“And the ETERNAL said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your land and your birthplace and your father’s house to the land I will show you. And I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing.’”
These words are so central to our Jewish story, to the notion of wandering, home and blessing. This week I read such thoughtful commentary on this week’s portion by Dr Marshall Ganz and Professor Marshall Fine both lectures in Civil Society and Employment.
In our own time and place, we are wise to recognize the danger of allowing any single land to confer sanctity on any single people.
Reading these words against the backdrop of the Israeli Elections and the prospect of what might be there in such an unholy alliance with Itamar Ben Gevir who calls for the death of Arabs has been interesting. And it calls us to consider the juxtaposition of land and blessing. The results, still unclear today, will affect those living in Israel and of course those working for the state from the diaspora.
It couldn’t be more timely that we get to welcome two extraordinary people from Israel this Shabbat morning; whose organisations are changing lives there. Palestinian civil society activist Nabila Espanioly and both Jewish and Palestinian representatives from Ir Amim, who work towards a more stable and equitable Jerusalem. What blessings their work bring.
They have won Human Rights Awards from NIF and are here to be celebrated and we get to host them before the dinner on Sunday. Please join us Shabbat morning to hear from them and meet them over kiddush with our ambassador Abigail Dolan.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rebecca
In honour of Parashat Noach and the Tower of Babel; this week’s Torah portion. I visited the Hieroglyph exhibition at the British museum with Rafael and my father David. Seeing the Rosetta Stone moved into this exhibition demonstrating the process of decoding from hieroglyphics to Demotic to Greek couldn’t have manifested Torah’s description better;
Genesis 11:9 Therefore its name is called Babel; because the Eternal confounded the language of all the earth: and from this the Eternal scattered them abroad across the face of all the earth.
The deciphering and decoding of French Egyptologists like Jean-Francois Champollion changed our understanding of the ancient Near East and it adds to our biblical comprehension as well.
The story of Babel and the challenge of communication is usually understood as a myth about hubris and human audacity. But this week at the British Museum I was reminded that the attempt to converse and or understand each other is the most human response to life we have. It’s a nice lesson to be reminded of.
Please note this week is our final call for HHD charity donations and we now turn towards our Mitzvah Day plans with the Rainbow Centre- We are looking for accountants for their much relied upon debt advice service, ex-teachers for homework help, craft-y people for February Half Term holiday club.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rebecca
John Steinbeck used the story of Cain and Abel as the seed for his East of Eden about competing brothers and the devastation it unleashes on the family. He ends with the word taken from God’s exchange with Cain; V’Atah Timshol Bo…You can overcome the desire to do wrong. This idea compelled Steinbeck so that the novel’s denouement is about this devastating truth; we all have choice in how to behave. This is in our first portion of the year Bereshit, after the creation story and Adam and Eve and their eating from the tree of knowledge, right at the end of the portion is this powerful story that has echoed way beyond the verses of Genesis chapter 4. We always have choice and the ability to manage unhealthy inclinations that will cause us and others pain. I love this challenge coming as it does so swiftly after the Tishri festivals. As we restart our cycle of Torah following the unscrolling on Sunday and Monday.
Watch out for FPS folk reading their verses of Torah on Shabbatot over the next few months.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rebecca
AL SHLOSHA DEVARIM HA’OLAM OMED -AL HATORAH, AL HA-AVODAH, V’AL GEMILUT CHASADIM
ON THREE THINGS THE WORLD STANDS; TORAH, WORSHIP AND KIND DEEDS.
Mishnah Avot
If Torah is one of the foundations of our Jewish life, and learning such a key part of our synagogue community, then it stands to reason that Simchat Torah is one to truly celebrate as we end and begin again the Torah cycle. It is the final festival of the month of Tishri, completing it all and we will be honouring our Chatan Torah Franklyn Gellnick and Kallat Bereshit Alex Gellnick. And as we did 2019 before COVID we will be unrolling the scroll -bringing Torah to us all and so many of you will be reading a verse, some of your for the first time ever and some rehearsing your B’nei Mitzvah memory. Truly the looking inside the Sefer Torah is an experience, not just the proximity to this particular scroll but also the recognition of key stories, poems, moments in our Torah narrative. I love this and so look forward to sharing this with you all. Come Sunday 6.30pm and Monday 11am. Wear warm clothes (windows and doors open as usual). Bring drinks or desserts to share.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rebecca
It was so meaningful to see so many of you over Yom Kippur, in the synagogue and online. I felt so keenly how we are were altogether in a very profound way. And the huge participation by so many of you made me exceedingly proud of our congregation. Thank you.
These days are busy in the life of any rabbi, Shabbat tomorrow again, and then into Sukkot and I anticipate our Sukkah crew have planned something special. I feel very fortunate.
I look forward to continuing through this month of Tishri and being reminded by this week’s Parashat Haazinu of the continuity we are all engaged in; ensuing we and our community has a future and a hope. (From Shechinah Mkor Hayeinu we repeated yesterday).
“Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations; ask your parent and they will show you….”
We are doing good work together.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rebecca
It’s such a precious time these ten days – we have opened the door, our hearts perhaps are sharpened and doubtless we are thinking of ways to commit to the year ahead with some changes, new habits, forgiving and letting go of old ones. The twenty five hours of Yom Kippur are a gift of reflection. The metaphor of the Book of Life quickening pulse and perspective.
I love these lines from Lucille Clifton (1936-2010)
i am running into the new year and
i beg what I love and I leave to forgive me
See this opportunity for (anonymously) adding your thoughts to our collective al chet – confession …
We are better generally at forgiving others than ourselves. There is something familiar about chastising ourselves for not being good enough, kind enough, effective enough. I want that very much as I am sure you do. But there is also acceptance in the process of Teshuvah. I so look forward to seeing you then with our green machzorim in hand.
This coming Shabbat Shuvah I’ll be preaching at the LJS in my role as Rabbinic conference Co-Chair. Rabbi Igor Zinkov will be preaching at FPS. I know he’ll be warmly welcomed.
Shabbat Shalom
We talk of Rosh Hashanah and the Yamim Noraim (‘days of awe’) being later this year. But in reality the Jewish calendar is prepared for this always and we will be reading Parashat Netzavim this Shabbat in preparation it feels.
13 And it is not beyond the sea, that you should need to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to get it for us and proclaim it, that we may obey it?’ 14 But the word is very near to you; upper moth and your heart so you may do it. 15 See, I have set before you today life and goodness, as well as death and disaster.…
Rambam suggests this thing, this word is actually the art of tshuvah-reparation and return. For us here at FPS we say return to us, come to our services in person or tune in via Zoom or facebook as usual and be part of the congregation for this beginning of the year.
Last Saturday’s Selichot service by candlelight was beautiful and David Dolan, Adaya Peled, Gabi Highman, Dean Staker and Franklyn Gellnick reacquainted us to the tunes of the HHD and with new pieces to encourage us to get there. Who knew Schubert would put me in the mood for Rosh Hashanah!
I’ll be adding a pomegranate to my shabbat table this week and the newness of those seeds will be tasted then and again for Rosh Hashnah kiddush. May this last Shabbat of the year be meaningful for you.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Rebecca
Elul encourages us to look inwards and consider who and even what we are; and more importantly what matters to us. I love this teaching from Buddhist meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg “Pay attention to what you are paying attention to…” We get to reflect this month what is important to us. And we get to do it as a community together.
Starting back this Shabbat in person for Cafe Ivriah Book Club before the service to have a conversation about David Baddiel’s book Jews Don’t Count.
This will be a good opportunity.
Firstly my teacher Rabbi Professor Larry Hoffman always says it’s Jewish conversations we need in all our synagogues, not necessarily didactic lectures but real Jewish conversations about topics we care about. Secondly thinking about our own identities, especially now, can only be a good thing. And we are beginning with Baddiel’s book navigating, as it does, the particular experience of being a Jew here in the UK.
I look forward to seeing you there.
And I also very much look forward to seeing any of you who cherish that first moment of the HHD season with the Selichot service Saturday 9pm (in person only) -reintroducing us to the melodies and carving out that reflective time for us – by candlelight we hope. This year our member David Dolan will bring his knowledge and love of music to us as we respond to carefully chosen pieces before we begin our service.
Wishing you a peaceful Shabbat,
Rabbi Rebecca
I was not allowed to recite a public shehechianu by the bus stop as Rafael left for his first day of school this year beginning Year 10. But I certainly wanted to.
I love to offer this blessing whenever I, my family, or our community do something for the first time, or the first time of this year. And I know many of you do as well.
And so this Shabbat our learning community of Ivriah return for a new term. Our post year 13’s return for a Pizza Shabbat lunch Send Off to University or their Gap Year plans. Our teenagers will be re-gathering for Kabbalat Torah sessions; parents will be having wine and the children will be cooking marshmallows in my garden. In short we will have many opportunities for marking new moments. Let’s enjoy these moments.
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu, v’kiy’manu, v’higiyanu laz’man hazeh.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who has kept us alive, upright, and able to be brought to this season.
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Rebecca
This weekend begins Elul. Saturday evening we see Day One and the last 29 days before Rosh Hashanah.
“See I set before you life and prosperity; death and destruction …”
This weekend’s parasha reminds us we always live with choice and we can be awake to it if we choose.
Wishing you well for Elul and Shabbat Shalom.
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