Who in their right mind would want to host 140 teens at their congregation for the weekend? We would want to and we did it! This “we” is collective. Truly all of us made this Kallah, this weekend NFTY-SAR Winter Kallah, a success. With dozens of host families from Temple Emanu-El, countless helpers at mealtimes, and endless support from our families, Temple Emanu-El hosted an incredible weekend for NFTY-SAR (the Southern Area Region) that we should be very proud of. NFTY is the youth wing of the Union for Reform Judaism. And NFTY is unique because all events are driven by a partnership between teens and adults. In the case of Temple Emanu-El, Rabbi Rachael and I take a deep interest in the success and mentorship of our teens. No other synagogue in the region receives the amount of direct rabbinic interaction that our teens experience at Temple Emanu-El. Over the past two and a half years, we have seen a growth and popularity in TEFTY, Temple Emanu-El’s youth group that has not been … [Read more...]
The Power of a Youth Movement to Empower
Over 80 phone calls, more than 30 Zoom-Video conference calls, in-person meetings, texts, visioning, and even a little daydreaming is about to bring together 170 teens and adults for NFTY-SAR Winter Kallah at Temple Emanu-El (and that’s just the time from our teens, not the rest of the region!). These teens are powerful, organized, smart, and courageous. These are the future leaders of our nation’s synagogues, future lay-leaders, board members, Temple presidents, community activists, and maybe even clergy. These are teens that will look back at their adolescence and note that their synagogue had a meaningful impact on their formative years. With direct mentorship from their rabbis (a unique feature of TE), the chance to learn from the leadership of the teen-led regional board, and incredible support from the NFTY-SAR professional regional staff, our teens have helped to build a weekend-long conference from the ground up. At its core, NFTY is a youth-powered organization that allows … [Read more...]
After my death, please do me a favor…
This week’s Torah portion, Vayechi (Genesis 47:28-50:26), and this week’s haftarah portion from I Kings (2:1-12) tell of the death of two great patriarchs, Jacob and King David, respectively. However, a closer look at both narratives reveal that they are also about hearing the ‘living will’ of each man from his deathbed. Judaism truly elevates this act of relaying to one’s children and grandchildren, in person, the values that you hold highest, and your wishes for how they might conduct themselves in the years after you are gone. These past few days, and weeks, have been hard for many of our Temple Emanu-El congregants, with the passing of truly respected pillars of our community, including one of our past TE Presidents. As a rabbi of our congregation, I sometimes have the honor of being with members of our congregation as they approach their final breath, and with their family through burial and shiva. One of the conversations that is typically had is worrying … [Read more...]
World Zionist Congress Elections are Coming!
The World Zionist Congress Elections are coming soon, and our congregation’s votes are critical to maintaining a large Reform presence! The election (which happens every five years) is our chance to have the Reform Movement’s voice and priorities heard in Israel. This is our chance to combat the discrimination the Reform Movement faces in Israel. Together we can grow our Reform Movement and work towards making progress on the issues we care about: religious freedom, equality, and many more. This process is critically important to the allocation of funds toward progressive causes in Israel. Did you know that the Israeli government pays the salaries of hundreds of rabbis, but only 9 are Reform? Or, that while only 20% of the Israeli population is comprised of Orthodox Jews, 100% of Jewish marriages in Israel are controlled by the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate? A vote for ARZA is a vote to make changes to these types of discrimination. We often sit from the comfort of our American homes and … [Read more...]
Light and Strength: Chanukah and God’s Presence within
Chag Urim Sameach- Happy Chanukah everyone! Last week, we began to read about Joseph, our favorite dreamer, and Jacob’s favorite son. Although he is a star in his father’s eyes, Joseph descends lower and lower: first into a pit, then through many slave trades, and finally down to Egypt. As Joseph descends toward his rock bottom, the Torah reminds us not once, but twice that God is with Joseph. When Joseph moves through his many sales as a slave, God remains “with Joseph, when he was successful and also when he stayed in the house of his Egyptian master [Potiphar].” Later in the same chapter, as Potiphar throws Joseph in prison, we read for a second time, “Adonai was with Joseph, and whatever he did, Adonai made successful.” These two verses illumine that even in our darkest moments, or lowest of circumstances, God is with us, even when things are so dark that we cannot see or feel the light of God’s presence. The Or HaChayyim, a Moroccan born rabbi of the 18th century explains that … [Read more...]
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