Rabbi Rebecca's Writings

14/15 August 2020, 24/25 Av 5780

MESSAGE FROM RABBI REBECCA

These days continue to be so strange. Our executive board are working flat out to prepare for a safe and responsible return to the building.  We all want to be together.  I know for many, zoom services provide a strong and meaningful substantiate for being in our beloved Hutton Grove. For some maybe not so much. And I empathise with how everyone is feeling.

Re’eh anokhi nothin lifnaichem hayom beracha u’klalah. Behold I set before you blessing and curse. This is the opening verse of this week’s portion (Deut 11). The Torah text implies listening and observing the commandments or not designated a blessing or curse. Generations later we appreciate fuller way of understanding the choice in our response to life. Indeed our preparation for the New Year is all about that wrestling we all have to manage. It’s not easy.

We will try our first Car Park drive-in service on Friday 4th September and then again 11th September. We are allowed up to 30 people either in their cars or seated outside the Small Hall doors. We will be outside so singing will be permitted. Dean and I will lead from outside the Small Hall and it will be streamed to Zoom and Facebook as usual. This will be a first step for us!

Do book in to join us. We will manage a first booking system, and will particularly reach out to some of you who have not been using Zoom.

Today I officiated at my first wedding since lockdown. There were 6 guests and many more on the screen from Paris. It was strange to be doing that amongst people. Be called Rabbi by folk in real time next to me; sign a ketubah and stand under a chuppah. It reminded me we will be back, we will return and things will be as they were and maybe a little bit better.

Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Rebecca

7/8 August 2020, 17/18 Av 5780

Rabbi Rebecca writes:

Your clothing did not wear out upon you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. (Deuteronomy 8:4)

How could I resist this verse?

Rashi suggests that their clothes were refreshed by the Cloud of Glory-a sort of celestial dry cleaning. And as children grew the clothes on their backs grew with them; like a snail’s shell. I love these details. Even medieval rabbis asked practical questions. But on a deeper level this verse speaks to the idea of surviving trials; walking for those years through the desert was not easy and Deuteronomy acknowledges that. As always it offers succour to contemporary readers and the ordeals we encounter. Sometimes we manage them, and our clothes don’t wear out and our feet don’t swell; in other words we survive them.

This is a good verse to read through these weeks of Av as we approach the month of Elul. After Tisha B’Av our liturgical tradition dictates the 7 haftarot of consolation-the reminder there was and is renewal and forgiveness. It’s a good message to internalise.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rebecca

31 July/1 August 2020, 10/11 Av 5780

From Rabbi Rebecca

This week I wanted to share a thank you letter to you. Never in a million years would I have anticipated this birthday would be accompanied by such generosity from my synagogue.

Truly I was rendered speechless when a group of FPS folk gathered at my garden gate in the rain last Shabbat afternoon and presented this extraordinary cake and the plethora of gifts you gathered for me. You even listen to my sermons; these tiny models of books are all pages I quote from.

We are having great joy unpacking our new garden sofa, around a fire pit (how did you know we had been longing for such things?) New garden lights are being hung and I see no reason why we couldn’t squeeze in here for a Shabbat service one balmy day, or at least Havdalah.  You donated in my name to a beloved collective philanthropy project that helps and supports women and girls in London. You even gave me two nights away, (mid week of course) in a hotel in deepest darkest Somerset with a beautiful restored garden. I have much to be grateful for, but these loving gifts have totally humbled me. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Rafael made a toast at our (small!) birthday dinner and ended saying “You must be an ok rabbi, Mummy, because your congregation has done such nice things for you.” Last Shabbat Dean sang Bob Dylan’s Forever Young “May you always do for others; And let others do for you.” And goodness how you have. Thank you for your kindness, and thoughtfulness;  accompanying me as I mark this milestone, a half a century, as I keep being reminded! Yaaloz libi the psalmist wrote, my heart leaps for joy. (Psalm 28:7)

Shabbat Shalom

Rebecca

24/25 July 2020, 3/4 Av 5780

Click on this image to see Elliott’s story

MESSAGE FROM RABBI REBECCA

Communities are rightly proud of their children. Jewish tradition urges us to nurture the next generation, and indeed each generation. L’dor va’dor we sing each Shabbat morning, generation to generation. Teach this (whole thing of Judaism) to your children v’shinantam l’vanecha so says the Shema prayer. And Talmud Berachot when it insists children are like builders in what they create:

Rabbi Elazar said Rabbi Hanina said: Torah scholars increase peace in the world, as it is said: ‘And all your children [banayich] shall be taught of Adonai, and great shall be the peace of your children.’ (Isa. 54:13) Do not read your children [banayich], but your builders [bonayich].” -Talmud Brakhot 64a

So it’s pretty clear, generations matter. Not just families and ‘your’ children but the future of all communities. Elliott Karstadt, Dr Elliott Karstadt actually, is a child of this congregation. His parents Lyn and Philip Karstadt raised all three of their children Elliott, Lauren and Jonathan within our congregation (Lauren is my Rafael’s favourite teacher ever, ever.)  Elliott was taught in Ivriah, directed to Bar Mitzvah by the legendary Tzvi Rosenwasser. He continued and became a teacher for the next generation of children. He taught both at Ivriah and Jewish Studies GCSE here at FPS. He teaches adults and has been an integral part of the Delving into Judaism community. He was part of early Shabbat Resouled and has maintained that connection and commitment despite these past five years of learning and serving Reform and Liberal communities across the UK.

This Shabbat is a joy not just for his family but for us his synagogue. Elliott will become a rabbi next Wednesday. It should have been on July 5th with all the pomp and ceremony of all ordinations. Our Dean Staker was to present him and I was to ordain him.  But during these extraordinary times we will have a small, distanced private ceremony next week.

It is one of the greatest privileges I’ve known to be Elliott’s ordaining rabbi. Moses is told ; charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him…. I imagine these words addressed to me for Elliott. And I will do so with your love and pride also.

Shabbat Shalom and do join us for this service.

Rabbi Rebecca

17/18 July 2020, 25/26 Tamuz 5780

MESSAGE FROM RABBI REBECCA

This portion of Mattot-Maasei, the last in the Book of Numbers, mentions cities of Refuge; arei miklat feels pertinent this week. Originally envisaged as a safe place for those who had caused accidental death; where they’d be protected from vigilantes before they went through the justice process. Invariably modern commentary considers their contemporary application. Miklat comes from gather. What makes our community a place of refuge and safety? What makes our community a place that is fair and just for all members to be equally ‘at home’? Last night’s well attended Beit Midrash considered just this. Our own Elijah Michael and the two guest speakers; Madeline Young and Lia Grant challenged us.

We have identified ten steps for our synagogue intended to address two differentiable but related issues – ensuring that we are a fully welcoming and inclusive community for Jews of colour and ensuring that we are an actively anti-racist community. As our Honorary Secretary Tamara Joseph explains;  It is not at this stage a considered and developed strategy or plan, but it is a place to start.  As Rabbi Charley Baginsky said at the LJ Community Briefing about this, “I am sorry that we are at the beginning, but we are at the beginning.”

Our first stage emerging from last night is to establish a working group which reports to council to undertake a systematic review and evaluation of FPS’s practice between now and Rosh Hashanah as an act of Teshuvah so that by Rosh Hashanah we are ready to set out a programme of action for the following year.  We have identified realistic and critical goals. If you are ready to join this important and timely work tell me.

For now I wish you Shabbat Shalom, all of you and a moment of peace and difference for those 24 hours.

Rabbi Rebecca

3/4 July 2020, 11/12 Tamuz 5780

26/27 June 2020, 4/5 Tamuz 5780

MESSAGE FROM RABBI REBECCA

I managed a few days off Zoom this week; and it was refreshing. Except for Delving into Judaism and Rosh Chodesh I had a break from screens; it was very welcome and I benefitted, as did the garden and my reading list.  I was able to attend to both.

But screens and connectivity have also been our lifeline, and may continue to be for a while. As we navigate and negotiate what this slow and tentative easing of restrictions may look like I want to reassure everyone that I and synagogue Council/Board are being careful and cautious, following Government guidelines and those created in response by Liberal Judaism.

For those of you who have not yet tried our online services they have been surprisingly successful and even personal. Attendance has grown at all synagogue events, not just services, and community has grown tighter, I am certain. Nothing will stop as of yet as we work out how and when we might safely and inclusively return to our building. Please try a service if you have not already and if you need help to do so, we are happy to arrange that.

I’m proud of how adaptive we have been as a community, how much joy and poignancy we have managed in communal prayer when we have been in separate places.

I note with irony Moses gets into big trouble this week because he failed to ‘trust in’ God. It encouraged me even more to sustain the trust inside FPS that we are looking after everyone and the services, learning and justice we hold so dear. We are all so enthusiastic to be back at 54 Hutton Grove but it is not yet that time.

Shabbat Shalom to everyone,
Rabbi Rebecca

19/20 June 2020, 27/28 Sivan 5780

MESSAGE FROM RABBI REBECCA

As so often Torah echoes real life, or is the other way round?

Rav Lechem, you’ve taken too much says Korach an envious Levite to his leader Moses.

Of course Moses is a humble man but his elevation to supreme leader was swift and endorsed all the way by God.

Korach’s challenge is considered by most Torah commentators unilaterally as audacious jealousy, fuelled by egotism. Disagreements a la Korach are the worst and should never be copied. But this week in our study we agreed that envy, displacement and desire for a role is familiar and sometimes even understandable.

All the people are holy Moses insists. And that we appreciated.

There is no equivalence between characters at all! ( I can’t stress that enough) But I can’t help but notice the extraordinary action a Premier footballer directed this week in parliament. Government was forced to recognise wisdom and common sense coming from outside the corridors of Westminster. Marcus Rashford led a spectacular u-turn that means children from poor homes will receive lunch vouchers during this long summer, coming as it does after months of closed schools. It will make a huge difference to many families. Challenge is sometimes very, very good.

Commitment to read Torah in light of current events only serves to deepen my Jewish connections. I think this is especially now in these strange times, as we are isolated but connected; wanting so much to extract meaning from life around us. Judaism should be that.

On Tuesday we will have a Zoom event listening to those with experiences of loved ones cared for as they advocate for a Living Wage for Carers. Margot Katz, Mary Huttrer and Alison Pilpel will join Deb Hermer from 7-8.15pm.

This is in line with Citizens UK national campaign to provide the real Living Wage to Carers. Archbishop Sentamu said carers need PPE – Proper Pay, Proper Protection & Equality with the NHS.

Thursday 2nd July will see us completing an action with fellow Barnet Citizens ‘blessing’ a local Care Home as we lobby hard for this change. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu argued; “There comes a point where we need to stop pulling people out the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they are falling in ….”

Join us for a gentle and familiar FPS Shabbat with Shabbat Resouled and Shabbat morning tomorrow. Truly a pause in business and moment for stillness.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Rebecca

12/13 June 2020, 20/21 Sivan 5780

MESSAGE FROM RABBI REBECCA

I wanted this week to share the words of our member Elijah Michael, writing for him and his brother, Benji. I’m immensely proud of his eloquence and what he shares with us. Shabbat Shalom to you all.

This is my take on what it’s like being black and Jewish. This is the same for Benji also.

In an article by the Jewish Chronicle in 2019 about the experience of young, black Jews – which is my demographic – the common theme throughout was that they experienced ignorance but not necessarily racism and I’d argue that is the same for myself. 99.9% of my experience of being black in the Jewish community has been positive and uplifting. However, there have been cases which need to be addressed. One remotely ignorant comment that I’ve become almost numb to is “you don’t look Jewish”. I don’t perceive it as explicit racism, but I do regrettably perceive it as the internalising of the racist trope that all Jews are hook-nosed, no taller than 5’5″ and engrossed by the prospect of vast monetary wealth. It also reflects an imaginary idea that I’m not typically Jewish by a specific ‘standard’ simply because I’m a person of colour, which is rather ridiculous. Another I come across is “do you play basketball?” which I’ve received from a few of the older members of the congregation. Whilst it is a racial stereotype, I am aware that in the context of the scenario they weren’t intending any offence and most likely meant it as a compliment and I am also conscious that this is as much attributed to my tall height (6’2″) as it is to my skin colour. They shouldn’t be chastised for it, but educated as to why that is offensive and how it resembles an unpleasant cliché that pigeonholes me based on my skin colour.

Often I find myself sticking out in most Jewish settings throughout life; whether it be JSoc, school or synagogue and the only thing I ask is that I am treated as a normal human being. I have noticed that there is a certain glamour associated with my skin colour and often when I mention to another Jewish person that I am also a Jew, a tumultuous delight about me ignites in them. 1 in 2 Jews in Israel are of colour and you are as likely to come across a person of Ethiopian descent with a yarmulke on their head as you are a Chasid with a streimel. Black Jews are not the unicorns they’re often perceived to be and it is something that needs to be made more of.

It must be said that in light of the recent events of America, it fills me with pride that the Jewish community – regardless of sect or domination – has rallied in rigorous support of the black community and the black Jews within the community in the face of racism rearing its ugly head again.

5/6 June 2020, 13/14 Sivan 5780

And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Kushite woman he’d married…(Numbers 12:1) This moment our Torah portion Be’ha’alotecha may or may not have been early racism. Or perhaps it was something entirely different. Either way it gives pause.

We know we WANT to be doing – and this is what we WILL be doing – working with Citizens UK calling for the living wage for all essential workers, many of whom come from BAME backgrounds, this is a start. Please watch out for and join in this.  If you want to donate these charities are doing essential work in the community. 100 Black Men of London mentors young leaders. Mama Youth Project provides training courses for enabling new faces and backgrounds into media positions.

But now what we SHOULD do is take a step back and LEARN and READ.  Angela Davis wrote; It is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.

This week I started to re-read Toni Morrison’s Beloved. I also just ordered  The Good Immigrant: 21 Writers Explore What It Means To Be Black, Asian, And Minority Ethnic In Britain Today edited by Nikesh Shukla, so critical to understand the lives of those settling in this country.

I am thinking of how we as a community can engage with this work of seeing and calling out racism around us so all live with dignity and justice. But first I am listening and I am reading. This is Jewish work for us.

We know this is not new. There have been countless occasions of racist brutality in the US and truthfully here too.  There is a new energy and attention now. Albie Sachs, veteran anti apartheid campaigner and South African Constitutional Court Justice, spoke this week on anti-racist protests to PM’s Evan Davies.

See it , he suggested, not just as a duty but as an opportunity. I loosely quote; As you fight for human justice, you become more human and more just. This is our Jewish work now, this is the Jewish story. Not looking for parallel experiences of anti Jewish rhetoric and offence but rather to be concerned with our neighbour.

Look at this essay Religion and Race written by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel in 1963 at the height of the Civil Rights protests . But it could be this week.

People are increasingly fearful of social tension and disturbance. However, so long as our society is more concerned to prevent racial strife than to prevent humiliation, the cause of strife, its moral status will be depressing, indeed.

Equality as a religious commandment means personal involvement, fellowship, mutual reverence and concern. It means my being hurt when [a black person] is offended. It means that I am bereaved whenever a [a black person] is disfranchised.

Shabbat shalom
Rabbi Rebecca