In This Moment for March 12: One Year In....

In This Moment "That'll be a total of Four Zuzim, Abba!" Two newborn kids, a sign of the season - and Pesach - from the Irish Times ‌ Shabbat Shalom! This weekend is Shabbat Ha-Hodesh, the Shabbat before the beginning of the month of Nisan, the original new year, the month of spring and Passover, As we mark the end of the Year of Covid, before we rush headlong (yet cautiously) into our post-plague "Plegxit," we should look back and take stock, as we await a return to normalcy, whatever that is. Here are three suggestions: #1) The TBE Covid Memory Project A congregant has suggested an excellent way of capturing this moment in time before it has receded into memory. We would like to create a collection of personal essays about living with Covid – 19 for the last year. We invite you to reflect on what has inspired you, what has saved you, what has given you hope, what has been lost. What would you like to remember and record about these many months. What wisdom have you gained? What survival techniques brought you to the other side of these dark days. What gave you hope? I know that our daily minyan, for instance, has brought huge comfort to many. What did zoom services mean to you during this year? As a brief example, Marsha Matthews wrote of our daily Zoom minyan, "It helps to anchor my day...I certainly don’t have “big”plans these days, but I often make my little plans around the minyan... I enjoyed meeting the minyan “regulars”, most of whom were unknown to me, and about whom I now know a little bit...It feels good to be part of the community...It helps me feel linked to my Judaism." We will assemble this collection of writings and share them with our members (and we'll assume that if you send it in you are OK with publication). Please share your thoughts. Kids are invited to take part in this as well. Submissions should be 200-500 words. Here's another way to look back... #2) "Oh the Places We've been!" ‌ ‌ One year ago, when we took our services out of the building and onto Zoom, I decided that a housebound congregation needed ways to expand its horizons, to take flights of fancy when physical travel was impossible.   So each Shabbat - and at other times too - I've used the Zoom virtual background feature to take us to sacred places around the world. At a time when everyone was cooped up in quarantine, when even the New York Times' travel section was renamed "At Home," we needed that vehicle of escape. I know I did. Visiting these holy places took some of the humdrum out of our day and added a sense of wonder. It also added a bit of intrigue to the service, causing people to ask, "Where in the world will the rabbi be today?" Or maybe you didn't. But for me, these fanciful flights helped me forge a new intentionality (kavvanah) as I prepared for each service. Without leaving my home, I was able to visit more places than Waldo or Carmen Sandiego. And since almost all of these photos were taken by me, each Shabbat I was whisked back to a key moment of my own spiritual growth. How better to celebrate Shavuot than to be on Mount Sinai, next to myself as a teenager. Or on Hanukkah, to be standing before the ancient temple model in Jerusalem. Or on Inauguration weekend, to be socially distant from Bernie Sanders, to celebrate our high school graduates with a trip to Hogwarts (and Rydell High too). We communed with a cow in Varanasi, India's holiest city, on Shabbat Parah (the Shabbat of the Cow), we mourned George Floyd's murder at the Lincoln Memorial, and commemorated D-Day at the American Cemetery in Normandy and Pride Shabbat at the Stonewall Inn. We lifted our eyes to a sunrise in Nepal, and marveled at Victoria Falls; we celebrated Israel's birthday in Latrun and Yom Hashoah at Auschwitz and Terezin. Through these images, prayer was better able to lift us out of our cabin fever and send our souls soaring. I can't wait to see more people in person - but I must confess, I'm really going to miss the ways Covid forced us to to be more creative in our worship, and we need to incorporate this into our plans as we return to our "new normal." ‌ ‌ I’ve collected over 30 "on-location" screen shots of these virtual backgrounds in a blog posting. Feel free to peruse them all. And then choose your top three. Which ones sent you on flights of fancy of your own back at the service when that photo was featured. Which lifted you out of a rut at just the right time, or brought back memories of brighter days. Or tell us what that location means to you now. If you are really feeling nostalgic for the Covid year, I’ve archived many of our Zoom services and events from the past year, which you can access here. So there you have it. Two ways we can capture the meaning of this Covid year. And now, here’s a third way to mark this sacred transition as we begin to see that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. #3) The Gomel Project Have you recently been vaccinated or survived a case of Covid? There is a prayer for that. It's typically recited right after coming up to the Torah for an aliyah. You can read about it here. Here's a how-to video about Gomel ‌ As each of us becomes vaccinated, one at a time, now in growing clusters, some kind of communal moment of thanks is called for. So each week, beginning this Shabbat morning on Zoom, we are going to reserve one aliyah for those who wish to express thanks for having been vaccinated or having survived Covid to do so. And we will join you in being grateful for your health and well-being. So join us for a Gomel moment this Shabbat. What Awaits Us... Marc Schulman's Israel Update - "At this point, 90% of those over age 50 have been vaccinated; and we have passed 70% inoculation of the entire adult population. The cumulative effect of our astonishing success getting shots in arms has led to the near disappearance of critically ill patients, requiring hospitalization. On Thursday, the IDF announced that 81% of soldiers are now fully vaccinated, declaring itself the first army in the world to reach herd immunity. Pfizer claimed early Thursday that based on Israeli data, its vaccine is 97% effective in blocking severe illness, and 94% effective in blocking transmission." ‌ Last night in Tel Aviv the bars were filled. This is what the end of Covid looks like... if we will only be very careful for just a few more weeks, we will get there too. Our congregation's - and nation's - goal is that we all get there safely. Passover Preparations and Other Reading Pesach 101 Rabbinical Assembly Passover Guide 5781 Online Haggadahs from Haggadot.com 6 Tips for Hosting a Solo Passover Seder The Plagues Project How to Host a Virtual Seder In Eastern Europe, historic synagogues are being sold for the price of a used car (Anyone interested in TBE restoring an Eastern European synagogue?) Finally, see below, a tribute to our Mensch of the Week, Julian Edelman, who combatted an anti-Semitic slur by another athlete in the best possible way, with this open letter. Shabbat Shalom! Rabbi Joshua Hammerman

TBE Bar/Bat Mitzvah Commentary: Samantha Bradley on Shabbat Hahodesh / Tazria

Shabbat Shalom!

My Parasha of Tazria talks a lot about leprosy. 

Yes, I got the portion that is all about leprosy!  But the beauty of Torah study is that you can find interesting things to say even about a portion that is all about leprosy.  Not only that, but it even ties into my special interest - Tae Kwon Do.

You see, the word for leprosy in Hebrew is tzara’at – or, using the title of next week’s parasha, Metzora.  Now the commentators compared metzorah to the Hebrew term for gossip, motzi-shem-ra.  Just like leprosy, which was contagious, gossip can spread very quickly, and when it does, it can cause a lot of damage.  The rabbis added that just like a disease, gossip can kill. 

The only way to steer clear of dangerous gossip is to have lots of discipline.

And that’s where Tae Kwan Do comes in.

Tae Kwan Do is something I love to do ALMOST as much as studying for my bat mitzvah!  But the two really go hand in hand. 

Tae Kwon Do teaches discipline.  Last November, I became a Black Belt, which means I have the distinction of being both a Black Belt AND a Bat Mitzvah. 

It’s even harder to become a Black Belt.  I had to break a brick with my palm - not easy – and that was after breaking four wooden boards, in four different ways. I also had to keep a raw egg for four weeks without breaking it.  I took it to tae kwon do three times a week and it didn’t break!

Oh, and one other thing.  One morning last September, I had to meditate for an hour.  At 7:45 AM, I went to the Tae Kwan Do academy and sat there silently with about a dozen other kids - without saying a single word!!!

That takes lots of discipline.  Just as in tae kwan do, it takes a great deal of discipline to be a Jew – and in both Tae Kwan Do and Judaism, we need to watch what we say.

A couple of months ago, my class at school learned the rules of proper speech in Judaism, and after meeting with Rabbi Hammerman, I tried to follow them as strictly as possible for a whole week.  I found out something very important.

Just as it was very difficult not to talk at all during the hour of meditation, it is very difficult to go a week – or even a day – without gossiping. 

Let’s just say, I gave it a good try – but by some coincidence on the first night of the week, I had a sleepover with two friends.  It was just impossible to go a whole night at a sleepover without gossiping.

Even though I had limited success, I did learn from the exercise. Throughout the week, I was definitely more aware of the dangers of this kind of speech.

Passover is coming.  In my maftir, we are commanded to tell the story of the Exodus to future generations, so telling is very important to the holiday.  The book we use at the Seder is even called the Haggadah – which means “the telling.”  We also learn the laws of Matzah in the portion.  Matzah is called the bread of affliction, and the bread of poverty, but it is also the bread of discipline.  We have to be very disciplined about what we eat on Passover.

Judaism teaches us, then, to be careful both about what goes into our mouths and what comes out.

My mitzvah project also has to do with Passover food.  I am collecting food for the Kosher for Passover food drive at Schoke Jewish Family Service. I was the student liason for Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy where I helped collect and sort food. And I also helped at 2 local food drives. I felt this was an important project because no one should be without food on their table, especially on a holiday like Passover where we are celebrating our freedom. JFS is still accepting food for their drive and you can learn how to donate in my program.

Shabbat-O-Gram for April 6

Shabbat-O-Gram

 

 

Our fantastic Women's Seder on Tuesday night.

Click here for photo album.

Part 1 of my appearance on JBS  Part 2 will be posted on JBS' YouTube channel.

It was nice to wake up to this on Amazon this morning 

It's also being listed as a #1 New Release in Judaism

Click here to order your copy

Shabbat Shalom

Mazal tov to Samantha Bradley and her family as she becomes Bat Mitzvah here this Shabbat.  She will have the honor of receiving her tree certificate from her grandfather, Fred Golove, a past president of TBE.  This Shabbat is a rarity - a trifecta: Shabbat, Rosh Hodesh Nisan and Shabbat ha-Hodesh - a special Shabbat that typically precedes Passover by about two weeks.  Because of that, we will read from three (count 'em, three) Torahs on Shabbat morning.

Lunar Landmarks

As if perfectly timed for this special new moon, just yesterday Israel just became the 7th country to achieve lunar orbit - so this Shabbat ha-Hodesh, Rosh Hodesh Nisan brings us a "new moon" in more ways than one!  Beresheet is scheduled to make lunar landing next week.  Read more about it here.

 

It's been a very busy week.  Last Sunday's immigration seminar was well attended and extremely informative and fact-based. Click here to see the power point presentation made by Catalina Horak of Building One Community.  

 

On Tuesday, our sold-out Women's Seder was another smash hit.  We had guests from the JCC's Tzahal Shalom program and Muslim women as well.  Where else but TBE can we have a seder where Muslim women interact with Israeli soldiers?  

We'll be continuing the interfaith theme with our annual Interfaith Seder at Grace Farms.  Our theme will be "Forgiveness and Remembrance," and you can read about it and register here.

As we bask in the glow of the Women's Seder, we are saddened at the news that Cantor Fishman has decided not to continue here beyond June 30.  She has brought so much joy with her unique spiritual energy and has touched the lives of so.  Her legacy will be lasting.  As Cantor Fishman, Zarin and Yair prepare to depart, we'll have a number of opportunities to celebrate their time here over the coming few months.  I wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.

 

As we prepare for Passover, there's a new Haggadah for families that has been selling like Passover hotcakes (aside from the Mrs. Maisel Haggadah, which is being distributed for free by Maxwell House). And that hotcake seller is the Kveller Haggadah, which was co-authored by TBE's own Gabi Birkner! Mazal tov to Gabi!

Download our Passover Guide and Sale of Hametz forms here.

 

Israel votes next Tuesday.  Read an unbiased guide to the elections, and what the different political parties advocate, from the Israel Democracy Institute, here. 

See Ha'aretz's Comprehensive, Interactive Guide to 2019 Israel Elections.  

See Israel Policy Forum's Israel Election Guide.

i-24: Main Players to look out for in Israeli elections

Check out i-24 on Optimum or online this Tuesday afternoon for full election coverage in English. 

The final polls indicate a tight race for the largest party, but gains for the right wing block. So much depends on which parties do and do not make it over the threshold to get into the Knesset.

In Ha'aretz today, Chemi Shalev listed reasons why Netanyahu will win next week, as well as reasons why Benny Ganz will.  Personally, I find many of his points to be well taken and share his concerns about the future of Israeli democracy.  You can access it here, but since Ha'aretz may not be accessible to those not subscribing, here's an excerpt from it:

If Netanyahu wins, it will be...

1. Because Netanyahu or not, Israel is a right-wing country, and getting more so by the year. Twenty years ago, the number of Israelis who identified as right, left, or center was generally equal, with a slight advantage for the right. In recent years, the proportion of those identifying as right approached 50 percent, while those identifying as left dropped to little more than 10 percent. 

2. Because Netanyahu has been around for so long, Israelis can't imagine life without him. Which means that the thought of replacing him requires a leap of faith, which his chief rival Benny Gantz may have failed to inspire.

3. Because he is more experienced, savvy, manipulative and cunning than any other Israeli politician alive, which could prove to be the clincher among undecided voters. 

4. Because his superpower pals, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, were willing to serve as props in Netanyahu's election campaign, accentuating his diplomatic skills and what he has sold to the Israeli public as his success in managing Israel's foreign affairs.

5. Because the nation-state law prepared the ground for a false but effective dichotomy "with us (the Jews) or with them (the Arabs)." Thus, when Gantz told a visiting Druze delegation shortly after announcing his candidacy that he would amend the law, he opened the way for Netanyahu to brand him as a leftist collaborator with Israeli Arabs, a minority the prime minister has successfully cast as a fifth column in waiting.

6. Because, notwithstanding any other factor, Israeli elections have become increasingly tribal, which translates into automatic loyalty to the tribe, regardless of the faults of its leader. In this election it's not only left vs. right, but also Ashkenazim (Jews of European origin) vs. Mizrahim (Jews of Middle Eastern or North African origin) + Russians, urban Israelis vs. small town Israelis, elites vs. those who see themselves as downtrodden, separators of religion and state vs. the devout and traditional, cherishers of democracy vs. its detractors, champions of equality vs. Jewish supremacists and so on. 

7. Because Netanyahu convinced enough Israelis that Israel's legal system is beholden to his enemies in the media and left, thus neutralizing much of the impact of the attorney general's draft indictment and the other outstanding allegations of wrongdoing against him.

8. Because, as usual, the right lined up behind Netanyahu despite his myriad faults, while the left tore itself apart over each and every minute blemish ascribed to leaders of its constituent parties. 

9. Because the right is motivated by positive ideological zeal and the left by negative frustration and despondence.

10. Because external developments - most notably Trump's election - have confounded the dire predictions of the terrible consequences that would ensue from Netanyahu's refusal to pursue peace or even coexistence with the Palestinians.

11. Because Gantz, with all his qualifications, made enough mistakes to doom his campaign and was dogged by unfavorable comparisons with the charisma and appeal of of his number four, Gabi Ashkenazi.

12. Because democracy cannot immunize a nation from making costly mistakes, which, history shows, could lead to its own demise.

If Netanyahu loses, however, it will be:

1. Because, notwithstanding their responses in the polls, support for Netanyahu collapsed in the final days of the campaign because a spate of new allegations of wrongdoing in the submarine affair and other matters reached a critical mass, pushing Likud voters to stay home and the remaining undecided to take a chance on Gantz.

2. Because, as in the 1999 elections that he lost to Ehud Barak, Netanyahu, with all his political skills, could not overcome the unique appeal of a former commander of Israel's people's army.

3. Because enough Mizrahim were persuaded by his rivals' claim that he was a bigot.

4. Because Netanyahu miscalculated the dynamics of the campaign by making it all about him, thus collecting votes for Likud at the expense of its satellites, thus driving them below the 3.25-percent electoral threshold, thus quashing his chances of forming a right-wing coalition that would keep him in power.

5. Because in a last-minute rush of rationality, Israelis realized the risks posed by Netanyahu's re-election to their democracy, unity and sanity.

6. Because sometimes it's true: Enough is enough.

Finally, something to consider.  Netanyahu is almost certain to be indicted over the coming year, unless he uses this election as a mandate to pass a law that would not allow a sitting prime minister to face indictment (sound familiar?).  Even some of his right wing supporters have said that they will not support such a law or would insist that it not be retroactive to the current case.  Whether or not it is retroactive, I consider such a move as radioactive to democratic values. No one - N-O-O-N-E - should be above the law, in any democratic country.

For practical purposes, though, many Israelis think that a victory for Netanyahu next week would be a short lived one, because once indicted he would have to step down.

Stay tuned... and stay engaged with Israel!  It's the only Jewish state we've got!

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Joshua Hammerman