Tag: Reform Judaism

Wars Sicken Me, Even Wars that I Support, Says National Reform Jewish Leader

Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, articulately explains how most American Jews support the current Israeli response to Hamas’ seven year barrage of missiles:

Wars sicken me, even wars that I support. I support Israel’s offensive in Gaza, but watching it on TV — the images of bombed-out buildings, crying women and, inevitably, the bodies of innocent bystanders — is a painful experience. I suspect that most American Jews feel the same discomfort that I feel. They support the military offensive too, but they are well aware of the risks that it entails, and they expect Israel to be both politically wise and morally sensitive in how it fights. It is especially important to us that Israel do everything humanly possible to avoid the death of innocents and to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. There is much evidence that Israel has worked hard to limit the carnage, and the credibility of Israel’s leaders in providing assurances on these points is an important factor in assuring the continued support of American Jews — and, indeed, of all Americans — for the Gaza campaign.

Further, Rabbi Yoffie puts this conflict into the larger issues facing our world:

American Jews have a commonsense approach to these matters. We are aware that American forces have gone halfway around the globe to engage in a war in Afghanistan against terrorists who once carried out an attack on American soil. We know that civilians have frequently died in that war because terrorists make a point of operating in civilian areas. We know too that this war has the support of our liberal president-elect. So why, we ask, should Israel’s center-left government, after long periods of restraint and desperate efforts to renew the cease-fire, be expected to refrain from fighting terrorists that are regularly attacking from right across the border? And we are certain that if rockets were being launched from Canada into our own homes in Michigan or Maine, we would demand immediate action, and our government would quickly oblige. American Jews see Israel’s Gaza offensive as a tragic necessity, unwelcome but inevitable, carried out by a reluctant Israeli government doing what it must to end rocket attacks against its citizenry. In short, American Jews are, as usual, sensible and centrist, and supporting Israel in her hour of need. Read on.

#8 – Candle of Concern

Chanukah nears its end as we light this final candle. Although Jewish families around the world have increased the light each evening, we face a world still contains significant darkness. Though our homes shine with brightness:

  • Skies over Southern Israel are streaked with dark exhaust trails of the hundreds of Hamas missiles sent to stir up fear in the hearts of Israelis young and old
  • The streets of Gaza are littered with the debris from an operation that need not have happened had Hamas walked paths of peace instead of cynical terrorism
  • Huts in Darfur, Sudan and in refugee camps in Chad exist in the shadow of our century’s first genocide
  • Gay and lesbian couples in California live with deep sadness that their love (and marriages) are still not recognized
  • Years of greed that consumed our country still casts a long shadow over our nation’s economy, and over the lives of so many who are suffering its effects
  • Homeless still live on our streets, food pantry lines are growing longer, kids are still being pulled Menorahfrom their homes to escape abuse and neglect…

May the light of the Chanukah candles inflame our passions so we deepen our efforts to shine our light into the long nights ahead.

Israel: Time for Concern
Responding to the Operation in Gaza

After a phone conversation with my 19 year old niece Yonina, who sits on a base in Israel awaiting word that her unit is moving forward into the trouble conflict, I invite you to pray with me: for the peace of Israel, for safety for Israeli soldiers, for those harmed in Israel and in Gaza, and for a speedy end to this conflict.

Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, shared this Response to the Gaza Violence:

For the past three weeks, Israel has lived under an increasing barrage of rocket fire from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. More than 80 missiles landed on a single day. Israel’s first responsibility, like that of any nation, is to protect her citizens. The military action that Israel launched Saturday morning was clearly intended to do just that.

Israel’s action is as tragic as it is necessary and predictable. While we mourn the loss of life, no democratic nation in the world would permit a hostile force on its border to target its civilian centers with constant missile attacks. Israel has demonstrated extraordinary restraint as nearly 8000 rockets have been launched at Israel’s cities in the last 8 years. When Israel withdrew every civilian and soldier from Gaza in 2005, the attacks did not stop for a single day.

We believe that military action must always be the last resort. But more and more Israeli cities are now in range of Hamas’ rocket-firing army of terror, and we know that the traumatized children of Sderot and neighboring towns can no longer be expected to live in constant fear. Read on

Looking for updated news media about what’s happening in Israel and Gaza? Click here for Israeli and Jewish news.

Looking for insights into the Gaza situation? Read Rabbi Kipnes’ blog about Gaza.
May the light of Chanukah provide insight and enlightenment to all those who have a hand in this conflict.

Don’t forget to leave a comment on the blog.

Chag Chanukah Samayach – Happy Sixth Night of Chanukah.

The Bible has Nothing to Say about Gay Marriage

Someone in the mainstream press finally said it out loud: Contrary to what conservative preachers would like us to believe, the Bible has nothing to say about gay marriage, and very little (positive) to say about marriage in general. Newsweek comes along with a blazing article – speaking truth to power – about the hypocracy and falsehoods being spread about what the Bible does and does not say about marriage. And why opponents of marriage equality scarcely have a leg on which to stand.

Entitled GAY MARRIAGE: Our Mutual Joy, the article notes that opponents of gay marriage often cite Scripture. But what the Bible teaches about love argues for the other side.

Let’s try for a minute to take the religious conservatives at their word and define marriage as the Bible does. Shall we look to Abraham, the great patriarch, who slept with his servant when he discovered his beloved wife Sarah was infertile? Or to Jacob, who fathered children with four different women (two sisters and their servants)? Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon and the kings of Judah and Israel—all these fathers and heroes were polygamists. The New Testament model of marriage is hardly better. Jesus himself was single and preached an indifference to earthly attachments—especially family. The apostle Paul (also single) regarded marriage as an act of last resort for those unable to contain their animal lust. “It is better to marry than to burn with passion,” says the apostle, in one of the most lukewarm endorsements of a treasured institution ever uttered. Would any contemporary heterosexual married couple—who likely woke up on their wedding day harboring some optimistic and newfangled ideas about gender equality and romantic love—turn to the Bible as a how-to script?

We read on:

In the Old Testament, the concept of family is fundamental, but examples of what social conservatives would call “the traditional family” are scarcely to be found. Marriage was critical to the passing along of tradition and history, as well as to maintaining the Jews’ precious and fragile monotheism. But as the Barnard University Bible scholar Alan Segal puts it, the arrangement was between “one man and as many women as he could pay for.” Social conservatives point to Adam and Eve as evidence for their one man, one woman argument—in particular, this verse from Genesis: “Therefore shall a man leave his mother and father, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.” But as Segal says, if you believe that the Bible was written by men and not handed down in its leather bindings by God, then that verse was written by people for whom polygamy was the way of the world. (The fact that homosexual couples cannot procreate has also been raised as a biblical objection, for didn’t God say, “Be fruitful and multiply”? But the Bible authors could never have imagined the brave new world of international adoption and assisted reproductive technology—and besides, heterosexuals who are infertile or past the age of reproducing get married all the time.)

One correction: the author claims that most Jewish denominations do so publically support gay/lesbian marriage. Not true. The Reform Movement has done so here and here. The Reconstructionist Movement has done so. Some within the Conservative movement have begun to do so.

More on my take on marriage equality and LGBT issues in general here and from our Congregation Or Ami here.

Nothing But Nets: Make a Great Miracle Happen There

Looking for a tzedakah project to shine the light of healing and hope during Chanukah? Each year, malaria infects 500 million people, causing over one million deaths, devastating the society and economy of affected regions.

Wondering what the “Jewish” is? The Talmud, Sanhedrin 4:9, teaches: WHOEVER SAVES A LIFE SAVES THE WORLD ENTIRE.

Why work with Africa’s poor? Rabbi Joshua (in Talmud Sanhedrin 98a) asked, “Where shall I find the Messiah?” “At the gate of the city,” Elijah replied. “How shall I recognize him?” “He sits among the lepers.” “Among the lepers!” cried R. Joshua, “what is he doing there?” “He changes their bandages,” Elijah answered. “He changes them one by one.” That may not seem like much for a Messiah to be doing. But apparently, in the eyes of God, it is a mighty thing indeed.”

For just $10, you can purchase a bed net and help prevent the spread of this terrible disease in Africa through the United Nation Foundation’s Nothing But Nets Initiative. Learn more here.

Thanksgiving: A Very Jewish Non-Jewish Holiday

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It is one of the few holidays that combine three of my favorite things: great food, family and NO responsibilities for me as rabbi. It is also so familiar, so Jewish. Some thought-provoking scholarship suggests that Thanksgiving is actually an interpretation of our Jewish holy day Sukkot, the fall festival designated to thank God for the bountiful harvest. As American Jews, we should revel in celebration of this American holiday, and infuse it with ahavah (love), ruchaniut (spirituality), tzedakah (giving). Thanking God, after all, is a value we all share. So enjoy these blessings, Thanksgiving Haggadot, and ideas for a meaningful Thanksgiving. Click here to read my complete eLearning Newsletter on Thanksgiving.

To Say Before the Meal: A Prayer for Thanksgiving
As we gather around a table, family and friends, to enjoy the bounty of this Thanksgiving meal, we pause to offer thanks for the blessings we have received. (We read together)

For the expanding grandeur of Creation,
worlds known and unknown, galaxies beyond galaxies,
filling us with awe and challenging our imaginations,
we gratefully give thanks to You
Modim anachnu lach מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ

For this fragile planet earth, its times and tides,
its sunsets and seasons,
Modim anachnu lach מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ

For the joy of human life, its wonders and surprises,
its hopes and achievements,
Modim anachnu lach מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ

For human community, our common past and future hope,
our oneness transcending all separation, our capacity to work
for peace and justice in the midst of hostility and oppression,
Modim anachnu lach מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ

For high hopes and noble causes, for faith without fanaticism,
for understanding of views not shared,
Modim anachnu lach מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ

For all who have labored and suffered for a fairer world,
who have lived so that others might live in dignity and freedom,
Modim anachnu lach מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ

For human liberties and sacred rites:
for opportunities to change and grow, to affirm and choose,
Modim anachnu lach מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ

We pray that we may live not by our fears but by our hopes,
Not only by our words but by our deeds.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ייְָ, הַטּוֹב שִׁמְךָ וּלְךָ נָאֶה לְהוֹדוֹת.
Baruch Atah, Adonai, ha’tov shimcha ul’cha na’eh l’hodot
Praised are You, Adonai, Your Name is Goodness, and You are worthy of thanksgiving.

[Click here for other Thanksgiving Table prayer options.]

Beyond Eating: Investing Thanksgiving with Meaning
America’s Table: A Thanksgiving Haggadah. American Jewish Committee writes: In a world too often threatened by differences, Thanksgiving is a day to appreciate how our various backgrounds make America vibrant, while our democratic values unite us and keep America strong. America’s Table: A Thanksgiving Reader tells this story and helps us express gratitude for being part of it. Download AJC’s Thanksgiving Haggadah.

Rabbi Paul Kipnes’ Making Thanksgiving Spiritually Meaningful: 10 Ideas for Your Thanksgiving Table. Rabbi Kipnes writes: From blessings, to Shehecheyanu moments, to yahrzeit candles to learning, Thanksgiving can be a time of Jewish spiritual inspiration. Download Rabbi Kipnes’ Thanksgiving 10 Thanksgiving Ideas.

Rabbi Phyllis Sommers’ Thanksgiving Seder for Families with Young Children. Much like Passover, this is a holiday whose primary ritual centers on a meal. So here’s a short Haggadah for the Thanksgiving meal. Download Thanksgiving Seder.

Rabbi Paul Kipnes’ Blessings for Your Thanksgiving Table. Words to say before you dig into dinner. Download Rabbi Kipnes’ Blessings.
Precious Preschool People: Our Union for Reform Judaism offers Thanksgiving ideas for Precious Little People, explaining: For the Jewish community, Thanksgiving offers a special opportunity to be grateful not only for the bounties and comforts of our lives but especially for the religious freedom we have found in the United States of America. Download URJ’s Thanksgiving Holiday Happenings 2008 and URJ’s Thanksgiving Holiday Happenings 2007.

Social Justice Guide for National Holidays: Our Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism a guide which explores Jewish and Socially Just celebrations of Thanksgiving, as well as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It also includes a section on the Super Bowl, for good measure. Download RAC’s Social Justice Guide for National Holidays.

Click here to read the complete eLearning with Rabbi Kipnes on Making Thanksgiving Meaningful.

A Thanksgiving Seder for Families with Small Children

One of my favorite bloggers, Ima On (and off) the Bimah, offers this posting for Thanksgiving:

A few years ago, our family started to do a Thanksgiving Seder, a retake on the Passover Seder. Much like Passover, this is a holiday whose primary ritual centers on a meal. There isn’t, however, a set liturgy for the Thanksgiving meal…and that’s where I come in. I’ve made some changes and additions to the Seder my family has used for a number of years. My own kids are, as you know, pretty young, so I’ve decided to create 2 different documents. The first is here today, for your viewing and downloading pleasure, for families with small children. Hopefully I will have the second soon, with more readings and opportunities for discussion with a more mature crowd.

Take a look at her Thanksgiving Seder (or Haggadah) here.

Check back in later for my eLearning Newsletter on Making Thanksgiving Meaningful.

Eulogizing a Woman who Saved our People

This week we eulogize our matriarch Sarah. In this week’s Torah portion (Genesis 23:1ff), called Chaye Sarah (the life of Sarah), we read about the death of Sarah at 127 years old. Who was this woman who, as we say at every Jewish wedding, “helped build up the household of Israel”? Who was this partner with Abraham, about whom the Zohar (Jewish mystical text) says that Sarah’s agreement to go on the journey of Lech Lecha was necessary before Abraham could venture forth?

For her eulogy, let me read a passage from a page from Sarah’s (imagined) diary. Here she reflects back on what really happened behind the scenes during the incident known as the Akedah (the binding of Isaac):

I was still awake, lying quietly in our tent. Long before, Abraham had fallen asleep beside me. Ah, a moment of quiet amidst the frenetic activity of desert life. My mind began drifting, back to my favorite recollection, that of a fateful day some years back… I remembered the three men who had come to announce my imminent pregnancy with Isaac. Pregnant, after so many years? I actually laughed at them in disbelief until God reassured me it was true. God couldn’t have given me any greater happiness than all I have gleaned from my Isaac.

And then it happened. Abraham began stirring, and with a sudden jerk, he sat up and called out, “Hineni, Here I am.” He was talking to God. He walked out to stand beneath the stars near the camp’s altar. So I leaned forward trying to share in this latest revelation, as I had with so many others.

At first what I heard made little sense. Though I could only hear Abraham’s responses, I understood that God requested something involving our son Isaac. Abraham’s usually strong, even voice was filled with shock, then anger, and finally acceptance. I was intrigued, and sat silently to hear more.

I started listening more intently. For a moment I thought I heard the word “sacrifice,” but I had to be mistaken. As Abraham spoke again, his words came as a choking sob from deep within his throat. My body started to shake with horror. This was a nightmare! The Eternal One could not have requested that my husband sacrifice our only son Isaac. I was simultaneously incensed and terrified. God had given us Isaac. Why would God take this special gift from me now? And without even speaking to me directly! No, I must have misunderstood.

I pretended to be asleep as my husband returned to the tent. Through cracked eyelids, I watched him. I had never seen him so overcome with sadness, not even when we were commanded to leave the land where we were born, or on that awful day Sodom was destroyed. But I could see in his face that I had not been mistaken. He truly believed that God wanted him to sacrifice our son.

I wanted to hold Abraham in my arms, to cry with him, to help him rethink what God had said, to convince him to speak to God, but his eyes were distant and I was scared. I had been excluded from hearing God’s voice and for the first time I felt powerless to involve myself in what had passed between Abraham and God. For a moment I wondered if this strange command was my punishment. Had I done something so evil to deserve the loss of my only son? One thing I knew. I would give up my life before I would let Isaac be harmed.

Lying in the dark, I was so tied up in knots that I could not cry. Abraham did not even try to wake me. Instead he had fallen into a restless sleep, as if struggling with an unseen demon. I could not bear to lie beside him any longer. I needed to escape. I needed to think. I could not believe that this God of goodness who created the world and who had given us Isaac would now take him away.

I started walking aimlessly, until I approached the camp’s altar where Abraham’s special knife leaned against one side. I began to tremble as I thought of the knife sliding against Isaac’s throat. I remembered all the sacrifices I had witnessed over the years, sacrifices that served as a sign of our commitment to and appreciation for God’s protection and guidance. Could God be looking for that kind of sign? Why would God suddenly seek reassurance of our commitment? Why now, and why involve Isaac? All these questions suddenly merged into one: if Abraham was so committed to obeying God’s command, did my concern matter at all?

I asked myself, “What did God expect of us?” I remembered God’s promise that our offspring would inherit this land and become a great nation. It had been many years since I thought about that promise. I had always assumed that Isaac and his future bride would follow in our footsteps as the heads of tribe, but I never considered just how he would inherit our commitment to serving God. Abraham and I were not getting any younger. If we were to pass on the Covenant to our son, it would have to be soon. Perhaps God’s discussion with Abraham was the sign that the time had arrived.

My heart began to pound. The future of our values depended upon our actions now. What better way for us to pass on that commitment than for the three of us to journey together, to meet God on a mountaintop, and to begin the transition of leadership to the next generation! God commanded a sacrifice so that Abraham and I could prepare ourselves to relinquish the leadership of the people, and Isaac could begin to assume this sacred duty. Abraham misunderstood God’s message. God did not want Isaac as a sacrifice. A sacrifice of the finest of our flocks was called for, not of our children. I now knew what I had to do. I had to prevent a nonsensical death, and ensure the perpetuation of our covenant with God.

I now understood that God wanted me to follow Abraham and Isaac to help them. Yet I wanted to allow Abraham the chance to figure out God’s intentions for himself. So I went back to bed and waited patiently for morning.

Abraham got up early, gathered his supplies, and announced that he was going off with Isaac. He did not explain why. As soon as he was out of sight, I prepared for my own journey. With my own supplies, I also took along the finest ram in camp. I was careful to stay out of sight on the opposite the side of the mountains. On the third day, before they woke up, I knew my time had come. I hiked up the side of the mountain, ram in tow. When I could no longer catch my breath, I released the ram and shooed it up the slope. As I watched it run up to the heights where I knew Abraham and Isaac would find it, I relaxed. Content at having ensured the survival of our people, I lay down in the grass and drifted into a peaceful sleep.

[Adapted by Rabbi Paul Kipnes and Michelle November. This midrash was adapted from a modern midrash written by Faith Rogow, which appears in Taking the Fruit, Modern Women’s Tales of the Bible (San Diego: Woman’s Institute for Continuing Jewish Education, pp. 51-56). It answers two questions: Where was Sarah during the Akedah? AND Where did the ram – sacrificed in Isaac’s place – come from?

Walk for Darfur: 179 Or Ami Members Say “Don’t Stand Idly By”

Or Ami Congregant Laurie Tragen-Boykoff and President Susan Gould led a contingent of over 179 Or Ami members and friends during Jewish World Watch‘s Walk for Darfur. The 1000 person strong march sought to raise awareness, support and funds to end the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan that has killed 400,000 Darfuris and forced more than 2 million people to become refugees. As the largest synagogue contingent, Or Ami proudly carried the Walk for Darfur banner and I was honored with the opportunity to address the crowd. Fired up by the commitment of so many to stand up against genocide, I said:

I am holding in my hand a Kiddush cup (okay, it’s a water bottle but only because I forgot the Kiddush cup at home). Many of us raise a similar cup on Erev Shabbat while sitting at the Shabbat table in the comfort of our own homes. Surrounded by family. Or maybe friends. Maybe you are just enjoying a quiet Shabbat at home alone. The candles lit. And you raise a cup of wine or grape juice. Kiddush, that prayer of holiness, is recited. And just before you drink, someone always calls out “l’chaim – to life!”

We Jews are a people who value life, sanctify life, we say, “L’chaim”. At every simcha (joyous time), on every holy day, whenever we can, we raise a glass to say “L’chaim.” Yet “L’chaim,” is not enough, because it is not enough for us to sit around our tables in comfort and contentment, to wish and hope. Jewish tradition calls upon us, instead, to get up and act, with passion and intention, until everyone else can say “L’chaim” with smiles on their faces and peace in their hearts.

So let me teach you another Hebrew phrase, the one which explains why Laurie Tragen-Boykoff (our synagogue JWW chair), 170 Congregation Or Ami members, and why more than 1000 of us have gathered together here today. It’s from Torah. Repeat it after me: Lo ta’amod (Lo ta’amod) // al dam ray-eh-cha (al dam ray-eh-cha). Again: Lo ta’amod (Lo ta’amod) // al dam ray-eh-cha (al dam ray-eh-cha). It means “Don’t stand idly by, while your neighbor bleeds.” Let me hear it: Don’t stand idly by (Don’t stand idly by) // while your neighbor bleeds (while your neighbor bleeds). Again. Lo ta’amod. Don’t stand idly by.

Lo ta’amod… don’t stand idly by.

  • When our people were burning in Hitler’s fires, and the nations of the world claimed innocence or worse, we Jews countered, with tears in our eyes (say it after me): Lo Ta’amod – Don’t stand idly by.
  • When our government knew that bombing the concentration camp railroad tracks would have killed many but saved hundreds of thousands more, we begged (say it after me): Lo Ta’amod – Don’t stand idly by.

And yet, they did. And yet, our government did. And yet, the world did. Too many who knew, did… nothing.

The Holocaust is a stain upon humanity. Stained with the blood of our brothers and sisters and millions of others.

We declared “Never Again!” But “Never again” was a slogan. It was a call to remember. Lo Ta’amod is a mitzvah. It is a call to act. It’s not enough to remind them that our blood ran red. We know that everyone’s blood runs red. Lo Ta’amod goads us to stop all that unnecessary blood from flowing.

So today we declare:

  • Since we know about the purposeful, planned, systematic attempt to wipe out the people of Darfur, and we cry out together (say it): Lo Ta’amod – Don’t stand idly by.
  • Since we know about the use of rape, to terrorize and control women, to harm this generation and taint the next, we insist – of ourselves and our governments: Lo Ta’amod – Don’t stand idly by.
  • And since we know about the continued attacks on the refugee camps in Chad, where innocent Darfuris have gathered seeking shelter, we demand – of ourselves and the world: Lo Ta’amod – Don’t stand idly by.

Let these 1000 voices be heard throughout the San Fernando and Conejo Valleys, the Simi and San Gabriel Valleys, and all over Los Angeles, and California, all over America and throughout the world, that we expect, we insist, we demand… (Let them hear it): Lo Ta’amod – Don’t stand idly by.

May God bless the work of Jewish World Watch, of her partners and supporters, of all of you, for giving up your Sunday morning to answer the call of Torah. Lo Ta’amod – WE WON’T STAND IDLY BY! Amen!

President Susan Gould Shares a Or Ami’s Year of Achievements

At our congregational meeting last night, Or Ami’s President Susan Gould review Congregation Or Ami’s achievements this past year. We all schepped nachas (shared the joy).

  • Henaynu Caring Community Committee
    • Our new software (Hineynu Tracker) helps us keep track of our congregants in need.
    • Henaynu is expanding support especially for families with special needs children, and for people undergoing marital transitions.
    • Our commitment to “being there and being caring” continues to be a shining light of our congregation.
  • Our Social Action Programs are expanding to reach more people than ever before.
    • We have provided assistance and support to approximately 1000 children in the foster care system.
    • We lead the community in signups for the Walk for Darfur (to stop the Genocide in the Sudan)
    • We continue to donate weekly fresh produce for 1500 people to the SOVA Food Pantry
    • We are currently creating a Family Oriented Social Action Group, tentatively titled “Kids Mitzvah Club,” which will allow for family participation in social action projects.
  • Our Outreach to the Community has been booming.
    • Our new Or Ami Center for Jewish Parenting has held well-attended workshops about talking to kids about sex, death and parenting.
    • Our Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention program has led programs for our teens, trained another intern (Lydia Bloom Medwin) in pastoral counseling for Jewish alcoholics and addicts, and sent out multiple eNewsletters on how to talk to your kids about drugs and alcohol.
    • Our Brandon Kaplan Special Needs program provided educational opportunities and support to dozens of Jewish children with special needs.
  • We have been racking up the awards.
    • At the Union for Reform Judaism Biennial convention this year, Or Ami won the Belin Membership and Outreach Award for our creative use of the internet to reach out to interfaith families, and the Nachshon Community of Learners Award for our Mishpacha program. In the last 6 years, Or Ami has won 4 of the 5 national awards the URJ gives out.
    • In addition, our members and clergy presented lectures at multiple educational sessions at this national biennial convention
  • Eco-Kosher: We have made the commitment to become environmentally cognizant of our eco-footprint. For starters, we have been installing energy efficient bulbs, implementing a recycling program, and distributing 300 re-useable shopping bags via our holiday delivery.
  • Our innovative educational programs, Kesher, Mishpacha, and Temple Teen night, continue to grow under the guidance of our Principal/Program Director Michal Rozenberg-Yalovsky and our interns.
  • Or Ami continues to attract Rabbinical and Education students who want to be here so much that they schlep all the way out to Calabasas to serve as interns, teachers and service leaders for our congregation
  • Fiscally, this year is on track to end in the black. This can be credited to:
    • Our new committee – Resource Development – has received over $500,000 in pledges and donations
    • This year’s Gala Committee which brought in record amount $60,000. Oh, and we sold & sold out
    • Our new Grant Writing chair has led us to identify, apply for and receive a record amount of grant funding
  • Membership has grown by 14% this past year, at a time when most synagogues are experiencing contraction. We are retaining significant numbers of members post-Bar/Bat Mitzvah and are bringing in record numbers of empty nesters. Our new members kvell like our veterans over how warm and welcoming Or Ami is.
  • And, of course, our Cantor and rabbi rock!!

Two Incredible LGBT Inclusion Resources

I am working to create the next page in our “No One is More Welcomed at Or Ami than You!” webpage series (see our multicultural, interfaith and special needs webpages). In researching resources for LGBT Jews and their families, I finally took the time to serious peruse the websites of the Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation (IJSO) and the Jeff Herman Virtual Resource Center (JHVRC), both affiliated with Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. I am quite frankly amazed and proud that these two resources are available through our Reform Jewish movement.

The Jeff Herman Virtual Resource Center for Sexual Orientation Issues in the Jewish Community is a web-based educational environment for all those interested in learning about Judaism, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. It contains the largest online gathering of articles, texts, and websites on Judaism and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender topics in the world. The JHVRC also features answers to Frequently Asked Questions, case studies exploring how issues of sexual orientation might be discussed in a Jewish context, and guides for studying biblical and rabbinic text.

The mission of the Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation is driven by Jewish religious values and the spiritual quest for holiness. The Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation seeks:

  • To achieve complete inclusion, integration and welcoming of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in congregations and communities.
  • To train and empower Jewish professionals, educate students, and support scholars and researchers in their quest to develop a theology and practice of inclusion.
  • To encourage dialogue between constituent organizations within the Reform movement on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender topics.
  • To foster collaboration with community based educational and social service organizations to further our mission.
  • To grow the Jeff Herman Virtual Resource Center (JHVRC) and develop new resources including a focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender liturgy and ritual.
  • To organize workshops and academic conferences and develop curriculum modules to be implemented within the HUC-JIR academic program.

I look forward to utilizing these resources as we become even more inclusive.

New Survey Data Sparks New Debate over Intermarriage Picture

It is too early in the morning to analyze the significance of these new studies on intermarriage, but they are sure to cause a stir… and give our Jewish community plenty to consider.

JTA (12/28/07) offers this article: Survey data spark debate over intermarriage picture.

Now a new round of studies is prompting more questions: Does intermarriage necessarily mean the end of that family’s connection to Judaism? Or is the Jewish community focusing on intermarriage to the exclusion of other, perhaps more telling, factors?

Most studies report the data in simple comparative fashion, which shows that intermarried families are much less Jewishly involved than inmarried families, from their beliefs to their practices.

But a provocative new study out of Brandeis University questions that research method and its conclusions.

The study — “It’s Not Just Who Stands Under the Chuppah: Jewish Identity and Intermarriage,” by Leonard Saxe, Fern Chertok and Benjamin Phillips of the Cohen Center for Jewish Studies and Steinhardt Social Research Institute — found that when one considers the Jewish background of the Jewish partner in an intermarriage, the difference in the Jewish beliefs and practices of inmarried and intermarried families becomes much less glaring.

Equally compelling is the “second generation” statistic:,

Among those who is not convinced by the Saxe-Chertok line of argument is Steven Cohen, a professor of Jewish social policy at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. Cohen has conducted several studies that all show the determinative effect of intermarriage.

Cohen’s first question is how the researchers defined “being raised Jewish.” But he also says they need to look at the second generation: According to the 2000-2001 NJPS study, just 13 percent of the grandchildren of an intermarriage — that is, people whose grandparents were intermarried — now identify as Jews.

On those grounds alone, Cohen declared, the Jewish community should “not grow complacent” about intermarriage but should continue to combat it as a real threat to Jewish continuity.

Look for some sharp arguments about all this data, its meaning, and how to respond…

Heart Soaring and Head Spinning. The Biennial Closes

The Biennial wrapping up. My head is spinning even as my heart is soaring. Heart soaring because, with my family and dear members of our Or Ami congregational family, we experienced two very moving Shabbat services filled with uplifting Shabbat music and inspiring leadership. Heart soaring because of the incredible music of Doug Cotler, Julie Silver, Joe Black, Josh Nelson, and others (ask me about the Gospel Shabbat by a black Jewish group).

My head is spinning because being at this extended weekend convention was like walking along a never-ending shmorgasbord of synagogue/Jewish/community/ritual/social justice/educational/Shabbat/youth side dishes. Each is a meal of opportunities to deepen personal Jewish spirituality and meaningful synagogue life. How do we digest this, prioritize the ideas and initiatives and move forward? (I am guessing that the Biennial delegates with gather this week to consider and prioritize our ideas.)

Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the URJ, spoke Shabbat morning about the need for deeper Shabbat celebration, about a State by State Health Care initiative, and about creating a new Muslim-Jewish dialogue between moderate Jews and moderate Muslims. You can read Rabbi Yoffie’s sermon here.

So much learned, so much to do, so glad to be part of a Congregation Or Ami which is part of this larger, morally-focused, creative movement called the Union for Reform Judaism!

How Does Being a Synagogue Member Make My Life Better?

I invited a former synagogue member – a wonderful and very pleasant person – to rejoin the synagogue after a few years away. She said she had thought about it and wondered “How would being a member make my life better….or different?”

I thought about her question a lot and struggled. I’m wondering how YOU would answer. My answer was:

Depends on what you mean by “better”.

If you mean physically healthier, it won’t… Join a gym.

If you mean more beautiful physically, it won’t, go to Nordstroms or a make up artist or…

If you mean richer, it won’t, get a higher paying job.

If you mean more mentally stable, it won’t, go to a shrink.

If you mean more knowledgeable, it won’t, take a class at Pierce.

If you mean… Then go …

But being part of a synagogue allows you to be part of a larger community… of YOUR people.

Being part of a synagogue means promulgating values that your tradition, and you, hold dear.

Being part of a community is like ensuring that your “room” is still there even if you go away to college. You can always come home. Or if you are an adult, you can not show up but we are still here.

Being part of a community teaches future generations that being a Jew matters, even if you aren’t a power user of the synagogue at the moment.

Being part of a community means that there will always be high holy day services for you and the community.

…That you have a place to turn if you are in need.

…That there is always Torah in your community

…That you have a spiritual home.

…That your values are played out through social justice

…That you have a place to go to sing Mi Shebeirach…

…That Israel has an advocate in the community.

…That you take responsibility for the next generation, like the previous one did for yours.

Its not about money, because everyone can join regardless of wealth or lack of money. Its about commitment to community.

We live in a world that speaks of consumer values. What do I get if I pay. Judaism is a people/religion/nation/culture/ethnicity/more that transcends that, asking what will being part of a community do for OUR world, ALL people, OUR people, OUR community. That’s how I think and its how I want my children to think.

If it is how you want to think, come home. If not, home will still be here for you if you ever decide you want to come home.

(Oh, and Judaism, synagogue and community can make you more beautiful because you feel better about yourself when you are spiritually centered. You will be richer because you will have enriched your life and those of others. You will be smarter because you will be able to partake in 5000 years of Jewish knowledge. You will be mentally more stable because you will have adjusted the balance of the mind, body, spirit. Of course all this presupposes that not only do you join but you also connect in and come.)

So, that’s my answer. The shofar’s in your court…