Shabbat-O-Gram For Feb. 14

Shabbat-O-Gram

The Temple was Rockin'!  

  

  

 Check out hundreds more photos in our Temple Rock Album

  

Shabbat Shalom!  Don't we just love that snow! 

First, some quick notes:

  

-    Hebrew School is cancelled for today.  Duh. (Has a TBE rabbi ever said "Duh" before?)

  

-   The snow date for the film, "Next Year Jerusalem" is now Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 PM. The movie chronicles the journey to Israel of a very special group of seniors from the Jewish Home for the Elderly in Fairfield.

  

-  TBE's Suzanne and Norman Stone are spending the month in Israel.  Suzanne has sent back two wonderful dispatches about their experiences there. They are volunteering at a boarding school for Ethiopian children, among other projects.  I've posted the letters on my blog. 

- With Cantor Mordecai at Limmud this weekend (which I am also looking forward to attending on Sunday), Beth Styles will be joining me in leading services on Friday night in our familiar musical style, with perhaps a Valentines Day touch or two.  After being snow-bound yet again this week, this service will be the perfect chance to escape the cocoon.  The snow should be over by Friday night anyway, but remember that our Shabbat adult services are never cancelled. 

- On Shabbat morning, the guest d'var Torah will be given by Gerry Ginsburg.

  

- Shabbat Across America is just a few weeks away.  I'd love to see everyone attend this annual dinner and special extra-musical service (if that's possible). This is the early spring version "Barechu and Barbecue," just sans barbecue.  It's a great chance for all demographic groups of our congregation to come together.  We've set up a simple new online reservation system for our events: Click here to make your reservation for S.A.A. Click here to see the flyer.  

- Honoring President's Day, I suggest you read George Washington's historic letter to the Jews of Newport, Rhode Island.

Girl Power!  

What better time than Valentines Day to discuss matters of sex.  Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue is hitting the newsstands, and this year it is celebrating that greatest (and she's Jewish!) swimsuit model of all, Barbie, who is turning 55 - though she doesn't look a day over 19.   S.I and Barbie have shared so much over the years, particularly the accusations that they send young girls unhealthy messages about body image. 

Gender issues have also moved front and center in the world of Jewish education in recent weeks.  Some high-profile Orthodox day schools have announced that girls would be allowed to wear tefillin (phylacteries).  This has hit the Orthodox world by storm.  Orthodoxy has tended to follow the liberal movements by about a generation on women's issues, including the institution of Bat Mitzvah, educational equality and some liturgical reform, and now, we are on the cusp of an Orthodox female rabbinate. 

But we so-called "egalitarian" Jews should never get smug about these things.  Not only do few of our post-bat mitzvah girls wear tefillin, very few of our boys do.  At least the girls know that they can - and many of our 7^th graders tried them on at our World Wide Wrap two weeks ago.  You can see the inspiring photo above and a montage from prior years at the bottom of this O-Gram.  Tefillin are by custom worn on the "weak" arm, but nothing projects "girl power" more than the sight of our girls feeling empowered to be full participants in Jewish ritual - which means that they are full participants in our collective Jewish destiny AND fully empowered to make the Jewish and moral choices that will impact their lives from here on.

While we are weak on tefillin, we are also not really promoting egalitarianism on a number of other levels.  We've had just two female presidents of TBE to this point - though our record of female presidents of Sisterhood has been remarkably good.  While women wear tallitot increasingly here (and ALL the bat mitzvah girls do), the majority still see it as less important for women to wear than for men.   We insist on kippot in the sanctuary and classroom even for non-Jewish men.  But not for Jewish women.  It's just a longstanding custom we've never bothered to review.  We probably should.

But our greatest lapse is in not paying enough attention to gender stereotyping in education, in our community and beyond.  Tablet e-zine ran a fascinating piece this week on gender issues at Jewish schools, entitled, "Talmud for Boys, Challah-Making for Girls." You can access the article and podcast here.  It's based on a new book by Elana Sztokman, Educating in the Divine Image: Gender Issues in Orthodox Jewish Day Schools, co-written with Chaya Rosenfeld Gorsetman.  It was a recent winner of a National Jewish Book Award. 

Sztokman offers a moving and compelling case study regarding her daughter's Shabbat experience at school:

"My husband actually wrote an article about this in The Journal of Jewish Educational Leadership a couple of years ago around my daughters, when my youngest daughter was in kindergarten, and we had this experience where they invited the parents to have this Shabbat party to celebrate, you know, with the children what Shabbat means. And the way the teacher then did it is she called up all the boys and all their fathers to come, and they all stood there in the front and they were leading the blessings and they were singing.

And so my daughter, at the time, she wanted to make the blessing too, she wanted to saykiddush, and she was the only girl who got up there and wanted to do kiddush with the boys. And suddenly, these other mothers started mocking her. Just like, "Oh, your daughter wants to be one of the boys also." And my daughter of course heard that and quickly sat down.

And so all these boys were sitting there and they're making Kiddush and they're having a great time. And then it was time for the girls to get up. And the teacher said like this: she said, "And now, the men, they are all coming back from shul, from synagogue, and they come inside, and they see their pretty daughters and their beautiful wives and the beautiful table that is set so beautifully. And they say to themselves, 'I am so happy, I wish my life will be like this every Shabbat.' " Like that. This is the story that my husband wrote about, because actually he went to this; I didn't even go.

Right, so what the kids are learning is that the boys' job, the boys' and men's job is to do stuff, to pray to God, to go out there into the world, to be active, vocal members of society; and the girls' job is to look pretty. You know, my dress is as pretty as the table!The table is set, just like my body is! You know, they're picking up these messages from really early on, and it is so dominant.

And effectively what we're saying is that there is no such thing as a gender-neutral Shabbat.We are not teaching that there is a Shabbat that belongs to everyone. We are saying that in order to keep Shabbat, you have to first enter your gender script. You have to first figure out, which side am I on? Am I on the girls' side or on the boys' side? And then I can figure out what Shabbat is. And that's what kids are picking up. That's what we're teaching, and that's what kids are picking up."

The Tablet podcast made me wonder what questions we should be asking of all our Jewish institutions, including our day schools, nursery schools and Hebrew Schools.  (Scroll down in the Tablet piece and you'll see how it sheds disturbing light on the impact of increasingly strict dress codes on body image.) 

Both of our community day schools are excellent, but even our own Hebrew School has been caught up in gender stereotyping over the years.  One of the first things I did as rabbi here was stop the practice of giving bat mitzvah girls candlesticks and bar mitzvah boys bibles.   Now TBE's Sisterhood gives bibles to both and our Men's Club gives them all Kiddush cups.  Before that we were signaling to girls that that for them, reading is not fundamental.  So we can be as "guilty" as anyone in suppressing the empowerment of girls.  It's not just about the day schools.  And the way girls are treated has an impact not only on the girls, but on our boys as well.

At a time when the most prestigious Orthodox schools are becoming more sensitive to gender issues, we can be no less.  We need to look for models, people like like Tova Hartman, who founded an egalitarian, Orthodox congregation in Jerusalem that has become a model for exploring the "feminine side of prayer."

So it's time for a real community-wide conversation about gender.  Not just within the Orthodox community, but for all of us.  We all have a stake in it, and our community can be all the richer for our having this dialogue. 

In the meantime, parents need to be asking questions regarding the Jewish upbringing of their girls - both in school and at home.  Here are some questions parents can ask educators:

In what ways, if any, do you distinguish between boy and girl students during study and ritual?

Are girls in your school encouraged to experiment with wearing a kippah, t'fillin and tallit?  Do they have female role models on staff who wear them? 

In what ways if any have you embraced liturgical modifications to reflect an egalitarian approach?  Is inclusive prayer language, including the imahot (matriarchs), an option for children praying in your school?  

Do you have a plan in place for supporting a child who is gender nonconforming?

Does your dress code insist on equal expectations of modesty for boys and girls?  Is equal attention paid to addressing the dress of boys and girls in practice at school?

Do the children meet both male and female clergy at school?

I've seen great progress at our day schools and at our own Hebrew School along these lines.  But what's more important is not what I am seeing, but that parents are looking, mindful of the impact of gender stereotyping on girls and boys.

And it's not just about the kids' future; it's about our world's. We don't need to summon Tevye, Golda or Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, to know that the age of patrimony is long gone.  We need all the girl power we can muster to help get the world out of our current morass.  It can't happen if half the population is valued only for having a body as pretty as the kitchen table. 

For while we know that such bias stunts psychological, educational and social growth, we also need to remember that it suppresses spiritual growth too.  The ultimate victim of our outmoded patriarchal religiosity is God herself.  

  

When God is perceived as being beyond gender, boys and girls alike can participate equally in a spiritual quest that transcends boundaries, confounds predispositions and overwhelms arbitrary restrictions - an empowering, lifelong religious quest that can truly set them free. 

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Joshua Hammerman

Letter from Israel: Suzanne Stone From Netanya

Here is the most recent dispatch from Suzanne, dated 2/28:

Dear Family and Friends,

Our tiyul last Sunday was very interesting as all have been. First we visited a JNF nursery. We met the manager who immigrated from Ethiopia 20 yrs. ago. He studied agriculture for 2 yrs.

there and then studied in Russia new agricultural techniques. Two of his three sons were born in Israel. We had the opportunity to learn and see the different early stages of growth prior to the tree planting.

From there we went to the Biriya Forest/Fortress in the upper Galilee. It was the site of several battles for the right of the Jewish People to settle in our land. We toured the site and watched a film.

From there we went to the Hula Valley, the second largest bird migration sanctuary. Over 500 million birds have come here. We saw the crane migration, 33,000 cranes. Approximately 200,000 people have visited the Hula Valley. Just amazing!

We ended the day with a visit to a Rabbi's tomb with "special" powers and spent some time in Safad.

Last Friday, Norman and I went to Tel Aviv and visited the Diaspora Museum (very well done) and the Erez Israel Museum, another enjoyable day.

During our time in Naytana we have had the opportunity to hear several interesting speakers on topics of antisemitism, history, security, etc. One afternoon we went to a Women's Study Program. There were several breakout sessions, some in Hebrew, English, Russian and Spanish. The program was started with Mincha and several prayers were said in the four languages.  We also had the opportunity to spend an evening with friends of Jan (a women we know from Stamford) who made Aliyah and hear about their experiences and perspectives.

Tuesday evening the teachers at Churnikofski School hosted a dinner for us at Ann's house (chairwoman of the English department) as a token of their appreciation of our volunteer work.

In addition many of the students wrote thank you notes to each of us.

The Tom school gave each of us a beautiful prayer book.

A few more student experiences. I had the opportunity to have time with a young man one on one which is unusual because each class has so many students.  We discussed a Hebrew book of short stories. He practiced English by telling me about each story and its moral. All the messages were so important and I wondered if our students read similar books.  At TOM we helped the students with their projects. These projects are a required part of their matriculation exam (Bagrut) for the army and university. I worked with two young men. They were doing their project on Ethipoia. They were having trouble understanding how to organize the material, etc, They know how to find Wikipedia but then have difficulty knowing what to do with all the information. We all thought that this was our most productive day. My students  expressed their appreciation by saying "God Bless You". I'm sure you can imagine how I felt.

You may wonder as I had "why Natanya?" The program was started about 20 years ago by Edit's (program director) father who was born in Natanya. He organized several youth programs and then decided to add a program for seniors.  Originally Bnai Brith and Hadassah coordinated the program and 100+ people volunteered. However, today only Hadassah is involved and there only are 10-15 volunteers. Several return year after year and I'm concerned that the program will cease when they don't return. I strongly encourage those of you who have the time and the means to seriously consider  doing this. As I hope you realize this experience has far exceeded our expectations.

Natanya  is the perfect place for several reasons. It is not too big or too small, the beach/sea is magnificent, the town is welcoming, there is easy transportation to many places, and there are Orthodox, Conservative Reform synagogues. There also is a Haradi community that lives in harmony with the other people; each respecting the others's ways. Another plus is the exercise equipment on the beach facing the sea. The experience is both energizing and spiritual. Those   of you who don't like to exercise may reconsider once here. It certainly beats looking at my basement walls. It is one of the many things that I will miss.

Well, this morning we left Natanya and are going to the Dead Sea, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. I am writing to you while on the bus. Now we are riding along the Dead Sea and the view is glorious.

Shabbat Shalom!

L'hitraot! See you in the USA.

Suzanne

TBE's Suzanne and Norman Stone are spending the month volunteering in Israel.  Below is a dispatch sent by Suzanne on 2/21, followed by her prior dispatch.  

The atmosphere in Israel is calm and seems no different than it is in Stamford. No one appears to  and be concerned about security or war. It is a given that the Arabs hate Israel and want to destroy it but they need to and will live in this environment and not worry everyday. The best  they expect is the status quo - no peace/no war.

Most of the students do not worry about security and certainly don't think about it most of the time. However, a few students who have lived through the shelling and bombing share how terrible it was and are very fearful. Although they are not optimistic about peace, many think that it is good for President Obama and Secretary Kerry to be involved because without their push Netanyahu and Abbas would not sit down and talk but others think that they they don't know what is best for Israel and should not interfere. Most think that there will never be peace. They very firm in their opinions and don't hesitate to tell you.

They look forward to serving in the Army and many want to be in combat and paratroopers. They are proud to support Israel in any way they can. Many have brothers and sisters who have been or are now in the Army which influences which divisions they will select.

Their interests and way of life are similar to our young people. However, they appear to be more worldly and certainly knowledgable about the government and world affairs. Several have voiced anger at the difficult economic situation and the injustices of the government.  The cost of living continuously increases  and they think that too much money is given to the Army and not enough to everyone else. Some say that there is no way for them to save.

Most have traveled extensively because unlike the US, Israel is very a small country. Also many countries are close and not too expensive to visit.

The students are very happy to have us there and thank us for coming and ask us to come back. It is so nice to see how they help each other. When one student doesn't understand a question or know the correct answer in English, another one explains in Hebrew or provides the right answer.

They seem to be very close and caring. If there is a student who is not comfortable speaking others explain that he/she is shy.

The ask about what Americans think about Israel and are very happy to hear that we love Israel.

Shabbat Shalom!

Suzanne

Here is Suzanne's prior email:

Dear Family and Friends,

Our numerous experiences this week have been exciting, exhilarating  and most memorable.

On Monday morning, we started our volunteering at TOM, a boarding school for Ethiopian boys. The school's focus is Torah and technical skills.We work with students from four different classes. Each volunteer works with a small group (2-4) of students. Some of the boys have recently immigrated while others have been here a few years. It is easy to understand how difficult and challenging their new life is. They have to learn to adapt to a totally new culture and way of life as well as learn Hebrew and English and all the other academic subjects. They go home every other weekend. The newer, mostly younger students know very little English which makes our time challenging. However after awhile it gets easier as you figure out how best to communicate. We help them improve their conversational skills and gain confidence. The students help each other which is very nice to see. The boys are very polite and friendly and appear glad to see us. The Director is unbelievably dedicated as are the teachers. They treat the children as if they were their own, creating a very warm, caring and loving environment. We go to TOM again on Wed.

On Tuesday morning we volunteer at Churnakofsky Jr. and  Sr. High School. Most of the students are Israeli with a few Russians. Our primary objective is to work with the students to help them improve their conversational English. There is an oral component of their university exam to demonstrate proficiency in English. Due to the large class size (37-39 students) teachers do not have the time to work with small groups of students. Both the teachers and the students are very happy and appreciative to have us. The students are warm and friendly and enjoy taking with us. As at Tom, each of us works with a small group of students. On Tues. we have four different classes and on Thurs. five. For the most part the students are very bright, worldly and well traveled. They look forward to going to the Army and many know which units they prefer often hoping to serve in the best and most demanding units.

In 12th grade they are required to do a project focusing on a social issue/problem. One of our assignments is to discuss the projects with the students as practice for their oral exam. Some of the projects include alcoholism, drug addiction, anorexia and global poverty.

It is a real honor and pleasure to spend time with these students. Both Norman and I love it. The students are so interesting, discussing their interests, politics both in Israel and America, their future and their families.

After lunch we have Hebrew ulpan. Our teacher, Noga Becker is excellent and very patient. I'm not sure how well we will speak when we return but we are enjoying the process. Norman is very anxious to learn to speak and practices a lot more than most.

As it is late and our days start early and end late, I will try to follow-up with our other activities last week tomorrow.

Love,

Suzanne and Norman

PS  I do want to assure those of you have expressed concern that Norman is having a wonderful time and is having fun with the students. This is a very special experience for both of us. We are grateful for the opportunity

Jewish Day of Constructive Conflict

There are 18 different ways you or your organization can participate in this day (between February 1st to 9th), recalling the 18 matters over which the conflict erupted. These include commemorating the day with ‘traditional’ customs, studying and teaching, and practicing constructive conflict in our personal, workplace and communal lives, by committing to being a rodef shalom for the day.  Sign up now!

Things to do on yet another snowy day...

Another no school, no shul morning.  Minyan is cancelled. 

So what do we do when one storm follows another and we are stuck in an endless cycle of snow? 

Here are some suggestions:

  

1)     Take a look at over 60 photo albums covering a quarter century of TBE history - including last weekend's World Wide Wrap.  Check back in a day or two for Temple Rock photos.

2)    Read a sensational best seller explaining Israel's triumphant and tragic history with great honesty and empathy, Ari Shavit's "My Promised Land." This book is so important that I have set aside an evening to review it and discuss it - save the date of Thursday, March 27 @ 7:30. 

  

3)   Read my Jewish Week column welcoming the New York Jewish community to Stamford next week for the Limmud NY conference.  Let's hope the weather improves!

4)     Plan your next visit to Israel. Check out the Tourist Israel website to see the latest cool sites and tourist hotspots. And we still have room on our trip this summer.  Explore our group's site and book it now!

5)   Read my blog postings about snow, including this photo essay, "Blanket of Peace,"  "A Jewish Guide to Shoveling Snow,"  and Snow in Jewish Culture: A Spiritual Web Journey.    

6) Just submit.  Rather than fret, understand that there are simply things we can't control.  Consider the simple pleasures of winter days.  Yes, make this "Snow Appreciation Day." 

Who has not been awed by the beauty of the city or countryside covered in snow? The serenity and whiteness of snow attracts us. We sense the purity of snow when we wake up in the morning and the streets, which are so often filled with grime, are all covered with a white blanket of snow. Snow is a great equalizer - no matter how big the building, or the car, whether a Lexus or a Hyundai, they're all covered equally by the snow. Snow has the ability to cover over the impurities of life and remind us of our own purity.   

Rabbi Simon Jacobson

As Robert Frost wrote:

The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of a day I had rued.

And ponder how snow brings us to places we thought we had left long ago.

Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, who use to serve a synagogue in Sudbury, Mass., writes about how one year, in the middle of November, he was telling the young children a story. Midway through,  snow started to fall outside - the first snowfall of the year. As you might expect, there was suddenly great excitement in the room. "Look! It's snowing outside! Winter is here!" They all ran over to the window, completely oblivious to the fact that the rabbi was trying to tell them a story.

Now, there's a special blessing to be recited upon seeing spectacular natural events -such as the first snowfall of the year. Rabbi Kushner thought about telling the kids about the blessing and having them join him in reciting it. But he decided just to recite the blessing to himself. He realized that for the children, there was no reason to recite the blessing. Their spontaneous reaction, their excitement, was an even stronger affirmation of the wonder of nature than any adult's blessing could ever be. After all: for the preschoolers, this was snowfall number five or six of their entire lives!   There's no way that adults can be amazed at snow the way  kids can.

As Rabbi Kushner writes, "There are places children go that grown-ups can only observe from afar."

As the snow falls this week, again and again, let's take a moment to figure out how we adults can get just a little closer to those sacred snowy places....  (As for freezing rain and sleet, well, that's another matter entirely!)

Stay safe.

Rabbi Joshua Hammerman

Welcome to Stamford, Limmud NY! (Jewish Week)

• OPINION

Welcome To Stamford, Limmud N.Y

Tue, 02/04/2014

Joshua Hammerman

 
 
 

Joshua Hammerman

In a few weeks, hundreds of Jewish New Yorkers will gather for the 10th annual Limmud conference, right here in Stamford. 

Since the Limmud website says barely a word about the host town, let me introduce you to the place I’ve called home for over half my life. While undoubtedly most Limmudniks will venture no more than a few blocks from I-95, you might still want to know what it is about this buzzing place that makes it so different from the sleepy suburbs of John Cheever stories or the stuffy, bigoted Fairfield County of “Gentleman’s Agreement.” No, Stamford is not Stepford, and its recent rise demonstrates the growing allure of small cities — and their potential for nurturing dynamic Jewish communities.  

Like the Yonkers of George M. Cohan, Stamford stands 45 minutes from Broadway, as the crow flies, at least if the crow is flying aboard a Metro North express. I’ve found it odd over the years how New Yorkers often assume that Stamford exists on some remote planet, when it takes as much time to get here from Grand Central as it does to get to the outer boroughs.

Stamford is close enough to New York to have attracted such luminaries as Maury Povich and Jerry Springer to display the fine art of incitement on the sound stage of the Rich Forum. And if that ain’t crass enough for you, we’re the home of professional wrestling — you’ll see the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) flag proudly waving from its headquarters just a few exists down the pike. 

For those into more conventional athletics, NBC sports has just moved its entire operation here, right next to Chelsea Piers — yes, Chelsea Piers, though in Stamford it’s neither in Chelsea nor on a pier. We have a Fairway too, which is located near a pier, in a neighborhood called Harbor Point, whose massive redevelopment has become a national model for urban planning. The city’s vibrant downtown features dozens of new eateries and drinkeries (Fairfield County has the second-highest number of restaurants per capita in the nation), a huge summer concert series and the world’s biggest balloon parade this side of Herald Square. 

With large corporations like Starwood and U.B.S., this is not your typical bedroom town. Many New Yorkers come here for weekends and call it their “country” home, while others reverse commute from Manhattan to work here. We’re betwixt and between, part bedroom and part boardroom, our landscape dotted with barns, beaches and bars, a chameleon-like collage that has served us well over the years. 

Situated along the DiMaggio Line between Boston and New York, Stamford is a demilitarized zone where fans of the Yankees and Red Sox can stroll harmoniously together among the cherry groves of Mill River Park and then dine at Bobby Valentine’s, where Stamford’s favorite son circulates among the tables. Pluralism and diversity are woven into all aspects of life here. We’re not ghettoized, like folks in bigger cities, or yawningly homogeneous, like smaller ’burbs. New York may be where Jackie Robinson played, but Stamford, always an island of coexistence, is where he lived. It’s where William Buckley pontificated, Gilda Radner laughed, Benny Goodman tooted, Gutzon Borglum sculpted and where Mel Allen, the legendary voice of Yankees, prayed — at my synagogue, in fact.

Two years before Allen’s 1996 death, just hours prior to Yom Kippur, baseball officially cancelled the World Series for the first time in Mel’s lifetime (the players were on strike). Everywhere, people were in deep mourning. The baseball world, the country and the calendar were entering an autumnal abyss. How could it be the fall without the Fall Classic?

I wasn’t sure what to say to Mel before Kol Nidre that evening. I wanted to comfort him in the hope that he could comfort me. So I said to him, “Such a sad day.” And Mel, in his matter of fact way, which could often camouflage deep wisdom as plain common sense, replied: “This is not a tragedy. War, now that’s tragic. Poverty and hunger, that’s a tragedy. This is not a tragedy.”

And I ascended the pulpit that night a whole lot wiser. Mr. Baseball, the one I had thought lived and breathed only for the game, made me understand that it was just a game. On that night that the Voice of the Yankees enabled this Red Sox fan to understand that ultimately we are all on the same team.

And that’s what Stamford can do for the Jews. 

The kind of inclusiveness that Limmud accomplishes once a year, we do all the time. Only in Jewish Stamford could the Conservative rabbi meet the new Reform rabbi for the first time at an Orthodox shul — on Tisha b’Av! With veteran political aisle-crossers like Joe Lieberman and Dick Blumenthal having called Stamford home, we are among the nation’s prime exporters of bipartisanship to the nation’s capital.

Don’t get me wrong. I love New York. And there are challenges to building vibrant Jewish communities far from the Broadway buzz, without a pool of a million Jews from which to draw. But we are doing it. My shul’s Kabbalat Shabbat service is every bit as sophisticated, musically innovative and inclusive as anything you’ll find on the Upper West Side. We’ve got two excellent day schools, a vibrant federation and JCC and a plethora of dynamic synagogues and havurot. All that, and I’ve got a rooster in the backyard.

As the suburbs blossomed in the late ’50s, Herman Wouk warned that Judaism would vanish “down a broad highway at the wheel of a high-powered station wagon, with the golf clubs piled in the back.” That has not happened here.

It’s fitting that the diaspora’s most concentrated Jewish urban center is taking its grand annual Jew-pallooza out to the periphery. The welcome rebirth of urban Jewish life does not have to mark the death knell of suburbia — especially when that suburb can itself become a mini-core, taking on some of the more salient qualities of urbanization while remaining eminently livable.

Enjoy Limmud. But know that just outside the hotel there is a Manhattan in miniature, a dynamic crossroads that is also an oasis of amiability, a Jewish Wobegon, where the women are strong, the men good looking and the services way above average.

Rabbi Joshua Hammerman is spiritual leader of Temple Beth-El in Stamford, Conn.