I believe that the most powerful thing in the universe is language. Our Torah says that language is so powerful it even has the ability to create the universe itself. The Framers of the U.S. Constitution enshrined language as the very first, and perhaps most important law of our land. Every place that values the spoken or written word knows that it can give rise to revolution and unite the people. In the Jewish community today, we use language to bless people, to bless moments, and to bless spaces. In this week’s Torah portion, Naso, we read one of the most important blessings in Judaism, the Priestly Blessing (Numbers 6:23-27): Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: “May Adonai bless you and protect you. May Adonai’s face shine on you and be gracious to you. May Adonai’s face turn toward you and grant you peace.”’ Let them put My name on the Israelites, and I will bless them. These are the words we use at every simcha, every happy … [Read more...]
June 9, 2020 – 17 Sivan 5780
Letter From The Co-Chairs Hello and welcome to Tikkun Olam Times, a blog dedicated to Social Justice. Our tag line says it all. Be Inspired-Get Engaged-Do a Mitzvah. Our mission is to provide you, members of our community, with a one-stop shop: a place to uplift and inform, connect as a Kehillah, and engage in meaningful dialogue. Here, you can search for volunteer opportunities and find specific ways to help repair cracks in our bruised and fragile world. Here, you can read good news, see inspiring pictures, and learn how young, old, and everyone in between are helping the vulnerable in our backyard. As the needs in our community and the demands of Covid-19 change, so too will this publication. We will shift gears in response to those changes, expanding certain programs, offering new ones, and phasing out projects when recipients no longer need them. We want to be as nimble as possible; but, we need to hear from you! If you learn about a teen involved in a meaningful mitzvah … [Read more...]
“I met a traveler…”
According to our tradition, on this very night thousands of years ago, we Jews received the Torah on Mt. Sinai. With matan torah/the giving of the Torah, came the strategy and the means to create a new type of (aspirational) civilization, one that would change the world forever. …and so tonight, we celebrate the holiday of Shavuot! Jewish communities from around the world will read the Book of Ruth, recite joyous prayers, eat dairy meals, and bring harvest colors into their homes. However, my favorite way to celebrate Shavuot is through Tikun Leyl Shavuot, group study, and learning. Education and study are paramount values in Judaism, for they signify the Jewish view of the world: that through effort and honest intention, progress towards something higher can be achieved. Throughout history, empires have marked their greatness by seeking to erect something permanent for all to see: statues, temples, buildings, plazas. Yet we know, regardless of what the powers of each age insist, that … [Read more...]
The Real Deal
Recently, I was speaking with a friend on the telephone. This friend also happens to be a Temple Emanu-El congregant. When she asked me how I was doing, I told her the truth, “some days are better than others, and some weeks are better than others.” She was surprised at what I said. “Really?” I assured her that this was true. It happens that this week I am doing ok, but there have been other weeks where the time has been rough. I don’t think for a moment that I am unique in this. I know that I am not. My family and I have been (and continue to be) in as strict quarantine as we can manage, for all the right reasons. And that can take its toll. Most of the ‘lows’ that I experience come from missed opportunities and events that time will not give back. All of us are experiencing this in one way or another: Graduations that are absent of anticipated celebration, life-changing trips canceled, simchas delayed, hugging … [Read more...]
Planning for an Unknown Future
In the best of times, we can plan ahead weeks, months, maybe even years in advance. We know that life has its risks, but we do our best to try to account for surprises and volatility. Today, we can’t confidently say what we’ll be doing in a month, or a year from now. Living in such flux, we ought to be able to rely on the certainty of at least a few things: our family, our friends, and Temple Emanu-El to pull us through. The reason we should be able to do this goes back nearly 2000 years. Rabbi Akiva said, “The one who studies Torah in their youth will study Torah in their old age, and the one who had students in their youth will have students in their old age” (Babylonian Talmud Yevamot 62b). What Rabbi Akiva means with this teaching is that whatever is dear to us, whatever we make a habit, will stick with us throughout our life. Scientists know this to be true when it comes to forming and breaking habits. Whether we want to improve our mental health, physical health, or become … [Read more...]
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