Shabbat Thoughts- Visiting the in-laws

You might have seen a TV commercial featuring a family dinner. One man is wearing an  Oakland Raiders jersey while his wife’s entire family is proudly wearing Kansas City Chiefs clothes. It's an effective TV commercial. We have all experienced tense table time and we can identify with being the ‘newly-invited one’. Deep rivalries and earnest fandom make sense to the viewing audience. Throw in the idea of a strong American streak of independence and the admiration we have for people who swim against the current and you have an effective and memorable TV spot. 

       Why shouldn't a man be able to wear whatever he wants? Why should he have to mask his love and loyalties simply because he is at a family gathering? After all, it is a free country and people are entitled to walk and talk and think anyway they choose. Yes, we Americans all live in a free country and we do have rights.

       However, anyone visiting the “in-laws”  can understand the need for diplomacy and tact. Even taking into account the value that we place in having pride in one’s own identity, when we live within a family we all have to compromise. Sometimes we do better by being less obvious in our personal expression. We might realize that being provocative for the sake of being provocative does not contribute to a stable family experience.

        This week’s Parshah, Vayeshev, introduces us to another famous garment and tense family setting. Jacob loves Joseph and gives him some type of ornamented or striped tunic. (The Hebrew mentions stripes and does not mention ‘colors’- that may be the result of Andrew Lloyd Webber and others’ interpretations). Within one verse the brothers begin to hate Joseph and within a few short paragraphs the brothers beat him, strip him naked, throw him into pit and then sell him into slavery. Is the garment incendiary enough that it would cause such a reaction? Think of the son-in-law in the TV spot. It’s plausible that his in-laws would beat him up and sell him as a slave. It is not the colors of the garment but the symbolism behind the garment that matters.

        Jacob’s favoritism of Joseph was as deeply hurtful to the brothers as the insensitivity of the Raiders’ fan was to the in-laws. Favoritism rubs us all the wrong way. It violates our sense of fairness which is deeply rooted; almost as deeply rooted as loyalty and love.

         If only Jacob had exercised the same type of tact that this Raiders’ fan could have shown. Then the family dinner would have potentially gone off without a hitch and Joseph might not have been sold into slavery. Of course, without Joseph as viceroy the entire family would have possibly perished from the drought in Canaan. That’s a different story and the voice of Torah might say “Steven, be careful with monkeying around with major elements such as these.” I would reply that I come from a long line of Rabbis whose legacy it is to prompt questioning. If we learn from the TV commercial or the Parshah to exercise greater thoughtfulness within our families , who knows- we might just eliminate future family crises. 

        How grand that would be!

Shabbat Shalom.

Shabbat Thoughts- Emotional Needs

One week ago many of us gathered together to celebrate Thanksgiving. It’s a family holiday and we all cherish the opportunity of sharing table time. However, even as many of us were decorating our tables and beginning to bake and cook, many Jewish people were nearly weeping over the travesty done, one week prior, by Israel security personnel who nearly succeeded in blockading Reform rabbis and laypeople from entering the Kotel plaza. In commemoration of the ordination of five Israeli Reform rabbis, a delegation from the United States had traveled to Israel. After the ordination ceremony at the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, a group of people had walked to the Kotel to pray. Carrying a Torah in his arms, Rabbi Richard Jacobs was accosted by security personnel. Eventually, he and a group of people managed to enter the Kotel plaza. Most painfully, the newspaper articles indicated that Jewish people had struck other Jewish people intending to pray. Such shocking and disgusting behavior!

         This comes on the heels of protracted negotiations which first began 5 years ago. Some of us remember Anatoly Sharansky, head of the Jewish Agency, as having been instrumental in negotiating the establishment of a section for mixed-gender access to the Kotel. After four years of painstakingly complex negotiations between representatives of the Conservative movement, Reform movement, Women of the Wall and the Israeli Government, a decision to share the Kotel plaza had been finalized.  

         About 5 months go the Israeli government reneged on its promises to allow Conservative, Reform rabbis and mixed groups opportunity and access. Championing the Orthodox party line the  large men's and smaller women's sections will remain for the foreseeable future. In light of this exceptionally disturbing, painful and offensive decision many Jewish people now see themselves as cut off from the holiest site in the world. 

         Divisions between Jews have been the stuff of legend and history for centuries. During the Second Temple we saw conflict between Pharisees, Sadducees, Sicarii, Zealots, Am ha-aretz and others. During the Maccabeean period, soon coming to mind when we celebrate Chanukah, conflict arose between Hasmonean loyalists and assimilationist Jews who wished to become more Syrian at the expense of being Jewish. The well-known joke of a Jewish man marooned on a desert island with two synagogues no longer brings laughter to my face. Such divisiveness emerges from people who are more devoted to principle than human beings.

         And which principle could be greater than human beings? 

 

         Not only in the American public sphere is there a loss of civil discourse. In Israel, and between Israel and many American Jews, we see walls rising-walls cutting off our breath and even the sight of each other. Such walls of ‘principle’ only promote violence and destruction. We can no longer live this way; solely hearing our own opinions and inserting fingers into our ears as we did when we were children. For Jews to survive (and all of us, too) we must be able to open our minds to the possibility that someone else has a legitimate viewpoint.

         This week Jews throughout the world read Parshat Vayishlach. With great anxiety and fear, Jacob journeys towards his estranged and aggressive brother, Esau. Drawn home, Jacob anticipates an extremely hostile reunion. As he approaches the old homestead, he does not know if he will survive the potential conflict. Astoundingly, Esau welcomes him warmly and offers to travel alongside. Perhaps Jacob, wounded from his immediate conflict with the angel and still suffering the scars of 20 years of carrying fear, resentment and grudges in his heart, cannot bear such a life and therefore steps way from Esau.

          Both brothers had harbored distrust and enmity. Ultimately, each had encountered the other and the resulting encounter surprised them both. Like all of us Jacob and Esau had desired to come home. It is one of the greatest human emotional needs. Will we ever be able to establish a shared home?

 Shabbat  Shalom.

Rabbi Steve Silberman

Torah Tidbits

Torah Tidbits and Haftarah Highlights

By Rabbi Steven Silberman

(All page numbers refer to Etz Hayim)

Dec. 2 - Parshat Vayishlach - pp. 206-213 Terrifyingly, Jacob’s daughter, Dinah, is raped in this reading. How does Jacob respond to the rape of his lone daughter? How do her brothers respond?

Haftarat Vayishlach - pp. 222-225 This is the shortest book in the entire Bible! It is one chapter long! Obadiah famously speaks to Edom which is the tribe that emerges from Esau (Jacob’s twin brother). Edom is kin to Israel. Why is a Haftarah directed to a non-Jewish tribe which is distantly related to the Jewish people?

Dec. 9 - Parshat Vayeshev - pp. 233-237 One of the most ‘Soap Oper-istic’ passages ever. Judah is faced with a tough choice. Does he allow his daughter-in-law who had sexual relations outside of marriage to live or does he admit to being the culprit who got her pregnant?

Haftarat Vayeshev - pp. 247-249 Amos is famous! (Like the rhyme?) The first prophet in the Book of Prophets is fastidious about justice. He demands that Israel live a life of justice and decency. Intriguingly, he begins his speech directed towards Israel in a strange manner. Check out the second paragraph in the introduction on p. 246. The second sentence is very surprising!

Dec. 16 - CHANUKAH Parshat Miketz – pp. 257-265 Abraham and Isaac suffer from drought and famine and they temporarily move to another locale. How does Joseph respond to drought? What is different about Joseph and his lifestyle as a result of the drought?

Haftarat Miketz - pp. 1270-1272 This Haftarah speaks about a High Priest named Joshua. Why do we read this passage from a fairly unknown prophet named Zechariah?

Dec. 23 - Parshat Vayigash - pp. 279-282 Jacob travels to Egypt to reunite with Joseph. What does he do? How is he named as he begins this process? Haftarat Vayigash - pp. 291-292 The Haftarah describes a union between Joseph’s offspring tribe ( Efraim) and Judah? Why is this Haftarah paired with this Torah reading?

Dec. 30 - Parshat Vayechi - pp. 298-305 This is the last portion in the book of Bereisheet/Genesis. Elderly Jacob speaks to his sons as he anticipates his death. How do you view these final words? (blessings…/ something else?)

Haftarat Vayechi - pp. 313-314 David speaks to his son Solomon. What connects the Parshah to the Haftarah?

Parshat Vayera - Vayetzei

Torah Tidbits and Haftarah Highlights By Rabbi Steven Silberman (All page numbers refer to Etz Hayim) 

 

 

Nov. 4 - Parshat Vayera  - pp. 104 - 112  

The famous destruction of Sodom occurs in this Parshah. What happens to Lot’s wife? Why? 

Haftarat Vayera - pp. 124 - 126 

This Prophetic passage has nothing to do with Sodom. An elderly woman, without children, eventually gives birth to a son. Why do we read this passage on this Shabbat? 

 

 

Nov. 11 - Parshat Chayei Sarah - pp. 132 - 137  

How is Rebekah introduced to us? What demonstrates that she is the right type of person to become a matriarch? 

Haftarat Chayei Sarah - pp. 143 - 145 

Sarah dies in this Parshah. Why do we read about David and Solomon in the Haftarah? 

 

Nov. 18 - Parshat Toldot - pp. 152 - 158 

Old man Isaac requests a special meal from his eldest son, Esau. Do you remember who prepares and serves the meal? 

Haftarat Toldot - pp. 163 - 165 

“A son should honor his father,” says Malachi in the Haftarah.  Malachi is challenging Israel to honor God. Why do you think he mentions Esau and Jacob by name in the opening paragraph?  

 

Nov. 25 - Parshat Vayetzei - pp. 176 - 181 

Leah and Rachel are dueling with each other to gain Jacob’s attention and love. Leah has 6 sons and 1 daughter. Rachel has one son (Joseph). What does Joseph’s name mean? Does this meaning add anything to the conflict? 

Haftarat Vayetzei - pp.189 - 193  

Remember that Jacob flees to Syria in the Parshah. What links the prophecy of Hosea to the Parshah? 

Shabbat Thoughts- Lech Lecha 5778

  

Most of you know that my mother is from the Deep South. I was born in North Carolina to a Southern woman married to a New Yorker. Eventually, we moved to Connecticut. There was always a gentle undercurrent of friendly rivalry between the North and the South. Separate from visiting my grandparents though, I never gave any serious thought to southern Jewish history. At an early age, I visited the other Touro synagogue in Rhode Island, saw the famed George Washington letter to the Hebrews with my own eyes and grew up with a bit of a northern bias concerning Jewish heritage. It was not until many years later that my formal studies appropriately broadened my horizons. I learned of the historic Colonial Jewish communities of the South; Charleston,Savannah and Richmond to name a few. 

      Manette and I moved to Mobile, only to learn  that the Temple was one of the oldest Reform congregations in the USA and the Shul, originated in 1894, has maintained a cemetery, Chevra Kadisha and kosher kitchen for well over a century! Living in Mobile, I have come to understand the importance the Shul plays as a locus of identity for its members. I have learned from you of the storied and multi-layered Jewish history of our community. The South has shaped the life of its Jews even as Jewish life has shaped the life of the South by its many generations, many families, many public servants, communal institutions and devotion to communal, philanthropic and civic affairs. In many ways Jewish people and Southern life are interwoven. We could say that Jewish businesswomen, mayors, legislators, educators, volunteers, professors, merchants, performers, writers, realtors, entrepreneurs, attorneys, judges, parents, children, businessmen, physicians and more have all made Mobile what it is even as Mobile has made us what we are.

       In this week’s Parsha, Lech Lecha, our eyes widen with wonder over the beginning of Jewish history. God commands Abram to “Go forth from your land, your birthplace and your father’s household to the land which I will show you.”(Genesis 12:1). Abram is commanded to make his own way in the world as each of us must. To be an adult, we must set out on our own path and differentiate ourselves from our parents. Strikingly, though, God does not nickname or identify the destination which will be suitable for Abram. Abram does that himself as we see from the simple description in the Torah - “ And Abram journeyed towards the South” (Gen.12:9). All of Jewish history, indeed all of Jewish experience, emerge from this migration. Without his leaving Syria and traveling towards the South, we Jewish descendants of Abram would never have collectively heard God’s voice, been in Egypt, stood at Sinai, built two temples, introduced God to the world or originated spoken worship. Thank God for the South! May we all continue upon Abram’s path; each hearing God’s voice personally and moving forward as a result.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Steve Silberman     

Shabbat Thoughts- Parshat Noach -5778

Today’s skies were blue. On a day as glorious as this one, it is difficult to remember that two weeks ago we were in the midst of a great storm.  Our friends and family throughout the states of Texas and Florida and our neighbors in Puerto Rico suffered greatly from terrifying hurricanes. There is no evidence in our daily Mobile lives of the extremes of water and wind. In fact, we need to actively engage our memories in order to remind ourselves of the exceptional damage done by the storms.
          We marshaled our prayers and we shared Tzedakah. We all called our loved ones and prayed together, reassuring one another that we are ‘all in this together.’ 
         Today a great storm is threatening the state of Florida and the state of our nation. Richard Spencer, acclaimed as a leader of the ‘alt-right,' spoke on the campus of the University of Florida just a few hours ago. Cloaked in the protective garment of ‘Freedom of speech,' he promotes a message of glorification of people based only upon the happenstance of skin color and the denigration of people because of skin color and place of origin. More frightening than his presence on a college campus is the vocal upswell of support by people affirming the validity of his vulgar and racist chauvinism. Thousands of university students removed themselves from campus today out of fear of potential violence arising from the collapse of social order. Purporting that the broadcast of racist propaganda is one of our most cherished ideals, the expression of free speech, Spencer champions hate and close-mindedness as opposed to openness of thought which majestically arises from the free exchange of constructive ideas. 
                       
        In this week's Parshah we read of a society brought to extinction’s edge by a spread of lawlessness and corruption. Hamas, the Hebrew word for lawlessness, was the the last straw. If murder by a brother, theft of God’s own property ( the fruit from Eden’s tree), lying and shifting of blame did not warrant global destruction then we are left to wonder which types of behavior must have been so wicked that God decided to extinguish the world's population. I can only imagine that the conduct, so reprehensible, must have violated God's expectations of dignity and humanity for all. Despising people merely because of their appearance does come to mind.
        In this day we, too, are threatened with the most corrupt and vile of all human endeavor;racism and prejudice. Unlike Noah, who was the sole possible lifeline for a beleaguered and threatened humanity, each of us bears the power and responsibility to save humanity by speaking and living properly. We must all passionately reassure each other that we are in this constructive effort together, to build a world and not to tear it apart.
          Shalom,

Rabbi Steve Silberman

Parchat, A word from the Rabbi, and more! October 2017

A MESSAGE FROM OUR RABBI

I am excited to remind you about our Artist-in

-Residence weekend at the end of October. You

already viewed many of her beautiful pieces

over the course of Rosh Hashanah and Yom

Kippur. Debra Band, our featured artist, will be

commenting on some of her artwork during the

weekend of Oct. 27 - 29. Debra will be

speaking during Friday evening

services, Saturday morning services and

conducting a special workshop on

Sunday morning. The art workshop is a special

program exclusively for Shul members.

The art workshop is geared for teenagers

and adults. This activity is not for young

children. To sign up please send a check for

$36 to the office by Oct. 8. A check must be

received by Oct. 8 so that we have time to

purchase the special materials. PAYMENT

AND RSVPs ARE REQUIRED FOR THIS

ART PROJECT. There is a limit of 20

participants.

A few of Debra’s special areas of interest

include art, mysticism, Bible, and the role of

women in liturgy and Bible. Debra works

extensively with the Women’s League of

Conservative Judaism. She travels frequently to

address Women’s League events as well as

other groups including inter-religious dialogue

organizations. Involved in Medical ethics

review, she is a lay member of the

Neurosciences Institutional Review Board of

the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda,

MD.

I am very pleased that we are able to invite

the Temple membership to enjoy Debra’s

special presentations during Friday and

Saturday services. As a community we must

come together in learning, recreation and

worship. Please encourage your Temple friends

to join you during Friday and Saturday services

for the weekend of October 27 - 29, 2017. We

all grow from shared Jewish experience.

Debra Band has two books which she will

be selling. Both are stunningly beautiful:

Kabbalat Shabbat, regularly priced at $50, will

be $40. Arise usually priced at $40 will be $35.

These books are beautiful presentations of her

artwork and incorporate eye-opening comments

on prayer and Jewish women. What a great

Chanukah gift idea!

I hope everyone takes part in this rare

opportunity to grow artistically and Jewishly.

Please feel free to invite any and all Jewish

friends to the Friday evening and Saturday

morning programs. Please reserve your place

and that of a Shul friend in the art workshop. I

suggest you visit her website. You will be

entranced by her artwork’s beauty:

http://dbandart.com/

I look forward to seeing you during the

weekend!

Torah Tidbits and Haftarah Highlights

By Rabbi Steven Silberman

(All page numbers refer to Etz Hayim)

Oct. 7 - Shabbat Sukkot - pp. 724 - 730

This passage is read on all three major holidays

(Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot). What is the

reason found in Torah for us to have a sukkah?

See p.730.

Haftarat Sukkot - pp. 1253 – 1255

Prophet Zechariah lives at a troubled time in

Israel when many ancient Jews are forgetting

basic Judaism. He teaches the importance of

living in a sukkah for the holiday and he

stresses that all peoples will embrace

monotheism. For Zechariah a sukkah

symbolizes a peaceful and harmonious

existence. He teaches that nations which do not

embrace this Israelite value will suffer.

Oct 14 - Parshat Beresheet - pp. 13 - 29

Famously, the serpent is described as being a

perennial enemy of people. Why do you think

God placed the first couple in a garden in the

first place?

Haftarat Beresheet - pp. 36 - 40

Why does Isaiah bring ‘singing’ into the world?

What is he trying to accomplish? Look at verse

10 on page 37.

Oct. 21 - Parshat Noach - pp. 48 - 58

Noach is chosen to be the father of humanity

because he is a righteous man. He is described

as pure. After the flood God commands Noach

to refrain from one behavior. Which command

does God issue to Noach? Why? See p. 50

verses 4-5.

Haftarat Noach - pp. 65 – 68

Isaiah lives many centuries after Noach. He

employs a poetic phrase that God has made a

promise to his fellow Israelites in his own time

(2,700 years ago) and this promise is as

enduring as the vow God made to Noach. What

is Isaiah trying to say? Look at p. 67 and read

verses 11-14.

Oct. 28 -Parshat Lech Lecha - pp. 77 – 85

A battle between two groups of kings spills

beyond the immediate battle line and

collaterally affects the people living in Sodom.

Abram sticks his neck out to help strangers.

Why does Torah include this passage?

Haftarat Lech Lecha - pp. 95 - 98

A beautiful text from Isaiah names Abraham

and Jacob as ‘friends’ of God. Why is this

Haftarah read in connection with this Torah

reading? How do you feel when you hear Jacob

and Abraham called ‘friends’ of God?

Shabbat Thoughts, Torah Tidbits and Haftarah Highlights, A Message From the Rabbi

We are witnesses to destruction. The overwhelming loss from Hurricane Harvey is beyond measure. While the grief is beyond description, already heroes and ordinary people have begun to rescue people in distress and to begin the clean-up, setting in motion the first of the preliminary stages of rebuilding. With flood waters still encroaching upon our friends’ homes, individuals are helping to guide the beleaguered communities of Texas, in some way, towards living one more day. Caring action will spread hope throughout the lives of many who are on the edge of despair. Communal support will take root and eventually will counter misery.

       How are we to respond to such a catastrophe? Helpless to prevent a monster hurricane and at a loss for words, I turn to a strange Midrash and find comfort. 

       An old Jewish commentary on the nature of existence reads as follows:

God created the world and it was beautiful -but it was found wanting. Time  and again God created world after world, each more beautiful than the previous. Yet, still God  found each world lacking and destroyed it and then resumed creating and ultimately created many worlds { some say 1,000 worlds} and then left off of the destruction and this world is the final in creation. (Genesis Rabbah 3:7 and other sources).

       This compelling Midrash does not specify why this world stood out in God's eyes as the pinnacle of all creation but I have an idea. This cryptic text does not elaborate on the contents of the world and I have a sneaking suspicion that there were no people in the prior worlds. This current world, our world, contains people  and people have the compassion necessary to uplift each other in crisis; thereby making a lasting difference in each other’s lives. Kindness and concern for others differentiated our world to such an extent as to incline God to say “this is the world I shall keep”.

       We are the unique ingredient, incomparable amidst all existence, because we can understand each other. True enough, we bear the technical capacity to right a capsized vessel and to rebuild dwellings. More importantly, though, we can empathize with one another and bear the hurt of the heart and the wounds of the spirit of individuals and communities.

And it is this essential component of creation which nothing else in the universe possesses.

May we lend our spirit to all - and our nation will do its part to uplift Texas and each other.

A Message From the Rabbi

Our calendar tells a story. January derives from the

Roman two-headed god Janus, representing the act

of looking forward and backward into time as people

begin a new year. September (7th), October(8th),

November (9th) and December (10th) indicate our

ancient solar calendar contained ten months until

Julius and Augustus Caesar came along and wanted

to be memorialized. Each inserted a month into the

calendar in his own honor and presto – 12 months.

Roman gods (Janus and Mars), practicality in

counting, and human ego underlie our modern

system of record-keeping.

The Hebrew calendar tells a different story.

Torah numbers the months. Passover is so important

that it imbues its month with the stature of being

number one. Because the first month falls in spring

we could read a phrase in Exodus as naming

Passover’s month ‘springtime’. No other months are

named in the Torah. Interestingly, three other

months are mentioned in the Biblical book of Kings

(Etanim, Ziv and Bul). Yet, even though these

names are recorded in Tanakh, they are no longer in

use today.

About 2,600 years ago the Jewish people were

taken captive by Babylonia. After settling in

Babylonia and learning the local language, our

ancestors adopted the names of the Babylonian

months. For them Tishri and Elul were as much part

of their daily experience as February or October are

part of ours.

We are approaching the Jewish year of 5778.

The High Holy days, which usher in a 10-day period

of personal spiritual evaluation, are the pinnacle of

Jewish individual and communal self-scrutiny.

Strikingly, our High Holiday month of Tishri is not

even a Hebrew word. Perhaps the name of the

month does not need to be Jewish. More important

than naming a month a Hebrew word is the

commitment to improve our lives by bringing Jewish

values and principles into our daily experience. May

we so live in the upcoming year.

L’Shanah Tova. May you and your loved ones be

inscribed for a good year.

G’mar Chatimah Tovah. May you be sealed for life

in the coming year.

Torah Tidbits and Haftarah Highlights

Sept. 2 - Parshat Ki Teitzei - pp. 1112- 1123

What does caring for a mother bird have to do with

taking a woman captive during a battle? Torah

demands ethical treatment of all creatures, human

and animal.

Haftarat Ki Teitzei - pp. 1138 - 1139

Why does God promise Israel that God will take

care of Israel using the words ’the waters of Noach’s

flood’ ? Just as there would never be another flood,

so, too, does God reassure Israel that God and Israel

will always be close.

Sept. 9 - Parshat Ki Tavo - pp. 1140 - 1146

If you and I were farmers and we struggled to bring

forth food from the earth, upon a successful harvest

we would probably brag “Look what I did!”

Excitedly we would showcase our produce. Why

does the Torah stipulate that a small portion of the

first fruits be given to the Cohen?

Haftarat Ki Tavo - pp. 1161 - 1163

Imagine naming your neighborhood ‘Success’,

‘Prosperity’ or ‘Achievement’. Imagine a foreign

king or queen volunteers to be your babysitter.

Isaiah proclaims such great light will be glowing

throughout Israel that no home will need

illumination. How would you feel living during this

experience?

Sept. 16 - Parshat Netzavim-Vayelech –

pp. 1165 - 1179

Moses delivers his concluding speech to the

Israelites. If you were Moses what would you

include in your final speech?

Haftarat Netzavim - Vayelech –

pp. 1181 - 1183

To a community beset by war Isaiah promises that

‘you will be wearing clothing of beauty and glory,

splendor and majesty’. He is not speaking of thread

or fibers. What goes through your mind when you

hear such a promise?

Sept. 23 - Parshat Ha-azinu - pp. 1185 - 1195

This entire Torah reading is a poem. Why does

Moses speak to the Israelites poetically?

Haftarat Ha-azinu or Haftarah of Shuvah

(Return) - pp. 1235 - 1238

This Haftarah has a special name. Because it is

between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur it is called

Haftarah of Shuvah (Return). Why do we call this

Haftarah the Haftarah of return?

Sept. 30 - Please join us in Shul for Yom Kippur.

Why I am encouraging Harvey Relief donations to be sent to St. Louis Federation and earmarked for Harvey

Today I went to the NOLA Jewish Federation website and NY JFNA website both of which have  dedicated Harvey funds. Frustratingly, the donate sites have weak encryption as is indicated by the alert triangle which comes up on the URL. The Houston Federation website also has the same vulnerability.

Although the https  still reads secure, the alert indicates that due to mixed data being carried over the web, the weakness in the encryption of the images on the site allows for a similar weakness in the transmission of credit card info.

 I spoke  with an accountant in  charge of NY JFNA disbursements on the phone today.   I explained my concerns about  the website for NY JFNA. She was unaware of the vulnerability.

 The St. Louis Federation has a tougher and stronger encryption factor.  St. Louis Federation has a dedicated Harvey relief fund.  Today I spoke with the Campaign manager and he assured me  that 100% of money raised for Harvey would go to Harvey relief. My goal is to send money to Texas.  As a donor, I want my donations to be secure and to make a difference.

The link is https://www.jfedstl.org/how-give/hurricane-harvey-relief-fund/

I am aware that some people would prefer to send money directly to Houston as opposed to other locations. It feels right to send money to the Houston Federation as opposed to some other location. In light of present-day concerns over the hacking of websites I feel it is more important to send money securely to the St. Louis Federation, earmarked for Texas.

I have phone numbers of the St. Louis Federation campaign manager and the accountant at the NY office of JFNA should anyone wish to speak with these people and to ask any additional questions. I would happily discuss the merits of these donations with anyone.

May we all continue to promote Tzedakah and make differences in the lives of people who are suffering.
Shalom.

Shabbat Thoughts -Parshat Shofetim- 5777

        For a brief moment the shouting, the marching and the melees subsided. For a span of a few hours everyone’s eyes turned heavenwards. Adult and child, teacher and student, professional astronomer and stargazer alike; all that mattered was the exceptional show staged in the heavens above. The rare and breathtaking astronomical event drew our attention away from the narrowness of competing perspectives of people who are incapable of sharing space with others.
For two weeks the chaos which erupted throughout and beyond Charlottesville has ignited  a controversy- freedom of expression versus Nazism and removal of Confederate memorials versus the elimination of history.

       We Americans cherish our most fundamental rights; free speech, free press, free assembly, freedom of faith and freedom to vote. While we enumerate these freedoms as Constitutional rights we can consider them all as one basic right - to freely express ourselves. That too many brave, passionate and dear souls gave their lives in wars too many to count to safeguard our freedoms of expression must never be forgotten or ignored. As many lands, tribes and terror groups hurtle their way towards darkness, I realize daily how blessed we are to live in a land wherein we can freely express our beliefs, opinions and ideas.

       Our majestic nation remains the grandest experiment the world has ever known. The test of our republic is the capacity to construct a shared society- in spite of the many vagaries of expressed belief.

       The  greatest question before us is the most complex and challenging of all; how do we foster complete freedom of expression when such expression may contribute to our downfall? Even as fear of immigrants drives some Americans to wall-building, fear of curtailed expression prompts us to ask if our country is open to us ourselves.  We have a long road before us; a road upon which we must walk together.

        Two good friends, whose opinions I value, respectfully disagreed with part of my comment last week.  I decried the march of Neo-Nazis and championed the march by counter-protesters. In my mind’s ear I heard drumbeats of 1938. To witness the hateful expression of obscene racism cloaked in the protections of our flag and Constitution more than deeply offended me. I saw such expressions as threatening the stability of our communal experience. I expressed my opinion that such utter hatred as propounded by Neo-Nazis has no place in America for it would unravel the tapestry of our nation.

          Yet, my friends are very right when they point out the precariousness of curtailing any expression. If Madison, Jefferson and Adams had been constrained in their expression there would be no free nation in which we might dwell.

          On the other hand, to see counter-protesters pull down a Confederate monument is nearly as frightening as seeing American citizens carrying Nazi banners. Our freedom of expression,which protects the tearing down of historic statues and defames that which is sacred to many Americans, is our very core.

          This week, Jews the world over will hear the words of Torah. Parhshat Shofetim calls out to us and proclaims- ‘establish for yourselves judges and officers…justice, justice shall you pursue’. We are instructed to actively pursue justice; bringing it into our world with the inefficient and lofty act of appointing fellow humans to be judges. We must literally run after justice even as we recognize that justice may elude us. Will we be able to walk and run together? Or will we wind up running into each other instead?

           Four days ago our nation stopped short, nearly paralyzed, by an act of cosmic beauty which lasted three hours and had no real impact on anyone. Will we ever be able to see the very real acts of beauty, the people who comprise our neighborhoods and occupy our shared earth, who are real enough to have an actual impact in our lives today?

Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Steve Silberman

Torah Tidbits and Haftarah Highlights

Torah Tidbits and Haftarah Highlights

By Rabbi Steven Silberman

(All page numbers refer to Etz Hayim)

August 5 - Parshat Va’etchanan –

pp. 1005 - 1021

This parsha contains not only the Ten Great

Words, but also the Shema. Did you know

this reading also contains two other shemas?

Look at page 1006 and 1015. How are these

two shemas different from our regular

shema?

Haftarat Va’etchanan –

pp. 1033 - 1036

This haftarah is speaking directly to each

reader. Responding to the loss of freedom and

safety and the conquest by Babylon, this

speech teaches that someday a voice will ring

out for all to hear. What is the goal of this

voice (p. 1033, v3)?

August 12 – Parshat – Ekev –

pp. 1037 - 1042

Did you know there are seven famous crops

associated with the land of Israel? Could you

name them? Glance at p. 1040, verse 8. Now

you can impress your friends with your

knowledge of Torah trivia.

Haftarat Ekev – pp. 1056 – 1059

Imagine that a king would be your baby

sitter? How would you feel if you had a queen

as a nanny? Isaiah is teaching the people of

Israel that they are so important that royalty

would be eager to serve them. This haftara

comes on the heels of Tisha B’Av.

August 19 - Parshat Re’eh –

pp. 1061 - 1067

Intrinsically Judaism is democratic. People

make choices. What do you notice about the

first sentence of this parsha?

Haftarat Re’eh – pp. 1085 - 1087

This is the third haftara of consolation. On p.

1086, we are taught that we would have

plenty of food and water without any worries.

In a tangible way Israel is being reassured

that life will improve on the heels of the

destruction of its government and its state.

August 26 - Parshat Shoftim -

pp. 1088 - 1094

What is the opening of this week’s parshat?

Moses is still the leader. He has sons and

grandsons. What do you notice about the first

verse? Does this surprise you?

Haftarat Shoftim –

pp. 1108 - 1111

This is the fourth haftara of consolation -

read after Tisha B’Av. Who is the author

compared to the other haftara of consolation?

What do you notice?

A MESSAGE FROM OUR RABBI

Manette and I just returned from a tour

of historic Poland. Throughout Poland,

medieval sites and modern experiences are

interwoven. Walk through a marketplace

first established in Jewish neighborhoods

in the 1400s, and today you can buy goods

from modern merchants in the very same

plazas.

On the day we toured Majdanek

concentration camp we confronted the

greatest examples of cruelty and barbarism

ever known -- nightmarish in scope. With

lumps in our throats, we walked along,

seeing the restored camp and hearing of

unbelievably vicious and sadistic behavior

perpetrated by the Nazis against our own.

The evil was world-ending. Our group

departed. Lost in quiet thought our bus

drove away from Majdanek. An hour later

the right side of the tour bus called out:

“Look, a beautiful rainbow!’

Its colors were bright and vivid and it

was complete. Literally, we saw its

beginning and ending points. We all called

out so enthusiastically ‘pull over’ that our

driver reluctantly obliged although the

narrow road afforded little opportunity for

stopping.

We nearly jumped off the bus – happy

to see something beautiful. On the heels of

Majdanek we experienced the rainbow and

recited the blessing "Blessed are you God,

our God, who remembers the covenant

with the world and keeps His Divine

word.” The words and the promise of life’s

continuation after the flood of Noah

resonated loudly with us after exiting a

concentration camp. We drove away from

that spontaneous roadside stop and the

rainbow accompanied us along our trip,

escorting us to the city of Lublin and

testifying to the potential for beauty to be

present in our world. May we continue to

see rainbows, bless God over them and

share our own energies with others like

us– working to eliminate cruelty from our

beautiful world.