Earlier this week, I was jolted awake from a dead sleep at 1:10 a.m. by the piercing sound of my smoke detector. This was not the annoying beeping sound those detectors make when you burn the salmon on the cast iron skillet, no, this was the most terrifying, loud, screech that ensured that if something were wrong, I would wake up. This sound blasted through the apartment because the fire alarm in my section of the complex was ringing through the halls. As I gathered some things to exit the apartment, I finally got my breath back, and my first thought was, “I hope everyone is okay, let everyone be okay.” I was undoubtedly holding some other feelings at that moment as well, but I was almost relieved that this was my first reaction, because I don’t believe it would have been my first thought a few months back. However, I had recently studied a teaching by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, also known as Reb Zalman, and a founder of the Renewal movement. He suggests that when we hear a … [Read more...]
Rabbi, do we give to the people with cups and cardboard signs asking for money on the street?
What if they use the money to buy drugs or alcohol? We can’t possibly know what they’ll do with it, can we? During rabbinical school in Cincinnati, I lived in a beautiful, walkable neighborhood surrounded by Victorian-style houses, apartments, shops, and the characters of Ludlow Avenue. Just a two-minute walk from my apartment we had a theatre that showed artsy films and midnight showings of Rocky Horror Picture Show. We had the Moroccan restaurant, Graeter’s ice cream, coffee shops, our neighborhood bar, a small, unbecoming concert venue, and lots and lots of people. When I walked to Ludlow Ave, I always carried dollar bills, because, on the corner of Telford and Ludlow, there was usually someone standing there, asking for money. This person was familiar; they were often there with their kind eyes and gentle demeanor. But every once in a while, some new faces were asking for money. One evening, on my way to meet friends at the neighborhood bar, a man approached me to see if I had a … [Read more...]
The Power and Shock of Studying Violence Toward Women in Text
We’ve studied the rape of Dinah in Exodus 34. We’ve studied the rape of Tamar in 2 Sam 13. We’ve studied the rape of an unnamed woman in Judges 19. These were the first three sessions of our April life-long learning series (there’s still one more session, join us Tuesday at 12:00 or 7:30). When our core text treats women as objects of man’s wrath, and these texts are a part of one of the most read book in the world, this has significant implications for our culture. The images, the responses, the voicelessness, all of this is internalized by the reader. As readers in modernity, we must accept that these images exist, AND we must push back on images that reinforce violence against women. We could just ignore them, but they’d still be there. We can certainly contextualize them in history as a recognition of life in Ancient Near Eastern culture, and yet these horrific acts still occur today. We grapple with the difficult imagery, we acknowledge it, and we give voices back … [Read more...]
Friday With Family
I can recall many beautiful moments from the prayer experiences of my early years. As a child, my family and I would head to synagogue, about once a month, and join with the congregation in prayer and song. These sacred memories are still dear to my heart today. I recall the rabbi inviting my friends and me to open the ark for Aleinu L’Shabeiach: we would race forward to try to be the first one to grab a door and be helpful! I recall my parents sitting on my left and right, pointing to the words in the prayer book: as an eager reader, I practiced sounding out words and trying to keep up with the pace of the congregation. I recall the community clapping in unison during everyone’s favorite Mi Chamocha (and the rabbi never getting the rhythm quite right). Finally, I recall feeling a great sense of joy, purpose, and pride: Joy in singing with my family and friends; purpose in knowing that my voice added to the sound of the community; pride in my Jewish identity and feeling … [Read more...]
Rabbi, Why is this night different from all other nights?
On a very personal note, Erev Pesach, the night that the Jewish world sits down for seder, will always be a night that is different from all other nights. For my family, this is more than the traditions of dipping twice and reclining, because during seder four years ago, Rabbi Max proposed. That’s right, he asked a “fifth question.” Each of us have reasons that this night is different from all other nights, reasons that are totally outside the traditions of our haggadah. We may use special dishes or family china, we certainly prepare recipes that we don’t eat year round, and we often configure our dining rooms, living rooms, and furniture in new formations to accommodate our guests. For many, it’s a time to see family from near and far, all under the same roof. For others, it’s a time to bring Jewish and non-Jewish friends together for an interactive and exciting Jewish experience. Still, for others, it’s a time to discuss current cultural and world issues and uncover why this … [Read more...]
