TBE “Instead-of-O-Gram” for May 4, 2007

Shabbat Shalom! Because I have been away this week, there was no time to put together a full O-Gram. Fear not, O-Gram fans, it will return next week, just in time for Mother’s Day. Meanwhile, a few quick announcements, then some comments on my week.

· First and foremost, Mazal Tov to Cantor Littman on the news of her engagement, which she announced to the board this week. Mara and I are so happy for her and very much look forward to welcoming Cindy into our TBE family.

· Mazal Tov also to our USY group, which won several awards at last weekend’s regional Spring Convention: “Most Improved Chapter,” “Chapter of Excellence” (which goes to the top three chapters in the region) and we were the winner of the “Super Chapter Challenge.” Carl Shapiro and our Youth Commission are to be commended, along with Eran, for doing an amazing job with youth programming this year. But it’s the kids themselves who deserve the biggest applause. They’ve stepped up to assume real leadership. Special thanks also to Edoe Cohen, who has helped us tremendously as youth advisor over the past year.

· A special Shabbat Shalom to our 3^rd, 4th and 5^th graders, who will be joining Eran and staff (including a few intrepid parents) on their class Shabbaton, leaving this afternoon for Surprise Lake. They could not have picked a more gorgeous weekend to go! The Shabbaton experience has been an integral part of our school program for nearly a decade – and is a big part of what makes TBE so special. Programs like this, along with USY-Kadima events, help us to integrate formal with informal education. As a result, kids grow up here feeling like part of a family. Class dinners help do that too, along with congregational seders and events like tonight’s Shabbat Across America and next Friday’s Shabbat Unplugged. It’s all about creating a feeling of belonging – so important for all generations (but especially for children). NOW is the time to tell your unaffiliated friends looking for a Hebrew School about our multifaceted program. Invite them to our Open House on May 20. This year for the first time, we are offering special membership incentives (free for one year) to encourage the unaffiliated to sample our primary grades. These incentives are an essential marketing tool for synagogues these days and we all benefit from increased membership. Please encourage your friends to call us to find out more.

· TONIGHT, over 700 synagogues will be participating in Shabbat Across America. We are expecting about 90 to attend our dinner, which will follow the FIRST OUTDOOR SERVICE of the season. Even if you are not signed up for the dinner, by all means come to the service! As with all outdoor services, “relaxed” attire is encouraged (I recommend a sweater) – and yes, it is OK to wear white, even before Memorial Day. In fact, it is especially Shabbat-appropriate, since the great Kabbalists of 16^th century Safed always wore white on Shabbat. The service begins at 6:30 PM, with Nurit holding Tot Shabbat in the lobby at the same time. For those remaining for dinner, we’ll be doing a “Shabbat Seder” – don’t be intimidated by the word “Seder,” it won’t take all night – but, as with a Passover Seder, we’ll go step by step through the table rituals, exploring both the “how-to’s” and their underlying meaning. During the dinner, Nurit will take the kids out for some singing while the adults hear from Rabbinic Pastor David Daniel Klipper about his unique life-journey. Thanks as always to our Synaplex committee, along with Membership Committee chair Cheryl Bader Goldblum, for organizing this program.

· Thanks also to Don Adelman, who will be delivering tomorrow’s D’var Torah.

· Finally, Happy Lag B’Omer, this Sunday. For those wishing some background on this Jewish version of May Day, check out this link to last year’s Shabbat-O-Gram topic: What is Lag B'Omer?

Now – a little about my week…

I just returned from an exciting and historic Rabbinical Assembly convention in Boston. It was exciting because, well, when over 400 rabbis get together at any event, it’s got to be exciting. It was historic because this was the first convention following the historic Law Committee decisions of last December, last month’s announcement that the Jewish Theological Seminary is becoming fully inclusive with regard to sexual orientation and, last but not least, for the rabbis of the movement to welcome the incoming JTS Chancellor, Arnold Eisen, who is not a rabbi, into their midst. Eisen was warmly welcomed, and the lesson he taught on Tuesday morning was scintillating.

A reporter wrote: Eisen’s election to the office of chancellor is unusual because he is not a rabbi, which many convention attendees noted. Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of “When Bad Things Happen to Good People,” confessed to initially having had doubts about the appointment but said that he had been won over by Eisen’s books. “I’m thrilled today that you are the leader of our movement,” he said, addressing Eisen from the audience. His statement was met with applause of agreement. Regarding the rabbinate’s anticipation of his statements, Eisen speculated that the interest stemmed from a hunger for renewed definition and direction within the movement.

Indeed, we are looking for a new direction, and our new chancellor, who as a sociologist has written extensively about the American Jewish condition, seems like just the person to help forge it.

Somewhat surprisingly, the issue of gay rights was hardly discussed at the formal sessions, though it was certainly lurking in the background. Other issues discussed included the situation in Israel and the Iraq war (we heard a very moving account from a rabbinic chaplain who has spent much time there) and of course there was much time devoted to simply learning, classes taught by some of our generation’s greatest teachers, including some former TBE scholars in residence. I’ll be sharing some of those lessons over the coming weeks and months. The prevailing theme of the conference was “Leadership and the Rabbinate,” a most timely topic considering the rampant corruption that has been exposed among leaders everywhere (it’s reached epidemic proportions in Israel) and the acute need for dynamic leadership in our movement during this time of profound transformation.

Make no mistake about it – this is not your father’s Conservative movement. Although these matters have been in discussion for decades, once the changes began to be implemented, things have happened very rapidly. This can be particularly confusing for those who have not been tuned into the discussions and are only now seeing the results. The same thing happens so often in the world of politics, such as when the Soviet Union suddenly collapsed and the Berlin Wall fell. What seemed unfathomable to the naked eye one week before actually was the result of a much longer process. An expert Middle East observer who spoke at the convention sees (very hopefully) a similar unraveling occurring in Iran right now. On the positive side, I can think of a time not long ago when it was unthinkable that a list of leading presidential candidates in this country would include a Mormon, a woman and a person of color. This country has changed, dramatically, and we hardly noticed it happening. And while Torah and religion are often seen as anchors protecting us from the winds of radical change, history has shown that our understanding of God’s will also responds to the cry of each generation.

Now, as we try to absorb the new realities of Conservative Judaism, we need to talk about the implications for our own community. I feel that it is very important that every congregant have the chance to be heard and to be brought into the process as we grapple with new realties. Our ritual committee agrees. Of course my door and inbox remain wide open for those who want to express their feelings or ask questions privately, but we’ve also scheduled three public forums for education and discussion. One already occurred, at the February Synaplex, and it was well attended. The second will take place on Sunday, May 20 at 10 AM. The third will be during the Synaplex Shabbat of June 23. I’ll also be talking about these issues with the temple’s discussion group this Sunday evening and with other groups on request. If you want to gather a dozen friends and invite me to your living room, I’ll be there! The matter goes way beyond the practical discussion of commitment ceremonies and ordination. It gets to the core of what Judaism is all about. This defining moment for the movement is really an opportunity for each congregation to define itself. I encourage you to be part of that process.

But now is the time to set worldly matters and personal burdens aside. Join us outside tonight as we sing with the birds and sway with the trees.

Wishing our TBE family – and all the world - a well-deserved Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Joshua Hammerman