In the Talmud we read a story about the sage Rabbi Meir and his wife B’ruria who was also a Torah scholar, one of very few women mentioned in the text. They lived 1,800 years ago in the region they would have called Yehuda (Judah) or Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel) around the time that Provincia Judaea of the Roman Empire was joined with the Galilee to become Provincia Syria Palaestina. Rabbi Meir was a student of the great Rabbi Akiva and witnessed his teacher’s brutal execution.

We read: “There were some lawless men in Rabbi Meir’s neighborhood who really bothered him. Rabbi Meir prayed for [Divine] mercy on them, so that they die. Rabbi Meir’s wife B’ruria said to him: What’s your thinking? It’s written: Let sins [חַטָּאִים] cease from the land? (Psalms 104:35) Is it written sinners?…Sins is written!…Instead pray for mercy on them, that they should turn back in teshuvah…And he prayed for mercy on them, and they turned back in teshuvah.”  (Berakhot 10a, 3-4)More

Today is Rosh Chodesh, the start of the month of Elul leading up to Rosh HaShanah. Traditionally this is a time of serious introspection. We ask: what have I done right this year, and what have I done wrong? Where do I need to make amends? Is there a need for teshuvah, a change of direction? We ask these questions both individually and collectively: what have we done, what teshuvah do we need to do, as families, as communities, and as societies?

We can be distracted from these important questions by our daily activities and interests. But with so much tragic news coming at us, fleeting and frivolous concerns fall away and we face the deep issues. What really matters? What is the purpose of this great gift of life and human intelligence and creativity? Why are we here? How can we help turn our society in the direction of health, compassion and love?More

Dear Temple Members, 

 For nearly a year I’ve been sharing weekly links to news and opinion articles about Israel, but now I would like to share with you my own thoughts about the current war and its consequences. My intention is not to sway anyone to my way of thinking, but rather to let you know what I’m thinking, wondering, worrying and hoping.

Judaism has no formal tradition of pilgrimage. Unlike Muslims who take on an honorific title after completing the Hajj to Mecca, Jews who travel to Israel have no change of status and are indistinguishable from those who have never been there. But I appreciate that for many North American Jews, visits to Israel and time spent living there are integral to their Jewish identity. A 2021 PEW Research survey found that just under half of Jewish adults in the U.S. (45%) have been to Israel, including 19% who have visited once and 26% who have visited multiple times or have lived in Israel. Whether it was a student year-abroad, volunteering on a kibbutz, a family trip, a guided tour, or a study intensive, for many people their connection to our tradition was shaped and deepened by experiences in Israel. This was not the case for me.More

On hearing tragic news we make what we call the broken blessing, acknowledging our very limited human perspective and the hopelessness of trying to understand the place of suffering in our world:    

בָּרוּךְ דַּיַּן הָאֱמֶת

Blessed is the Judge of Truth.

This morning as the synagogue was wrapped in a heavy mist, we began our Simchat Torah gathering with this beloved passage about Torah from the Book of Proverbs:

She is a  tree of life to those who grasp her and those who hold on to her are fortunate.   

Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her pathways are peace.

עֵץ־חַיִּ֣ים הִ֭יא לַמַּחֲזִיקִ֣ים בָּ֑הּ וְֽתֹמְכֶ֥יהָ מְאֻשָּֽׁר׃

דְּרָכֶ֥יהָ דַרְכֵי־נֹ֑עַם וְֽכׇל־נְתִ֖יבוֹתֶ֣יהָ שָׁלֽוֹם׃

We discussed how the pathway of Torah is made of many individual steps of peace.  At this terrible and bloody moment in Jewish history, we reflected on how each of us can walk a path of peace.

Our hearts are broken by the harrowing violence, loss of life and the desperate situation of civilian and military hostages. We’re stunned by both the depth of hatred displayed in heinous acts and the breadth of government incompetence that time and again leaves innocents vulnerable to murder and misery.  We understand the need for legitimate retaliation and effective defense; we condemn calls for vengeance. 

Reform Leaders Respond to Hamas Terrorist Attacks in Israel

Join the world-wide Reform Movement for a webinar of solidarity and mourning with the state of Israel on October 9th at 2:00 PM ET.

We also grieve for thousands of victims of the earthquake in Afghanistan, another failure of heartless governance that abandons the impoverished to living and dying in mud huts on earthquake faults. 

American Jewish World Service – urgent relief to communities around the world   

Our tradition teaches us to pursue justice and pray for peace. Let us continue to do both with all our strength.

B’shalom,

Rabbi Naomi

Tonight is Rosh Chodesh Elul, the “Head of the Month of Elul,” preceding Rosh HaShanah, the “Head of the Year.” This is when we begin reflecting on the year that’s drawing to a close and turn our thoughts to the coming year. Rosh HaShanah is also called Yom Harat Olam, “Day of the World’s Birthing.” This year, after an evening and first day of Rosh HaShanah prayer and music at the synagogue, on the second day of the holiday we’ll gather at Kotke Ranch for a family friendly celebration complete with a Birthday Party for the World. Our tradition gives us three strategies for renewing ourselves at the time of the world’s mystic renewal:

Teshuvah ~ Often translated as repentance, teshuvah more literally means turning, as in turning away from bad habits and turning toward good ones, turning away from negativity and toward positivity, turning around bad situations and miscommunications with our fellow humans, and re-turning to one’s spiritual source.  As we start the month of Elul, you might want to scan your life and choose a few areas for doing teshuvah, starting with any pressing concerns between you and anyone else, and moving on to personal patterns and proclivities you would like to turn in a better direction. It’s very helpful to replace “I won’t do X anymore” with “Instead of doing X, I’ll do Y,” as we read in Psalms:  ס֣וּר מֵ֭רָע וַעֲשֵׂה־ט֑וֹב – Turn from bad and do good.”  Some people invite a relative, friend or acquaintance to be a teshuvah partner: “Help me with my goals for the New Year and I’ll help you with yours.”  It can be a great way to deepen a relationship.  Or you might enjoy taking part in this 3-session learning with the wonderful Rabbi Michael Strassfeld: Change Through Acceptance: the Hasidic Notion of Teshuvah.

Tefilah ~ This is usually translated as prayer, as we speak of our TBE Tefilah Leaders who conduct prayer services.  The delightful site Aleph Beta gives us this explanation: “Tefillah (Heb. תפילה; te-feel-ah) is the Hebrew word for prayer. The word itself contains a range of meanings. The Hebrew root פלל connotes “executing judgment” (Exodus 21:22) or “thinking” (Genesis 48:11). In this sense, the word להתפלל, to pray, may also refer to a process of accounting or contemplation.” The Meaning of Tefillah | Aleph Beta  For some of us this involves speaking aloud the prayers in our siddur (prayer book) and machzor (High Holy Day prayer book), either in community or alone.  For others of us, this involves speaking spontaneous words of prayer, aloud or silently, directing our hearts toward a Divine Listener.  And for others this might mean wordless reflection in which we cast wide the net of awareness or focus intently on a particular facet of reality, seeking insight, offering gratitude or luxuriating in wonder. Whatever your mode of prayer-full reflection, the month of Elul is a great time to do a little more of it, to expand your capacity for welcoming the new year with hopefulness and joy.

Tzedakah ~ This we may translate as generous-giving-to-increase-justice-in-the-world, because it’s based on the word tzedek, meaning justice or righteousness.  This coming Shabbat I’ll have the honor of chanting this verse at Daniel Tilles’ bar mitzvah: tzedek, tzedek tirdof ~ Justice, justice you shall pursue, meaning that we pursue justice through just means. This is the precept most commonly practiced throughout the Jewish American community where many of us don’t attend synagogue services or concern ourselves with an annual teshuvah practice, but we donate, donate, donate to worthy causes, some Jewish, but more often not.  American Jews and charitable giving: An enduring tradition – Half of US’s 25 most generous philanthropists are Jews. Few give to Jewish groups.  As our troubled world grapples with war, hatred and unnatural disasters, there is no shortage of opportunities for New Year tzedakah.  Choose the organization of your choice or donate to the Temple Beth El Tzedakah Fund to redress injustice and alleviate suffering here in Humboldt County and elsewhere.

We have a tradition that Elul, the name of our month, is an acronym for the initial letters of a four-word line from Song of Songs: “I am my beloved and my beloved is mine – אני לדודי ודודי לי.”  Why do we connect this poetic love imagery to  the month of Elul?  Because during this time we want to draw close to one another and close to our Source through love, and our teshuvah, tefilah and tzedakah are loving acts performed for the sake of the Beloved. It’s all about love.

I’ll love seeing you all at our High Holy Day events.  And I’ll LOVE seeing your names on the signups for holiday tasks including hospitality and security, setting up and cleaning up, all holy work done, I hope, out of love for our tradition, families and community.

I wish you all chodesh tov, a good new month.

B’ahava ~ With love,

Rabbi Naomi

This week Israeli Independence Day, Yom Ha-Atzmaut, marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the State.  

Let’s begin with a beautiful prayer:

Prayer for North American Jews on the 75th Anniversary of Israel’s Founding

Yom Ha-Atzmaut is preceded one day by Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror: An Israeli Perspective: Israeli Memorial and Independence Day | Reform Judaism. “The idea behind this is that the day before celebrating our independence, we are reminded of the price and sacrifice made by so many in order to keep us free.”

This year these two holidays come at an unprecedented time with ongoing mass protests against the government plan to restrict the power of Israel’s Supreme Court, a move that many see as an infringement on basic rights.  

Over 3,000 North American Jewish leaders are gathered in Tel Aviv for The Jewish Federations of North America’s annual General Assembly.  Take a look at the wonderful faces of the Speakers | The General Assembly 2023.  The General Assembly usually takes place in North America, but was planned to coincide with the 75 Anniversary events in Israel.  Now those 3,000 North American Jewish leaders have been drawn into the protests:

Jewish Federations Conference Opening Night Ends as Israeli Protesters Beg: Save Us! – Israel News – Haaretz.com

Bereaved Families, U.S. Jewish Leaders Take Center-stage at Nationwide Protests Ahead of Unprecedented Memorial Day – Israel News

Activists gear up for chance to bring 3,000 visiting US Jews into anti-overhaul fray | The Times of Israel

The spectacular growth and success of Israel’s high-tech sector stands as perhaps the greatest real-life miracle in Jewish history, providing Israel with a relatively high standard of living.  But the economic blessing of high-tech is at risk in the current political crisis: 

Israel’s High-tech Crisis: Treasury Examining if Forecast and Budget Need Readjustment – “The most serious long-term damage will be to tax revenues, with the high-tech industry currently contributing 25 percent of the country’s tax revenues and 11 percent of workers employed in this industry.”

At risk is not just economic prosperity but also the moral integrity of the nation, already strained by the long, unresolved conflict with its Palestinian citizens and neighbors. 

Why is Israel increasingly aligning itself with dictators? – The Forward

My beloved friend and colleague Rabbi Bob Rottenberg has penned a moving reflection for us at this critical time.  Let’s take his wise words to heart.

B’shalom ~ In peace, 

Rabbi Naomi

Why is this Passover different from all other Passovers?

On all other Passovers we’ve discussed injustice, tyranny and the longing for liberation. On this Passover we must do everything we can to redress the planetary injustice of climate crisis, to stand up to tyrannical movements here in the United States and across the world, and respond to the younger generations’ desperate longing to be liberated from the enslavements of poverty, hatred, war, and environmental disaster.  

In Biblical Hebrew the land of Egypt is called Mitzrayim meaning “the narrow place.” All of humanity and all other species are passing through a narrow place such as we’ve never seen before. The recent report by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change gave us a stark warning: we have only a decade left to take action to avoid the worst outcome – Climate Change Is Speeding Toward Catastrophe

In our great liberation story, Moses, Miriam and Aaron lead the Israelite people out of bondage and into the unknown of the wilderness and the future. Having lived as slaves for hundreds of years, they must learn how to become a functioning society. Moses ascends Mount Sinai and brings down divine guidance in the form of laws and rules for wholesome, righteous living and meaningful worship to maintain the human-Divine connection. While Moses is up on the mountain, the people grow anxious and demand that Aaron let them build an idol, a calf made of gold, something they can see and worship in the ways of Egypt. That tale ends badly, making it abundantly clear that we are not to worship material objects, most especially gold.

Though Moses is revered as Moshe Rabbeynu, Moses our Teacher, he is never elevated to the role of monarch. When the Torah does speak of future kings it is to expound the limits of their powers:

If, after you have entered the land that your God ???? has assigned to you, and taken possession of it and settled in it, you decide, “I will set a king over me, as do all the nations about me,” you shall be free to set a king over yourself, one chosen by your God ????. Be sure to set as king over yourself one of your own people; you must not set a foreigner over you, one who is not your kin. Moreover, he shall not keep many horses or send people back to Egypt to add to his horses, since ???? has warned you, “You must not go back that way again.” And he shall not have many wives, lest his heart go astray; nor shall he amass silver and gold to excess. When he is seated on his royal throne, he shall have a copy of this Teaching written for him on a scroll by the levitical priests. Let it remain with him and let him read in it all his life, so that he may learn to revere his God ????, to observe faithfully every word of this Teaching as well as these laws. Thus he will not act haughtily toward his fellows or deviate from the Instruction to the right or to the left, to the end that he and his descendants may reign long in the midst of Israel.  ~  Devarim/Deuteronomy 17:14-20, The Contemporary Torah, Jewish Publication Society, 2006 translation

According to the Biblical narrative, the Israelites were led by priests and judges for about a century until the time of the Prophet Samuel, Shmuel Ha-Navi, when the people complain, “You have grown old, and your sons have not followed your ways. Therefore appoint a king for us, to govern us like all other nations.” (1 Samuel 8:5)  Samuel reluctantly agrees and anoints Saul as king, but his reign is not a happy one and foreshadows the intrigue, murder and mayhem we read about in the stories of King David and his successors. In their wisdom, the rabbis of the Talmud decided that on fast days and High Holy Days we sing the traditional “Avinu Malkeinu – Our father, our king,” acknowledging that the Holy Source is the only true sovereign.

The Exodus Narrative is one of the most influential stories in the world, shaping the religious imagination of Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. As our friend Rabbi David Zaslow of Ashland comments in his book Reimagining Exodus: A Story of Freedom, “More than a quarter of the world’s population holds the story of the Exodus as sacred.” This epic tale has left its mark on American history: The Exodus in American History and Culture; “Americans have used the exodus story for a variety of causes, but three in particular—the American Revolution (1776-83), the Civil War (1861-65), and the modern Civil Rights Movement (1940s-1970s)—illustrate common ways they have interacted with it.”

Rabbi “Yitz” Greenberg gives us a lovely teaching on Why The Exodus Was So Significant. But did it actually happen? Yair Hoffman, Professor of Bible at Tel Aviv University provides an overview of scholarly opinions in Exodus: History or Mythic Tale? This is excerpted from one of my favorite books, a fabulous text with stunning illustrations in an oversized volume: A Historical Atlas of the Jewish People. If you love Jewish culture and you want to learn about our multi-layered history, buy this book! (Be sure to order the 2003 edition.)

I just recently came across a 2013 interview with the brilliant scholar Richard Elliot Friedman who makes a compelling argument for the historicity of the Exodus. Professor Friedman explains that not all the Israelite tribes were ever in Egypt, just the Levites, who eventually migrated to Canaan and merged with other semitic tribes, becoming the warrior-priests. How do we know this? From various textual evidence including:

I love this scholarship and it resonates with my own understanding of the text and the times. Please enjoy The Exodus Is Not Fiction  

So here we are in 2023, three thousand years after the time of the Exodus, and we see world leaders acting like Pharaohs, flaunting their wealth with a golden escalator (Trump), a private palace (Putin, see 53:12), and ill-gotten luxuries of fancy cigars, champagne and designer ice cream (Netanyahu). These would-be pharaohs’ ostentation and indulgence are paired with their cruelty and disregard for human rights.

Who would have imagined that in 2023 we would be witnessing an Exodus out of Israel as tech companies start to relocate to other countries due to the unprecedented governmental crisis? Tech Leaders in Israel Wonder if It’s Time to Leave

This Passover is also different from all other Passovers because of the horrific rise in antisemitic rhetoric and attacks across the United States, including from the former first family:
As Florida county bans Holocaust book, actual neo-Nazis grow bold in U.S.  
Republican attacks on George Soros becoming a more prevalent anti semitic dog whistle

Like all our chagim (festivals), Pesach is a time of joy. When the cup that’s poured for us seems to be so bitter, it takes a certain discipline to also taste the sweetness. At our Pesach seders this year let us sing the beautiful love poetry of Song of Songs and celebrate the spring, and then rise up, stronger, braver, even more deeply dedicated to the cause of freedom for one and all and rescue of our spectacular and fragile ecosphere.

I’ll close with a heartfelt, uplifting message from Union of Reform Judaism President, Rabbi Rick Jacobs:
Rabbi Jacobs – Passover Message 2023

Chag Pesach Sameach ~ A joyful Passover Festival!
Rabbi Naomi

As we move back to in person events, we need a team! Sadly, we’re in a new era of health and security concerns and our old, informal ways will not suffice. But the upside is that as we pull together with team efforts we can deepen our relationships with one another, making our community stronger through the joy of shared mitzvahs.

In addition to our dedicated Tefilah Leaders, teachers and coordinators, we need an Event Team for every service, cultural offering or large meeting:

Security Monitors to keep us safe,
Hospitality Volunteers to make our gatherings heimish (home-like) and welcoming,
Tech Volunteers to provide critical access to our events via Zoom and/or Livestream, so no one is left out.

Here’s the good news: Our Security Committee ROCKS! Thanks to the leadership of Hadasah Harris-Westcamper and Scott Sway, we now have a roster of nine Temple members who have been trained to serve as Security Monitors. If you’ve attended in-person events, you’ve seen them patrolling the grounds, equipped with emergency alarms, walkie-talkies, vests and other gadgets to deter attacks and provide immediate response to problems. Kol ha-kavod (Hebrew: all honor) to them! Pikuach nefesh, protecting life (Hebrew) is the holiest work! To join this dedicated team, contact the temple office for training.

Here’s more good news: Our Membership Committee has taken on the task of recruiting and training Temple members to serve as Hospitality Volunteers. Many thanks to Chairperson Ann Alter and her crew. Over my thirty-plus years of association with Temple Beth El, I’ve seen countless people in the kitchen setting up the kiddush, organizing the meals, handing out song sheets and siddurim, assisting folks who need some extra help, cleaning up and shmoozing with new-comers. Our goal is to formalize what comes naturally to our do-it-ourselves Congregation, and invite more people to fulfill the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim, welcoming guests (Hebrew). If you are someone who enjoys “making shabbos” and getting to know folks, please become a Hospitality Volunteer! We’ll be offering some training soon, but in the meantime, if you know your way around the shul, let us know we can put your name on our roster as onet of the Hospitality mavens (Yiddish for experts, “those who understand”).

And yes, more good news: The silver lining of the otherwise horrible pandemic is that we’ve made a leap into the world of online and hybrid events. This is a great blessing for those of us who cannot or prefer not to shlepp (Yiddish for “hauling ourselves”) to events. My tech-savvy sister Devva Kasnitz has graciously Zoom-hosted numerous events throughout the pandemic. To switch into livestream, we need more Tech Volunteers who are comfortable with setting up computers or cell phones for Zoom or livestream at our events. I actually enjoy doing it. With our rolling computer stand I feel like a TV camera operator! We are forming committee for this right now, so please contact the temple office to become part of the team.

I’m a very hands-on Rabbi and I delight in the physical activity of the holidays: cooking, baking, setting the table, arranging flowers, readying the room in anticipation of a joyous gathering. I’m aware that many people arrive for Shabbat services tuckered out from a long work week and I want the experience at the Temple to be relaxing and pleasing. But my self-critique of the last 25 years is that maybe I’ve done too much and haven’t invited folks to help enough. Have I avoided pork but hogged the mitzvah of making Shabbos? If so, I apologize, and now invite you all to have your turn!

As President Biden never tires of saying, we’re at an inflection point in American history. This is true for Jewish history as well, and also for Temple Beth El. I know our dedicated Tefilah Leaders will deeply appreciate knowing that they have an Event Team, members of an extended mishpocha (family, Yiddish), combining our energy to make meaningful moments of celebration, consolation, learning and spiritual discovery.

Todah Rabah ~ Abundant thanks, Rabbi Naomi

“Holy One, full of compassion, grant perfect rest under the wings of the Shechinah, the Divine Presence…”

These beautiful words begin El Malei Rachamim, the prayer we recite at burials and memorials. Some versions use the phrase “upon the wings of the Shechinah,” an image of liberation, the soul being carried aloft. But I first learned and still prefer “under the wings”, evoking a sense of safety and nurturance.

We read at MyJewishLearning.com (a wonderful site): “In some Ashkenazi synagogues, El Malei Rachamim is also a part of the Yizkor memorial service on Yom Kippur and on the last days of the three pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot). The prayer originated in the Jewish communities of Western and Eastern Europe, where it was recited for the martyrs of the Crusades and of the Chmielnicki massacres.”

As we mark the loss of half a million Americans to Covid-19, we meditate on the fragility and brevity of life. Blessedly, the Temple Beth El community has lost only one member to the pandemic, our dear nonagenarian Bob Berman, who died last spring. We will remember him at upcoming Yizkor services (April 4 and May 18) and on his first yartzeit, 25th of Iyar, May 6-7.

The great Hebrew poet Yehuda Amichai gave us a wry, challenging reworking of this beautiful prayer:

God-Full-of-Mercy, the prayer for the dead.

If God was not full of mercy,
mercy would have been in the world,
not just in Him.

I, who plucked flowers in the hills
and looked down into all the valleys,
I, who brought corpses down from the hills,
can tell you that the world is empty of mercy

I, who was King of Salt at the seashore,
who stood without a decision at my window,
who counted the steps of angels,
whose heart lifted weights of anguish
in the horrible contests.

I, who use only a small part of the words in the dictionary.

I, who must decipher riddles
I don’t want to decipher,
know that if not for the God-full-of-mercy
there would be mercy in the world,
not just in Him.

Literary critic and author Robert Alter observes that Yehuda Amichai “is the most widely translated Hebrew poet since King David” and The New Yorker dubbed Amichai, “the secular psalmist.” A veteran of World War ll and the war of 1948, Amichai can speak with authority when he declares, “I, who brought corpses down from the hills / can tell you that the world is empty of mercy.” I do not dare argue with Amichai, but I hear his words as a call to bring compassion into our troubled world. Just imagine: if for every time someone in the world has said the word “God” they followed it with, “full of compassion,” how much closer to redemption would we be! Or perhaps it might be best to dispense with “God” altogether and say only, “compassion.”

Against the backdrop of the pandemic losses, we also lost dear members of the Congregation, musician Les Scher in the fall, and more recently Pearl Oliner, a former president of the Congregation and longtime professor at HSU. Additionally, in late November we lost Jolie Elan at the young age of fifty-one. A botanist and herbalist, Jolie was a member of Temple Beth El before moving to Ashland some years ago. When I heard of Jolie’s sudden death, I was moved to compose a poem. I sat at my writing desk for an entire day, absorbed in the images. With expert guidance from poet Jerry Martien, I polished the piece for many weeks and recently the North Coast Journal published my Elegy for Jolie:

MyJewishLearning.com tells us, “Eulogizing the deceased is an important ancient Jewish custom, dating all the way back to the patriarch Abraham, who eulogized his wife Sarah, ‘Abraham came to eulogize Sarah and to cry for her’ (Genesis 23:2). From this verse, Jewish tradition has understood two goals of the eulogy:

1. Eulogize (Hesped): Praise for the worthy qualities and achievements of the deceased.
2. Lament (Bekhi): Arouse the emotions, and a sense of grief and loss, in the listeners.”

As we grapple with the enormity of our national loss, there is much to be learned from our tradition. We do not dismiss death. We pay attention to where a loss takes us, how it shapes our reality. We grieve, we memorialize, we remember. The hope is that in doing so each of us grows in love, connecting more deeply with one another, finding ourselves wiser, more generous, with our hearts be-coming malei rachamim, full of compassion.

B’shalom,
Rabbi Naomi

References:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/el-maleh-rahamim/
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/yehuda-amichai
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/01/04/like-a-prayer
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/eulogy-or-hesped/