An early Shabbat
Shalom
As we brave our way
through the storm for our
Thanksgiving destination, you can get some inspiration from Sara Gatz's bat mitzvah speech last Shabbat - her topic was
travel. You also be inspired by Josh Pickel's remarks on acting earlier in the day.
This Friday night we are welcoming and naming Sydney Gella Friedman daughter of
Matt and Diana Friedman and granddaughter of Susan and Bob Friedman. Mazal tov
to the Friedmans!
Last week's Ugandan
Jewry themed service was fantastic in all respects. Special thanks
to Julie Trell, daughter of Gail and Steve Trell, who provided - and took - the
stunning photos of the Abayudayan community. See this video tour of the community's first
synagogue, also done by Julie.
An Attitude of Gratitude: Shabbat Hodu
On Thursday, we'll
set at our tables and pat our tummies, looking around at all our loved ones,
and echoing Rabbi ben Zoma, who said, two thousand years ago, "Who is
wealthy? The one who is happy with what she has."
And then on Friday we
shop 'til we drop.
Yes, there's nothing
wrong with shopping, giving gifts and wanting more for ourselves. But
Thanksgiving weekend demands that we cultivate an attitude of gratitude, not
just a gumption for consumption. This Friday night we'll be doing just
that at our 7:30 service, which we are calling "Shabbat Hodu" (Hodu
being the Hebrew for "thank you" as well as "turkey."
Go figure.
Join us and if you
have any out of town guests for the weekend, this is the perfect time to show
them what all the excitement surrounding our Kabbalat Shabbat services is
about!
This service packet could also be very helpful at
your Thanksgiving dinners. You'll find passages, prayers and
quotations. You might consider placing quotes about thankfulness on cards
at each place around the table. At our service, we'll be singing an
alternative prayer for food, found in the Talmud, called Brich Rachamana. You can read the
interesting back story and hear it chanted here.
The Pope's 10 Tips for a Happier Life
In a recent interview with an Argentine publication, Pope
Francis released ten tips for a happier life. I thought they were perfect
for all of us as we head into a holiday weekend dedicated to preserving the
precious balance between "satisfied with what I have" and
"striving for more." I've added my annotations in italics.
1. "Live
and let live." Everyone should be guided by this principle, he
said, which has a similar expression in Rome with the saying, "Move
forward and let others do the same."
"LIVE AND LET LIVE" IS
NOT REALLY A JEWISH VALUE, ACTUALLY - WE ARE OUR BROTHERS' KEEPERS, AND WHAT
HAPPENS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A FENCE, OT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD, IS STILL
OUR BUSINESS.
2. "Be
giving of yourself to others." People need to be open and
generous toward others, he said, because "if you withdraw into yourself,
you run the risk of becoming egocentric. And stagnant water becomes
putrid."
NO ARGUMENT HERE!
3. "Proceed
calmly" in life. The pope, who used to teach high school
literature, used an image from an Argentine novel by Ricardo Guiraldes, in
which the protagonist - gaucho Don Segundo Sombra - looks back on how he lived
his life.
SEE THIS PACKET ON THE JEWISH VALUE OF TRANQILLITY. "A
person who has mastered peace of mind has gained everything." (Rabbi
Simcha Zissel Ziv, the Alter of Kelm)
4. A healthy
sense of leisure. The Pope said "consumerism has brought us
anxiety", and told parents to set aside time to play with their children
and turn of the TV when they sit down to eat.
5. Sundays
should be holidays. Workers should have Sundays off because
"Sunday is for family," he said. WE
CALL IT SHABBAT - SAME DIFFERENCE
6. Find
innovative ways to create dignified jobs for young people. "We
need to be creative with young people. If they have no opportunities they will
get into drugs" and be more vulnerable to suicide, he said.
WE'RE THE ONES WHO
DREW THE CONNECTION BETWEEN WORK
AND WORSHIP, UNDERSTANDING THAT LIFE IS DIGNIFIED THROUGH HONEST WORK
7. Respect
and take care of nature. Environmental degradation "is one of the
biggest challenges we have," he said. "I think a question that we're
not asking ourselves is: 'Isn't humanity committing suicide with this
indiscriminate and tyrannical use of nature?'"
8. Stop being
negative. "Needing to talk badly about others indicates low
self-esteem. That means, 'I feel so low that instead of picking myself up I
have to cut others down,'" the Pope said. "Letting go of negative
things quickly is healthy." THE
POWER OF JEWISH POSITIVE
THINKING
9. Don't
proselytize; respect others' beliefs. "We can inspire others
through witness so that one grows together in communicating. But the worst
thing of all is religious proselytism, which paralyses: 'I am talking with you
in order to persuade you,' No. Each person dialogues, starting with his and her
own identity. The church grows by attraction, not proselytizing," the Pope
said.
I GUESS TORQUEMADA DIDN'T
GET THE MEMO. NICE CHANGE FOR THE CHURCH
10. Work for
peace. "We are living in a time of many wars," he said, and
"the call for peace must be shouted. Peace sometimes gives the impression
of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive" and
dynamic.
COULDN'T AGREE MORE
Share these around
your Thanksgiving table and see how many you agree with - and how many we can
resolve to integrate into our lives over the coming weeks.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Shabbat Shalom and Safe Travels!
Don't forget that our
morning services are at 9 AM on Thurs, Fri. and Sunday, 9:30 on Shabbat.
Rabbi Joshua
Hammerman
No comments:
Post a Comment