Make A Stand

The day before yesterday news sources reported that three Americans overpowered a terrorist armed with a machine gun on a French train. Three American tourists, young of age and courageous of spirit, stood up to a man with a machine gun, a handgun, a box cutter and extra ammunition. Thankfully, they subdued him and no lives were lost.  A fourth American and one Frenchman were injured but will recover.

      Picture a railroad car with perhaps 20 to 40 passengers seated along the aisle, with some seats facing backward and three unarmed men tussling with one heavily armed man in the aisle.

      What would be going through our minds? What would we bystanders be capable of doing?

      It forces me to think about bystanders.

      Now ask yourself how you would feel if you were a small nation such as Hungary, Montenegro or Belgium and you learned that Russia is making plans to sell missiles to Iran in seven years.

      The day before yesterday, the same day that we learned of the three Americans overpowering a Moroccan terrorist on a train, members of Mobile’s Jewish community gathered in the social hall of the Springhill Avenue Temple and heard from Congressman Bradley Byrne who just returned from an eye-opening and very fulfilling trip to Israel.  In his own words, Congressman Byrne said the high point of the trip was visiting the Kotel (the Western Wall). He went on to say that he and the other members of the freshman Republican class of Congress met  with Prime Minister Netanyahu  for 2 hours and the Prime Minister clearly and cogently  explained the threat to America posed by a nuclear Iran chief.  While Congressman Byrne greatly delighted in the many experiences during the trip the most pressing concern was a nuclear Iran.

      Among these concerns are the inspection protocols of Iran’s equipment.  Per the agreement there are a number of circumstances under which Iran would inspect itself!

      I am not a diplomat, a nuclear scientist or a soldier. I do know that since 1979, Iran has viewed the United States and Israel as great enemies. I clearly remember the American embassy’s being captured and Americans being held as hostages for 444 days. Almost daily we see footage of Iranian protests and rallies against the US and Israel. We cannot trust Iran to respect our nation or our citizens.

      In my mind’s eye I imagine three unarmed men standing up against a heavily armed terrorist and managing to knock him down because the machine gun jammed.  I wonder if Cyprus (joint R& D with Israel on natural gas pipeline to Europe), Ukraine (American ally) and Azerbaijan (a good friend of Israel from which Israel buys 30% of her oil) would be able to stand up against a nuclear Iran with long-range missiles.  Will we wait until one of those missiles misfires? The Middle East is a crowded neighborhood with very little leg room like a crowded train aisle. Will we do everything we can to prevent a rogue nation, so designated by the US State Department, from acquiring the world's most powerful and destructive equipment?  If we care about our children, our friends and ourselves we must contact our congressmen and senators and implore them to vote against this deal, to stand fast in the face of a presidential veto and vote one more time against this deal.

      Please contact your Representatives and Senators. Please forward this email to everyone you know.

      The time to act is now! The deadline is approaching. Do this BEFORE Labor Day! Otherwise, it will be too late.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Steve Silberman

Senator Richard Shelby

304 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
p: (202) 224-5744

p: (256) 772-0460

Mobile

113 St. Joseph Street
445 U.S. Federal Courthouse
Mobile, AL 36602

p: (251) 694-4164

http://www.shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/emailsenatorshelby

Senator Jeff Sessions

·       WASHINGTON, D.C.

326 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Main: (202) 224-4124
Fax: (202) 224-3149

·  MOBILE

41 West I-65 Service Road North
BB&T, Suite 2300-A
Mobile, AL 36608
Main: (251) 414-3083
Fax: (251) 414-5845

 http://www.sessions.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-jeff

Congressman Bradley Byrne

119 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515 phone: (202) 225-4931 fax: (202) 225-0562

Mobile Office

11 N. Water St.

Ste. 15290

Mobile, AL 36602 Phone: (251) 690-2811

Baldwin County Office

502 West Lee Avenue

Summerdale, AL 36580

Phone: 251-989-2664

https://byrne.house.gov/contact

Warrior Mitzvot

It may be said that a society is defined by its literature, by the way it treats its elderly and sick, by the way people care for their animals or by its use of natural resources. There are many ways that we as humans construct our shared lives and demonstrate our values. Unfortunately, our world sees more than its share of violence and warfare. Perhaps the manner in which we fight defines us also.

     Last week’s Torah reading concludes with a well-known and evocative mitzvah. “When you besiege a city do not cut down the fruit trees because you eat of them-and are the trees people who are able to come against you to lay a siege upon you?”

      We can point to this sentence as illustrating our respect and appreciation for nature yet, I hear a simultaneous tone of wonderment concerning the ‘need‘to attack people. This confused and confusing message concerning war continues in the portion read in synagogues throughout the world beginning the day after tomorrow.

     ‘If and when you enter the land in war against your enemy and you see a beautiful woman whom you desire you may not have your way with her. Marry her but allow her to mourn for her parents and family for 30 days and she will refrain from adorning herself with makeup and finery. Only thereafter may you be intimate with her.”

     On the face of it, the lesson is to curtail the appetites of Israelite warriors and to instill within the nation a sense of respect for foreign people. In the face of the horrors of war Torah seeks to teach a bit of restraint. Yet, we all recognize that war is only ’won’ if one power exercises less restraint than the other. It is confusing. Are we to fight at all costs in order to win or are we to fight in a humane manner thereby distinguishing us from the enemy and perhaps falling victim to less ethical warriors?

      Perhaps the Torah’s message of not destroying trees is our best method of opening a conversation about the limits of war.

     I pray that all of us, our loved ones and those loved ones in many lands be safe from war this Shabbat.

Shalom,

Rabbi Steve Silberman

IMPORTANT

The day before yesterday news sources reported that three Americans overpowered a terrorist armed with a machine gun on a French train. Three American tourists, young of age and courageous of spirit, stood up to a man with a machine gun, a handgun, a box cutter and extra ammunition. Thankfully, they subdued him and no lives were lost.  A fourth American and one Frenchman were injured but will recover.

      Picture a railroad car with perhaps 20 to 40 passengers seated along the aisle, with some seats facing backward and three unarmed men tussling with one heavily armed man in the aisle.

      What would be going through our minds? What would we bystanders be capable of doing?

      It forces me to think about bystanders.

      Now ask yourself how you would feel if you were a small nation such as Hungary, Montenegro or Belgium and you learned that Russia is making plans to sell missiles to Iran in seven years.

      The day before yesterday, the same day that we learned of the three Americans overpowering a Moroccan terrorist on a train, members of Mobile’s Jewish community gathered in the social hall of the Springhill Avenue Temple and heard from Congressman Bradley Byrne who just returned from an eye-opening and very fulfilling trip to Israel.  In his own words, Congressman Byrne said the high point of the trip was visiting the Kotel (the Western Wall). He went on to say that he and the other members of the freshman Republican class of Congress met  with Prime Minister Netanyahu  for 2 hours and the Prime Minister clearly and cogently  explained the threat to America posed by a nuclear Iran chief.  While Congressman Byrne greatly delighted in the many experiences during the trip the most pressing concern was a nuclear Iran.

      Among these concerns are the inspection protocols of Iran’s equipment.  Per the agreement there are a number of circumstances under which Iran would inspect itself!

      I am not a diplomat, a nuclear scientist or a soldier. I do know that since 1979, Iran has viewed the United States and Israel as great enemies. I clearly remember the American embassy’s being captured and Americans being held as hostages for 444 days. Almost daily we see footage of Iranian protests and rallies against the US and Israel. We cannot trust Iran to respect our nation or our citizens.

      In my mind’s eye I imagine three unarmed men standing up against a heavily armed terrorist and managing to knock him down because the machine gun jammed.  I wonder if Cyprus (joint R& D with Israel on natural gas pipeline to Europe), Ukraine (American ally) and Azerbaijan (a good friend of Israel from which Israel buys 30% of her oil) would be able to stand up against a nuclear Iran with long-range missiles.  Will we wait until one of those missiles misfires? The Middle East is a crowded neighborhood with very little leg room like a crowded train aisle. Will we do everything we can to prevent a rogue nation, so designated by the US State Department, from acquiring the world's most powerful and destructive equipment?  If we care about our children, our friends and ourselves we must contact our congressmen and senators and implore them to vote against this deal, to stand fast in the face of a presidential veto and vote one more time against this deal.

      Please contact your Representatives and Senators. Please forward this email to everyone you know.

      The time to act is now! The deadline is approaching. Do this BEFORE Labor Day! Otherwise, it will be too late.

Sincerely,

 Rabbi Steve Silberman

Straight Outta Sinai

  

A new film has been released.  "Straight Outta Compton" is a story of violence, drugs, struggle to make life meaningful, conflict between friends, fear of the future and questions about the role we all play in our world. The film tells the story of N.W.A., a group from Compton, California that was highly influential in the early days of hip-hop, and included several members that are still famous today, including Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, who also produced the film. Critics and audiences are raving about its portrayal of life in a community with a bad rap of being crime-ridden and drug –infested. Having read about it and not seeing it, I gather that a major element is conflict between African – American males and the Police.

     Six years before the riots in Ferguson, MO, the film was already in development.  In recent years we have seen an epidemic of encounters between Police and young Black men, many of them violent, many of them confusing and all laden with anguish, provoking many terrifying questions. At the top of the list of these questions, compelling for all people is the use of power and control by police, balancing PROTECT with SERVE. Throughout our entire nation, governments, civic groups, Blacks, Whites and other communities are combating inherited mistrust of authority and decades of abuse and fear, while always emphasizing the need to safeguard families, individuals, officers and youths from too many threats. It’s overwhelming!

     This week all synagogues throughout the entire world roll the Torah to the Parsha entitled Shoftim (Judges).  Opening Torah to read God’s word, Jews throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas simultaneously hear the opening phrases “Judges you shall GIVE to yourself…Justice, Justice shall you pursue.” God demands of us justice; justice between each of us and a neighbor-justice so essential to life that each of us must chase after it to bring it into our own communities. God cherishes justice so much that the Creator of the universe views judges as a gift to be given by people to each other. Our gift to the world is the absolute imperative of TZEDEK/Justice. Thousands of years ago Torah was given and it is now ours. If we do not give Torah to the world the original gift risks being  empty of value. Ask yourself as "Straight Outta Compton" garners millions of dollars in revenues if each of us has contributed enough passion to bring Justice to our world.

 Shabbat Shalom,

 Rabbi Steve Silberman

A Jewish Idea- Old Ties

What does the NAACP have to do with a Sunday morning breakfast at Shul? Togetherness! On Sunday, August 23, from 9:30-10:00a.m., breakfast kicks off our Religious School year. Breakfast is not only for the students. It’s a method of our coming together and reminding ourselves that we all have a vested interest in promoting Jewish identity and knowledge for all who are within our community.

Most certainly, our children have an opportunity to embrace their Jewish tradition. But learning and understanding Judaism only takes root if all of us demonstrate that we care about our each other. This year all members of our shul are invited to breakfast. Come to Shul, eat and demonstrate your support of all of us. You just need to RSVP to the office by Thursday afternoon at 5:00p.m.!

     NAACP is hosting an education forum on Thursday Aug. 20, from 6:00-8:00 p.m.in Bernheim Hall of the Ben May Library. I have been asked to share a few thoughts about the importance of educating our community’s children. A number of clergy, representing different faiths, will be speaking. The goal of this event is to motivate people of different religious traditions to care for Mobile ’s children. All of Mobile ’s children are deserving of a quality education.

     A common thread unites the NAACP event on Thursday and the breakfast on Sunday morning; coming together to show we care for our children. There is nothing more important than being together. And some day when our children grow older they will be supporting us. Togetherness involves us all. Let us all get together so that in the years ahead, our kids will know they need to be together with us.

     Shalom.

Guess What!?

Guess what?  There is a new start-up minyan in West Mobile. You might say a new Shteebul (one-room shul) has sprung up. Starting back in January, 2015 a minyan has convened Friday afternoons in Somerby. We sing Shalom Aleichem, say the blessings for bread and wine, schmooze and kibitz a bit and I may share a three-minute Jewish thought or comment.

     On occasions we shed tears. Sometimes there is loss within a family and we pause, reflecting upon loved ones and then share a word of prayer. It’s very important to console one another. It unites us and strengthens each of us. But most of the time we just laugh. We laugh a great deal during our mini-service. We laugh as we greet each other and we laugh as we depart.

      Someone asked me to summarize Yom Kippur. To summarize Yom Kippur in a matter of moments is quite a challenge. Here goes-  

We make mistakes, we all try to learn how to be better people, we seek a connection with something far beyond the ordinary world to imbue our lies with meaning and we move forward. 

     Even though we are six weeks away from Yom Kippur or perhaps because we are six weeks away, we need to prepare ourselves. This week's Torah reading (known as R-ay) begins with the following phrase; 

 “Look-see, I, God give all of you today the choice of blessing and the choice of curse.”  

      It is up to all of us to choose how we shall live on a daily basis, not just one day per year. Will our behavior be a blessing to ourselves, each other and our community? Will our behavior be destructive for many or even one person?  The choice is ours. It is up to us to make a difference or not. That's Yom Kippur in a nutshell.

     What many Jews don't know is that Yom Kippur is only a last-ditch effort to repair our shortcomings. The best time to improve our lives is right now. Every day we look forward to see our future. This Torah reading (R-ay) literally means SEE. May we see every day as an opportunity for bringing blessing into all of our lives and may we not see a curse take hold of us.
May we see our future as an opportunity for improving our present.

Shabbat shalom!  

Rabbi Steve Silberman

You're Invited

All mitzvot are important. Some people might say that ‘not killing’ appears to be more important than helping someone to cross the street or paying bills on time. Of course, maintaining life is the most important aspect of all humanity but little steps such as giving Tzedakah even in small amounts to strangers and observing a few hours of non-business on Shabbat contribute to a greater appreciation of life. To say that living a life of small mitzvahs will prevent murder seems far-fetched. Still and all, sensitivity borne of small daily acts may leave a lasting impression upon one’s mind. Is it impossible to rule out that if  we ‘add up’ all of our small meritorious behaviors perhaps the result will be as significant as preventing murder?

     One of the most famous of all mitzvot is honoring guests and offering hospitality. Abraham, the father of all Jews, is described as hurrying out into the wilderness upon seeing people and welcoming them into his home. Abraham initiated the tradition of welcoming guests. In fact, welcoming guests is spoken of as a very meritorious act in the daily prayer service and we are all encouraged to follow Abraham’s example. The other side of offering hospitality is to accept hospitality and to thank hosts for being received as a guest.

      We have been invited to the Temple for a special gathering on Sunday, August 23 at 2 PM. Congressman Bradley Byrne will be speaking about his recent trip to Israel. Congressman Byrne is a friend to Israel. This is  an opportunity for us to hear what our congressman has to say, to thank him for his previous support of Israel and also express our own perspectives on the Iran nuclear agreement. Part of being an American is accepting the privilege and the responsibility of interacting with our legislators and communicating with them.

    I hope that all of us as members of our Shul will accept this invitation which has graciously been offered by the Temple. I am looking forward in the months ahead to extending and receiving hospitality to and from the Temple as well.

 As our new year approaches may we all work together.

    Shalom,

 Rabbi Steve Silberman

Because I said so

“Because I said so.”  As children we got fed up when we heard this phrase and we promised ourselves that if we ever became parents we would never repeat these words.

As parents and as adults there are times when we mention these words.  How do we verbalize caution, perspective and love - all of which emerge from our heartfelt concern for people who are much less experienced in the ways of a world which may be unfeeling, unfamiliar and threatening? How do we explain our sense of tremendous responsibility for those who are less aware of pitfalls and obstacles; applying all of the accumulated wisdom of our life experience in a sudden judgment call?

          It is not that we adults are fundamentally close-minded or committed to having no fun – it is that as a result of all that we have learned and experienced we want to safeguard those who will someday stand in our place, those who will someday walk into the future, carrying a bit of us along with them.  It’s difficult to hear ‘because I said so’ because it indicates that the audience may appear to be uneducated or uninformed. That rubs people the wrong way because nobody wants to perceive himself as uninformed.

This week’s Torah reading is named Aykev which means ’as a result of’ or ‘because’. It opens the portion which is a speech uttered by Moses. Moses is speaking to a crowd which never experienced Egypt because it grew up in the wilderness. Moses, having encountered God, Pharaoh, survived an edict of expulsion and lived in the desert for many years, had wisdom to share and did not hesitate to share it with the Israelites.

We, too, can offer our experience to others so that they can benefit from our experiences. We, the bearers of our own traditions can share that legacy with those younger than ourselves. More importantly, we can share our commitment to God and Judaism with those coming along after us. Who better to influence descendants and other loved ones in the ways of Jewish life than loved ones and ancestors?

Shabbat shalom.

Rabbi Steve Silberman

Remember, Dinner tomorrow at shul 6:00-6:30 p.m. and our monthly abbreviated service(Aug.7) 6:45-7:15. You MUST RSVP to the office by 9:00a.m. tomorrow morning if interested in dinner!!

A Jewish Idea- High Holy Days Honors

August is here and although it's the heart of the summer, we Alabamians know what is just around the corner. August leads to September which leads to the beginning of the college football season. We count the days until the important season arrives.

 
       Jewishly, we just began a countdown also. Seven weeks from today is Rosh Hashanah, the first day of 5776.  While most of us are still enjoying the summer's heat, our Ritual Committee and I have already begun planning for the High Holidays and our services. In order to involve as many Shul members as possible in the services we are requesting that members who wish to be considered for an honor contact the office. In this way we hope to avoid unintentionally "missing" someone. In the past we have seen Shul members not attend services leaving their pre-arranged honors unfulfilled. Also, please tell us when you will not be available- we would not like to give you an honor only to find out that you cannot be in attendance at that time. Please contact the office by August 7! Our Ritual committee is meeting next week and it will require time to organize the many details concerning the ritual honors.

 
       These honors include carrying Torah scrolls, receiving an aliyah to the Torah, lifting & dressing the Torah and opening the Aron HaKodesh (Holy Ark). Opening the Ark dates back centuries and is viewed as carrying G-d's words for G-d, G-dself. This is very significant. We can imagine carrying the stone tablets for God just as Moses did.  What a way to begin our year!

        A full schedule of High Holiday services will be included in the September bulletin. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me  or any members of the Ritual committee. Their names appear below.

 
       May the upcoming seasons be meaningful for all of us.

 Geaux Tigers! War Eagle! Roll Tide! Let’s hear it for the Demon Deacons, the Mountaineers and the Longhorns!

Above all, L'Shanah Tovah!

Rabbi Steve Silberman

 We are saddened to announce the death of a long-time member of our Shul; Mr. Kenneth Lubel. The funeral will be at the shul cemetery on Tuesday, August 4th at 2:00p.m. Please  do your best to offer comfort to the family by attending. May his memory be for a blessing.