At the Threshold - For the 49th day of the Omer 5783 - May 24, 2023

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The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah

May 24, 2023

Eternal One,

Our Guide for the path of our lives,

Our Strength in times of challenge, 

Our Inspiration in expressing hope and joy, 

As we stand once again at the threshold of Sinai, 

Recalling ancestors who, we are told,

Received the heritage of Your teaching,

Grant us the light of your wisdom 

So that we can understand 

how we can better apply the values of our tradition

To a world that needs

Generosity, 

Acceptance, 

Learning, 

Knowledge,

Honesty, 

Truth, 

Consideration, 

Respect, 

Cooperation,

Perseverance, 

And peace. 

Lead us to a love that will truly bring us together, 

So that experiencing an all-pervasive Oneness 

In our earthly existence 

Will be not be an unreachable goal

But an attainable and all-encompassing reality

Soon in our days.    

Remarks on May 26, 2006 on receiving my Doctor of Divinity Degree - Temple Beth Sholom, Topeka, KS

One of the special gifts I received for the occasion of receiving my Doctor of Divinity degree was from Rhonda and Adam – it is the tallit that I am wearing for the first time tonight.  I expected that the first time I would use it would be at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion graduation ceremony held last Sunday at Isaac M. Wise Temple in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Because the event was a graduation, and not a religious service, I saved my tallit for tonight, and prepared to receive the special hood and certificate that signify a milestone in my rabbinate.   Still, there were religious aspects of this essentially academic gathering.  I wore my kippah from Adam’s Bar Mitzvah.   As we sat in the robing room prior to the ceremony, Professor Lowell McCoy, an ordained minister who taught speech and communication at Hebrew Union College, delivered a meaningful and poignant meditation.  Students regard Dr. McCoy as a true mensch – a principled, decent and gentle human being.  He served as associate dean during the year I was ordained, and I was honored to have the acting dean of that time, Dr. Samuel Greengus, as my sponsoring faculty member when I ascended the bimah to become, after 25 years, a doctor.

     The graduation included the presentation of doctoral and masters degrees to students who had focused on various themes of biblical and rabbinic literature, and most of those students were up-and-coming Christian scholars.    The graduation address by Professor John Kampen, who studied in Cincinnati at the same time I did, highlighted the Interreligious nature of the college, and how important it was for cultivating mutual understanding and productive dialogue from our various faith perspectives.

     Not all students who are ordained receive a Doctor of Divinity degree – we were told that, “it’s not just making it through 25 years – it is making a contribution to the Reform movement and to the congregation and community that makes a rabbi eligible for this honorary doctorate.  Dr. David Ellenson, president of the college, said that we do work for this degree – every day, for 25 years.  Rather than researching a topic and writing and defending a doctoral-level thesis, we study the bible and rabbinic literature as we prepare for study groups and sermons.  Instead of of delving into the finer points of liturgy, we lead and create worship experiences every week.   Using what we learned about Christianity through our courses in Jewish history and electives in the gospels and other texts, we engage in conversations with clergy across the spectrum of Christianity.   Although we are often called upon as “Old Testament experts,” or, in my terminology, Hebrew bible mavens, we learn by reading new works by learned authors and discussing with our neighbors the impact of everything from “The Passion of the Christ” to the “DaVinci Code” to the ongoing question, “Was the Last Supper a Pesach Seder or not?”    We took classes in practical rabbinics and very basic pastoral education, but we discover that every day constitutes a rabbinic practicum and offers new lessons in human relations and counseling.  And rather than sitting in classrooms listening to professors and taking notes, the Temple becomes the classroom. And you have been, for the last 22 years,  my teachers along the way to this rabbi’s doctor of divinity degree.  

        There were nine members of our class of 44 who gathered in Cincinnati this past Sunday, most of us with our families.   7 of us are serving congregations large, medium-sized and small, one is a professor of philosophy at a small college in upstate New York, and one directs Girls Incorporated in her community....There is one thing that has always been true about my rabbinic class – we respect each other and remember how our experiences together created the foundation for the 25 years that have followed.    

     Dr. Ellenson called each of us up to the bimah and read our certificate and citation, which concluded with the words, LICHVOD TORAH V’LOMDEHAH – in honor of the Torah and those who study it.”   It was honor to celebrate with my colleagues, my study partners for five years on the road to the rabbinate.  It is an honor to celebrate with you, my study partners and colleagues for over two decades as we make Judaism and Torah come alive in our midst.  So may we continue to do along our life paths.  And let us say Amen. 

 

Not the only way - thoughts on the world - May 21, 2023

Why must your be way the only way? 

Why do you want me to accept your understanding 

and expect me to give up mine? 

Why do you reject any deviation from your perspective 

on anything and everything? 

You have denied the possibility of doubt being positive. 

You have led the numbers, even the masses, of those who support you 

To place all who disagree with you and them 

in a state of excommunication from society,

To rob them of their dignity, even their humanity. 

Your eyes are bordered by blinders 

That prevent you from seeing the reality 

Of a multiplicity of beliefs that can bring solace and hope

And personal and communal salvation. 

Peace in this world will not come 

As a result of policies of coercion, through law or physical force, 

That claim that there is but a single path 

that must be adopted by everyone. 

Coexistence is a blessing 

when people who have taken many spiritual and ideological paths

Can work together to find common threads between them

That enable them to reach out to human beings

 in dire need of help

And a glimmer of optimism 

That can lead to providing for their well-being. 

Yet, it is as if this multiplicity of approaches is a mistake, an aberration, 

And diversity is a mere illusion 

conjured up through intentional misinterpretation of reality. 

To that, I say, 

and many of us say, 

Look around. 

Open your minds and hearts. 

Step back

And rise above the narrowness that confines you

So that you will strive to sense a Oneness

That is at the foundation of our universe, 

A web of connection 

That binds us together. 

Your pronouncements and declarations

That dismiss the wonder of our differences 

Will not prevent any of us 

From affirming and asserting 

Who we really are

And who we can be. 

Remarks and blessing on the installation of Rabbi Samuel Stern at Temple Beth Sholom, Topeka, KS - May 19, 2023

   Many thanks to the Installation committee for inviting me to participate in this milestone moment in Temple Beth Sholom history.  It is unique in that it’s not often that a former rabbi of a congregation is chosen to install a new rabbi in this way.   However, as some of you know, I received a call in mid-March of 2021 from Rabbi Ken Chasen, whom I have known for 40 plus years.  He was teaching a course for soon-to-be ordained rabbis at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles.  Rabbi Chasen asked if I could speak with almost-rabbi Sam Stern, who was going to have a phone interview that night with the Temple Beth Sholom search committee.  The rabbi-to-be and I had a far-reaching conversation for nearly an hour.   And, well, here we are, having already had time together as colleagues, but not having shared this bimah until tonight. 

   When I saw that the Torah reading for this Shabbat is from the first parashah in Numbers, B’midbar, I realized that its themes are perfect for an installation.   Numbers Chapter One contains this command to Moses:   “Take a census of the whole Israelite company  [of fighters] by the clans of its ancestral houses,  listing the names, every male, head by head. You and Aaron shall record them by their groups, from  the age of twenty years up, all those in Israel who are able to bear arms.”   Moses and Aaron appointed a member of each tribe to help them accomplish this task. While this was a sort of Israelite Selective Service draft, I have always found that the greatest significance of this passage is in the names of the designated census takers.  Many of those names referred, in some way, to God, including:  Shlumiel, meaning “God is my peace”; Nethanel - “God has given”;  Elishama - “my God has heard”; and Eliav, meaning “God is my parent.”  There is one more name I want to mention from that list. A few days ago, I asked Rabbi Stern several questions about becoming and being a rabbi.   In response to the question “What led you to pursue the rabbinate as a career?”, Rabbi Stern replied that he always wanted to be a helper.  He added that, as he matured, he developed a deep connection to Judaism and realized that he wanted to serve the Jewish people as a rabbi.    As it turns out, one of the tribal representatives bore the name ACHI-EZER, which means “my brother - or sibling - is a helper”: BEN, son of; AMISHADDAI,  meaning “my people belongs to Shaddai, God almighty.”  Therein lies an apt description of what it means to be a rabbi: being a helper, and serving the Jewish people, with God’s presence always close by. 

     Numbers Chapter 3 noted that Moses also received this command: “Record the descendants of Levi by ancestral house and by clan; record every male among them from the age of one month and up.”  In this case, the goal of the census of the Levites was, obviously, not for defense, but for leadership in worship as priests.  According to one interpretation, this census intended to direct the education and spiritual development not just of the priests, but of all the people. In Exodus Chapter 19, God instructed Moses to tell the Israelites: “you shall be to Me a dominion of priests and a holy nation,” meaning that the responsibility for leadership and knowledge rests with all community members. This dimension of the rabbinate can bring growth in knowledge, wisdom and connection for rabbi and congregants alike. When I asked Rabbi Stern about the aspects of his rabbinate here that he most enjoys, he listed teaching, pastoral care, and the moments when he gets to talk with people one on one.  Those encounters are opportunities for educational and spiritual development from rabbi to congregant, and, most definitely, from congregant to rabbi as well.    

   The Haftarah reading for parashat B’midbar contains a passage that is also appropriate as part of an installation ceremony.  We read in the book of Hosea, Chapter 2, as Hosea spoke for God to the people:  “I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in steadfast love and compassion. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness and you shall know the Eternal.” With this pronouncement, the prophet Hosea declared how the people could grow closer to God, godliness, and the best of their character. The values embodied in this formula are central and integral in creating a positive community.  They are: TZEDEK - righteousness; MISHPAT - Justice; CHESED - goodness, steadfast love, kindness; RACHAMIM - mercy and compassion; and EMUNAH - faithfulness.   Rabbi Stern echoed these values in his answers to my questions, noting the generous spirit of welcome which he and Caryn have received at Temple Beth Sholom, the ease of nurturing relationships within this tight-knit congregation, being able to make an impact on the local and statewide community, and possibilities for growth in many aspects of life, leading to an overall goal of sharing a love of Judaism with all.   

    Rabbi Stern, your Hebrew name, HaRav Shmuel ben Avram Moshe V’Gilah, including the names of your parents, bears signs and remembrances of great Jewish leaders.  Shmuel, the prophet Samuel, anointed not one but two kings and offered moral leadership to the Israelites.  AVRAM, Abram became Abraham and was called “the father of nations.” MOSHE, Moses was a revered lawgiver, teacher and an unparalleled prophet in our traiditon.   The name “Gilah” is from a word often used in the Tanakh and in our liturgy to mean “joy.”   All of these elements of your name point to the significance of this special Shabbat of celebration for you, your family, and this congregation and community. 

  As a way of establishing a chain of installation tradition between me, as a former rabbi of this congregation, and you, Rabbi Stern, I am offering a charge for your rabbinate here for the years to come.  You already have a sense for your own special mission and path. These words of challenge and blessing were shared with me at my two previous installations. I know that, in this congregation, they will guide you and members of Temple Beth Sholom towards a promising and bright future.  Please join me, Rabbi, at the lectern: 

   As a Rabbi in Israel, as a teacher of Torah, our hope for you is for holiness, our prayer for you a sacred reflection of the purpose toward which all community members strive.

   Be among those who cherish the truth, who banish falsehood with their faith.   

  Be a teacher of sacred words with your deeds, and an exemplar of the timeless legacy of Jewish living.

    Aspire always to be loving, compassionate, humane and hopeful.  

     Be the prayer for goodness that is ever upon your lips. 

   Be “Yisrael” – a model of the sacred struggle that we all embrace. 

   Be “Yisrael” – a bearer of God’s goodness, a blessing to all whose lives you touch.  

 I now ask members of the congregation to turn to page 381 in Mishkan T’filah and to rise as you are able  as we join together in offering this rabbinic blessing to Rabbi Stern: 

MAY YOU LIVE to see your world fulfilled,  

may your destiny be for worlds still to come, 

and may you trust in generations past and yet to be.  

May your heart be filled with intuition 

 and your words be rich in understanding. 

 May songs of praise ever be upon your tongue, 

 and your vision clarify a straight path before you.  

May your eyes shine with the light of Torah  

and your face reflect the brightness of the heavens.  

May your lips ever speak wisdom  

and your fulfillment be in righteousness,  

even as you ever yearn to hear the words of  

the Ancient One of Holiness. 

AND LET US SAY AMEN. 

Companions, Friends, Partners - Reading for Daily Minyan on May 18, 2023

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The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah

May 18, 2023

(And for Shabbat Service, Temple Beth Sholom,

Topeka, KS on May 19, 2023 on the occasion of the installation of Rabbi Samuel Stern) 

Creator of the Universe, 

Who has revealed to us the wonders of the world around us, 

Draw us together from nation to nation, 

Neighborhood to Neighborhood, 

One person to another, 

So that we will follow your teachings

That guide us to extend our compassion to 

Every member of the human family, 

To approach all people with respect, 

And to allow love and light 

To shine forth from the depths of our hearts. 

As we move along our life’s journey, 

May we walk, side by side, 

As companions, as friends, and as partners

Holding on to hope, 

Striving to bring peace down from heaven to earth,

So that we will reflect Your Oneness

That envelops us every night and every day. 

Peace we have not yet known - Daily Minyan Original Reading - May 4, 2023

Original Reading for 

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The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah

Overland Park, KS

May 4, 2023

Creator of the Universe,

Our companion each day and night, 

Month to month, 

Year to year, 

Guide us on our life’s journey

Alongside family members, friends 

And community

In fashioning a world inhabited by a human family

That is enlightened by wisdom and understanding

That is strengthened by mercy and respect

That is resourceful enough to turn conflict into cooperation,

That is insightful enough to overcome divisions 

And engender love where none thought it possible. 

As Your Oneness encompasses all of us,

May we recognize how that Oneness is a source of unity

That can bring a lasting peace we have not yet known 

For every person on this planet

And within every soul that dwells among us.