In This Moment: Oct. 31, 2021 - All Souls (for Jews): Halloween Special

 

In This Moment

Shavua Tov (a good week!) Apologies are in order for those who tried to tune into our livestream this past Friday night. I've heard that the audio feed was flawed (to put it mildly) for much of the service, though the last segment was much improved. I would think that many who came aboard had long since abandoned ship by then. Rest assured that we are working on the problem and hope to come up with both short term fixes and long term solutions that will enable us to sustain the kind of excellence that characterized our High Holidays experience, both in-person and remote. We know how important it is to provide that excellence, and to do it in a manner that maximizes the potential for engagement and participation. Meanwhile, our Zoom Shabbat morning today had the highest attendance in weeks, and our virtual minyans continue to be quite successful. Last night's service was very well attended too, and it was terrific. Cantor Kaplan and I focused on a theme related both to Halloween and to the Torah portion of Hayye Sarah: reincarnation. She sang an amazing rendition of the Indigo Girls' song "Galileo," which speaks of reincarnation.

Indigo Girls - Galileo

And for those who may have given up on our livestream, here is the full text of my talk on reincarnation (see a backgrounder here). --------------------- Here’s a story that I read several years ago on Yahoo! News: It's about a stray dog who was condemned to death by a rabbinical court in Jerusalem. The story was reprinted from the Israeli press, which reported that a stray dog wandered into a Beit Din (religious court) in the strictly Orthodox neighborhood of Mea Shearim in Jerusalem and refused to be moved. A judge on the Beit Din determined the dog was a reincarnation of a secular lawyer who died 20 years ago. The article claimed that the judges on the Beit Din then “decreed” that local children stone the dog to death. Once the story hit Yahoo! News it got picked up by the BBC where it was the most read story of the day. If you don't believe me, you can see the BBC link here. Of course none of this actually happened. Here's the retraction from the BBC. However, with news items traveling the globe at lightning speed thanks to the Internet, this story was everywhere within an hour. The damage was done even though the Israeli newspaper issued a correction and apology on its website, JTA released an article explaining that there was no stoning of a dog, and Yahoo! News took the story down. It was already re-posted on hundreds of websites around the world. The religious court issued the following statement: "There is no basis for stoning dogs or any other animal in the Jewish religion, not since the days of the Temple or Abraham… A female dog did come in and found a seat in the corner of the court. And the children were delighted by it, especially when she raised her right paw and said, “So help me Dog.” (that was me - just kidding)." "There were hundreds outside the court. They are used to seeing stray cats but most have never seen a dog before. The only action we took was to dial the number of the Jerusalem Municipality to get the people in charge to take it away." "There was no talk of reincarnation, a lawyer was never mentioned, either now or 20 years ago, and there was no stoning. Such inventions are a kind of blood libel, and we wonder why the inventor of the story did not continue to describe how we collected the blood of the dog to make our matzah." (That was seriously in the statement). The story, when circulated on Yahoo! News, attracted more than 1,800 comments, most expressing violent anger. Just another example of people believing the truly unbelievable on the Web. I don’t know where to begin with this. The fact that Haredi kids in Jerusalem almost never see a stray dog is believable. Very traditional Jews and dogs have not historically gotten along.   Cruelty to animals is completely verboten in Jewish law. Stoning an animal would be inconceivable. Even animals marked for kosher slaughter must be killed in a manner where they don’t feel any pain.   But it’s funny how the reincarnation part seems the least objectionable. Almost a given. Even the fact that it was a lawyer who came back as a dog, with the dog apparently higher on the evolutionary scale. Makes sense. :)   Reincarnation has a prominent place in Jewish folklore – which means in Jewish theology too. Remember, we have no dogma (no pun intended) when it comes to life after death. So we can believe pretty much whatever we want. And many Jews, particularly mystics, strongly believe in reincarnation.   And it all comes back to this week’s portion of Hayye Sarah.   Right at the beginning of the portion it says, “These were the lives of Sarah.” "LIVES" is in the plural. And her 127 years are broken down in a strange way. One hundred years, and twenty years and seven years. It’s as if she had three lives.   In the portion, there seem to be interesting correspondences between Abraham and elements of eastern religions, which some believe alludes to reincarnation. After Sarah’s death, Abraham remarries and has a number of kids with Hindu sounding names, like Yokshan, whose name has the same root letters as Krishna, and a grandchild literally named Shiva – and Abraham’s own name has the same root letters as Brama, another Hindu deity.   The text in 25:5 tells us that "Abraham gave "all that he had" to Isaac. But to the concubine-children who were Abraham's from his later wife Ketura, Abraham gave gifts; then he sent them away ( verse 6), "eastward to the land of the east." The classical commentators wonder, if he had already given "all that he had" to Isaac, what were these gifts that he gave the (soon to be) eastbound children? Rashi surmised, from his 11th century perch in the Rhineland, that he gave them spiritual gifts -- knowledge that they would need for their journey to the lands of the east. It's possible that this is the common origin of Judaism and the East's shared belief in reincarnation.   The Kabbalists had a field day with this. But even among mainstream commentators, there is the traditional Jewish belief in a form of reincarnation and the transmigration of souls, stemming from the idea that every Jewish soul was present at Sinai. All Souls Day for Jews is Shavuot, and our trick or treat bounty is a plate full of blintzes.   The Zohar adds, As long as a person is unsuccessful in his purpose in this world, the Holy One, blessed be He, uproots him and replants him over and over again. (Zohar I 186b) Also from the Zohar: All souls are subject to reincarnation; and people do not know the ways of the Holy One, blessed be God! They do not know that they are brought before the tribunal both before they enter into this world and after they leave it; they are ignorant of the many reincarnations and secret works which they have to undergo, and of the number of naked souls, and how many naked spirits roam about in the other world without being able to enter within the veil of the King's Palace. Humans do not know how the souls revolve like a stone that is thrown from a sling. But the time is at hand when these mysteries will be disclosed. (Zohar II 99b) The great Italian Kabbalist Moshe Chaim Luzzato (Ramchal) explained: A single soul can be reincarnated a number of times in different bodies, and in this manner, it can rectify damage done in previous incarnations. Similarly, it can also achieve perfection that was not attained in its previous incarnations. This would help to explain the classical existential question of why bad things happen to good people (and vice versa). They make up for it in a future life. There is a Jewish believe that a human being at their core essence is a consciousness, one that transcends the corporeal self. In this light, the human experience is painted on a vastly larger canvas than we currently imagine and has a critical bearing on who we are. One way of exploring this idea is through the following metaphor: You have an axe. It gets a nick in the head so you have it replaced. Then, the handle breaks, and you replace that. Is it the same axe? Biologically speaking we don't inhabit the same container for the duration of our lives as most of our cells fully replicate about every 10 years. If our consciousness can endure a series of shifting bodies then perhaps it can leap from one to another. It's no less conceivable than the fact of being born in the first place. Rabbi Isaac Luria's "Gates of Incarnations" is a fascinating exploration of the soul roots of many of the key figures of the Torah. It demonstrates how seemingly unrelated events and people in classic Biblical accounts are actually the same (albeit) reincarnated souls back to take a second crack at achieving their potential or to rectify their poor choices and the negative consequences from previous incarnations. For example, though Noah was considered a righteous man, he is faulted for failing to take responsibility for his generation and allowing them to be destroyed by the flood. The Hebrew word for the boat he built (and that saved humanity) is "teyva." This word is only used one more time in the Torah and it also involves being saved from the water. It's the name given to the little raft that Moses' mother made to hide him from the Egyptians. According to Rabbi Luria, Moses is the soul of Noah who's been offered a second chance to take responsibility for his people and the unusual word is the hint that links the accounts. (This particular soul succeeds with flying colors in round two). Others see Noah coming back as Isaac Newton and Moses as the reincarnation of Cain   Who knows where the truth lies, but as you hear all about Halloween and All Souls Day this week as being a purely Christian concept, think of that dog in the courtroom. It’s probably Bernie Madoff, just looking for a way to make things right. Happy Halloween and All (Jewish) Souls Day! Rabbi Joshua Hammerman

Challahween Kabbalat Shabbat Service

 

Shabbat-O-Gram for October 27

Shabbat-O-Gram

   

Above: a scene from Tuesday night's inspiring Reyut panel discussion

See our complete Fall and Holidays photo album and 

Click here for text and audio of  High Holiday sermons

Check out next summer's Israel @ 70 Tour - and reserve now! 

Shabbat Shalom!

 

Mazal tov to Aaron Eben and his three-generation TBE family, as he becomes bar mitzvah this Shabbat morning.  Our portion is Lech Lecha and on Shabbat morning we'll be talking about Jewish names and why we change them. See the parsha packet. And join us Friday night as well for another wonderful musical Shabbat.  Next week marks the 100^th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration and we will be hosting the AJC's Director of Contemporary Jewish Life, Steven Bayme.  Make sure to be here for that and for the Hoffman Lecture on November 7, featuring Daniel Gordis and Peter Beinart.

 

 

"The Band's Visit"

 

Last night I was able to see the new Broadway musical, "The Band's Visit."  It opens officially on November 9, but already the buzz is sky high, with nightly sellouts.  I really enjoyed this story of an Egyptian police band that gets sidetracked to a dead-end Israeli development town in the 1990s.  The acting is superb, the music spirited, the theme universal and the ambiance authentically Israeli.  The overarching message is of overcoming difficulties in communication. The premise of the show is a mix up at the border that sends the band to Bet Hatikva, instead of Petach Tikva, "with a P."  English is the common ground where the Israelis and Egyptians meet, but it's also slippery ground for all of them and the words never flow easily.  In some ways, though, the communications issues are more acute among couples and families that have known each other for years in the town.  It was nice to see a show about Arabs and Israelis where not a word is spoken about territories, terrorism or anything remotely political.  A definite two thumbs up!

Warding off Evil Spirits, Jewishly

For this week of Halloween, for those interested in a variety of responses to the question, 'Should Jewish children trick or treat?" click here.  And if you click three times, you can escape the clutches of the Wicked Witch of the West!  One way to resolve the dilemma of whether or not to go out would be to trick or treat in a Jewish costume.

You can also take a look at my packet on Vampires in the Jewish tradition.

 

Meanwhile, if you are concerned about how to ward off evil spirits, Jewish folklore provides lots of advice.  Because, you see, over the centuries, no matter what the rabbis poo-poohed, the ordinary folk in the country side were spitting on their fingers and going "poo, poo, poo." Jewish folk religion was - and is - full of the occult.  Below are some helpful hints, direct from my great great grandmother, whom I contacted at a seance, assisted by the Long Island Extra Large (the Medium was unavailable)

  

How to Ward off Evil in Jewish Myth and Superstition

 

Spirits of the dead who wander between heaven and earth and are trapped, unable to ascend:    Wear a prayer shawl and blow a shofar (preferably in the cemetery where the bodies of the wandering souls are buried).  The gates of heaven will open for the souls to enter. (From "The Boy Who Blew the Shofar," Gabriel's Palace: Jewish Mystical Tales.)

 

Stand inside a chalk circle to protect yourself from evil spirits.

 

Say the Shema to ward off demons.

 

To keep demons away, read Psalm 91.

 

To exorcise a dybbuk, you need a minyan (ten adults past B'nei Mitzvah age) and a rabbi.  The rabbi will contact the spirit and try to convince it to leave the person and move on to the afterlife (heaven). A dybbuk is a wandering spirit who has invaded a human being.  You can spot a dybbuk because they will sometimes speak nonsense or behave in a strange and disturbed manner. 

 

Red string is said to ward off evil.

 

Salt protects one from demons and evil spirits. Place it in the corners of the room where evil spirits like to hide.

 

To put a golem to rest - erase God's name on his forehead. Angels can provide protection from demons and evil spirits.

 

Spitting 3 times is done in response to seeing or hearing something especially evil or good.  Spitting protects against demons.

 

When traveling, wear a metal pin on your clothing as protection against evil.

 

 

 

The Religious Landscape

 

A very interesting survey on the American religious landscape came out this fall, based on interviews of over 100,000 Americans from every state.  It's summarized here.  The headline finding from a national perspective is that white Christians, once the dominant religious group in the U.S., now account for fewer than half of all adults living in the country. Today, fewer than half of all states are majority white Christian.

But for me the more interesting finding is that the religiously unaffiliated-those who identify as "atheist," "agnostic," or "nothing in particular"-now account for nearly one-quarter (24%) of Americans. Since the early 1990s, this group has roughly tripled in size (see the chart below).

 

This is not just a Jewish phenomenon, but for Jews it has unique implications, because Jewish identification can be - and often is - based on peoplehood rather than religion. But for us the key is that what we are seeing in the Jewish community is reflected everywhere.

 

See also this recent Washington Post article on the state of American Jewry.

 

Embracing Auschwitz

Finally, my article "Embracing Auschwitz" summarizing some the themes from my High Holidays sermons, appeared in this week's New York Jewish Week.  Here it is.

 As a rabbi, I've long felt that the Holocaust took up far too much Jewish bandwidth, smothering our joy and replacing it with resentment. It posed questions that were unanswerable, eclipsed centuries of achievement, gave us a pretext to hate others and gave our children the excuse to opt out of this Debbie Downer of a religion altogether.

 

But recently I've come around to a very different perspective, one validated by the pending release, on Nov. 3, of a video game. Not just any video game, but "Call of Duty: WW2," the long-awaited next installment of a series that has sold 30 million units worldwide. What makes this one different is that it will depict the Holocaust, a topic avoided in prior WW2 video games, and the creators indicate that the subject is being handled authentically and truthfully.

 

"We didn't want to shy away from history," creative director Bret Robbins told Mashable.

"We wanted to be very respectful of it. Some very, very dark things happened during this conflict, and it felt wrong for us to ignore that."

 

As a response to the recent surge of anti-Semitism, the Holocaust is increasingly being brought into the mainstream of popular culture. Aside from "Call of Duty," this year's hit conventional board game is called "Secret Hitler," which simulates the rise of fascism. The subject has become so prevalent in social and political conversation that a rule was created, Godwin's Law, asserting that if any discussion goes on long enough, eventually someone or something will be compared to Hitler.   

 

The Holocaust is everywhere.

 

Back in the 1970s, Elie Wiesel disparaged the lowbrow TV mini-series "Holocaust" as "untrue and offensive." But the series was seen by 20 million West Germans, half the country's population, which led to massive reforms in the German educational system. Hopefully after the release of "Call of Duty," millions of fans will convert their gamer's rush into a strengthened commitment never to let such evil prevail again.

 

Wiesel also said that anyone who hears the account of a witness becomes a witness. With Wiesel gone and the survivor generation dwindling, it is time for Jews to embrace Auschwitz and to fully assimilate the power of its narrative into our collective story. I believe Jews are finally ready to do just that - and that Judaism itself is adapting to prepare us for that role.

 

In the 2013 Pew survey of American Jews, what stood out most was the response to the question, "What does it mean to be Jewish?" Leading the way by a large margin was "remembering the Holocaust," at 73 percent. If there is a core to the Jewish self-image, a consensus narrative, that story is far more likely to revolve around what occurred at Auschwitz than at Sinai.

 

Jews, like all people, crave to live lives of joy, love, acceptance, community and faith. After seven decades of going through various stages of grief, we are at last recognizing the potency of the Holocaust message and its potential to help us check those positive boxes. What used to evoke only guilt and vulnerability is becoming a source of vitality and inspiration. While the narrative remains utterly shattering, sparks of hope are beginning to emerge.

 

In a series of sermons over the recent High Holidays, I demonstrated how classical Judaism is now being interpreted anew through the prism of this epochal event, and a "Torah of Auschwitz" is emerging.

 

Keep in mind that I use the term "Torah" with some deliberate irony - it is intended to provoke thought, not to show disrespect. For in the broadest sense, the word means "sacred teaching," and as a verb it connotes an ongoing, evolving process of discovery. I contend that such a "Torah"- like process of sacred discovery has been dramatically aroused by the epochal events of 70 years ago.

 

For example, in Leviticus 19:14, the Torah of Sinai says that we should not place a stumbling block before the blind. In Germany today, there are memorial plates in the ground for Jewish victims - "Stolpersteine," or stumble stones, they are called, because when you stumble over them you have to notice. As of last January, there are 56,000 Stolpersteine throughout the country. So the "Torah of Auschwitz" offers this corollary to Leviticus: "Yes, you should place these stumble stones everywhere a victim lived, to remove blinders from the eyes of those who try to forget their suffering." 

 

Or take Deuteronomy 17:19, the commandment to remember what Amalek did to Israel in the wilderness, attacking the meek and innocent.  For centuries, this has been interpreted as a call for vigilance in the face of evil. But in light of Auschwitz, this commandment has been reinterpreted, not as a call to punish the villains, but rather to remember the victims and to ensure that never again should a cry from the depths of despair, danger and loneliness, from anywhere and anyone, go unheeded. 

 

Sinai's Torah also calls upon Israel to love the stranger - no fewer than 36 times - "because you were strangers in the land of Egypt." Egypt was a living hell for the Israelites, as was Auschwitz for Jews. But in Egypt, save for Pharaoh's daughter's rescue of baby Moses, there were no Raoul Wallenbergs or Oskar Schindlers to buck the genocidal trend. 

In stark contrast, Yad Vashem has honored at least 26,120 Righteous Among the Nations from 51 countries. So, the "Torah of Auschwitz" states "Love the stranger," because not only do you know how it feels to be a stranger who was hated, but you also know how it feels to be a stranger who was, occasionally and inexplicably, loved.

 

Just as the evil perpetrated by the Nazis has no historical parallel, so does the courage of that era dwarf anything we see in the Bible. As the decades pass, selfless supernovas like Janusz Korczac, Mordechai Anielewicz and Hannah Senesh will further brighten the midnight sky as their stories merge into the collective, sacred narrative.

 

Jews need to embrace this story with love, conviction and overflowing pride at the unfathomable fact that somehow we survived this genocidal onslaught. And we survived with one mission only: to tell the tale. As the release of "Call of Duty: WW2" demonstrates, the world has never been more receptive to, and in need of, that message.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Joshua Hammerman

Shabbat O Gram for November 1

The Thanksgivukkah Dilemma, Stamford’s New Trader Joes, Shalom TV, Hebrew School Dybbuks, Jacob’s Kitchen Challah Taste Test and Why Balfour Day Matters (but what the heck is it?)

Shabbat Shalom.  Yes, I’m delighted about the Red Sox and appreciate everyone’s congreatulations and your tolerance of my insufferableness over the past few weeks. It was a great run, and a healing, joyous moment for a city that has suffered quite a bit this year.

Mazal Tov to Hudson Price and Rebecca Morgenthaler, who become b’nai mitzvah this weekend. I am proudly wearing a Rainbow Loom bracelet that Hudson is distributing as part of his mitzvah project.  Incidentally, last week’s S.O.G commentary, “Are Rainbow Looms Kosher?” has been one of the most widely read feature op-eds on the Times of Israel site this past week.   There’s lots of interest in this new fad. 

Check out David Lang’s bar mitzvah d’var Torah from last Shabbat afternoon, on the portion Toldot.  Speaking of Toldot, which is this Shabbat morning’s portion, see G-dcast’s creative take on the portion for kids, “A Cheater Who Prospers.” 

Tomorrow, BTW, is a Jewish holiday that no one knows about.  Read this article about Balfour Day and why we should care about it, as people still bicker over the Jews’ right to a national homeland. And if you are into Jewish history, check out this interactive Jewish history timeline now featured at MyJewishLearning.

Dybbuks and Golems at TBE

Yesterday at Hebrew School the attendance was excellent, considering it was Halloween.  Kudos to our new educator, Lisa Gittelman Udi, who created an entire program on how Jewish folklore treats the occult.  Golems and demons filled our chapel! I even got to exorcise a dybbuk, something they never taught me in rabbinical School! I just improvised, asking the dybbuk to please leave the premises. It worked (and not a single head spun 360 degrees)!  To quote one of our students to his parents, “Hebrew School was so much fun today!  Totally awesome!”  We aim for “awesome” – and it really was!

We’re hearing “awesome” quite a bit from our students this year.  I only feel badly for those who missed out, choosing to start their trick or treating early and not realizing that an even greater time was to be had in, of all places, Hebrew School.  Yes, this is not your father’s Religious School. It’s totally awesome!

Pewish and Jewish on Shalom TV

See me discussing the Pew Research center report on American Jews on Rabbi Mark Golub’s “L’Chayim” program this Sunday at noon and 6 PM on Shalom TV, Cablevision channel 138.  Shalom TV, which last week broadcast TBE’s recent Hoffman Lecture, continues to provide the most relevant and thought provoking Jewish programming on the airwaves.  Check it out!

Interfaith Climate Summit

I will have the honor of participating next Thursday in the plenary session of the Interfaith Climate Stewardship Summit in Hartford.  The Summit is a full day conference designed to educate and inspire religious and lay leadership on the issue of climate change as the moral imperative of our time. Attendees will learn the theological background for environmental stewardship as well as the connection between climate change and traditional ministries, such as hunger, poverty, conflict, and disaster relief.  Participants will leave the event with tools and support to address climate change in their congregations. For more information, please visit the conference website.  See the full program here.

Trader Joes and Jacob’s Kitchen Challah Taste Test

Welcome to Stamford, Trader Joes (and see TBE’s Linda Rothman in this photo from the Stamford Advocate article about yesterday’s grand opening). In honor of that opening, and in conjunction with this, the most culinary Torah portion of the year (Esau sells his birthright for a bowl of Jacob’s lentils, then Jacob and Rebecca cook up a tasty meal to gain Isaac’s blessing), we’ll be doing the SECOND ANNUAL JACOB’S KITCHEN BLIND CHALLAH TASTE TEST at services tomorrow morning and a kids version at Tot Shabbat this evening.  Get ready to compare Trader Joes with Stop and Shop, Beldotti and Fairway, and judge which is the best in Stamford. 

The Thanksgivukkah Dilemma

Welcome to November, which begins today and the Hebrew month of Kislev, which begins Sunday.

I flipped my calendar this morning and lo and behold, all those rumors I’ve been hearing are true: Yes, Hanukkah begins before Thanksgiving (technically the night before) for the first time in 125 years and the last time for 79,043 years, according to one calculation.  Thanksgivukkah has become a big deal in the media, though many Jewish families have combined the two celebrations before, when Hanukkah has begun while families were still gathered for the long holiday weekend. It’s fun, it’s inspired a whole host of creative ideas and lots of Jewish pride. Buzzfeed calls it “the best holiday of all time.” There’s even a song, “The Ballad of Thanksgivukkah.”

Here’s a chance for Jews to celebrate two holidays at once without the second holiday posing significant theological problems for us.  Here’s a chance to combine Hanukkah with its American counterpart, totally guilt free. 

Here’s a chance to have your cranberry-latke stuffing and eat it too.

But people are ignoring the other side of the matter.  What happens when the turkey is digested and the final candle has burned out?  What will happen this year on December 5, when Hanukkah is behind us and Christmas has the month all to itself?

I’ll tell you what will happen.  Hanukkah will in fact be prolonged, like a souped-up dreidel. Much like the endless Christmas season, this year’s Hanukkah will drag on eternally, clear through to January.  You see, as obsessed as American Jews are becoming with Thanksgivukkah, most of the other 97 percent of Americans will not get the memo.  For them, Hanukkah will be in December, as usual.

Yes, Virginia, there still will be a "December Dilemma" this year, that annual uphill battle against the pervasive, domineering cultural crescendo of all things Christmas.  Hanukkah is typically, the greatest ally in this fight. Jews have been able to match those Twelve Days of Christmas with our Eight Crazy Nights, pit menorah against mistletoe, watch dreidels twirl against the tinsel, our lights against their lights, the blue and white against the green and red.

It's not a fair fight, especially with regard to the songs, although if you disqualify those Christmas classics written by Jews, things get more interesting.

My interest in this is very personal. My father was born on the first day of Hanukkah in 1918, a rare year when the first night of Hanukkah coincided with the late afternoon of Thanksgiving, and he died on the last day of Hanukkah in 1979, which just happens to be the most recent time the holiday ended on New Year's Day. Plus, our last name, in rough translation, means Maccabee.

But this dilemma raises questions that go far beyond my own family. What should Jews say when well-intended shopkeepers wish us a "Happy Hanukkah" on Christmas Eve, weeks after our holiday has ended?

Do we return those unwanted Barbie dolls during those non-existent "after Hanukkah sales," or do we dare hold onto them until Dec. 26, when the prices really go down? Without Hanukkah to fall back on, how do we resist the Yuletide onslaught on television and in our schools? Is it possible to add a few weeks onto Hanukkah on a one-time-only basis?

I suppose that with the Christmas season now beginning as early as October, there's nothing so wrong about letting Hanukkah be extended a few weeks in the other direction, especially since that will enable Jews and their neighbors to share this season of good will in a manner that respects diversity rather than demanding homogeneity.

So by all means, non Jews, wish me a Happy Hanukkah all December long. If that legendary oil could miraculously burn for eight whole days, what's another twenty one? The ancient rabbis instructed Jews to increase the light each night in order to spread the joy and publicize the miracle. No one ever said that we have to stop at eight. In fact, Jewish law states that the Sabbath can be extended far beyond its natural conclusion on Saturday night, even until midweek. So let Hanukkah linger as well, even if only in the well wishes of neighbors.

In the spirit of M.O.T. Jerry Herman's song from "Mame," "We Need a Little Christmas," another Yuletide classic with a Yiddish soul, maybe this year we should sing, "We a Little MORE Hanukkah," enough to last clear to the end of the month.

Let's keep those flames burning, all December long -- and even beyond. During these trying times, we all could use a little more light.

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Kislev!

Rabbi Joshua Hammerman

Vampires and Judaism

For those looking for a Jewish connection to the Twilight series and the Vampire craze, take a look at this Parsha Packet: this Parsha Packet, which asks the question, was Esau the first Jewish vampire?

Should Jewish Children Trick-or-Treat?

Halloween has increasingly become a source of tension for some Jews. The glib answer is, "We've got Purim, a dress-up holiday where we give instead of take." That is true, but Purim is many months away and Halloween is now.

Below is a selection of views from Moment Magazine.

As you might be able to tell, I come from the “lighten up” school of thought when it comes to Halloween. But the question as to whether or not Halloween is “un-Jewish,” is complex. It's all about “Jew-sion,” the fusion of Judaism and surrounding cultures. It’s a perfect time to discuss this, because there is a clear connection between the story of Noah (this week’s portion) and the Babylonian epic of Gilgamesh, as well as other ancient legends. See a chart comparing the two epic tales here. It shows clearly how the destiny of all humankind is intertwined.

Should Jewish Children Trick or Treat?

Here’s a selection of views from Moment Magazine (always a great barometer of Jewish currents).  While the overwhelming sentiment here is that Halloween is harmless, non-religious and American and basically no big deal (a sentiment that I subscribe to), there are those who feel differently.

Modern Orthodox
This is not so much a halachic question; it is a public policy question. Do we want to prohibit or permit this activity?

Historically, Orthodoxy has been suspicious of letting its youth celebrate American holidays for fear that this would lead to assimilation or adoption of “practices of Gentiles.” When I was growing up Orthodoxrabbis were critical of those who celebrated Thanksgiving, but as Orthodoxy has acculturated such attitudes have relaxed.

One could argue for prohibition of Halloween because it is associated with witches and ghosts. Judaism has implacably opposed witchcraft or attempted communication with the dead since biblical times. Monotheism is the antithesis of magic. “There is none beside Him” (Deuteronomy 4.35), and no abracadabra tricks can manipulate God to get unnatural results.

That having been said, Halloween is almost entirely a product of American consumer culture, and there’s more mockery than true belief to be found in the ever-popular costumes of witches and monsters.

My wife and I discouraged our children from trick-or-treating—partly out of fear of religious syncretism, but mostly because we did not want them to internalize American consumerist psychology and because eating a lot of candy is unhealthy. But I confess, trick-or-treating is popular in our neighborhood. In order to be good neighbors, we leave boxes of fruits, treats and candy goodies in front of the house with a sign inviting kids to help themselves to one item out of each box. We don’t check if any of the kids are Jewish. Conclusion: If a Jewish child wants to go trick-or-treating for social reasons, it’s not a big deal.

Rabbi Irving Greenberg
President, Jewish Life Network/ Steinhardt Foundation
New York, New York

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Conservative 
As Halloween is celebrated nowadays, it is mostly about trick-or-treating, dressing up, having fun and getting free candy, with few or no religious overtones. That said, there are issues about celebrating it that areJewishly problematic and are worthy of consideration by thoughtful Jewish parents.

There is a halachic prohibition against a belief in sorcerers and magic. Some of this begins with the biblical tale of Saul, who consulted a fortune teller instead of God about his future. His misjudgment resulted in Saul losing both his throne and his mind.

As long as parents discuss with their children the difference between believing in sorcery and reality, I see no significant objection here. Most of my objections are related to the conflicts that can arise between celebrating Halloween and doing the right thing, Jewishly. For example, for the family that keeps kashrut, there is surely the issue of whether some of the candy and food that their kids will “bag” will meet the Jewish edible standards. But this could be addressed by carefully “sifting” through the candy, and donating all unacceptable items to a food bank for other children who can partake without religious restrictions.
A more serious conflict arises when Halloween coincides with Shabbat, Jewish holidays or Hebrew school attendance. What kind of message is a parent giving to his or her child when he or she is told that to go out trick-or-treating takes precedence over Jewish study or celebrating Shabbat and other Jewish holidays?
Parents may also wish to consider the values suggested by Halloween, such as demanding sweets from strangers. The original saying is in actuality a threat: “If you don’t give me a treat, I’ll give you a trick.”
Can Jewish kids live without these ghosts, goblins and candy? I certainly think so. Will it do irreparable damage to their Jewish identities if they participate? Probably not. But as parents, we should think about the values, priorities and commitments we want our children to develop.

Rabbi Ron Isaacs
Temple Sholom
Bridgewater, New Jersey

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Reform
Though I write as a Reform rabbi, I offer what can be called (in the phraseology of Rabbi Isaac M. Wise) an American Jewish response.

To be completely true to our tradition, the answer is, “No. Jewish children should not go trick-or-treating on Halloween.” Inasmuch as this is a Christian/ pagan holiday—no matter how secularized it has become—it is inappropriate for Jews to observe it in any manner.

However, the matter is more complicated. Are there moments when Jews have taken an essentially foreign idea and co-opted it and changed into an authentic Jewish tradition? Of course! And the most obvious example is the Passover seder. So many of our traditions were lifted directly from Roman influences. In acknowledging those antecedents, would anyone suggest that our practices are somehow inauthentic? Of course not!
In this same light, there are few who would connect the carefree, costume-wearing, candy- gorging escapades of our children on October 31 with the religious overtones that the holiday once carried. As such, the holiday has evolved into a secular celebration. Therefore, it would seem to be as innocent an activity as celebrating New Year’s Eve or Thanksgiving (both of which once had Christian connotations).

Even in accepting Halloween, do I want our Jewish children to associate the best time of the year (dressing in costumes and getting as much candy as one can carry) with a holiday with nominal pagan and/or Christian overtones? Of course not! Instead, wouldn’t it be wonderful if they thought of the Jewish holiday where children dress in costumes, eat lots of goodies and act in all types of silly and fun ways? (Purim!)But that, I guess, is for another discussion.

Rabbi Arthur P. Nemitoff
The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah
Overland Park, Kansas

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Reconstructionist
We could boycott All Hallow’s Eve for its ghoulish associations—and, in medieval Christendom, Jews received more trick than treat. We might avoid this holiday of “pagan” origin, lest we “do as the other nations.” Ghosts of Halloweens past may still haunt us.

Or Halloween could be just a harmless diversion. We might accompany our Power Rangers and Doras around the neighborhood to say that “America is different,” that we feel safe(r) on these shores. Since it usually falls in Mar-Cheshvan, the only holiday-less Hebrew month, we might even make it our own.

Mordecai Kaplan taught that we who “live in two civilizations” must answer as Jews and Westerners both. We live in mostly mixed communities where Halloween is an accepted norm. Our kids have friends, Jewish and non, who will invite them trick-or-treating. Though we reserve the right to withhold children’s immediate gratification, should we put our foot down here?

It’s a tightrope act: Avoiding Halloween may feel like the Jewish thing to do, yet a simmering feeling of “I missed the funnest thing ever” can subtly undermine future Jewish identity. So rather than decree or surrender, we should decide with our kids and engage them in discussion of the values at hand. Secular concerns at Halloween have a Jewish angle, too—moderation, safety, neighborliness, ethics of food—making it a “teachable moment.” We can balance values like kavod (respect), tzedakah, kashrut, briyut (health) and oneg (enjoyment). Options abound: Serve treats, but not go door-to-door? Avoid skeleton costumes?Collect candy, then donate it? Between abandon and avoidance lie many possibilities. Let’s choose wisely, together.

Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb
Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation,
Bethesda, Maryland

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Renewal
In the American melting pot of shared cultures, trick-or-treating is as religious as a bagel. Dressing in costume for occasions other than Purim is Jewishly acceptable. It makes sense that Jewish schools don’t celebrate Halloween, but it’s normal for Jewish students to want to take part in it.

Halloween is a time to teach piku’ah nefesh—protecting or saving a life. A few examples: When trick-or-treating children should be accompanied by an adult. Teens are safer at a Halloween party than going out alone. Products that are unsealed shouldn’t be eaten. Large amounts of candy can be dangerous to our health.
When Halloween falls on a Friday, hold a party on motza’ei Shabbat. Invite your child’s Jewish and non-Jewish friends and serve delicious, kid-friendly food. More harm is done to Jewish continuity by forbidding youth from observing holidays like Halloween than by supporting the celebration in safe and healthy ways.

Rabbi Pamela Frydman
President, OHALAH: Association of Rabbis for Jewish Renewal
Baltimore, Maryland

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Independent
This is a tough one. Jewish children should learn about their own traditions rather than always celebrating everyone else’s. Still, it is far better for a Jewish child to go trick-or-treating than to celebrate an iota of Christmas and Easter.

Why? Because Halloween is probably a whole lot closer to Jewish tradition than Christmas or Easter. After all, Jewish tradition also held annual rituals of warding off evil spirits, or winds, with the approach of major seasonal changes. As the Midrash teaches, “What is the ritual of the barley offering? One waves the barley shoots in its season, first inward and outward to ward off harsh winds that are harmful to the crops, then upward and downward to ward off harsh rains that are harmful to the crops. Others say, first inward and outward to the One to whom belongs all of the universe, then upward and downward to the One to whom belongs both the Upper Realms and Lower Realms.” Even the shofar that we blow so glibly these days on Rosh Hashanah was to our ancestors an implement to ward off evil forces. So if you must take your kids trick-or-treating, employ it as an opportunity to introduce them to the richness of their own tradition.

Rabbi Gershon Winkler
Walking Stick Foundation
Cuba, New Mexico