TBE Torah Commentary, plus Zoom Recording and Screen Shots: Ilana and Madelyn Meth on Emor

 

MADELYN

Hello everybody. Shabbat shalom. 

As a lot of you may know, I was in Israel last summer. Little did I know what would happen a couple months later. The events of October 7th had a huge impact on me. It was such a terrible thing, and my heart will always be with the hostages and families of lost ones. 

But despite all the bad things that have happened, I have learned a lot about being Jewish, and this has helped me in finding my Jewish pride. I became very interested in my faith, and especially expanding my knowledge on the Holocaust. Even before my trip to Israel, my parents kept enforcing how important it is to have a proper, Jewish education. At the time, I had no idea why, and didn’t get why it was being stressed so much. Throughout 6th and 7th grade I have been to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, Yad Vashem (the Holocaust museum in Israel), the Holocaust Heritage Museum in Long Island, and even more importantly, visited Israel and marched in solidarity for Israel in Washington, DC.  Besides going to all these places, our family has a few Jewish traditions too. For example, we go to services from time to time, celebrate shabbat almost every Friday night, go to temple on high holidays, and have our annual dreidel tournaments. After October 7th, I have realized why these traditions and what I have learned about Judaism is so important to me and my family. 

Which brings me to my Torah portion, Emor. Emor contains the rules and guidelines to living a purposeful and structured life. In order to live a purposeful Jewish life, I believe that the rules are the most important part in making it meaningful. So, I like to follow the rules. Mainly because doing the right thing makes me feel proud, and good inside. For example, following the rules of Judaism because they make every day special. The holiday Shabbat happens every week. If you strictly observe the teachings of the Torah, you would give yourself a day of rest to disconnect from everything going on, and not use any electronics. Or, if you are Kosher, not mixing meat and dairy. Even though I am not completely observant of of Judaism, I enjoy celebrating the holidays in a less restrictive way, by following some of the rules. For example, I didn’t eat flour and bread for the whole time of Passover this year.  Even when my whole class was having a pizza party, I sat there and ate my matzah pizza. There are other rules too that play a big role in keeping an organized life. 

But the rules of Judaism aren’t just about holidays and the ways of living.   They are about how to treat one another.  The portion before this one has all kinds of laws about that, including the most important of all, love your neighbor as yourself.  By following these laws, we are making the world a better place

So, the teachings of the Torah can be very useful in having an organized, meaningful life. 

Which brings me to my mitzvah project, Hearts for Holit.  During October 7th, Hamas invaded a Kibbutz in Israel called Holit. Holit is located really close to Gaza, so it was not safe for the members to continue living there. They all were relocated to various housing in the north, where it is safest for them. On my trip to Israel, I learned that one of the key aspects of Kibbutz life is community. Now that they are all separated, community is one thing they don’t have. So, in my mitzvah project I am aiming to re- establish community by sponsoring monthly events or get - togethers for all the members. This project means a lot to me because my community is so important to me. When I was in Israel, I became a Bat Mitzvah on Masada, but I am doing it again here for my community so I could celebrate with them too. 

As I am celebrating with my community, I am also honored in sharing this Mitzvah with my Bat Mitzvah twin Miriam, with whom I share a Hebrew name. Mira unfortunately was not able to have one of her own when she perished in the Holocaust and was never able to reach this milestone. 

I am also sharing this day with my real twin, Ilana. Mazel tov and congratulations! You did so good!

ILANA

Shabbat Shalom and welcome to my Bat Mitzvah. Madelyn your speech was really good!

Even though I loved what you said about rule following, I’m going to talk about the opposite. Because I’m a bit of a “rule breaker.”

Even though following rules is really good, it’s also good to bend the rules sometimes.

This week’s Torah Portion talks about Rules. It talks about following rules and even breaking rules. What a coincidence that this applies to Madelyn and me.

We are both very different in many ways. Madelyn is a bit of a rulie, but me on the other hand I don’t like to play by the book.

And there are lots of rules worth arguing about.

My portion, for instance, contains laws about the priests, who led the people in worship.  The rules had nothing to do with what they did, but a lot to do with how they looked – and whether they had any disabilities or flaws.  I think it’s unfair to have rules like that.  But so did the Torah, because no such rules exist for any other kind of Jewish leader, like rabbis.  And many of the rules for priests set back then don’t apply anymore.

I think it’s important to break the rules from time to time because you can go down a new path and have it your own way.

If I had the chance, I’d rewrite some basic rules for school. For instance, who really needs homework?  I would write a new rule that there can’t be any homework and everything should be learned in school.  That would take a lot of pressure off kids so we can live wholesome lives.

Here’s another rule I would add to the Torah:  If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything.

There have been lots of times when Jews have had to break rules because they were living in places where the rulers were cruel and evil.  In Nazi Germany, for instance.  During the Holocaust, many Jews broke rules by hiding and many non-Jews put their lives at risk to hide them.

Sometimes it’s not easy to know what’s right and what’s wrong. 

But one thing I’ve learned this year is that right now, helping Israel is what’s right.  And remembering the victims of October 7 and the Holocaust.

 

When I was in Israel over the summer, we were lucky enough to visit an Air Force base in the Negev desert and we met some of the pilots and crew. When October 7th happened I was devastated and was thinking about them every day as they we’re flying missions over Gaza.

For my Bat mitzvah project I'm donating money to their base to help them buy supplies that they can use to de-stress between missions and take a break. I also decided to create goodie bags for all the pilots and crew that included stress balls with their logo on it.

You can have one too if you donate 36 dollars or more!

I’d like to ask Madelyn to join me back up here.

After October 7th people kept saying the term “Never forget,” which is the saying that used to refer to the Holocaust.

And today, by sharing our B'not Mitzvah with Mira and Hania, who were among the million and a half kids who died during the Holocaust, we are showing that that we will never forget, about both the Holocaust and October 7, in order to make sure that something like that never happens again.

In This Moment: Coronation with Representation: Jews, Muslims and Sikhs Play the Palace; Jerry Springer in Stamford

 

In This Moment  Our 7th grade class's mock wedding took place last Sunday. And for the first time in Jewish history, the rings doubled as dessert! Coronation With Representation King Charles bucks tradition, adds (some) inclusivity In the Sh'ma's opening paragraph, the one that begins "You shall love," it states that "these words shall be on your heart."  Why on your heart and not in it?  The Kotzker rebbe responds. "We should at least keep these words "on" our hearts, for everyone has a time when his heart opens, and if we have kept the words on our hearts, then they will be ready to fall in, in that short moment of openness." The British royal heart seems to have grown a few sizes since the last time a sovereign assumed the throne. At this weekend's coronation, representatives of faith groups other than the Anglican Church, including Jews, will be participating, which is unprecedented. Not only that, but because it will be on Shabbat, Charles has made special accommodations so the Chief Rabbi will be able to attend. Britain’s chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, will have the rare honor of staying with the King and Queen Consort. And Israel's President Herzog will also be staying close by, within walking distance. Rabbi Mirvis told the BBC: "This showed his deep concern for other faiths, his respect for other faiths. It’s great—he’s now the head of the church but at the same time, he’s the champion of other faiths.” Mirvis will also be speaking his part without having to use a microphone on Shabbat. Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh leaders will take part in various aspects of the coronation. All of these groups, which constitute a significant and growing percentage of Charles' subjects, will now be able to feel included in this grand celebration. But ow far can this inclusiveness go? Could any of those religious representatives themselves qualify to become king or queen? And what about Catholics? Here's what you can't be in order to qualify as a British monarch: You can't be a Catholic You can't be a bastard It helps to be a male Did I say you can't be a Catholic? Non Anglicans need not apply. If you are divorced, or marrying someone who is, it gets complicated. It's now allowed, but discouraged. Unless you are Catholic. Then it doesn't matter. Interestingly, it would appear that mental illness is not a disqualifier for the throne. Here's a (very partial) list of mentally ill monarchs. Evidently the British royal family has dropped their "stiff upper lip" and now will more readily admit to these kinds of challenges. There are strange qualifications for leadership in various cultures. Which brings me to our Torah portion. I've always encouraged our students to challenge the Torah if they find a verse problematic or offensive. I see it as a sign of true religious maturity to ask tough questions of the text. One part of this week's portion of Emor has prompted more consternation than most. It's where the qualifications for the priesthood are discussed. The list from Leviticus 21 disqualifies priests who are blind or lame, who have a limb that is too short or too long or broken, priests who have a hunchback or who are short, priests with a growth in their eye, and priests with crushed testes (ouch!). The fact that disabilities or deformities are grounds for disqualification is anathema to many Jews, and many of our b'nai mitzvah have close relatives who are physically or mentally challenged. These prohibitions really bothers them, more than almost any other controversial prohibition in the Torah. So how could this have been allowed? It's not so far fetched to disqualify people who appear impaired when you think that a generation ago, before the advent of TV, a US president had to hide the fact that he was wheelchair bound. But the restrictions on the priesthood in Leviticus are not as much of an indictment of Jewish ethics as it seems. The priest was more of a figurehead than an actual leader. Aaron, the first cohen, spoke beautifully, but it was Moses' words that he spoke to Pharaoh, not his own. Moses, who was speech-challenged, was the actual leader; he made all the decisions. The priest never actually legislated, judged or ruled in ancient Israel. He hardly made any decisions at all; not on policy, not on diplomacy and not even on what to wear. Everything was laid out by protocol (and by his priestly dressers). Like the British monarch, the cohen was there to symbolize the state, on coins, at festivals, wherever a figurehead was needed. They were asked to keep their opinions to themselves, much as Charles has toned down his advocacy for pet projects like Climate Change since he's become King. Still, the mere fact of such a lack of inclusivity is disquieting. Rabbis have no restrictions on their appearance or skills. Basically, any Jew can qualify as a rabbi. In a few weeks, on Pride Shabbat on June 2, we'll have as our guest a well known rabbi who happens to be blind - the first female rabbi with that challenge. Rabbi Lauren Tuchman (no relation to a TBE'er with a similar name), will speak of the Transformative Power of an Inclusive Torah, also the title of her Eli talk. Judaism is not about keeping people out, especially since talented leaders are so needed. The British monarchy? Not so inclusive. But improving. We just need to hope that the heart will eventually open wide and those words of love and inclusion will fall in. At some point there will be no outsiders, no strangers, and Jews, Muslims - and Catholics - won't have to act so overjoyed with simply being tolerated and invited to the feast. Listen to this brand new version of "Adon Olam" composed in honor of the Coronation of King Charles. Adon Olam gets the Royal treatment! As part of the Jewish community’s celebrations in honour of the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III on May 6th 2023, a brand new adaptation of an ancient Jewish song composed by Stephen Levey and arranged by The Portnoy Brothers is being released digitally on Friday 28 April 2023. A musician ensemble based in the Ukraine participated in the production by providing all the strings and orchestration. ‘Adon Olam’ – which translated means ‘Lord of the Universe’ – is a hymn that has been part of the Jewish daily and Sabbath liturgy since the 15th Century and which speaks of God in both cosmic terms and as a personal presence in our lives. Wienerworld worked in partnership with the United Synagogue to invite 200 primary school children from five Jewish schools in the London area to learn the song and come together to record this new composition together with featured artists The Portnoy Brothers. The United Synagogue is the largest synagogue body in Europe, supporting some 60 Jewish communities across England. King Charles III has always been a stalwart personal friend to the Jewish community. It is hoped that this new recording of ‘Adon Olam’ will act as further recognition of the community’s affection for the Royal Family and our gratitude that Jews can observe their customs and traditions safely and openly in the UK. Recommended Reading & Listening Today's Israeli Front Pages click for pdf of the full page Yediot Achronot (Hebrew) Ha'aretz (English) On the passing of Jerry Springer: Perhaps I could have been more welcoming of Jerry Springer when he came to town in 2009. He passed away last week. Welcome To The Neighborhood, Jerry Springer (my article in NY Jewish Week). Also see this tribute in the Forward. Also see my follow-up piece. Here's an excerpt from my first piece on Springer: Some would claim that Jews are disproportionately represented among rabble-rousers. That category, loosely constructed, includes union activists, politicians, journalists and lawyers, all very “Jewish” professions. But I’m talking about the real rousers, people with the rare combination of charisma, sarcasm and political savvy — people like Lenny Bruce, Harvey Milk, Bella Abzug and shock jocks like Stern and, yes, Jerry Springer. The Torah calls the rabble afasfsoof, an alliterative expansion of the word for “gathering,” suggesting an arena full of unhappy hockey fans. Demagogues like Korach manipulate the mob, while organizers like Moses channel their anger and craving into constructive, world-repairing activity. That’s where Bella and Harvey succeeded, and where Jerry continues to fail. But why give up hope? Jerry, former mayor of Cincinnati, clearly has a talent for leadership. He might be one good High Holy Days sermon away from tossing off all that craziness and channeling that asafsoof anger into the kind of compassion that could make miracles happen. Imagine all those Springer fans leaving the studio and heading for their pickups, but instead of hopping back onto I-95, they cruise on over to the local food pantry to stock the shelves. Imagine how much good Jerry could do. The Colosseum’s Jewish Connection (AISH) to the ancient Colosseum in Rome are awed by its sheer size. Measuring 620 by 512 feet, it’s a massive structure; six and a half football fields could fit inside its space, with room to spare. Rising four stories into the sky, the Colosseum has 80 entrances and used to hold more than 50,000 spectators who flocked to this landmark to watch games during the height of the Roman Empire. But few guidebooks mention why the Colosseum was built or how its sponsors could afford to build what was the largest amphitheater in the ancient world. The Colosseum was built to commemorate the sacking and destruction of Jerusalem, and was funded by loot stolen from the ancient Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Rabbi Harold Kushner asked God tough questions and shared the answers with all of us (NPR). From "When Bad Things Happen to Good People": The idea that God gives people what they deserve, that our misdeeds cause our misfortune, is a neat and attractive solution to the problem of evil at several levels, but it has a number of serious limitations. As we have seen, it teaches people to blame themselves. It creates guilt even where there is no basis for guilt. It makes people hate God, even as it makes them hate themselves. And most disturbing of all, it does not even fit the facts. Coffee and cigarettes: An essay by Etgar Keret (Forward) Israel of the earth (TOI - Sarah Tuttle Singer) Come meet the Israel I know, where I live and love - what I see and hear and taste and smell and feel. Maybe you'll feel it too. -- Israel of the earth is the life in our streets — it’s the lurch of the buses as they rumble through the city. It’s the grandmother on the bus who sees a random soldier across the aisle and thrusts a Tupperware container of chicken and rice at him and tells him he looks too skinny and he needs to eat. It’s the bus driver singing along to Taylor Swift on the radio, and the yeshiva student trying not to hum along. It’s the taxi drivers with the best stories and the advice (“Listen to your wife! Whatever she says, just do it, do it quickly, and do it with a smile!”). It’s the barista who is studying art at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design and will write your name on the foam, no extra charge, the chef who’s opening his first restaurant featuring a modern Israeli twist on his grandmother’s recipes from Morocco. Parsha Packets for Emor Food and Ethics: The Implications of our food choices - This week's portion contains one of several Torah references to the practice of gleaning (Leket) - leaving some of the harvest in the field for the poor. Read here about how this important mitzvah is put into practice. Jews on Fire: Living Passionately - Emor and Lag B'Omer - Learn about the custom of having bonfires on Lag B'Omer (which falls this coming Monday night) and compare it to other fire festivals of mid spring from around the world. Sanctifying the divine name through chocolate and coffee - An in depth look at fair trade practices and how slave labor practices are a "hillul hashem" a profanation of God's name. Is Swearing Kosher? Evidence from Leviti-CURSE. The laws governing blasphemy are found in this portion. What do they have to say about our culture of rampart profanity. Is it no big f-ing deal? Share This Email   Share This Email   Share This Email Temple Beth El 350 Roxbury Road Stamford, Connecticut 06902 203-322-6901 | www.tbe.org    A Conservative, Inclusive, Spiritual Community

Temple Beth El | 350 Roxbury Road, Stamford, CT 06902

In this Moment, May 12 - The Greatest Shul on Earth; Scenes from a Marriage I and II

In This Moment Scenes from a Marriage I Who needs Ingmar Bergman when our seventh grade classes have been celebrating Jewish marriage for a decade and a half! Year after year, classes have worked tirelessly to prepare their mock wedding ceremonies as part of the grade's innovative Jewish lifecycle curriculum, which was first developed in 2008 by educational director Eran Vaisben, along with Mara Hammerman. This year's class celebrated its mock wedding last Sunday. We did the class bris during the winter, the World Wide Wrap (the B'nai Mitzvah unit) a couple of weeks ago, and for their final lifecycle unit, on death, they will be visiting the cemetery next week. Despite all the challenges of this hybrid year, we got through the entire lifecycle. Birth, B'nai Mitzvah and death are all important, but the wedding always brings out their best! You can see below the lovely ketuba and huppah that the students prepared for last week's ceremony. Each year, the class discusses the wedding customs in great detail and decides how to stamp their own mark on the proceedings. In a nod to to our commitment to egalitarianism, this year's students decided to have the bride and groom each break their own glass, simultaneously. To celebrate the 15 years of seventh grade marriages, and the kids, parents and educators, and the teacher who led all of them, I've put together an album of assorted photos from 7th grade weddings, which you can access by clicking here. Below are some pics from last week. If you want to take a trip down memory lane, here's our collection of current and past 7th grade lifecycle albums. Somehow 2009-2010 has gotten lost in the shuffle - if you have any photos from that year, please send them my way. 2021-2022 7th Grade Lifecycle Album 2020-2021 7th Grade Lifecycle Album 2018-2019 7th Grade Lifecycle Album 2019-2020 7th Grade Lifecycle Album 2016-2017 7th Grade Lifecycle Album 2015-2016 7th Grade Lifecycle Album 2014-2015 7th Grade Lifecycle Album 2013-2014 7th Grade Wedding Album 2012-2013 7th Grade Wedding Album 2011-2012 7th Grade Wedding Album 2010-2011 7th Grade Wedding Album 2008-2009 7th Grade Wedding Album 2007-2008 7th Grade Wedding Album Someone asked me recently if any of the couples from prior years' class weddings have ever gotten married in real life. As the great 20th century theologian Franz Rosenzweig replied when asked about whether he puts on tefillin every day: "Not yet." But as for the future, who knows? Screen grab from last week's Sisterhood Shabbat. Yashar Koach on a fantastic service! Shabbat Shalom Just so no one can accuse our services as being run like a circus, we have installed our own Big Top. Now we can truly be the "Greatest Shul on Earth." A floor has been put down, wi-fi access strengthened, sound systems prepared - and plans are for the TBE Ohel to be fully operational within a couple of weeks. In Hebrew, "Ohel" means tent, and a whole lot more. Joel Hoffman, in his Jerusalem Post language column, writes: [W]hen Israelis greet one another on the streets of Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, it is not shalom or a longer variation of it, but rather the colloquial "ahalan" that is most often heard. Ahalan, borrowed directly from Arabic, comes from ahal, one of many words for "family." (The cognate Hebrew word, ohel, means "tent," that is a place where a family lived.) What better greeting could be offered to a weary desert traveler than to be welcomed into the protective shade of a tent or the warm company of family. Indeed, Abraham is known for his generosity in welcoming strangers into his family tent. And though tents are now rare in Israel, the cordial greeting pays homage to a form of ancient hospitality. Some speakers add wasahlan, "and to the plain," perhaps contrasting with, say, rocky mountains, and therefore alluding to a place of comfort. A loose translation of the pair might be, "make yourself at home" and "make yourself comfortable. Klein writes that ohel is "usually connected with but probably not related to Arabic 'ahl (= relatives, kin, kinsfolk, adherents, inhabitants, people)." So a tent is all about hospitality, comfort, family and warmth (and I suspect it will be pretty warm in ours at times), all qualities that we seek to bring into everything we do, particularly services. I'm especially excited that we will be able to have a number of our hybrid Shabbat services there during the coming months, so that we can gather with the safety that outdoor ventilation brings. We'll continue to use other venues for services as well, including the sanctuary, and when the weather is nice, our cozy outdoor spot on the other side of the sanctuary windows. The goal is always to pray with feeling - Kavvanah - which literally means intent. So we'll pray in-tent (and sometimes out-of-tent) with intent. But with the breeze of outdoor ventilation, our intentional, in-tent praying does not need to be so intense, so filled with anxiety as so many indoor gatherings are now, with Covid rates moving upward again. The family and friends of Alan Kalter, as well as others who participated in the paddle raise, helped to make this possible, and in doing so, will keep us safer and possibly save lives. But whether or not lives are ultimately saved, doing all we can for safety's sake affirms the Jewish value of protecting those whom we love. In the topsy turvy world we live in, we can now find some comfort under the Big Top. (See: COVID risks higher from small indoor events than large outdoor ones. See also Covid FAQs, updated for recent trends.) Scenes from a Marriage II Intermarriage and Conservative Judaism Veteran journalist Debra Nussbaum Cohen wrote a lengthy update in the Forward this week on how Conservative leaders are dealing with the tricky topic of intermarriage, in light of the movement's longstanding ban on rabbis' officiation. A number of rabbis are quoted in the piece, spanning a wide variety of viewpoints. The matter has been long since resolved in both Reform and Orthodoxy; but one of the great assets of Conservative Judaism is its desire to forge consensus through dialectic. There is always tension between tradition and change, and that tension is what fuels the movement's creative energy. Can the center hold? And more to the point, should it, at least on this issue? Holding the line against performing intermarriages has been a contributing factor in the shrinking of the movement. Is a leaner - and some might say meaner - Conservative Judaism a good thing? Nussbaum Cohen writes: Rabbis on either side of the debate say its outcome will be consequential for the Conservative movement, which represents about 20% of American Jews, and is shrinking. Those who want to lift the ban say it alienates Jews who want to intermarry, pushing them to other movements where rabbis are free to officiate at these weddings — or away from Judaism altogether. Others maintain that lifting the prohibition would signal that Jews are free to bend Judaism to fit personal preferences, and result in a weakened commitment to Jewish life. And what meaningful distinction between Reform and Conservative Judaism will remain, others ask, if Conservative rabbis do not draw the line at interfaith marriage? “The number of rabbis grappling with it is growing,” said Keren McGinity, who was hired by the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the congregational arm of the movement, to serve as its part-time interfaith specialist in 2020. This year, her position was made full time. The article shows that there has been considerable movement toward leniency over the past several years and that the time has come for a more intense conversation, which could lead to more dramatic change. The 2020 Pew Research Center’s survey of the American Jewish community found that 61 percent of Jews married since 2010 wed non-Jews. We can't just dismiss out of hand nearly two thirds of the Jewish population - and a much higher percentage of the non-Orthodox population. Our congregation continues to refine our vision, defining who we are and where we stand on the denominational spectrum. At TBE, we've always been on the more inclusive side of Conservative Judaism, and in recent years we have gone out of our way to welcome dual faith households, in ritual and worship and in our bylaws. We offer free membership for a year to all newlyweds, including those where one spouse is not Jewish. We offer special blessings for dual-faith couples here at the temple and worked closely with groups like 18 Doors, which provides guidance to couples and families. For a wedding a few weeks ago, I wrote a congratulatory message that was read to the couple under the huppah. How could I not? I've known the bride since she was a child. In fact, the couple even used my father's portable huppah, which I've discussed in this context before. A few days later, I worked with another TBE-related interfaith couple about to be married, to develop their ceremony. It was a wonderful - and hopefully helpful - conversation. Still, I've also had to deliver heartbreaking news to couples who have asked for my direct participation in their ceremony, and I've not been able to cross that line - a line that would likely result in my expulsion from the Rabbinical Assembly. I'm not prepared to leave the Movement. In the end, for the most part, those who grew up here know that they will never be rejected by their home congregation and rabbi, even if I can't perform the wedding. Most understand that 20 minutes under a huppah cannot outweigh decades of unconditional love and support both before and after the wedding day. The USCJ has had its own issues over the years, and TBE's departure from it years ago was justifiable. We've done just fine carving out our own identity - our niche in the local and national Jewish spectrum - with our unique approach to prayer and focus on cutting-edge traditional music. But it always helps to have a national movement to fall back on. And through my association with the Rabbinical Assembly, we have that. I'm not willing to let that go. There are lots of wonderful things about Conservative Judaism, though I'm not crazy about the name and it can be a little wishy washy at times (OK, all the time). But it challenges us to be the adults in the room, to be thinking beings who take Judaism seriously and are willing to grapple with tough questions. We take tradition seriously; it anchors us, immersing us in authenticity, linking us to ancient stories and ethics - to Israel and to our eternal Hebrew language. There are so many ways that Conservative Judaism is the right choice for today, embracing change and justice, while keeping Torah as our GPS - I'm not willing to give that up. Nor am I willing to be the reason TBE gives it up. With a nod to Women's League and Federation of Men's Clubs, it is really through its rabbi and cantor that TBE is bound to the Conservative Movement. Read this backgrounder on the American Jewish denominations And this on Conservative Judaism: "How the Middle Became a Movement" And my take from 2008: "The Muddle in the Middle" TBE is embarking on an important process of strategic planning. We need to. Our "2020 Plan," devised in 2012, expired two and a half years ago. The world has changed quite a bit even since 2020, all the more since 2012. But one thing that will certainly stay at the core of any updated plan that emerges, is the way we welcome the "stranger" into our tent. Now we even have the tent to prove it. How that spirit of inclusiveness aligns with our need to be part of something bigger than ourselves - a movement - has yet to be determined. Recommended Reading The ADL’s Crazily Irresponsible Crusade Against anti-Zionism - Is the ADL bending over backwards too far in its recent equating of anti-Zionism on the left with white supremacist antisemitism on the right? The arguments below have validity, but during a week after the Harvard Crimson endorsed BDS it is easy to understand why the ADL felt the need to make an adjustment to refocus on the dangers coming from the left. The authors write: By erroneously equating left-wing human rights activism to the powerful and fast-mounting threat of anti-democratic authoritarianism on the Right, Greenblatt and the ADL are actually helping to shift the focus on antisemitism away from where it belongs, undermining the much-needed concerted effort to protect the imperiled foundations of multiracial democracy in the U.S. More Conservative rabbis struggle with interfaith marriage ban — and some are flouting it (Forward article discussed above) Is Paul Simon Jewish? Or 'Jew-ish'? Parashat Emor Home page Pregnant women in America and Israel face starkly different choices – The Forward - America is the worst place in the Western world to be a mother. If Roe falls, millions of American women will have this broken system forced upon them. A better way for families is not an impossible dream — it’s what your Israeli cousins and colleagues live with everyday. Compared to Israeli policy, and the policy of every other wealthy country in the world, American policy is staunchly anti-family and anti-Mom.   Hashkiveinu: Seeking Comfort and Protection Through the Night | My Jewish Learning - This prayer, traditionally recited in the evening, envisions God as a guide and shelter. Joshua Cohen's satirical novel 'The Netanyahus' wins Pulitzer Prize for fiction - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - Loved this book. Shabbat Shalom! Rabbi Joshua Hammerman Temple Beth El 350 Roxbury Road Stamford, Connecticut 06902 203-322-6901 | www.tbe.org    A Conservative, Inclusive, Spiritual Community