equal marriage. As I write this, lawmakers in Albany are struggling to garner enough votes to <a href="http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/21/in-albany-big-three-agree-on-most-issues-except-gay-marriage-vote/?hp">make same-sex marriage legal</a> in New York state (see resources to get involved at the end of this post).<br /><br />As someone who works at the world’s largest LGBTQ synagogue, <a href="http://www.cbst.org/">CBST (Congregation Beit Simchat Torah)</a> I see firsthand how the denial of civil rights affects our families. I also get to see what an amazing tribute it is to the Jewish tradition to have so many people who are deeply rooted in religion, spirituality, and tradition create a community unique to them. Instead of allowing themselves to be turned off by communities who are still figuring out their “stance” on homosexuality, they have a home where their whole identity is able to come together and thrive with others who accept them for who they are and don’t focus on how they do not fit with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heteronormativity">“heteronormative”</a> family.<br /><br />Within Judaism, what does it mean to have a same-sex marriage? What are some of the opportunities for reinventing this ritual? Rabbis debate this topic just as many states debate same-sex marriage bills across the country.<br /><br />Much of the contemporary Jewish conversation on same-sex marriage draws on pieces of Torah and explains how to reinterpret them in an inclusive way for our same-sex couples, namely, the “be fruitful and multiply” directive. Rabbi Arthur Waskow<a href="http://www.theshalomcenter.org/node/525"> asks</a>, “Can we not interpret this as ‘to be fruitful and expansive emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually rather than biologically?’ Furthermore, same-sex couples may not have the biological ability to reproduce but with modern technology this no longer means they do not have the ability to create a family.<br /><br />As Jewish movements struggle with the issue of same-sex marriage in their own communities, countless conversations occur amongst rabbis as to what clergy groups’ official position on same-sex marriage should be. <a href="http://www.jewishmosaic.org/page/load_page/50">The Reform movement in 2000</a> voted to adopt a resolution stating “the relationship of a Jewish, same gender couple is worthy of affirmation through appropriate Jewish ritual.”<br /><br />What do “appropriate” Jewish rituals look like? The basic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_wedding">Jewish marriage</a> consists of the following (in a nutshell):<br /><br />Marriage Contract (Ketubah)<br />Canopy (Chupah)<br />Exchanging Rings<br />Seven blessings (Sheva Brakhot)<br />Breaking the glass<br /><br />While Rabbis change their stances according to their various interpretations of Torah it is important to make sure LGBTQ Jews have a place they can turn for rituals in their lives, including marriage. If you have a litany of weddings to attend this summer, you’ll realize pretty quickly that every wedding is different and dependent on the couple’s custom, so there is a lot of room for interpreting these different components and imbuing them with meaning based on the couple’s values.<br /><br />Because the traditional Jewish wedding choreography is gender specific, a re-imagining of the different components of the marriage ceremony is necessary. This can be done by same-sex and heterosexual couples, all in the name of promoting marriage equality.<br /><br />Listed below are some variations of the basic rituals and traditions to get an idea of how you can change your own ritual to be LGBTQ inclusive. Hopefully you’ll see some of these at weddings this summer season!<br /><br />(<a href="http://elearning.huc.edu/jhvrc/upload/CCAR%20Union%20Services%20for%20Same%20Gender%20Couples.pdf">From Central Conference of American Rabbis Working Group on Same-Gender Officiation)</a><br /><br />Circling:<br />One person circles the other 3x, then they switch, and they take hands and circle together for a total of 7x.<br /><br />Kiddush:<br />Couple holds the cup together.<br /><br />Rings:<br />Exchanged and prayers recited, with language such as… “by this ring are you consecrated unto me before God and these witnesses in the spirit of our people,” or “this is my beloved and my friend.”<br /><br />Breaking the glass:<br />Broken together, or two glasses broken.<br /><br />To recognize the continued struggle for equality:<br />Because so many gays and lesbians sadly still know the oppression and pain of hiding, because so many gays and lesbians still lack equality of civil rights in our world, we break a glass/glasses on this day of celebration to remind us that even in this hour of great joy, our world is still incomplete and in need of healing. May the time be soon, speedily and in our day, when all who are in hiding shall be free and all who are in exile shall come home.<br /><br />May the shattering of these glasses by _________ and ___________ remind them and us to work towards this time of wholeness, this tikkun, for ourselves and our world. Amen.<br /><br />How will you be re-imaging the Jewish wedding this summer?<br /><br />Take action today towards equal marriage rights in New York:<br /><a href="http://www.friendfactor.org/">Join friendfactor</a><br /><a href="http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/site/PageNavigator/NY4Marriage_Call.html?&utm_source=hrc&utm_medium=marriage-ny&utm_content=call-senator&utm_campaign=marriage-ny">Call your senator!</a><br /><a href="http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/71669/video-ruben-rabbis-a-rumble/">Video: CBST Rabbi Kleinbaum in active protest with Hasidic Rabbi in Albany</a><br /><br />Resources:<br /><a href="http://keshetonline.org/resources/#welcoming">List of LGBTQ friendly synagogues- Keshet</a><br /><a href="http://www.jewishmosaic.org/">Resources for Torah related learning- Jewish Mosaic</a><br /><a href="http://www.urjbooksandmusic.com/product.php?productid=971">Kulanu: All of Us A Program and Resource Guide for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Inclusion by the URJ Press</a><br /><br />See you in July! Tacklingtorah will be taking the week after Pride off to re-coup abroad!</span>Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-2218386063038204012011-06-07T10:54:00.000-07:002011-06-17T12:17:14.461-07:00Shavuot: Torah and Technology<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_GSZvm5a6-0/Te5slgayQ1I/AAAAAAAAALQ/uqTDFrBGiSU/s1600/ice%2Bcream.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_GSZvm5a6-0/Te5slgayQ1I/AAAAAAAAALQ/uqTDFrBGiSU/s200/ice%2Bcream.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615545176990827346" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CECOHEN%7E1.CBS%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} span.messagebody {mso-style-name:messagebody;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><p class="MsoNormal">Reflections on a Jewish Holiday you didn’t learn about in <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hebrew</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">School.
<br /></st1:placetype></st1:place></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>
<br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Please let me know if you learned about Shavuot in after-school <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hebrew</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">School</st1:placetype></st1:place>. I certainly did not but yet it is one of the main Jewish festival holidays. It is also the holiday of “education” so to say. We celebrate receiving the torah and honor this gift by studying all night long! We also eat dairy which may cause some fellow lactards to mourn not celebrate. But nonetheless blintzes and cheesecakes allow us to learn all night with our Jewish community. Read more about why dairy on Shavuot:<a href="http://bit.ly/2ZHrN"> </a><a href="http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Shavuot/At_Home/Foods.shtml">http://bit.ly/2ZHrN</a> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Learning is an essential piece to Judaism. And in my own Jewish journey I’ve begun to understand that even more essential then learning what the torah teaches is questioning how it relates to our own lives. In that vein...
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Here are my <span style="font-style: italic;">rushed reflections</span> (apologies) on Shavuot this year:
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">A friend asked in her Facebook status, <span class="messagebody">"What does Shavuot represent for you? (and/or, what are secular shavuot in your life)?" To which someone replied, </span>"there is no freedom (Pesach) without responsibility (Shavuot)". This struck a chord for me. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how technology plays a role in our lives. We take communication freedom for granted. We lose sight of building relationships and community with the multi-tasking we’ve become accustom to. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">More and more we are reliant on 24/7 internet access. Rather than testing our own memory and knowledge we quickly “google” our question. Rather than call, or meet someone in person we text or email. I’m not so sure computers are ample supplements for human contact. They certainly make information freer (relating to Peseach) but where is the responsibility (Shavuot) to one another and to our commitment to study and cumulative knowledge? Are we losing the skills we once had with our gadgets that do everything for you? How do we maintain our own brain power? Are we damaging ourselves by becoming spaced out from spending too much time with our devices?
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">On Shavuot we reconnect with the torah to remind ourselves of it’s vast teachings and application to current problems in our world. Shavuot can really focus on any theme you’d like and is just the practice of spending time studying torah (as well as something about the book of Ruth? I’ll have to look into that.) We thank God for giving us this gift of knowledge, and we remind ourselves of our responsibilities to learning the teachings of Torah. I suggest that this year we try and remind ourselves of the responsibilities we still have even with the current connection freedoms we’re accustomed to. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Let us remember the importance of family and friendship and not let take a backseat to our games, and phones, and emails. We have a responsibility to maintain our lives even with the advances that help us do so. We can’t forget math just because we have calculator access. Nor can we forget how to maintain conversations without the constant status updates, and notifications from our apps. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">I’m currently reading a book in which a family takes a six month hiatus from their electronics in order to bond and remember what a communal home is like. ( <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Winter-Our-Disconnect-Teenagers-Technology/dp/1585428558">The Winter of Our Disconnect by: Susan Maushart</a>) It is very eye opening to me how my relationships with people have changed due to technology. It is often a background instead of the fore-front. If a text comes in the person your with becomes third wheel. Or even a news, sports or game report. iPhones have become like coasters on a table and they barge in whenever our attention spans drift. We no longer look up when we walk outside or read books when we travel, etc. Lately when out with friends the phones make just as much of an appearance as when you're alone which breaks my heart especially when I do the same. We also assume that people must respond instantly as well, because they have the capability to do so.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I certainly didn’t grow up this way but I see it becoming more and more of a problem among younger generations. Let us remember our responsibility to one another with our full attention so that we can prioritize the freedom we have been given. With remembering our responsibility to one another we will be able to build our capacity for knowledge from one another as well.
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Inspiration for the post subject of Jewish learning/ Shavuot/ Technology and how it affects our lives/ skills…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Not sure this reflection was focused enough on Torah. To be perfectly honest I got a little distracted by multitasking electronics during this post. Since Shavuot will relate Torah to the topics which are at hand for you currently I felt it was appropriate. Comments appreciated. Hag Sameach! </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Finding ways to celebrate together: </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.thejewishweek.com/editorial_opinion/gary_rosenblatt/finding_ways_celebrate_together">http://www.thejewishweek.com/editorial_opinion/gary_rosenblatt/finding_ways_celebrate_together</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">College students not learning enough</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/opinion/15arum.html?scp=7&sq=college%20students&st=cse">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/opinion/15arum.html?scp=7&sq=college%20students&st=cse</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">in other findings….</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Tanakah is a free app download in honor of Shavuot, check it out (irony to use your electronics to further learn Torah)
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tanach-bible-hebrew-english/id378730140?mt=8">http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tanach-bible-hebrew-english/id378730140?mt=8</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-30052068634260046832011-05-31T06:30:00.000-07:002011-05-31T06:50:36.189-07:00Reinventing Rituals: Memorializing our Soldiers and Loved Ones<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--rtzFAfoEaE/TeTyIC1gbSI/AAAAAAAAALA/LwuQgsFnMSA/s1600/memorialday.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--rtzFAfoEaE/TeTyIC1gbSI/AAAAAAAAALA/LwuQgsFnMSA/s200/memorialday.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612877255624650018" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">When we think about rituals, we often think about traditions that have been handed down over generations. However, this isn’t entirely true. All rituals were at some point brand-new and have caught on because they have brought meaning into the lives of those looking for a concrete way to mark the passage of time or an event in their lives.<br /><br />There are common rituals in Judaism that we observe at lifecycle moments such as a bris (welcoming a male baby into the Jewish covenant), bar mitzvah (entering Jewish adulthood), wedding, and death. And then there are ceremonies that have developed over time. Many liberal movements began to incorporate similar ceremonies for women such as a brit bat (Hebrew naming ceremony) or a bat mitzvah. More recently, we’ve begun to see ceremonies which mark different challenges in our lives such as healing services or prayers for a new home.<br /><br />As our religion evolves with our society we can question where there are moments in our lives that we can turn to ritual to find comfort in an occasion where we mourn or celebrate. Was there ever a moment in your life that you wished you knew what to do to either reflect or pray for what was happening? Those are times when a ritual may have been helpful. Rituals can act as something tangible to hold onto, like ritual objects, or serve as a way to come together around communal prayer in order to bring peace and significance to a certain moment.<br /><br />As part of a new series on the Pursue blog, I will be examining the reinvention of rituals in our lives. How do we as young Jews either embrace traditions and/or start our own? Whether buying a new car, shifting into a new job, hearing of a natural disaster or experiencing a miscarriage, there are moments in our lives where we may not know where to turn and how to pray. For these times we can create meaningful rituals for ourselves which incorporate our own practices of Judaism with the reinvention of rituals.<br /><br />Ritual #1: In honor of Memorial Day let’s examine how we honor and memorialize those we have lost in our lives, both the known members of our own communities and the unknown members of our global community. Judaism has several rituals when it comes to honoring the dead. We may choose to name a new child after those we have lost, or purchase a book plate, plaque, or seat in a synagogue we belong to. Those are all tangible items through which we can show our appreciation and memory for the lost individual in our lives. For an ongoing ritual, many people observe a Yartzeit or annual anniversary of the death by lighting a memorial candle and saying Kaddish in synagogue to show that we continue to be in mourning regardless of how much time has passed since our loss.<br /><br />Memorial Day is often regarded as the start of summer rather than a meaningful national holiday. On a day where we rejoice in the extra day off from school or work and bask in the outdoors and at barbecues, how do we reflect on all of those who gave their lives for our country? How do we “memorialize” them? Both personally and communally we have losses in our lives that are greater than we realize and greater than the rituals we currently maintain for them.<br /><br />I often find the easiest way to reinvent a ritual is to break it down first in order to discover what it is I’m marking. This way the ritual I create can be most meaningful to me for the particular occasion I’m observing. On a personal level, this July I will lead the graveside service for my uncle’s unveiling (one year Yartzeit) and will have to discover what it is that is meaningful to say for my particular family. On a communal level, this week I will reflect on the lives lost by American soldiers engaged in wars overseas and what I pray for their future.<br /><br />Rabbi Ellen Lippmann of <a href="http://www.kolotchayeinu.org/rabbi/">Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives</a> in Brooklyn led a workshop for <a href="http://www.cbst.org/">CBST’s (Congregation Beit Simchat Torah) </a><a href="http://www.transformingbeitecha.org/">Transforming Beitecha Conference</a> last month in which we discussed developing Jewish rituals. She taught the group a good technique to use to determine if rituals still apply to the needs of today’s Jews. You can use a formula to ask questions of what the ritual is about and then determine who it is for and who is being left out. This way when you look to re-invent a ritual you will have a clearer understanding of the initial goals.<br /><br />Let’s break down Yartzeit and its meaning in our lives (you can do this for yourself with whatever ritual you want to break down):<br /><br />Case #1<br />Yartzeit is defined as: annual memorial for loss of a loved one<br />Who: the mourner observes a day of memory for the deceased<br />What: a symbolic candle is lit<br />Where: at home or in synagogue Kaddish is recited three times<br />When: on the Hebrew date of death annually<br />Why: to remember a loved one<br />How: alone or communally candle is lit and prayers are said<br /><br />Then take a moment to decide what your personal goal in observing a ritual may be, since this may decide how you observe the ritual. When I observe Yartzeits in my life I like to spend the day remembering what that person brought into my life and the positive memories that I still have of them. I also like to have tangible objects like pictures or clothing that remind me of them close by so I can find comfort in their continued presence in my life.<br /><br />Does Memorial Day have a Jewish connection in your life? Why do we celebrate Memorial Day? What are rituals we can create to better understand our link as Jews and as Americans to this historic day of honor and memory?<br /><br />This Memorial Day I invite you as American Jews to think about how those within your own community have honored our country. Maybe your father, grandfather, great-grandfather served in either World War II, Vietnam, or the Korean War. Maybe you know someone who is serving now, a friend or peer. What does this connection to people who fight for America mean to you? Whether they are close to you or not, whether you believe in our current wars or not, what does it mean to have people give their lives for your safety? And how do you show your appreciation and honor those who put their lives at risk by protecting and acting for a more just world? This year I will reach out to my peers who I know have served and express my gratitude as I continue to pray for peace. For me, ritual is finding meaning in and expressing my gratitude for the things I have and the people in my life. Other goals may be to read about or share stories with those who have fought as American soldiers or to attend an event that honors the men and women who fight today.<br /><br />What actions will you take? And how will you remember those whom you personally have lost and whom our country has lost this year?<br /><br />You can find this series on "Reinventing Rituals" cross-posted at Pursue: </span><a href="http://www.pursueaction.org/rituals-renewed-memorializing/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.pursueaction.org/rituals-renewed-memorializing/ </span></a>Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-61005345157715451442011-05-13T12:47:00.000-07:002011-05-13T12:49:48.344-07:00What it means to Leave a Legacy: Emor (Leviticus 21:1-24:23)<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CECOHEN%7E1.CBS%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C07%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><o:p> </o:p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>In our lives: <o:p></o:p></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This past week we have seen a “modern” example of sacrifice upon hearing the news of American troops killing Osama Bin Laden. All week I reflected on what Osama’s life meant and the legacy he would be remembered by. Reading countless news articles caused me to question, was Osama happy? And, although the US spent a decade hunting him, did our country do the right thing by killing him? These are not easy questions, and there may not be easy answers. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What Osama has in common with every other living person is the search for meaning in his life. This Shabbat I read Rabbi Harold Kushner’s book <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_All_You%27ve_Ever_Wanted_Isn%27t_Enough">“When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough: The Search for a Life That Matters.”</a> Kushner speaks of those who search for personal success as often finding themselves lonely. Osama was certainly successful in accomplishing his goals, but did this render him happy? I find myself feeling empathetic towards a man who couldn’t see past his own hatred and caused one of the most tragic events in US history. Kushner says of infamous biblical character Cain’s selfishness, “ He becomes a wanderer on the face of the earth, with no place to call home, with no community to support or comfort him. The original looking-out-for-number-one man, like all of his descendants, is condemned to spend all of his days unconnected.” (p.63) I can only imagine life for Osama this past decade was isolating, as he became the world’s most hated man due to his terrorizing actions. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Reflecting: <o:p></o:p></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Conversely, I turn to history in search of what leaving a <i style="">positive</i> legacy might look like. This month is Jewish <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EmmEgFzFU6A/Tc2LOfbgoMI/AAAAAAAAAK4/j3MRipvl5H0/s1600/encyclopedia.gif"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 66px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EmmEgFzFU6A/Tc2LOfbgoMI/AAAAAAAAAK4/j3MRipvl5H0/s200/encyclopedia.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606290192217448642" border="0" /></a>American Heritage Month. In order to honor the women who have been influential in Jewish History the <a href="http://jwa.org/encyclopedia">Jewish Women’s Archive</a> has created an encyclopedia of Jewish Women. As part of a larger education initiative, JWA has invited <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/04/jews-on-twitter-our-picks_n_855240.html#s274245&title=tacklingtorah_Elyssa_Cohe">influential Jewish Tweeters</a> to promote knowledge, and share what they learn about these women through twitter and other social media. When I read about the lives these women have touched and the work they have accomplished it makes me proud to have these leaders in the Jewish community. It shows me as a society how far we have come in our recognition of Jewish Women’s influence in our culture, and celebrating their accomplishments in their own fields. It appears to me that these women achieved both success and happiness by following their passions as Kushner suggests is the answer to finding the life that matters. See what’s being said on twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/search/%23jwapedia">#jwapedia</a>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This week the torah says.... </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I turn to Parshat Emor to provide insight for what it means to leave a legacy as it speaks about both sacrifice, and honoring the dead. The torah talks about whom we honor and how we do so. Priests or Kohanim are particularly guarded from being in the presence of death as they are seen as holier than others. This is a continuation of Parshat Kedoshim in a series of explanations of what Jews do to maintain holiness and how we honor G-d. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We learn about retribution for blasphemy, and for murder. “ if anyone kills any human being, that person shall be put to death. One who kills a best shall make restitution for it: life for life. if anyone maims another (person): what was done shall be done in return—fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. [….] but one who kills a human being shall be put to death. You<span style=""> </span>shall have one standard for stranger and citizen alike: for I adonai am you G-d.” (Leviticus 24:17-22). Parshat Emor helps me come to terms with how to maintain holiness in our society may still be by having to eliminate those who have caused undue harm upon the innocent. I hope <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region> regains it’s sense of justice in Osama’s death. However, even more importantly I hope that we continue to celebrate those who do achieve great accomplishments in their lives to further our society and our Jewish culture. Let us rejoice in a world where women are recognized for their contributions and where we are thankful for the gifts that we do have and let us not waste any more time on what seemed to be a necessary sacrifice for our country’s safety. </p> Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-80310760761072721582011-04-19T18:10:00.000-07:002011-04-19T19:21:07.077-07:00The Modern Haggadah Part 2: New Voices and the Reactionary<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cBEDOP15TYo/Ta41ziy1nGI/AAAAAAAAAKg/tiXlFFRd-Gs/s1600/jwa_haggadah_cover_v2_large_medium.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 111px; height: 144px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cBEDOP15TYo/Ta41ziy1nGI/AAAAAAAAAKg/tiXlFFRd-Gs/s200/jwa_haggadah_cover_v2_large_medium.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597470546497739874" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span">T<span class="Apple-style-span">his year I tried something new at my family’s Seder. We used a new Haggadah! After researching various Haggadot, I picked: <a href="http://jewishboston.com/64-jewish-women-s-archive/blogs/1996-the-wandering-is-over-haggadah-including-women-s-voices">The Wandering is Over Haggadah: Including Women’s Voices</a>, created by <a href="http://www.jewishboston.com/">www.Jewishboston.com</a>, and the <a href="http://jwablog.jwa.org/wandering-is-over-haggadah-including-womens-voices">Jewish Women’s Archive</a> in Brookline, MA. These two organizations represent my liberal Jewish values, and the voices of various Jews, including Jewish women. I thought talking about women’s rights’ as part of our annual reflection on liberation would be a good first choice for my family due to the many strong women and emphasis on education our family has.<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span">While I did not expect it to be a smooth transition, I was shocked by the backlash I received. The argument against a newly introduced Haggadah was that I had re-written Jewish history, and that Judaism is about tradition, the story of the past, and not the current political struggles we face. It caused me to question how we successfully enact change. If things are to remain stagnant in our history and we are simply to retell the past what purpose does that serve? What are we learning, discussing, and how are we using our history to create change? I recognize that change is slow, but to me learning about our Jewish past ensures that we as Jews have empathy for others current need for liberation.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">One of the most common phrases repeated in torah is “For you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” We learn as Jews not to oppress the stranger. That phrase from the Torah is Jewish tradition, and a value that we are told to pass on, it is a piece of <i>our</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> history. Do we recognize the strangers in our current society? Are we able to understand their need for liberation and how we as Jews can ensure that they are not oppressed since we faced a similar fate in Egypt?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">I learned that storytelling is only a powerful tool if we are highlighting all our voices. This new Haggadah never once changed the rituals, and history of the story that my family was used to, instead it added the narrative of women in both biblical times and liberation that is more recent. Aren’t the stories of the women who were present also needed to get the full picture of our Jewish history? Just because past Haggadot may have been written in a different time, where men dictated the story, does not mean we still live in that world today. As we make ripples towards change, we need to make sure our goals for equity are synonymous with our actions.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">We have the ability to highlight voices that were a part of the Passover story such as Shifra, Puah, and Miriam who saved Jewish babies from being killed in the Nile. Their actions helped lead the Jews towards liberation! I refuse to stand by hearing the history of my ancestors and learn nothing from it except a heart-warming story of our freedom. The story in the Haggadah teaches me to fight for others’ liberation and justice. It teaches me to discuss reforming policies in our country and to help the stranger around the world. I struggle with how to create change with the reactionary’s aversion to new ideas.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">If you did one thing this year at your Seder, I hope it was prompting discussion on current needs for liberation. Change happens slowly but when we tell our story of liberation we do so to challenge ourselves and others, to remember our own liberation, and why it is important to feel as if we were personally slaves in Egypt. By remembering our enslavement, we “recall” what history has taught us, and what it feels like to be the other. When we tell the story of liberation, we strengthen our need to not stand idly by in others’ struggles towards freedom.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Further reading:<br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/arts/design/the-washington-haggadah-at-metropolitan-museum-of-art.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=haggadah&st=cse">Nytimes article: Put yourself in the story of Passover</a><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/19/opinion/19greenberg.html?scp=1&sq=seder&st=cse">Nytimes article: An Oyster on the Seder plate<br /></a><a href="http://jwablog.jwa.org/miriam-and-the-passover-story">JWA: Jewish Women's voices in the seder</a><br /></span></span></p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><!--EndFragment-->Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-15952091736084511672011-04-11T08:44:00.000-07:002011-04-11T09:00:30.362-07:00The Modern Haggadah: re-telling the Passover story<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5z_4ZqM6IIg/TaMk2GCn-3I/AAAAAAAAAKY/OGEO2tUxUOo/s1600/Matzoh-Matzah-Matzo-Passover2008.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5z_4ZqM6IIg/TaMk2GCn-3I/AAAAAAAAAKY/OGEO2tUxUOo/s200/Matzoh-Matzah-Matzo-Passover2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594355673877445490" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">By: Elyssa Cohen, <a href="http://www.tacklingtorah.blogspot.com/">Tacklingtorah</a> and originally posted at <a href="http://www.pursueaction.org/the-modern-haggadah/">Pursue: Action for a just world.</a> (I'm starting to write with Pursue, so be sure to share and comment on my posts!)<br /><br />This year, how do we incorporate current abuses of civilian rights with our Jewish ancestors’ fight for freedom?<br /><br />With Passover quickly approaching it’s a good time to stop and reflect on the power of storytelling. Our stories have the ability to create change. What is the story that your family tells on Passover? Has the same Haggadah been used annually since you were in utero?<br /><br />Now’s the time to change! Many Jewish organizations are taking time to consider re-telling the story of Passover as a social change agent for current struggles of freedom. Evaluating the story of Passover gives us the opportunity to reflect, and share a story of an oppressed people in the vein of both remembering and not allowing history to repeat itself. What is the narrative of those who are currently oppressed?<br /><br />Who has the ability to share their story, and who’s listening?<br /><br />As young Jews acting for social change are we at liberty to speak of a narrative that may not be our own?<br /><br />Isn’t Passover the best opportunity we have to share with a large number of people the causes we care about? I hope this year you are able to step up and create awareness within your family about those who are fighting for their freedom today. Create your own modern Haggadah, and tell the new story of freedom. We know that personal stories have the ability to garner a certain amount of empathy for people to connect with strangers, but I don’t anticipate everyone going out and writing their own Haggadah about Libyan families. The good news is you don’t have to write your own Haggadah from scratch, but you can make it personal to account for the social justice work that you do! Choose this year to talk about the fight within the LGBT community for marriage rights and transgender equality, healthcare equality, civil rights in Egypt, Libya, freedom from world hunger, the Japanese struggle as they repair from natural disaster devastation, to name a few.<br /><br />While the original freedom story remains stagnant, our world around us changes and we as the next generation of Jewish leaders have to bring those around us towards liberation.<br /><br />The new way to celebrate Passover is by creating your own Haggadot, so go ahead get rid of the Maxwell house Passover Haggadahs and treat yourself to freedom for the future!<br /><br />It’s a Do-It-Yourself narrative this year. Over the next week, Pursue will share reflections on current issues of liberation, and ideas for additions to your Passover seder.<br /><br />In the meantime, here are some resources for your own modern Haggadot. I challenge you to inspire your family with new traditions:<br /><br /><a href="http://haggadot.com/about">Compiling your own meaningful texts</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxiV9sAtQAI">Incorporating multi-media into your Seder</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.jewishboston.com/279-jewishboston-com/blogs/1771-haggadah-blues-jewishboston-presents-your-free-downloadable-haggadah">The Wandering is Over Haggadah, from ‘Jewish Boston’</a><br /><br />Elyssa Cohen has been involved in social justice work since high school, when she founded a chapter of the ADL’s education program “A World Of Difference” at her public school. Elyssa has always valued a strong sense of community, and has been involved in a variety of different organizations whose mission reflects this goal. Elyssa was a Jewish Organizing Initiative fellow in Boston and worked as the Community Organizer of Keshet, an organization working for the full inclusion of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender individuals within the Jewish Community. Elyssa is happy to have moved back to NY and to have joined the staff at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in the West Village. Elyssa is in the constant pursuit of justice! Check out more of Elyssa’s Jewish social justice writing at <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.tacklingtorah.blogspot.com.">www.tacklingtorah.blogspot.com.</a></span>Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-51288810465762717512011-03-29T06:15:00.000-07:002011-03-29T06:28:20.568-07:00Struggling with Silence-- Sh'mini (Leviticus 9:1-11:47)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c-GkbSaJCS8/TZHclkOdDzI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/qwHpArtvMSU/s1600/aleph-peint.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 154px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c-GkbSaJCS8/TZHclkOdDzI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/qwHpArtvMSU/s200/aleph-peint.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589491150481067826" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CECOHEN%7E1.CBS%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><u>In our lives: </u>
<br />Sometimes we are hit close to home by sudden tragedies in our lives. Whether hearing of a sudden illness or a tragic death often we are left searching for answers to questions that are unexplainable. Tragedy is hard to comprehend, and sometime we simply do not have answers. We struggle with finding words to try to comfort the mourner. And truthfully there is nothing we can say to make the pain of such losses disappear. Think of a time when you learned of tragic news in your own life or in the life of someone you are close with. How did you react? Were you even able to respond?
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<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><u>Reflecting:</u>
<br />I recently learned of a college classmate of mine who was tragically killed along with her husband and mother-in-law this past summer in a head on collision. Their 4-month-old daughter survived the crash. This young woman was bright, and always bubbly. Right after college, she became a wife, and then a new mother. She was a beautiful soul on the inside and out. As I reflect on her death, it is hard to comprehend both because of how untimely it is, and because of her inherently good nature.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">One of the reasons religion appeals to people is because sometimes as we search for answers we draw on stories found in religion for the ability to explain the unexplainable. While they may not offer explanations, these stories can show us examples of circumstances where we can learn about ourselves through understanding the struggles of our ancestors. We may seek these stories to provide cultural/ spiritual guidance for how to live a fulfilling life. The stories of Torah can provide a feeling of being linked to a larger past and current community as people look for a shared experience.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> I learned a great deal from my friend Nabilah at Brandeis. She was a practicing Muslim, and her family was originally from <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region>. As a student, I know that she sometimes struggled with people’s perceptions of her nationality and religion. We talked about both cultural and religious similarities and differences between American-Jews, and Muslim-Americans.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="http://summer07bangladesh.blogspot.com/2007/07/there-was-time-when-i-was-so-self.html"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);"><blockquote>Nabilah writes in her blog, “What's more interesting is that God has asked us to interpret the Qur’an on our own to be able to guide our own lives. I mean how much more leeway can you get from a religion than that?” Nabilah Khan, (July 11, 2007)</blockquote></span></a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">Nabilah searched for answers by seeking her own interpretations of the Qur’an. This week I turn to torah portion, Sh’mini to seek answers for myself to explain the loss of a beautiful, questioning soul. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><u>
<br /></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><u>From the source: </u>
<br />Sh’mini teaches of the power and ability of G-d for both good and evil. We see G-d instantly take the lives of Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu because they disobeyed him. Moses struggles with how to comfort his brother Aaron. These two deaths act as a lesson for the Jewish people to practice the laws set upon them by G-d. While Moses does not understand the extreme action that G-d took in taking these young lives he finds it challenging to elicit a response both as a leader and a brother in order to help Aaron. Aaron has no response for Moses's comforting words, as the text says, vayidom Aharon (and Aaron was silent).
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<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">In Judaism we use ritual practices to provide comfort to the bereaved. The hardest thing is to continue living after experiencing the sudden death of a loved one. The mourner is lost not knowing where to turn, what to say, how to act, and how to continue going about our daily lives. In Judaism, it is customary to sit Shiva for seven days of mourning after a death. Shiva is communal, and the mourners are cared for by their community. It is also customary to sit in silence until the mourner talks. This is because we cannot possibly offer any words that would explain the loss or pain one feels in mourning. <i>Silence</i> is the only sense we can make of tragic events. Sometimes there are no words of explanation, just a continual search for meaning. As we see in Sh’mini Aaron’s silence is profound. This reaction teaches us that silence is an appropriate response for traumatic events which we cannot find answers for. Our shock and silence speaks louder than words ever could.
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<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Bad_Things_Happen_to_Good_People">Further reading: "When Bad Things Happen to Good People." By Rabbi Harold Kushner</a>
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<br /><o:p></o:p></p> Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-10607312831624427662011-03-23T18:06:00.000-07:002011-03-25T08:06:08.305-07:00Vayikra and Tzav: The search for righteousness through sacrifice.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-48zZP1uHEcA/TYyvWPe-aMI/AAAAAAAAAKI/NB-75z4E318/s1600/sacrifice.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 168px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-48zZP1uHEcA/TYyvWPe-aMI/AAAAAAAAAKI/NB-75z4E318/s200/sacrifice.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588034034308376770" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:black;" ><u>In Our Lives:<br /></u></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial;">Sacrifice. What does the word even mean? In today’s definition, is a sacrifice more similar to a compromise or a selfless act of justice? What do we ‘sacrifice’ these days? We may find giving up our most valuable possessions of our time, food, money, goals, or our own needs may feel sacrificial. If this is the case, are sacrifices even quantifiable?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:black;"> <span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial;">When it comes to self-sacrifice there are those who keep everything to themselves and look out for only his/her self. Then there are those who are too giving to the extreme that they forget even their own needs.</span><span class="Apple-style-span"> Both for the self-centric and the extreme giver, </span><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial;">I often think we need guidelines for how to maintain a healthy balance of the sacrifices we each make in our lives in order to maintain a caring community and larger global society while still fulfilling our own needs. </span><br /><br /><u style="font-family: Arial;">Reflecting:<br /></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial;">When learning a Jewish practice called Mussar I engaged with rituals/ mitzvot (teachings) such as patience, and equanimity. The main idea was that each of us has an inclination towards good and an inclination towards evil or yetzer hatov, and yetzer hara. By engaging with this Jewish social justice practice of Mussar, one could balance between the two inclinations. This was done by asking yourself the question; ‘how am I serving the other?’ This question allowed me to consider the struggle of the other and to self-evaluate my reactions by accounting for how the other may or may not feel cared for in the situation. What is the other person’s burden? Just in asking yourself this questions requires a more sympathetic approach, and the ability to best serve the other.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:black;" > <u>From the source:<br /></u></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:black;" >As we turn to a new book of Moses, Leviticus, we learn from the past two weeks torah portions (Vayikra, and Tzav)<span> </span>the value of sacrifice in biblical times. I dare to say the language surrounding the meaning of a sacrifice has changed quite a bit from what it is today. The torah shows the ways in which Jews became closer to G-d through the acts of these animal offerings. Today, instead of object sacrifices, we may offer our evil inclination as sacrifice. We may sacrifice this innate selfish or evil impulse in the hope of achieving either connection with G-d, our people, or in a broader sense in our goals of achieving global justice.<span> </span>A commentator on Vayikra states, “Those individuals who perform a single mitzvah draw themselves and the entire world toward righteousness.” Another commentator citing, “ When we want to draw close (l’hitkarev) to G-d, we must offer something of our own, that is, our ‘evil inclination.’” </span></span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:black;" ><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7757043099778669728&postID=1060731283162442766#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title="">[1]</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:black;" >May we each continue to sacrifice for others in our lives in the hope that our actions will bring us closer to a more just, and righteous world.</span></span></p><div style=""> <hr style="height: 2px;" align="left" width="33%"> <!--[endif]--> <div style="" id="ftn1"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7757043099778669728&postID=1060731283162442766#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[1]<!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Comments this week come from The Torah A Women’s Commentary edited by: Tamara Cohn Eskenazi and Andrea L. Weiss (pg. 588)</span></p> </div> </div> <!--EndFragment-->Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-49841839298106793572011-03-08T15:48:00.000-08:002011-03-08T17:49:47.569-08:00P'Kudei (Exodus 38:21- 40:38) -- Relationships: who will you ask to join the fight?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i7YA1k89iDk/TXbcpdlwCnI/AAAAAAAAAKA/1F1PF8pi6WM/s1600/joanna%2Bjoi.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i7YA1k89iDk/TXbcpdlwCnI/AAAAAAAAAKA/1F1PF8pi6WM/s200/joanna%2Bjoi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581891393048021618" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times;color:black"><u>In our lives:<br /></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Times; ">Have you ever thought about how your life revolves around a series of relationships that are in constant flux? A “relationship” is such a vague term. Some of us have easily 20, 50, hundreds, or maybe even thousands of relationships. A “relationship” is defined as the relation/ association between two or more people which may be either fleeting or enduring. Relationships can be professional, personal, intimate, interpersonal, or theoretical. In other words, you have some sort of relationship with every person, organization, and to everything that you encounter.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Times; "> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times;color:black"><u>Reflecting:<br /></u></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times;color:black">Recognizing an abundance of relationships in our lives is easy. More importantly, how are our relationships cultivated and applied? <a href="http://www.jewishorganizing.org/">The Jewish Organizing Initiative </a>taught me the true<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>power of relationships</i></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times; color:black">. I went from viewing the word “relationship” as exclusively applicable to dating, to a world in which I view my entire existence as it relates to my “relationships” with other people, organizations, communities, and things.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Times; "> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times;color:black"><a href="http://www.jewishorganizing.org/">The Jewish Organizing Initiative</a> helped me learn how to tell my own story, how to have a one-to-one (an intentional conversation), how to evaluate my own and other’s self interests, and many more skills which strengthen relationships. Organizing skills allows every conversation I have to be both strategic and fruitful. I spent the year building on, putting into practice, and creating a vocabulary for skills that create change among individual people, and entire communities. It is amazing the collective power that relationships can create. Think about those you choose to help, or what organizations you choose to donate your money to. If someone you have a good relationship with asks you to prioritize their particular cause, and it is in line with your own self-interests then most likely you will do whatever you can to help!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times;color:black"><a href="http://www.jewishorganizing.org/">JOI</a> taught me not only how to listen, and identify the challenge, but how to research, connect and apply solutions to systemic problems. These skills all came back to thinking critically and strategically about my relationships. Think about this… two people who share a similar problem may not be able to find a solution, but by sharing their problem with others, and by cultivating relationships, you may find that 200 people share the same problem. Now, you have built power through relationships, and have a need for systemic change. A community organizer may help to orchestrate relationship building among communities. The organizer may enlist the community to start a research campaign, and develop a solution where the community can hold those in power (i.e. government) accountable to the proposed solution. The collective people may ask that action be taken in a public forum. And that is powerful! Change like this could not be achieved without the power of relationships. Never underestimate the power of people and the ways in which individual relationships can build that power. So, share your story and think about who you know and how you can help each other make a difference!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times;color:black"><u>From the source:<br /></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Times; ">Last week in parshat P’Kudei we see a glimpse into the relationship between G-d and Moses. G-d trusts Moses with leading the Israelite people, and Moses in turn trusts G-d’s power. Throughout the book of Exodus, we have seen strengths and <a href="http://tacklingtorah.blogspot.com/2011_02_01_archive.html">weaknesses in the relationship</a> between G-d and Moses, and Moses and the Israelite people. But, as we complete the construction of the tabernacle, we see how the power of relationships has affected Moses, G-d, and the Isaelite people. They have learned from their mistakes and have begun to work together. <a href="http://tacklingtorah.blogspot.com/2011/02/trumah-and-ttzaveh-and-you-shall-be.html">They have proven to one another their ability to do great work,</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times;color:black"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>“ Just as G-d had commanded Moses, so the Israelites had done all the work. And when Moses saw that they had performed all the tasks—as G-d had commanded, so they had done—Moses blessed them.” (Exodus 39: 42-3)</blockquote> <o:p></o:p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times;color:black">These relationships rely on one another to achieve their common goals of holiness. <a href="http://tacklingtorah.blogspot.com/2011/03/vayakheil-exodus-351-3820-spiritual.html">They want to be able to feel G-d’s presence in a collected space (the tabernacle)</a>. In order to feel G-d’s presence the Israelites must abide put faith and trust into their leaders, and rely on one another to collectively build a holy site. Just as Moses uses community organizing by working through his relationships we too can help strengthen our campaigns when we collectively use our relationships to create united power.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times;color:black"><u>The take-away:<br /></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Times; ">How are you using your relationships to organize power, and create change? Are you constantly thinking about how to strengthen your relationships? Are you looking for ways to create change, and do you ask those around you to help you do so? No? <a href="http://www.jewishorganizing.org/2011/02/what-will-you-fight-for/">Take the time now to figure out what it is you will fight for! </a>And who will you ask to join the movement? Want to learn these skills?? JOI is now accepting applications from passionate Jews looking to fight for change! <span style="color:#074D8F"><a href="http://www.jewishorganizing.org/">www.jewishorganizing.org</a></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times;color:black"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> </span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-19634135970130950562011-03-03T06:49:00.000-08:002011-03-03T13:34:24.779-08:00Vayak'heil (Exodus 35:1-38:20) -- The Spiritual Challenge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IcDRhfxSMGI/TW-1Y3wN2SI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/tRj9wo_eupg/s1600/Sabbath-Manifesto-cell-phone-sleeping-bags-white-0035-2.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 166px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IcDRhfxSMGI/TW-1Y3wN2SI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/tRj9wo_eupg/s200/Sabbath-Manifesto-cell-phone-sleeping-bags-white-0035-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579877902223005986" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CECOHEN%7E1.CBS%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Times New \000D\000ARoman"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-alt:"Times New Roman"; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:auto; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>In Our Lives: <o:p></o:p></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Where do we feel spiritual? Do we need rituals to feel spiritual? How do we physically or emotionally get to a place where our souls feel thoroughly nourished? Spirituality is individual and yet many may feel the ability to reach an inner peace when doing similar rituals or upon seeing similar sights. Unlike other religions Judaism doesn't have a specified place in which people travel towards on a journey, like the hajj towards <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Mecca</st1:place></st1:city> for the Muslim faith. Nor does Judaism have a desirable mental state of achievement like complete "nirvana" for the Buddhist. There is no pilgrimage, or living person, that Jews feel hold their key to spirituality. Yet rituals exist that many Jews partake in and may feel helps them towards a collective feeling of holiness.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Our current world is constantly tuned in to our "gadgets"; computers, phones, and e-readers consume our days at work, home, or school. I find more people I know seem to be walking around in a daze or utterly dependent on their iPhone/iPad/ Blackberry for the latest media update. It becomes easy to forget what it is like to connect in person anymore, and even when we are in person the “gadget” has begun to take precedence! Spiritual connection either with ourselves or with others seems to be quickly becoming a thing of the past. Does anyone take the time anymore to sit and reflect? There is not necessarily a link between religion and spirituality, one does not need to be religious to be spiritual; you can have an innate sense of connectivity without participating in any religion. But, how do we expect to solve our own challenges anymore or find a way to see the bigger picture of our own lives if we are buried in updates of Jennifer Aniston’s new hairdo?
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="text-align: left; direction: rtl; unicode-bidi: embed;" align="right"><u><span dir="LTR">Reflecting: <o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="text-align: left; direction: rtl; unicode-bidi: embed;" align="right"><span dir="LTR">How do you highlight your values, and find meaning in your life? You may feel most in touch with your own and others spirits during meditation, or in a shared contemplative space, or even by engaging a friend or family member in deep conversation. It is all about reminding ourselves what is important to our well being so that we can prioritize what to make time for. Finding ways to be spiritual may help us figure out how to eliminate our stress, be present with nature, people, or our own thoughts. By allowing ourselves to be fully present we continue to strive towards our best selves. Try focusing on one thing fully, unitasking instead of multitasking. Reach out to those who may need to hear from you. Take comfort in the spaces around you. And allow the power of making time to change your outlook by allowing yourself the art of reflection. In other words: unplug and relax! You may find you learn more about the ways you <i>do</i> enjoy to spend your time then by <i>losing</i> all your time to updates which aren’t pertinent to your life and values. This week is national 'unplug' Shabbat. Join the challenge and take advantage of life before the cell phone. I unplug every week and find myself craving Shabbat every other day of the week. We live in a world where we are constantly accessible to work, school, and there is an expectation of an instant response. Imagine what making time for family and friends again would look like and how much your connections with others would strengthen.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="text-align: left; direction: rtl; unicode-bidi: embed;" align="right">
<br /><span lang="AR-SA"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style=""><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>From the Source:<o:p></o:p></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Abraham Heshel, a famous Jewish philosopher argues in his famous book <u>The Sabbath</u> that Shabbat is a “sanctuary in time”. Meaning there is no specific physical place but rather for Jews the weekly gift of time allows us to find ourselves in a greater connected world, or Olam H’aba, the world to come. This past week the Torah portion Vayak'heil continues to talks about the creation of the mishkan/ or tabernacle. The tabernacle was a sanctuary which Jews built and prayed in after the exodus from <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The past week’s piece of Torah talks about the elaborate process of engaging varying people’s skills, and finding extravagant fabrics to ordain their space with. Jewish law uses last week’s Torah portion to teach how to keep Shabbat by abstaining from the exact 39 activities that were done in the creation of the tabernacle. This is how we know the difference between work and rest, since work was used to build; our abstaining on Shabbat is equivocal with rest. While the tabernacle was constructed as a particularly holy place and adorned as such it now only remains in Jewish history. For Jews Shabbat is the holiest of spaces, or time. In this portion we not only see what a physical space should look like according to Jewish law but more importantly we are reminded of the covenant between G-d and the Jews to keep the Sabbath holy. Our time is precious and even if only for one day a week it should reflect our spiritual values so that we can feel fully present and whole. Think of how much more we could accomplish all week if we take the time to feel spiritually nourished!</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Join me in<span style="font-weight: bold;"> The Challenge:</span><a href="http://www.sabbathmanifesto.org/unplug"> </a><a href="http://www.sabbathmanifesto.org/unplug">http://www.sabbathmanifesto.org/unplug</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">A great book about Shabbat in today's technological challenges: The Sabbath World by: Judith Shulevitz <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/books/review/Goldstein-t.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/books/review/Goldstein-t.html</a>
<br /></p> Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-60372407948400499402011-02-21T15:59:00.000-08:002011-02-21T17:03:31.158-08:00Ki Tisa (Exodus 30:11-34:35) -- Responding to disappointments.. ( A D'var from 2010)<span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="font-family:arial;"> Moses is perhaps the world’s first community organizer. Moses gathers his people, fights out against injustice, and manipulates G-d’s power for change. However, Moses, leader of the Jewish people is not immune to great disappointment. Moses’ reaction towards challenges in his life teaches the Jewish people great lessons about responding to disappointment. In Exodus Chapter 32, we see Moses struggle personally, as a leader of a great nation, and in his relationship with G-d. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"> As Moses is atop Mt. Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, his people are betraying his trust by building and worshiping a golden calf. Angered, G-d threatens to destroy the people in hopes of creating a superior society to continue his teachings. Moses, defends his community out of love and pleas with G-d: “Let not Your anger, O Lord, blaze forth against Your people, whom you delivered from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand” (Exodus, 32.11) </span></span> <span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /> Upon descending the mountain, Moses sees the idolatry himself. Did the Israelites not have enough faith in Moses to wait for his return and delivery to them the words of G-d? “He (Moses) became enraged; and he hurled the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain.” (Exodus, 32.19) Moses who earlier defended the people worshipping the calf to G-d saw his dream of leading G-d’s chosen people to the Promised Land shatter like the tablets upon witnessing this wicked act. Moses is disappointed in his people. He must rebuild the mutual faith and trust between himself and his community in order to perpetuate a great nation. In this moment Moses learns that being a leader is not only about his dreams for his community, but rather about how he works with his community together towards success.<br /><br /> What does this teach us for our own lives? How do we handle disappointments?<br /> Like Moses, we often hold great expectations for ourselves, and for others. In fact, we are taught to do so. Throughout childhood we are asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” No child answers ‘I want to barely get by’. Instead, we dream of being doctors, lawyers and professional athletes. As time goes on, we are faced with challenges, and disappointments. Maybe we never grow tall enough to be a basketball player, or we realize we fear public speaking. We, like Moses, realize that when things don’t work out according to our ideals we must learn how to cope and work towards the best of our abilities. We turn our love of sports into a hobby instead of a profession. We relentlessly work on that which can be improved, always striving for our fullest selves.<br /><br /> Moses reevaluated the situation and returned with a renewed faith. Taking his disappointment in stride, he shifted his expectations. With his community at the forefront, Moses decides how they can move forward together. He picked up his dreams of leading a people to become a great nation and went back to G-d. This time G-d had Moses craft tablets, which G-d inscribed. “The replacement tablets, unlike the originals, will be a joint human-divine effort … reflect(ing) the perfection of G-d, the second set reflected the will of G-d and the ideals of G-d filtered through the limitations of human beings and the reality of human experience.” (Kushner, p. 43)<br /><br /> Like Moses, we can learn from our mistakes. We may not live a life without failure but we can choose how we respond to challenges. We can find determination within ourselves to reevaluate and renew what we had before it was broken. We may alter our dreams but keep the lessons of our disappointments with us. Through our response to disappointments, we can learn more about who we are and who we want to be. Our dreams change as we grow, and we determine if the dreams we once had align with our current goals and search for happiness. In times of disappointment, Moses was carried on by his devotion and love for his community and by G-d. Moses was able to forgive that which had happened, and realized limitations. He continued to persevere and create new dreams. We too can emulate Moses’s ability to move past challenges. We can rely on our community to carry us through the struggles we face within our lives and strengthen our ability to create new dreams. </span>Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-39382127895546305652011-02-16T13:18:00.000-08:002011-02-18T05:11:35.463-08:00תרומה –תצוה (Exodus 25- 30:10) T'rumah and T'tzaveh-- And you shall be a blessing....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5F9igqjIPc/TV02_fRg3xI/AAAAAAAAAJw/4N8ETh0CMRs/s1600/JDAM%2Blogo.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5F9igqjIPc/TV02_fRg3xI/AAAAAAAAAJw/4N8ETh0CMRs/s200/JDAM%2Blogo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574672378109157138" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;} p {mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Trying out a new blog format, feedback welcome!</span><o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;"><u>
<br /></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;"><u>In our lives:
<br /></u>February is Jewish Disability Awareness month. Awareness itself is an interesting term to wrap your mind around, it makes me ask: how are we building “awareness” and about what specifically? Are we being ‘aware’ just by engaging in conversations about disabilities? How do we talk about disability, in what context, and what actions are we taking in our society to help those who may have different physical or mental challenges. I took this week to reflect on what it means to be able-bodied, the ways in which each person is a gift, and the varying individual tools each person has at his/her disposal. Many organizations in the Jewish world are doing work to think through how to integrate Jewish Disability Awareness month within their own communities. See links below.<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">When it comes to talking about disabilities I am always struck by the importance of language. Have you ever thought about the negative association formed with words used to describe several handicaps? The implications from these words such as handicap, disabled, wheelchair bound, amputee, retard, etc, are all negative. Language is important, especially when it affects how we view people. One way to combat negative connotations of language is to state the person first rather than the handicap. For example the man who is blind vs. the blind man. This shows that it is only one aspect of his identity rather than <i>the defining</i> factor. Given that <i>every person</i> is differently able, and we each have different strengths and weakness it seems unfair to label someone who only has one arm, or will never surpass a third grade reading level as disabled, why not label each person as unique? Idealistic, I know, but I still feel there is a better way to describe people then by pointing out their limitations first. Instead of the girl with brown hair it becomes the deaf girl. When we talk about disabilities there is a certain amount of sorrow or unspoken pity for those who can’t do certain tasks. Take a minute to think of how exceptional those who are disabled would feel if we took the time to ask questions about their challenges <span style=""> </span>and how they <i>can</i> accomplish something instead of making our own assumptions about their capabilities. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;"><u>
<br /></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;"><u>Reflecting: </u>
<br />When I reflect on why it is important to have a month where we think about the disabled among us I think about the individual tools we each possess. It is naïve to think that we can do everything on our own; we must look to the support of others to help us iron out our own strengths and weaknesses. We each have gifts, and we each have a set of tools, it is figuring out how to use them well, and how to learn from others that is the real challenge. We are each only as able as we let ourselves be. There is so much that we can learn from one another if we are willing to both ask for and accept help. Those with physical or mental disabilities are just like everyone else with their own strengths and weaknesses. Think of those you admire who have amazing talents. Are even the extremely gifted able to do everything well? Or is there something in particular that they shine at, and other things which they struggle with? We must figure out how to use our resources to the best of our abilities including allowing others to support us in the ways where we may not be as ‘able’ as our friends, family or neighbor.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">With everything we do we must look to those around us and be open to learning. When we think we can do everything on our own we lose the ability to be positively influenced and changed by others. I think we give up our own self growth when we assume we have no need for others help.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;"><u>
<br /></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;"><u>From the source:</u>
<br />The past two weeks Torah portions, T’rumah and T’tzaveh talk about how the Jews did and should build the tabernacle, or sanctuary. Building is something we must do together, when we build or create we use our own tools to make something spectacular. To me, building is similar to learning from each-other. One builds together the same way one learns from the teaching of others. We rely on the wisdom and abilities of those that came before us and the unique gifts that we can bring to the table. Whether you are brilliant, musically gifted, an artist, an economist, a pop-culture guru, etc. everyone has a passion and the ability to share; it’s what we learn from one another that builds our individual character. So the next time you see someone struggling don't pity them but rather offer your skills and look for what you can learn from them as well. I guarantee the only thing standing between you and those around you is fear and the inability to see past differences. Think positively and ask the person in your midst to <b>share <i>their </i>gift with<i> you</i></b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"></span></span></p><blockquote><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">"The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts; you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart so moves him <i>(yidvenu libo)</i>…And let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">(Exodus, 25:1, 2, 8)</span></span></p></blockquote><p style="margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">While the text deals with the specific building of a tabernacle, we also see pieces of how God asks for the gifts of the people to be shared with him. Showing us to not only be appreciative of the gifts that are offered to us, but also to be receptive of where these gifts come from. Our gifts are our passions and we must always remember how much we have both to offer and to learn from each person among us. By interacting together we can achieve holiness similar to that which comes from the building of the tabernacle. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br />As we continue to read the story of Exodus, I'm reminded that last week we celebrated both Moses’s birthday and date of death on Friday, the 7<sup>th</sup> of Adar. Moses, while a memorable Jewish leader in history was ‘slow of speech’ implying a lisp or speech impediment. Yet when Moses is remembered we speak of his strengths and accomplishments. In fact his brother Aaron often spoke on his behalf, but it was Moses who was the visionary and whom God choose to lead the Jewish people on their journey. Let us not forget the skills we can share with the world and the ways in which we can be open to the teachings of those among us whether able-bodied or disabled. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <span style="font-size:100%;">
<br />And you shall be a blessing.....</span> <p style="font-style: italic;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:78%;">Debbie Friedman’s lyrics: </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:78%;">L'chi lach, to a land that I will show you</span></p> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Leich l'cha, to a place you do not know
<br />L'chi lach, on your journey I will bless you
<br />And you shall be a blessing
<br />L'chi lach, and I shall make your name great
<br />Leich l'cha, and all shall praise your name
<br />L'chi lach, to the place that I will show you</span>
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<br /><a href="http://blogs.rj.org/cgi-bin/mt-search.cgi?tag=Jewish%20Disability%20Awareness%20Month&blog_id=15&IncludeBlogs=15">Union for Reform Judaism Jewish Disability Awareness Month related blogposts</a>
<br /><a href="http://www.nfty.org/disabilities/index.cfm?">North American Federation for Temple Youth JDAM Resources</a>
<br /><a href="http://blogs.rj.org/rac/2011/02/support_employment_of_people_w.html">Religious Action Center engages with JDAM</a>
<br /><a href="http://www.jgateways.org/">Gateways</a> Jewish education for children with disabilities
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<br />Follow #JDAM on twitter</span>
<br /></span></span>Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-54836556476306222262011-01-31T18:54:00.000-08:002011-02-03T09:44:05.558-08:00משׁפטים– Parshat Mishpatim (Exodus 21:1-24:18); Embracing the needy, the enemy and strangers among us.<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><u>The Text:</u> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">At this point in Torah, in the telling of the Jewish Exodus journey, the land of Egypt has been left behind, and the Jews have received the Ten Commandments.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7757043099778669728&postID=5483655647630622226#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[1]<!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Last week’s torah portion, Parashat Mishpatim, goes on to list numerous laws that will govern the Jewish people. More specifically, through these laws, Jews are taught how to act towards issues regarding slavery, thievery, the needy, owning and borrowing livestock, bestiality, sorcery, crop sharing, and many more. We are shown the ancient laws of how to treat the enemy, the needy, and the stranger. Within Mishpatim it is stated, “You shall not wrong or oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 22:20)<span> </span>In many ways these laws seem to be stated to create order, and ensure that Jews are not taking advantage of the other, or the other's property including land and animals. If the only portion of Torah you were to ever read was parashat Mishpatim you may feel as if you were reading a series of legal documents concerning stealing your neighbor’s oxen. In many ways these series of laws seem inapplicable to the current way we live, but hidden among these laws are presently valuable ethical guidelines for treating the ‘vulnerable’ among us.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u><span class="Apple-style-span">The Implication:<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">Who is not a stranger among us? Do we really live in a society where there is a clear norm, and a clear defiance of the norm we have created? What is normal, and who qualifies? I feel in so many ways individuals are constantly redefining what normal is because we feel like we just don’t fit in among everyone. Instead shouldn’t we question if ‘normal’ exists? Therefore aren’t we all strangers within any new situation? At one point we were the new comer to a community, family, or group of friends. In any new situation, we may each be a stranger in a strange land. When we venture somewhere new we want to be embraced and treated with respect and dignity, meaning we must remember to act similarly towards others entering a land we may already be familiar with as well. “You shall not wrong or oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 22:20)<span> </span>We must remember to not outcast the newcomer, since historically we ourselves were outcast for being ‘the other’. To me, the concept of being a stranger in a strange land is applicable to so many groups of people in both our local and global world. Some ‘strangers’ within the United States include: immigrants in their fight for citizenship; the glbt<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7757043099778669728&postID=5483655647630622226#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[2]<!--[endif]--></span></span></a> community in their quest for gay rights; differently-abled people advocating towards inclusive disability rights; feminist women eradicating gender inequalities; black Americans struggle towards racial equality; and the fight of the American muslim community against prejudice due to post September 11<sup>th</sup> racial profiling. All spend countless time in their struggle overcoming unequal treatment in the search to be treated ‘normally’. Where do we learn how to treat our neighbors? What acts as our ethical and moral guide when we come into contact with challenges in our lives that cause us to take action in either a positive or negative way?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">I currently work in the world’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender inclusive synagogue, CBST (Congregation Beit Simchat Torah). Recently a man called the office to question both our mission and where in the torah <i>I personally</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> felt that it was ok to be gay. At first I was unaware where the nature of his questions was coming from. However, his hatred quickly became clear to me as he shouted, “being gay is an abomination.” The most upsetting part of the conversation was trying to comprehend where this fellow Jew had learned his deep seeded hate towards the ‘strangers in his midst’. I’m reminded that Judaism teaches us that each individual is created in G-d’s image “betzelem eloheim”, and parshat Mishpatim teaches us </span><i>by Jewish law</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> the opposite of this man’s oppression, we are taught rather to treat the needy, enemy and stranger with indistinguishable equality to how we treat ourselves. As a Jew, I’m astounded as to where in the torah he found laws condemning the glbt community. The Jewish laws found in Exodus protect the stranger, enemy, and needy among us. Equally, whether we are in agreement or opposition by Jewish law we shall not treat those different from ourselves with anything other than compassion, and justice. And while I strongly disagree with the position my fellow Jew takes towards strangers among him, I am taught by torah to treat my enemy just as fairly as my neighbor, the stranger, and the needy. If only we all stuck to the golden rule: treat others as you want to be treated.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u><span class="Apple-style-span">The Application:</span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">In concept we know to act justly towards our fellow strangers, since we were once strangers, but what are the concrete things we can do in our lives to help the vulnerable and needy among us? Rabbi Jill Jacobs in her book <u>There Shall Be No Needy: Pursuing Social Justice through Jewish Law and Tradition</u> writes about the poor among us. Rabbi Jacobs defines poverty and the ways in which humanity act towards economic justice in the United States. Her powerful book shows how social justice is found within the torah, and how it already is applicable to our daily lives and social justice struggles. Rabbi Jacobs illustrates that each individual is a manifestation of G-d, therefore showing that by treating the needy among us repulsively, we are in turn treating G-d poorly. The idea is that G-d made each individual purposefully; we must not view the stranger as different from ourselves, neither should we view the needy as differently. While the poor may rely on other’s money and food to survive, we may each be outcast of some group based on our own ‘abnormalities’ based on race, religion, gender, class, and sexual identity. Parashat Mishpatim acts as a guide of how to treat others, for we were all once the needy, the enemy, and the stranger. There is no group of people who was not as some point the target of persecution.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">Maybe the next time you see the needy among you don’t think of how you’re different but rather think of how you yourself could easily be among the needy, and in turn think of how to help rather than further isolate the stranger. Picture yourself in a land foreign to the one you know. We may not yet know the new territories we will encounter in our lives but we can remember to always respect and treat each other fairly whether it be the needy, enemy, stranger of friend among us.<span> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jill_Jacobs_%28rabbi%29"><span class="Apple-style-span">Rabbi Jill Jacob's Vision.</span></a></p><div style=""> <hr align="left" width="33%"> <!--[endif]--> <div id="ftn1"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7757043099778669728&postID=5483655647630622226#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[1]<!--[endif]--></span></span></a> See last week’s post about commanded to rest.</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn2"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7757043099778669728&postID=5483655647630622226#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[2]<!--[endif]--></span></span></a> An acronym for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender.</span></p> </div> </div> <!--EndFragment-->Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-3415692395071841262011-01-25T11:40:00.000-08:002011-01-26T06:40:59.122-08:00יִתְרוֹ Exodus (18:1-20:23) -- Yitro- Commanded to rest<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CECOHEN%7E1.CBS%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">A more personal reflection…</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">This week the Torah talks about all of the commandments that the Jews receive from G-d at <st1:place st="on">Mount Sinai</st1:place>. So this week I am choosing to reflect on why keeping Shabbat is one of the ten commandments and what this means for how we live our lives in the 21<sup>st</sup> century.
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<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CECOHEN%7E1.CBS%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;"><u>The Text: <o:p></o:p></u></span></p> <p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""></p><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"> “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of your God: you shall not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, or your cattle, or the stranger who is within your settlements. For in six days Adonai made heaven and earth and sea—and all that is in them—and then rested on the seventh day; therefore Adonai blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20:8-13) </span></blockquote><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CECOHEN%7E1.CBS%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C03%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;"> <u>The Analysis</u>: </span></p> <p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">Shabbat is declared as a day that shall be kept holy. The story of Bereshit (creation) is referenced in the commandment to show that God was able to construct the entire world in six days. Then on the seventh day he rested signifying the “rest” to be as important as the previous days of work. Why is it that having one day a week is so important to God? How is it that we often forget the importance of rest in our own lives?
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<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">Many people have tried to interpret, and re-interpret how Jews “keep Shabbat”. Every denomination within Judaism may have a different definition of work, and rest. It seems that people get lost in questions of what you can and cannot do on Shabbat. All are interpretations of Torah at different points throughout history. As new technology became available, Rabbis decided if the use of these advance divices qualified as work. They debated the use of light, computers, televisions, stoves, and heat. Another added layer is creation; since God didn’t “create” anything on Shabbat, those who observe Shabbat must cease from creation, or in Hebrew <i>melakha</i>.<span style="">
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<br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">Rather then a set list of rules, instead, shouldn’t the focus be what would make this day “holy”, as God has commanded us to do. <span style=""> </span>What are times or environments in which we feel holy? Or spiritual? Are there activities that make us feel connected to the world around us as it is, instead of trying to change it? How can we just <i>be</i> in the world, at peace, whole, complete? Isn’t seeing how far we’ve come and how fruitful our work has been equally as important as doing the work itself?
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<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">I think Shabbat has the ability to mean something different for everyone. Just as the Rabbis have interpreted the torah and come up with halakha, or Jewish laws surrounding the practice of Shabbat, I think that individuals can interpret for themselves what would feel restful in their own lives. With the central thought being: since God is holy, and kept Shabbat, Shabbat is to be sanctified, and observing Shabbat in turn makes his people holy, and therefore closer to God.
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<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">For me, Shabbat is a day where I make space for reflection, rest, and community. When thinking about how keeping Shabbat as a reform Jew would be both manageable for me, while at the same time not isolating myself from friends and family, I choose to interpret the language of the Torah for myself. “You shall not do any work”, “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy”. In this way I can create my own definitions of what feels like work, and what feels holy. When something new arises I try and decide whether it feels like work or rest, is the task something I enjoy, is creation involved, etc. In almost every possible task there can be room for debate. Transportation, money, light, hot water, cooking, and many more. Rabbis have spent time offering interpretations of text and creating laws of how Jews should approach tasks in order to be in compliance with observing Shabbat. Those who consider themselves to identify with a specific movement of Judaism may feel that their Shabbat observances be in tune with that of their movement, ie. Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, etc. <span style=""> </span>I think the lessons we can draw from the actual text itself is much more significant then getting lost in the different halakah and it’s interpretations, where we may lose the goal of Shabbat all together.
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<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""></span>The most important part is making Shabbat feel like a day that is separated from all other days of the week. Where the focus of the entire day is holiness, and presence with the world as it currently is. By eliminating work on Shabbat I never feel I have to be anywhere but where I am in that moment. Shabbat has had only a positive impact on my life thus far, I feel as if I’ve given myself the gift of time. When we are able to connect with each other, share holy space, and allow ourselves time in turn we remember what it is to be a holy people.
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<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">With all that we have available at our fingertips now, it is easy to forget the importance of spending time with our family, friends, and ourselves. Nowadays people are constantly connected to the larger world; we may forget what it is like to simply take in the world around us, by being outside, engaging in discussions, or reading something we enjoy. Instead we are constantly distracting ourselves from being fully present in our lives with gadgets and rushing from one thing to the next. Let Shabbat be a reminder to not just let the world pass you by but take time to remember what makes <i>your</i> world holy. Who are the people, and what are the things that you enjoy most? Are you making time for these people and things in your life? This upcoming Shabbat take a few hours to unplug, unwind and be present with people and the world <span style="font-style: italic;">without</span> multitasking. Giving your full attention to something signifies that you find it important, why not devote your importance to the people/ things you care about? For those of you who celebrate Shabbat weekly, or once in awhile, what is the impact you feel it has on your life?
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<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">There has been a lot of recent talk about people being too connected to our appliances/ internet/ social media and substituting real interactions with our online interactions… <span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">Read more….</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">Not paying attention even to our emails: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brain.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=multitasking&st=Search">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brain.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=multitasking&st=Search</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">Or our relationships:<a href="http://www2.wnct.com/news/2010/jun/07/distracted-gadgets-are-they-affecting-your-relatio-ar-212972/">http://www2.wnct.com/news/2010/jun/07/distracted-gadgets-are-they-affecting-your-relatio-ar-212972/</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">Could we be sacrificing our lives when we drive while distracted? <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/technology/series/driven_to_distraction/index.html?scp=4&sq=multitasking%20and%20internet&st=cse">http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/technology/series/driven_to_distraction/index.html?scp=4&sq=multitasking%20and%20internet&st=cse</a></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">Or causing serious mental health issues by spending excessive time on the web: <a href="http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2008234,00.html">http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2008234,00.html</a></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">Some reading/ resources on Shabbat… </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">Books about Shabbat: <a href="http://www.judaism.com/books/shabbat.asp">http://www.judaism.com/books/shabbat.asp</a></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">Lecture at JTS Thursday February 17<sup>th</sup>. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/books/review/Goldstein-t.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/books/review/Goldstein-t.html</a></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">What to do about reading an e-book on Shabbat:<a href="http://www.thejewishweek.com/blogs/jewish_techs/cuddling_up_e_book_shabbos"> http://www.thejewishweek.com/blogs/jewish_techs/cuddling_up_e_book_shabbos</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">Sabbath Manifesto, keeping Shabbat made easy... </span><a href="http://www.sabbathmanifesto.org/">http://www.sabbathmanifesto.org/</a>
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<br /></a></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-11092110644357641292011-01-19T08:51:00.000-08:002011-01-20T19:10:20.417-08:00ּבשלח (Exodus 13:17-17:16) B'shalach- Are Miracles always good?<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u>The Text:</u><br />This week's Torah portion highlights the miracles that occur as the Jews leave the land of Egypt. Mainly, this miracle refers to Moses parting the red sea in order for the Jews to safely cross out of Egypt. We often use the word miracle when taking about something unexplainable, or supernatural. As my niece cited "we use (the word) miracle when we talk about hope." What she meant by this is that we <i>pray</i><span style="font-style:normal"> for miracles, hope, change; all positive occurrences. Is the word miracle ever used to highlight a negative change? Or, when something negative happens and since we view it as "for the best" we say it is a miracle? This miracle, which assists in the final step of the Jews exodus, is sung about at every Friday night Shabbat service. When we sing the prayer Mi Chamocha, we say, "Who is like you Eternal one, among the Gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders?" As Jewish communities sing the Mi Chamocha they do so to show praise for a God that performs amazing, and unexplainable miracles that we can only continue to hope will happen in our lives. Some people spend their entire lives waiting for a miracle or the near impossible to occur. When we sing this prayer we are showing that we believe in God's ability to perform these miracles. What isn’t talked about in this particular miracle is that after the red sea is closed thousands of Egyptians drowned. Do we turn an eye to these Egyptian murders because their deaths 'miraculously' saved the Jewish people? While we are taught 'you shall not kill', does this not apply when perhaps the death itself is 'for the best'? Or when it is in self-defense?<br /><br /><u>The Implication:</u><br />There are very few "miracles" that occur in our lives anymore. A miracle is more than a happy occasion; it is trying to explain the unexplainable. Something that is still miraculous in our lives is the creation of people. Scientifically we know how cells multiply and how babies come to be as growing organisms but the fact is that the creation of human life is still miraculous. As is the body's ability to heal itself. This week I found myself in conversation with a friend in medical school who is currently doing an ob/ gyn rotation where seeing the ‘miracle of life’ is a daily occurrence. However, this particular conversation was different. This week a young pregnant patient of his lost her baby at the end of her second trimester. In other words, if the baby had been born s/he would have had a high chance of survival at this stage. While miscarriages occur statistically with some frequency, when it is personal, and you're dealing with people experiencing this loss first hand it is nothing but tragic. There is an association with new life of being a time of happiness and joy. But, when this expected happiness is coupled with tragedy we often find ourselves at a loss of how to react. However, what if this loss is also a miracle? What if it is in some ways ‘for the best’? What if there were abnormalities in the fetus which would have caused a life of hardship? How do we psychologically come to terms with the loss of something we never had or got to experience? How do we wrestle with this unexplainable loss? How do we as a community act in a supportive way to those who have experienced pregnancy loss? As we see in this weeks Torah portion sometimes miracles are intertwined with extremes, and result in both positive and negative outcomes. Do we then redefine the term </span><i>miracle</i></span><span style="font-style:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >?<br /><u><br />The Application:</u><br />Whether it be a miracle or a loss we turn to our community for support in times of need. We share stories, gather for meals, and remind ourselves that it is people who will always be there. In our technological age it is easy to forget that when it matters most we rely on our family, and friendships. For those experiencing a life changing moment it is imperative to be able to be embraced by a caring community. Whether you're praying for a miracle or have either experienced a health related miracle or loss, it is important to figure out ways you can ask for what you need from those around you. Additionally, while being in need may not be something currently pertinent to your life, have you thought about how to be available to those you care about who may currently or in the future face such challenging times? Do you reflect on how to be a good listener, and express appropriate empathy? As well as figuring out when to step up and lend a helping hand so that it isn’t up to one person to bear the full burden after something monumental in their lives has happened? Sometimes our cards of life are dealt and we have to figure out how we will respond to situations which may arise in our own and others’ lives. What if we were to think of how we would react to such a tragedy as if were our own, would this strengthen our ability to feel empathy. Whether it be a miracle or a loss that we will have to deal with throughout our lives it is up to us to figure out how to be grateful for what we have and how to be ready for future trials. There are different organizations who have done the work of figuring out how to help people be supportive to their friends and family in need even regarding unthinkable topics such as pregnancy loss, read resources below. Click for other related posts on <a href="http://tacklingtorah.blogspot.com/2010/12/va-ychi-genesis-4728-5026-through-shmot.html">loss</a> or <a href="http://tacklingtorah.blogspot.com/2010/12/zechariah-46-intentional-belief.html">how to</a> be <a href="http://tacklingtorah.blogspot.com/2010/12/vayigash-genesis-4418-4727-reconciling.html">supportive</a>.<br /><br />Take a minute to think about how fragile our lives are and what miracles you are currently praying/ hoping for. How could you be better supported? How can you better help those around you? Do those you care about know that you are there for them? Are we paying attention and remembering to be grateful for the miracles which occur in our own lives?</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.jewishhealing.org/pregnancy.html"> A Jewish response to helping clergy and community respond to pregnancy loss that hits close to home</a><br /><a href="http://www.mommyshorts.com/"> My cousin has documented the life of her one year old Mazzy in the best blog I've ever seen- <span class="MsoHyperlink">mommyshorts.com</span></a><br /><a href="http://www.lulu.com/items/volume_64/6133000/6133670/3/print/Through4.pdf"> Velveteen rabbi poems about miscarriage</a><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/b/beck-adam.html"> Expecting Adam - A great read, a book about one womans supernatural experience when carrying a baby with down syndrom</a>e</span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-24358298671029514532011-01-09T12:26:00.000-08:002011-01-09T13:04:34.552-08:00וארא– בא –– (Exodus 6:2-13:16) Va-eira and Bo: Divine Power vs. Enduring Leadership<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u>The Text:<br /></u>The past two week’s torah portions Parshat Va-eira, and Parshat Bo speak of the ten plagues that G-d brought down upon Egypt in order to free the people of Israel. The story of freeing the Jews from Egypt is the story that we tell on the holiday of Passover. G-d speaks directly with Moses instructing him to ask Pharoah to “Let my people go that they may worship me.” G-d shows his power through the ten plagues (blood, frogs, lice, insects, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and death of the first born) that are brought upon the land of Egypt. Whether you know the story from the movie, “The Prince of Egypt”, or the text itself the idea is the same; the Jewish people were enslaved and being mistreated, and Moses stood up to Pharoah and threatened him to “let my people go” or there would be consequences brought to the Egyptians. Moses acts as a leader, and a messenger of G-d’s divine power. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" > And say to him, " יהוח the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you (Pharoah) to say, 'Let My people go that they may worship Me in the wilderness.' (Exodus 7:16)</span></blockquote><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u>The Implication:<br /></u>This past Friday I was at Shabbat dinner where the conversation turned into an intense debate. The topic: what do we do about countries without democratic governments. Countries whose citizens may be suffering human rights violations, governments that operate in a way in which information is censored, and where the government has the power, vs. the people.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >The main question: whose job is it to help? 'Fix' their problems? Who decides if the way in which they govern is right or wrong? Is the difference simply ideological, or do we have a responsibility to do something? In theory, the United States votes leaders into power who represent the majority of people’s opinions to make decisions in our government. Individuals have a say and a sense of empowerment. Ultimately our leaders are responsible to the people. Whereas in many nations around the world, including many developing nations, this is not the case, leaders tell their citizens what they can and cannot do; how they live, what knowledge they have access to, etc.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >In Egypt pharaoh was mistreating a group of people, and God stepped in. In this case, the solution was to move the Jewish people (who were enslaved) out of the land of Egypt. The question that kept arising in our debate was: is it the job of the U.S. to intervene? Do we act as God and tell other countries how to act in the ‘right way’ when we see injustice? Do we rescue refugees? Or, do we say 'not our problem', and turn a blind eye? What is our role? Do we have a larger global responsibility to save people whose own countries and government systems are not protecting its’ citizens? How do we take the lessons we learn from Parashat Va-eira and Bo into our current struggles of international politics?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u>The Application:<br /></u>The United States has power and ability, does this mean are at liberty to act in a God like fashion, impose our own democratic views onto others? Or, do we as God did act through creating leaders like Moses in countries who may be in need of assistance? God didn’t strike without clearly outlining to Pharoah, the leader of the Egyptians about what would happen. God used Moses as a leader, and instructed him how to stand up to the authority of Pharoah and explain the consequences if the Jewish people weren’t treated in the way they should be. Maybe the solution is that we build leadership among our neighbors citizens so that they have the sense of empowerment that Moses did.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >We read of so many instances of injustice, and often are saddened and unsure of what we can do to help. The task of what to do may be overwhelming, and in turn, we do nothing but watch as more tragedies unfold. In many ways, we are useless when it comes to intervening in others’ lands. Not our place, against international laws, etc. Instead, we do very little, causing the global community a disservice by turning a blind eye. It’s not an easy battle but we cannot do nothing because the task itself is overwhelming. If we ourselves can not do the activist work needed, there are organizations who are building leaders, and providing aid that are in need of funding. Maybe Torah shows us that our responsibility is not to stand idly by when we see injustice, but to step in, take charge, and build power. We can become informed leaders, speak out, and fund those already doing this work.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >As Martin Luther King Jr. day approaches we are reminded of how great leaders have brought about change in this country. May we all strive to be leaders in our own lives, regardless of how large the task, and may we find ways to help others in our global community to empower themselves.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Recent materials/ organizations inspiring this reflection…..</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://ajws.org/">American Jewish World Service</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/There-Shall-Be-Needy-Tradition/dp/1580233945/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264709134&sr=8-1&tag=533633855-20">There Shall Be No Needy: Pursuing Social Justice through Jewish Law and Tradition by: Rabbi Jill Jacobs</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Problem_from_Hell:_America_and_the_Age_of_Genocide">A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide by: Samantha Powers</a><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/books/review/Elkins-t.html?_r=1">Little Bee by: Chris Cleave</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>More tackling torah posts about <a href="http://tacklingtorah.blogspot.com/2010/11/vayishlach-genesis-324-3643-honoring.html">leadership</a> and <a href="http://http://tacklingtorah.blogspot.com/2010/11/vayeishev-genesis-371-4023-conquering.html">power</a>. </b></p> <!--EndFragment-->Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-89962331183918256062010-12-30T15:24:00.000-08:002010-12-30T16:11:40.537-08:00ויחי – שמות -- Va-Y'chi (Genesis 47:28-50:26) through Sh'mot (Exodus 1:1-6:1) Endings which lead to righteous beginnings...<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >A preface: I have loved taking the time to reflect and blog so far, but I’m hoping you, the reader will start to engage in discussion more! So, if you’re enjoying reading, please comment so I can start to be accountable to readers. That way I can learn what you think too!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u>The Text:<br /></u>As we near the secular new year of 2011, I’ve been thinking a lot about endings and beginnings. Recently in reading the Torah, we ended the book of Genesis, and began the next book, Exodus, last week. A lot happens in this transition. In Parshat Va-y’chi at the end of the book of Genesis we expierence the loss of the Jewish forefather Jacob (<a href="http://tacklingtorah.blogspot.com/2010/11/vayishlach-genesis-324-3643-honoring.html">or Israel see: Honoring our names matters</a>). But, the torah doesn’t just state in one line Jacob died as it does with many other previous deaths. Instead, the entire Parshat of Va-y’chi speaks about both blessings and preparations for Jacob’s imminent death. His wishes are respected, honored, and sacred.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >At the beginning of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Exodus">Exodus</a>, (a book that deals with the Journey of the Jewish people from Egypt to the promised land) the first Parashat is Sh’mot. Here, we begin to hear the story of the Jews as slaves in the land of Egypt. In fear that the Jewish people are growing in strength, Pharoah orders that the midwives kill all Jewish male babies at birth. Sh’mot recounts the story from the birth of Moses, through his childhood, his flee from Egypt, speaking to G-d at the burning bush, and his eventual return to Egypt to free the people of Israel. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Together, Va-y’chi and Sh’mot revolve around themes of death, birth, and community support. In the story of Jacob his community engages with the wishes he has in his final days, and in Sh’mot much of the community is involved in sparing Moses’s life and providing opportunities to set him up for successful leadership.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u>The Implication:<br /></u>Last week I attended services at B’nai Jeshurun in New York City, where Rabbi Felicia Sol spoke about Parshat Sh’mot. She spoke of the actions that the midwives Shiphrah and Puah took in saving the lives of the Jewish male babies. She spoke of how the midwives acted out of righteousness. Rabbi Sol related this action of righteousness to the current event of the passing by the House and Senate of a bill that would repeal the actions of DADT (don’t ask don’t tell) , which now would allow gay and lesbian US soldiers to be open about their sexual identify in the military. She spoke of the midwives being either in awe of or in fear of G-d. Showing that G-d is so powerful that the midwives knew by not acting in a way which was right they themselves would suffer consequences.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"><span class="Apple-style-span" ></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="mso-tab-count:1"><span class="Apple-style-span" > </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" >“The midwives, fearing G-d, did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.” (Exodus 1:17)</span></blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >What does this lesson of righteousness mean? Do we often act in the “right” way? People often struggle with what is right. However, I think even harder is to make these actions of righteousness a priority in our lives. We may know something is the “right” thing to do, but may do absolutely nothing about it. How do we get past this step? Not to say there aren’t real reasons holding us back from stepping up. We may be rushing to an important meeting, or fear for our own safety in certain situations. When we see an elderly person crossing the street how many of us offer a helping hand? Do we reach out to those we know may be struggling, or do we get preoccupied with our own lives? Do we even have the time to be righteous anymore?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Parashat Sh’mot teaches us how to act in a way that is righteous, but how do we relate that to the themes of life and death, beginnings, and endings, as we see in these two recent Parsha’s. What is our own individual ability, and/or responsibility to help a member of our community who we may see struggling with life, death, and everything in between? When life is ending what is it that we remember? How does thinking about mortality help us align the way in which we live our lives, the things we value, and how to act with righteousness above all else.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Do we have a communal responsibility to act in the “right” way towards those dealing with depression, illness, or the mourners among us? </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u>The Application:<br /></u>While we are busy thinking of new year and a new beginning in our lives, people often make resolutions of how they want to improve. Maybe this is the year you’ll learn something you’ve wondered about for awhile, maybe you’ll make more time to eat right, exercise, call your grandmother, or maybe you’ll start listening to your instinct about what is right and important in your life. Maybe your priority is career advancement, or culinary school. Any or all of those things don’t change the fact that you can act with righteousness towards everything in your life.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Depression, death, illness are all topics we often avoid and struggle in dealing with as they are not openly talked about. When Jacob was dying, his son Joseph did everything his father asked for even after Jacob was gone because it was the right thing to do. Maybe doing the right thing for the ill, and mourners among us is as simple as asking for what is needed or doing things and offering even when nothing was asked of you. Often we can identify what is needed, and right but we just have too many other things going on to offer support. Remember that our situations can change in an instant and while we may not be ill or mourning today, tomorrow may be different. We each need the ongoing support of community in these moments and it is up to each individual to act in a righteous way in assisting those who currently need help in their community .</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Those who are sick, depressed, or in mourning may feel shame around their situation but creating opportunities where we act ‘with intentional righteousness’ will cause a chain reaction for others to follow suit. Don’t just do things because they are popular do things because they are the right thing to do. Showing communal support when someone is upset is just as or even more important as showing support on happy occasions. It may not be easy, but often stepping up is the right thing to do.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Some resources and giving credit where credit is due: </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/13/nyregion/13burial.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=jewish%20death&st=cse">A recent New York Times article about Jewish Communal caring for the dead</a><br /><a href="http://www.bj.org/about-bj/rabbis-hazzan/">Credit to B’nai Jeshurun, as Rabbi Sol’s comments inspired me to think more about righteousness</a><br /><a href="http://www.92y.org/shop/category.asp?category=Classes888Classes+-+Subjects888Personal+Development888Support+Groups+at+the+Y888">92<sup>nd</sup> Street Y offers group discussions for recent mourners</a><br /><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >What do you think about acting with righteousness and remembering those in our community who are struggling?</span></p> <span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span> <!--EndFragment-->Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-10301060375721374112010-12-12T14:52:00.000-08:002010-12-12T16:19:51.065-08:00ויגש-- Vayigash (Genesis 44:18-47:27)- Reconciling outwardly and within.<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u>The text:<br /></u>In this week's torah portion, <a href="http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Bible/Weekly_Torah_Portion/vayigash_index.shtml">Vayigash</a>, we learn of Joseph’s reconciliation with his family. Joseph, one of Jacob’s 12 sons, was sold into slavery by his brother’s because of their jealousy of how their father Jacob favored Joseph. Joseph is able to forgive his brothers for the sake of creating a united family, which at this point encompasses ‘all the children of Israel.’ </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Instead of faulting his brothers, Joseph believes that g-d needed to have him endure the hardships caused at his brothers' hands in order to ensure the people of Israel's survival. Joseph’s perspective with time allows him to believe that things happen for a reason.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[1]</a></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" >“ I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold to Eqypt; and now, don’t be troubled, don’t be chagrined because you sold me here, for it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.” (Genesis 45:5)</span></blockquote><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Joseph shows incredible resilience in his ability to look beyond the ways in which he was mistreated and is able to start anew. Joseph is an inspirational figure who helps us to understand sometimes we cannot be caught up in fault, but rather it may be about our ability to move forward and see the bigger picture. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u>The implication:<br /></u>I have often wondered why as Jews, we read the Torah every single year, and why people study the Torah as intensely as they do. While this may not be the most comprehensive answer, I think that each time the Torah is read we bring a different perspective to our reading of Torah. Our perspective varies and is shaped by current events in our lives, and by how we can apply the teachings and lessons of the torah to our personal situations. The stories of the torah have the ability to be both historic for the Jewish people and simultaneously relate to the modern human experience. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >What are the relationships that need repair in your life? How do we learn from Joseph’s tribulations about how to overlook past wrongdoings and move forward for the sake of our family, community, and friendships? While I read Joseph’s story it becomes clear to me that Joseph knew that he was wronged but he didn't let it matter. The brothers additionally knew that they should be asking for forgiveness, and over time they regretted treating Joseph in the way they did because it only caused further strife and guilt in their lives.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >It is clear to see from Joseph’s actions that he is the real hero by acting with humility in his familial situation. Joseph could easily have turned his brothers away to fend for themselves while their people were faced with famine. Instead, Joseph shared his good fortune and hard work in order to further the Jewish people, leaving no punishment for those that had wronged him except for their own self-imposed guilt. When we are wrong, admitting that we are wrong allows us to grow from our mistakes. But, there are also the times when we may not have done anything wrong at all. Others' perceptions may make it impossible to do anything without being criticized. Yet we must still act in a mature way as Joseph did, in order to move forward. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Torah is re-read each year as a piece of text may apply differently to your life, dependent on circumstances you currently find yourself in. The text may have the ability to re-teach us lessons in every reading. This year I take it personally in challenges I face. Do I have the ability like Joseph does to forgive others' harmful actions? If I know I am doing the right thing, am I able to look towards the bigger picture, forgetting what has been done for the sake of forging a solid front going forward? Joseph had a special relationship with his father; do people try to harm us out of their own jealousy and insecurities? Is there anything we can do to change someone else’s perceptions? While we may not be able to change our outside world, how do we go about making changes for ourselves?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u>The application:<br /></u>Earlier posts refer to <a href="http://tacklingtorah.blogspot.com/2010/12/zechariah-46-intentional-belief.html">why our actions matter</a>, and <a href="http://tacklingtorah.blogspot.com/2010/11/vayishlach-genesis-324-3643-honoring.html">how we can shape them</a> and <a href="http://tacklingtorah.blogspot.com/2010/11/vayeishev-genesis-371-4023-conquering.html">have our own control.</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Sometimes we need to reflect on our own lives and what we can do to fix relationships that may need repair. As Joseph found, sometimes it is better when looking at the bigger picture to stand up and be the bigger person regardless of the circumstances. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Some ways in which we may be able to do this is by seeking supportive advice either among our friends and family or, if need be, professionally. Other ways can be making time for yourself to reflect, write or meditate. And lastly we must do the challenging work of reaching out and communicating to those relationships in need of repair. Regardless of the circumstances this is often the hardest part of all, either admitting wrongdoing and asking for forgiveness, confronting those who have hurt you, or figuring out how to as Joseph did reconcile without blame. The goal is to reflect in a way that is most productive for yourself, so that you feel you can move forward towards repair. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >One such method I’ve had the ability to try is the Jewish ritual practice of Mussar, “a spiritual perspective and also to a discipline of transformative practices… it shines light on the causes of suffering and shows us how to realize our highest spiritual potential, including an everyday experience infused with happiness, trust, and love.” <a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[2]<!--[endif]--></span></a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musar_movement">Mussar</a> is an everyday jewish ritual that allows one to be in a constant state of reflection. As Joseph was able to do, may we too be able to reflect and move forward in our conflicts towards reconciliation. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>As always here are some resources or organizations that can help you find the ability to reflect in your own life. </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.mussarinstitute.org/">http://www.mussarinstitute.org/</a> - Mussar Institute<br /><a href="http://www.mussarleadership.org/index.html">http://www.mussarleadership.org/index.html</a>- Mussar Leadership<br /><a href="http://www.jmcbrooklyn.org/">http://www.jmcbrooklyn.org/</a> - Jewish Meditation Center, Brooklyn<br /><br /></p><div style="mso-element:footnote-list"> <hr align="left" width="33%"> <!--[endif]--> <div style="mso-element:footnote" id="ftn1"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[1]<!--[endif]--></span></a> This text lends itself to common cliché phrases we use repeatedly. I apologize in advance.</span></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:footnote" id="ftn2"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[2]<!--[endif]--></span></a> Morinis, Alan. <u>Everyday Holiness, The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar</u>, pg. 8.</span></p></div></div><div style="mso-element:footnote-list"><div style="mso-element:footnote" id="ftn2"> </div> </div> <!--EndFragment-->Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-68915970892997262562010-12-06T19:34:00.000-08:002010-12-07T14:41:16.255-08:00זכריה-- Zechariah (4:6); Intentional Belief<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><u>The Text</u>:<br />The narrative of Joseph’s dream interpretations continues in this week’s Parshat, or Torah portion, Mikeitz. However, on a whim, I am going to switch and reflect on one line from this week’s Haftorah portion, Zechariah.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7757043099778669728&postID=6891597089299726256#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title="">[1]</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">“<b>This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit—said the LORD of Hosts</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">. Whoever you are, O great mountain in the path of Zerubbabel, turn into level ground! For he shall produce that excellent stone; it shall be greeted with shouts of ‘Beautiful! Beautiful!’” (Zechariah 4:6-7)</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">While I grew up singing this line of Zechariah in Debbie Friedman’s popular song, ‘Not by Might, Not by Power’, I never before thought of what the line may imply.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color:black;"><b>Not by Might, Not by Power (Debbie Friedman)<br />(lyrics from Zechariah 4:6)<br /></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Chorus: Not by might, and not by power<br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span">But by spirit alone<br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Shall we all live in peace.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:78%;color:black;" >The children sing<br />The children dream<br />And their tears may fall<br />But we'll hear them call<br />And another song will rise (3x). Chorus.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><u>The Implication</u>:<br />The Zechariah quote itself implies, that by sheer belief, spirituality, and connection we will accomplish great things. I think in order to understand the quote we need to understand what is it that we believe in. These are questions that don’t necessarily have clear-cut simple answers. Why do we pray, or what is it that we are praying for? Why do we join to pray as spiritual communities? How do we cultivate the ‘spirit’ that is being referred to?</span><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">While in the context of Zechariah, the idea is that our belief in G-d will be enough to create what is needed. However, belief itself does not say anything without intention, or in Hebrew, Kavanah. Kavanah can be translated to mean intention or with intentionality. Kavanah also has a deeper meaning. Kavanah means actions with <i>meaning</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> behind them, intention of the </span><i>heart</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, or as Abraham Joshua Heschel says, “<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">Awareness of symbolic meaning is awareness of a specific idea;</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black;"> </span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"><i>kavanah</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">is awareness of an ineffable situation</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">.”</span></span><span> </span>What is it that we believe in enough to act with full Kavanah? Or, is it that by acting with true Kavanah we are growing as spiritual communities?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">Power without good intentions can be destructive. This is why we must reflect and focus on the intentions behind our beliefs. If we are intentional about our spirituality, <i>and</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> our intention is to do good, then we can funnel power to achieve our shared dreams towards a better world.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">This week, in Jewish history we celebrate Chanukah. Chanukah is a holiday that commemorates a military victory for the Jewish rebel army the Maccabees. The Chanukah story highlights two important pieces of history. One, a miracle occurred when oil that was meant to last for only one day lasted for eight. The second is that an army, which should have been defeated, outsmarted their opponents.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">As we see in the text of Zechariah, and in the story of Chanukah, both intention and hope are needed for achieving spirit. In Zechariah it is through full belief, with Kavanah, in G-d that will lead to change. The Maccabees had both faith in themselves and intentionally strategized towards victory. What good is hope without acting intentionally? Why are we spiritual? What is it that we hope will happen? Do miracles happen often enough that we can rely on just our hope, or must we also include intentional actions? While we can’t build power without shared hope, we also can’t be powerful with just the belief that we can be. We have to be willing to give our all to our beliefs. That is how I interpret Kavanah, not just as good intention, or intention with meaning behind it, but as something you believe in so much that when you ‘pray with Kavanah’ you must put your whole self into that belief, because failing to do so would make it meaningless.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><u>The Application</u>:<br />How do we act intentionally? How do we funnel our beliefs to make intentional change? Kavanah is applicable to both large and small-scale issues within our lives. In <a href="http://tacklingtorah.blogspot.com/2010/11/vayeishev-genesis-371-4023-conquering.html">parshat Vayeishev</a> I examined how Tamar and Joseph mapped out power within their own lives, and acted as individuals. Spirituality is more of a <i>shared</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> experience of faith, using Kavanah to shift power, and gaining communal spirit.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Communities that come together in intentional ways around their shared beliefs enact change. They do not enact change by might, or power alone, but instead by their spirit, their <i>intentional</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> beliefs.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">Community Organizing is successful by bringing people together around their shared beliefs, values and towards intentional, achievable goals. Community Organizers work by bringing individuals together, researching community issues, and building campaigns around a groups' own self-interests. Whether it be <a href="http://www.standnow.org/">students fighting to end a genocide in Darfur</a>, <a href="http://www.gbio.org/index.php/campaigns/58-healthcare">affordable health care</a>, <a href="http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101116/NEWS/11160318">creating parent-teacher home visits to better understand local student needs</a> (a recent campaign victory of my friend Dan Lesser), all rely on Kavanah, which builds community power and thereby spirit.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">There are faith-based organizations doing community organizing work all over the country. Here are just some of the Jewish organizations whose community organizing work I’m inspired by:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.jewishorganizing.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">Jewish Organizing Initiative</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://urj.org/socialaction/training/justcongregations/"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://werepair.org/">R</a></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://werepair.org/">epair the World</a><br /><a href="http://ajws.org/">American Jewish World Service</a><br /><a href="http://jewishjustice.org/">Jewish Funds for Justice</a><br /><a href="http://jfrej.org/">Jews For Racial and Economic Justice</a><br /><a href="http://urj.org/socialaction/training/justcongregations/">Just Congregations</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /><a href="http://www.jcrcboston.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><a>Jewish Community Relations Council</a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-weight: bold;">May you find time to reflect on both Kavanah, and your own beliefs this Chanukah.</span><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="Apple-style-span">And, if you are able, help in supporting organizations that are working towards creating change you believe in.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><div style=""><hr align="left" width="33%"> <!--[endif]--> <div style="" id="ftn1"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7757043099778669728&postID=6891597089299726256#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[1]<!--[endif]--></span></a> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">T</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">his quote was brought to my attention by Rabbi Andy Vogel’s weekly torah reflections. Rabbi Vogel is the Rabbi at <a href="http://www.sinaibrookline.org/">Temple Sinai of Brookline</a>, where I served as the Youth Educator. Rabbi Vogel is a wonderful mentor of mine.</span></span></p> </div> </div> <!--EndFragment-->Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-62372536771772943372010-11-28T11:48:00.000-08:002010-11-28T12:06:48.665-08:00וישב - Vayeishev (Genesis 37:1- 40:23); Conquering Your Own Dreams<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Text:</span></u></b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">This week’s parsha deals with overall themes of being an outsider, seduction, power struggles, envy, being powerless, and taking actions to be noticed. The parsha focuses on Joseph and Tamar’s stories this week of both dreams, and controlling your own destiny. Joseph is not afraid to be himself and shares the dreams he has with his family, resulting in his brothers’ jealousy as the favored child of Israel, and selling him to the Ishmalites, causing him to be outcast. He winds up in Egypt where he must devise his own plan and regain his power.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Additionally Tamar, Judah’s (one of Joseph’s brothers) daughter-in-law becomes a young widow when Judah’s son Er and then Onan die for being wicked in the sight of Adonai. Judah refusing to lose another son, forces Tamar to go to her father’s house and remain a widow. Tamar becomes outcast for her status as a widow. Determined to have a child, and refusing to be outcast, Tamar takes matters into her own hands by dressing as a prostitute and sleeping with her father-in-law Judah. In order to prove that this act occurred she asked for Judah’s unique material positions signifying his identity. (Genesis 38:18) “He asked, ‘What sort of pledge should I give you?’ She then said, ‘Your signet seal, your cord, and the staff in your hand.’ So he gave [them] to her and coupled with her – and she became pregnant by him.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Implication:</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What do we do to both understand and control power? Where the power is, and what are the tools at our disposal to shape our own situations/ destiny in relation to power? Both Joseph and Tamar were stripped of their power and status and had to find their own means of regaining their dreams/ destiny again. Tamar proves to Judah through evidence that he has impregnated her, and that he had placed her in a compromising position that forced her to seduce him in order to create offspring. Joseph, imprisoned in Egypt, interprets two dreams of pharaoh’s guards, beginning to regain his status and hope towards freedom by encouraging the guards to speak kindly of Joseph to the Pharaoh. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What are the situations in your life where you feel powerless? What are the actions you can take towards completing your own dreams, and subtly challenging those that hold the power?<span> </span>Similarly to Joseph and Tamar, we too are often challenged or thrown off course in our lives. Reaching a dream is attainable but does not necessarily come easy. We can apply the examples set by Joseph and Tamar as we figure out how to navigate the challenges set before us. Our dreams fulfilled are that much more rewarding when we have fought to attain them.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What are the dreams you have, and who are those in power in your own life? Just as Tamar and Joseph did, we must map out who the key players are in our lives and who stands in our way of obtaining our dreams/ destiny. Once we know who, we must engage in creating a plan towards our goals. This may involve convincing those in power, or proving something of ourselves through our actions, and with evidence, as Tamar did. Do you act in a way that is admirable? Do you barely get a job done, or do you constantly go above and beyond? Once you have achieved your own power, do you keep it for yourself or help those in need to improve their own situations?<span> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">While we may be able to map out who, and how ideally to further ourselves in achieving our dreams, the hardest part may be taking the step and acting on our plans. Often the hardest challenge we may face in accomplishing our own dreams may be self-imposed fear. It may not be the external factors at all. Both Joseph and Tamar acted with bravery in shaping their own futures.<span> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Application:</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Once we’ve mapped out where the power is in the situations we find ourselves in, how do we figure out the actions we will take to create plans to fulfill our dreams or regain power we may have lost or are looking to have. Basically, what do we do about it?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Feeling like an outsider or powerless in your own situation can be extremely difficult. How do we figure out where to turn? Often we must reflect on where we are, and where we are looking to go. Then we must work up the courage to challenge that which makes us feel powerless, or the hiccup that has set us back on the course towards our dreams.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Figure out a strategy to take on the people who have made you feel powerless, chart a course towards your goals, use your actions to build your own status. Tamar became respected for her brave actions that challenged her situation, and she changed her own destiny. Joseph shifted the minds of those in a position of power towards him, regaining control of power in his own life.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Each person’s dreams and the challenges that interfere are different making it hard to pinpoint where to turn. You may be at a turning point in your life, you may feel powerless, or you may feel in control of your destiny, regardless of your current position there are always ongoing dreams we create for ourselves and challenges that we are overcoming. Realizing our own power and ways in which we can control and plan our futures makes us the creators of our own destiny.<span> </span>Make a plan, overcome the fear and take on the challenge head on of regaining your own power.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">While you work to create your own plan and shape your destiny, there are organizations that can help the truly powerless among us, those that may be affected by homelessness, experiencing a loss, unemployment, or the current economic downturn. Here are some Jewish organizations doing the work of helping people find the resources they need, if you know someone in your life that is in need of help please share:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.ujafedny.org/connect-to-care/">http://www.ujafedny.org/connect-to-care/</a><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.jbfcs.org/">http://www.jbfcs.org/</a><br /></span><a href="http://www.jvs-boston.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">http://www.jvs-boston.org/</span></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Trying to figure out what your dream is? PBS explores this question: <a href="http://whatsyourcalling.org/">http://whatsyourcalling.org/</a></span> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7757043099778669728.post-21132883290397838862010-11-21T15:33:00.001-08:002010-11-21T15:58:21.400-08:00וישלח–– Vayishlach (Genesis 32:4- 36:43); Honoring Our Names Matters<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Text:<br /></span></span></u></b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This week’s parsha, Vayishlach, includes a life-transforming event for Jacob. Jacob receives a new name of ‘Israel’. This renaming comes about from a specific event that Jacob engages in: wrestling with “an angel”. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Jacob, never shying from a challenge, receives his new title as a blessing. The angel says, (Genesis 32:29) “No more shall you be called Jacob, but Israel,” said the other, “for you have struggled with God and with human beings, and you have <i>prevailed</i>.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The new name Israel signifies “struggle with the divine”, which Jacob not only conquered in his recent wrestling but additionally in his past life challenges and experiences. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span">The Implication:<br /></span></span></u></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Jacob’s struggle resulting in the blessing of a new name causes me to question names. Names can be given, acquired or created. Additionally names or titles can be gained to signify the work we have done. Our actions can either affirm or challenge others’ perceptions of who we are. Our actions can also further or diminish the validity of our given, acquired, or gained names/ titles.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">When thinking about where our names come from I am reminded of a famous poem <a href="http://bit.ly/c2dXvJ">by Zelda, called “Each of us has a name.”</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Each of us has a name<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Given us by god,<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">And given us by our father and mother.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Each of us has a name<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Given us by the way we stand,<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Our way of smiling,<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">And the clothes we wear.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">People perceive others based on the way that they portray themselves. Every action we take represents how we want to be perceived. We are <i>constantly</i> representing ourselves.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Do you do everything with a smile or a scowl? How do you treat others? When you are faced with conflict, how do you react? You continually are creating an evolving name for yourself.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">There are titles that you can acquire from your choices, and your studies. You may have a title from your relationships to other people, such as someone’s partner, child, parent, etc. There are titles you can earn through study or career such as doctor, lawyer, educator, consultant, etc. All are representative of who you are and all act in a way where your name may be either honored or tarnished depending on your actions or the actions of others who you are in relation to your name.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">When people describe you to strangers, what do they say? What are the adjectives added to your name, which gives people a sense of what type of person you are. How we act can change others perceptions of us. Do we act with kindness or bitterness?</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The best part of our acquired titles is that <i>we get to control them</i>. We are the catalyst that people respond to. When we act positively with optimism, when we treat others justly, when we meet challenges head on as Jacob did, when we “put our best foot forward” that is when we act as a blessing. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">When Jacob challenged the angel, he was rewarded with a name that described his actions, so others would know him as the one who overcame the challenges set before him. Are the actions you take appropriate representations of who you are and how you want to be perceived by others?</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The Application:<br /></span></span></u></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">November 20<sup>th</sup> was national Transgender Day Of Remembrance. It is an event where transgender individuals and allies gather to remember those lives lost to violence in the past year due to hatred against people expressing their gender variant identity. Names are read, lives are remembered, and hope is shared for future violence to end.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Every person controls and decides who they are and how they want to be perceived. This is the same for transgender individuals. Each of us have different identities. We should be able to chose what those identities are, and how we want to express ourselves.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">In the same way that Jacob was given a new name, someone undergoing a gender change may chose a name that they feel is better representative of who they are.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">People should both strive to, and be able to be their fullest selves at all times. I hope that one day we can all live in a world where people are not treated poorly simply because of the name and identity they have chosen and that is the best representation of the person they are.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">We all should be held accountable by our names for how we represent ourselves. Simply, all people want to be respected for who they are, and want to live in the world where they are comfortable with the name they have created for themselves, without fear of bullying or violence towards them. When people react in a negative way towards others, they are only <i>tarnishing</i> their own name.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">If we are each held accountable and responsible for our own actions then we should take time to reflect on how others may be perceiving us. If you took a moment to think about what others would say about you, do you think you would like what you hear? Are there ways in which you can continue to work towards making your name the most representative of the best person you want to be? How are you treating others? Is it the way you would want to be treated?</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">By focusing more on how we can honor our own name by acting in a meaningful way that is representative of the best person we can be, we will be striving to create a world where we are treating people the way we want to be treated. We will be able to gain the titles that fully represent ourselves and we will honor those names or titles we have already achieved and created for ourselves. And we too will be a blessing. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">A prayer for those who have been harmed for simply being themselves….</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">For Trans Day of Remembrance<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">God, full of mercy, bless the souls of all who are in our hearts on this Transgender Day of Remembrance. We call to mind today young and old, of every race, faith, and gender experience who have died by violence. We remember those who have died because they would not hide, or did not pass, or did pass, or stood too proud. Today we name them: the reluctant activist, the fiery hurler of heels, the warrior for quiet truth, the one whom no one really knew. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">As many as we can name, there are thousands more whom we cannot, and for whom no Kaddish may have been said. We mourn their senseless deaths, and give thanks for their lives, for their teachings, and for the brief glow of each holy flame. We pray for the strength to carry on their legacy of vision, bravery, and love. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">And as we remember them, we remember with them the thousands more who have taken their own lives. We pray for resolve to root out the injustice, ignorance, and cruelty that grow despair. We pray, God, that those who perpetrate hate and violence will speedily come to understand that Your creation has many faces, many genders, and many holy expressions. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Blessed are they who have allowed their divine image to shine in the world. Blessed are You, God, in whom no light is extinguished.<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">‐</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> Rabbi Reuben Zellman </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Related Links: <o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><a href="http://bit.ly/cpSRZQ"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">My youtube video response to the recent lgbtq bullying and resulting suicides</span></span></a></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><a href="http://conta.cc/ahJBAh"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">What Keshet has to say about Transgender Day of Remembrance and resources!</span></span></a></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><a href="http://transtorah.org/resources.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Transtorah.org</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">, Jewish resources for Trans Individuals and allies</span></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><a href="http://bit.ly/8GjYE"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Ingrid Michaelson’s song “Breakable”, a song that speaks to me about fragility of life </span></span></a></u></b></p> <!--EndFragment-->Elyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14102113486247744523noreply@blogger.com1