And suddenly, or not so suddenly, it’s September and summer gives way to the New Year for us. Children return to school and work starts up against in earnest. Those fortunate to have had some time off, or those already retired, know the joy of the second cup of coffee over the novel you’re reading.
September means the beginning of our High Holidays. This Saturday night will be our Selichot service – a play on the word S’LICHAH, atonement, apology. It will remind us of the melodies and liturgies so particular to the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur prayers. As it is intended to be a candlelit service, we will begin at 9.30p.m. with tea and cake from 9 p.m.
You have already had charity pledge forms for our HHD appeals – all of them continuing from last year except Leo Baeck Education Center in Haifa, a progressive school community that impacts Jewish, communal and inter faith life in the city. This is a charity close to Jane and Gordon Greenfield’s heart and proposed by them when we asked for suggestions from the congregation. Of course, as always, our FPS community is part of our appeal and you will have heard separately from us about the progress of our building plans and appeal.
This time of year is always important to a rabbi but this one even more so than usual.
As it’s our 70th year, I wanted our services to reflect this milestone. With the theme of 70 years, we have invited our President Paul Silver-Myer and member Richard Greene to speak, with me, on the significance of the past 70 years.
Richard, who is now Bureau Chief for CNN in Jerusalem, will speak of Israel these past seven decades on EREV ROSH HASHANAH. On ROSH HASHANAH MORNING, I will speak of Jewish life and meaning these past 70 years and then moving closer to home, Paul will speak of Finchley on YOM KIPPUR MORNING. I will speak on KOL NIDREI and again in the YIZCHOR service later in the afternoon on Yom Kippur. As we go inwards on the day, my themes will be compassion and accountability.
I am looking forward to leading the SHIUR on Yom Kippur afternoon. This will be on the F word project and the power of restorative justice in making amends. I look forward to sharing that with you. The exhibition will be up from Rosh Hashanah. Feel free to visit even if services are not your thing.
It is powerful and truly resonates on the themes of the season.
See you there and Shabbat Shalom,
Rebecca.
It’s interesting watching Luis Rubiales, Spain’s Football Association Chief, resist making a fulsome apology for kissing the Spanish player, Jenni Hermoso, on the lips as he congratulated the team’s win at the World Cup. His team, FIFA and indeed the whole world wait and watch for his real apology. This moment sparked outrage after their win against England’s Lionesses. Hermoso explained she felt vulnerable and the victim of machismo aggression. In turn, Rubiales spoke of false feminism and social assignation.
As we approach our season of atonement and making amends, seeing such public situations play out only adds piquancy to the challenge of truly making amends. Maimonides, whose five step processes of atonement informs Judaism’s understanding of apology, said the first stage is properly owning your mistake and failure. Owning the harm. The second is beginning to change; the third, making amends; only then followed by apologising and going on to make different choices.
There is always so much to learn from others making mistakes on the global stage, but even more so how they respond to and manage such failures.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rebecca.
This is a newly written poem by Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah for this month of Elul and I wanted to share it. Elli is Rabbi Emeritus of Brighton and Hove Progressive synagogue and a pioneering thinker for Liberal Judaism. Her book Trouble Making Judaism offers a challenge to consider the power of our tradition in new ways.
Elul
the moon
between
seasons
North
and South
between
the fierce intensities
of Summer and Winter
between
the winds of change
that stir Autumn and Spring
the moon
between
nature’s rhythms
that shines
as it waxes and wanes
a solitary beacon
in the night
searching us out
insinuating pale light
into our minds’
tight crevices
revealing us
to ourselves
in the space
between
the old year
and the new
reminding us
to turn
inward
to listen
to our hearts’ broken beat
of hurts and regrets
to turn
outward
to those around us
to all that lives and breathes
and prepare
for the work of renewal
the repair of our relationships
our communities
our world.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rebecca.
I watched Oppenheimer last Sunday and couldn’t fail to reflect on governance and how those with power behave. ‘Don’t let that cry baby in here again,’ we see Truman say to his Secretary of State James Byrnes after meeting Robert Oppenheimer and witnessing his guilt and moral ambivalence about the atom bomb.
We are only too aware decades later of the authority, at times misused by those with responsibility.
This week’s portion Shoftim told the Israelites,
“You shall appoint magistrates and officials for your tribes…and they shall govern the people with due justice.” (Deuteronomy 16:18)
Here, we are watching democracy threatened in the very land Torah discusses. As many say now of Israel’s government, the ruling party’s power is increasing at the expense of justice.
It’s all in Torah – the concern and the watchfulness of governance.
Rabbi Talia Avnon-Benveniste’s poem, in the style of Rosh Hashanah’s Unetannah Tokef prayer, expresses the caution captured in Deuteronomy. These are no longer ancient words with no relevance or meaning.
Who by court
Who by officer
Who by law
And who by power,
Who by despair
Who by struggle
And who shall I say is ruling?
Who by judge
Who by justice
Who by hatred
And who by mercy
Who by us
Who by others
And who shall I say, are we?
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom and do catch the film, if you can.
Rebecca
In a world of depressing and disheartening news, I wanted to draw your attention to the hope expressed by York Liberal Community in their appointing of their first rabbi. To see a thriving and vibrant Jewish community in York, a place that has historically seen such famous hatred and prejudice, is a very good thing. 1190 saw the mass death of 150 Jews in a situation not unlike that at Masada in the first century. This story offers a subversive sequel (more of that over the HHDs) of how good can follow. Rabbi Elisheva Salamo is an American skilled Progressive Rabbi and we are delighted to welcome her into our ranks. In these quieter days of summer, I like being more aware of these good news stories happening right in our own lives. It’s not often a smallish Liberal community gets written about in a broadsheet.
This week’s portion is Re’eh which literally means to see, or to notice. The first verse reminds us, ‘look you have blessings and curses in front of you.’ Torah links it to commandments and whether to keep them. Reading Deuteronomy now, I understand that these choices are always with us – and noticing the difference is a constant challenge.
רְאֵ֗ה אָֽנֹכִ֛י נֹתֵ֥ן לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם בְּרָכָ֖ה וּקְלָלָֽה:
Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse.
Wishing you a good Shabbat and the ability to distinguish what is in our lives.
Rebecca
Coming back from some days away in sunnier climes, I returned to several deaths in our congregation and families mourning their loved ones.
How do we offer comfort to those who are mourning and suffering? As the Bible asks, how do we speak to someone’s heart?
As a student, I learned from Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg that rather than, or as well as, wishing a mourner a long life, he wishes them a strong heart. I have been moved by these words and how they are received in the houses of mourning. Knowing what to say or what to do is something that our tradition helps us with; it navigates a path of speech and action in the most sensitive of circumstances.
I will always remember when I was at Westminster Synagogue, members there were dear friends of the Camerons (Prime Minister David and Samantha). When their young disabled son Ivan Cameron died, this couple was unsure, even as close friends, what to do and whether their Jewish tradition to visit and care for the mourners was appropriate.
We are taught how to comfort, which is something that is so useful and so important in how we negotiate death, grief and others’ pain.
Last Shabbat was called Shabbat Nachamu (Shabbat of Consolation) after the first line of the prophet Isaiah’s reading; Nachamu, nachamu ami, Comfort, comfort my people…” Isaiah 40:1. The next six weeks will have a haftarah of consolation drawn from the book of Isaiah that delivers a message of comfort in the seven weeks following Tisha B’Av and leading us to the period of Rosh Hashanah. Words intended to comfort do so often bring just that and understanding our role in inviting others to talk of their loved ones, not to be ashamed or embarrassed about recalling moments and memories.
I welcome this period of consolation and the different ways that we are encouraged to expand upon it. God is near to the broken hearted, says the Psalmist in Psalm 34. And that is our role too.
As we are in this period of comfort and consolation, here is Elana Arian’s “Nachamu”.
Wishing you Shabbat Shalom and a reminder that Beverley and I are always looking for sensitive folk to join our team of visitors and those who want to offer comfort and share consolation. Let us know if it is you.
Shabbat Shalom
Rebecca
I’m away this week for some rest and relaxation, swimming and reading and eating of course.
The portion this week V’etchanan contains the Shema, which is a reminder to stop, to listen, to feel the connection of everything and to feel the blessing inherent within it.
Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad. Listen Israel our Eternal is our God. Our God is One.
A reminder to take a moment this summer to watch, observe and feel the pleasure of slowness. As I am taking a few days away here’s something I love for you; a poem by Marge Piercy.
See you on Shabbat morning.
But the discipline of blessings is to taste
each moment, the bitter, the sour, the sweet
and the salty, and be glad for what does not
hurt. The art is in compressing attention
to each little and big blossom of the tree
of life, to let the tongue sing each fruit,
its savor, its aroma and its use.
Attention is love, what we must give
children, mothers, fathers, pets,
our friends, the news, the woes of others.
What we want to change we curse and then
pick up a tool. Bless whatever you can
with eyes and hands and tongue. If you
can’t bless it, get ready to make it new.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rebecca.
We have just started the month of Av and in a few days, it will be the 9th Av. Rabbi Alan Lew, z’l, taught that there is a way to wrestle contemporary meaning and poignancy from this mourning day by understanding it as the beginning of the High Holy Days’ journey. Be ready, recognise vulnerabilities and the capacity for growth and be ready from here.
‘Tisha B’Av’s hot tip is take the suffering, take the reflection and open yourself to the process of preparing for HHD,’ wrote Rabbi Alan Lew, z’l. So next week is the moment of reflection and opening. Although I am away, I commend to you marking this evening with the LJS and pulling out contemporary meaning from this mourning day. Wednesday evening 8pm; see the link below.
I look forward to seeing you next Shabbat.
Shabbat Shalom
Rebecca
Last weekend, I saw a long-time friend, Ellen, from Philadelphia. It’s been six years since we last met but as so often happens, we fell into catching up as intimately as before. She’s a lawyer working on A.I. law for Federal Government but her other passion is Israel and as so often happens for engaged Jews, we talked about what’s happening there. Earlier that day, last Shabbat, Rabbi Oshrat Morag visited. She’s rabbi of the Leo Baeck Centre school in Haifa, she spent time lovingly describing the community she is building and sustaining of children and their families; both Jewish Israelis and Israeli Arabs.
‘I’m under attack,’ she explained. ‘A new normal has become entrenched, where I, as a female Rabbi leading a Progressive school, am under attack. ‘
It is a new normal there and I am so pleased that Leo Baeck Centre will be our new Israel charity and I’m delighted that we continue this talking. Meanwhile, later that night, I learned from Ellen that her son has just completed the new podcast series celebrating Israel’s 75th Birthday called Signed, Sealed, Delivered, about the original Declaration of Independence and its 37 signatories. We quote from that extraordinary document frequently from our siddur. All were Jews from different perspectives and backgrounds. This podcast tracked down their descendants and all whom they found are interviewed for their opinion on the State of Israel now, 75 years on. I commend it to you. It’s a looking back and forward and the perfect way to enter the Summer. LJY Netzer’s Israel Tour leaves next Monday and I plan to listen whilst they are there.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rebecca.
Much is written about the five sisters in this week’s parashah (Torah portion). The daughters of Zelophehad pleaded their case before Moses (and God) to inherit their father’s name and holding as there were no brothers. This had significant impact on inheritance and legacy rulings and Moses and God changed rules because of these daughters. What commentators particularly draw out is the fact they are named, all of them.
…The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noa, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. They stood before Moses, Elazar the priest, the chieftains and the whole assembly…(Numbers 27:1)
They were counted. They were named and they stood up and out to present their case. They boldly demanded an inheritance of the promised land and their names are repeated twice. Babylonian Talmud, in Bava Batra 119b praises them in three ways: as intelligent women knowing when was the right time to speak; as being knowledgeable in Israelite (Jewish) law, knowing the legal ramifications of their situation; and lastly, because they were unmarried and stood up for themselves, whatever their ages.
Doubtless they were astute pioneers. But for us as a congregation, I am particularly drawn this year, on re-reading the text, to the naming of the sisters. This week marked our 70th AGM and in all our remembering and praising what we have achieved, I am struck by the names of individuals whose lives have been touched by FPS and in turn leave their mark. We are nothing if not a congregation of individual named people who have shaped the customs, expectations and achievements of this our synagogue. All who step forward to take office carry the responsibility, however briefly, of the health and welfare of our community and the values we hold. I am so grateful this week for our Council and Executive and the passing the baton from our brilliant Chair Tamara Joseph to our next thoughtful and skilled Chair in Beverly Kafka.
And for me, it’s Mahlah, Noa, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah who remind me of that.
Wishing you Shabbat Shalom,
Rebecca
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