Category: Rabbi’s page

עֲשֵׂה לְךָ רַב, וּקְנֵה לְךָ חָבֵר

Aseh lekha rav, u’kneh lechah chaver… Pirkei Avot 1:6

Make for yourself a mentor (rabbi), acquire for yourself a friend…

This rabbinic dictum directs each of us to build the relationships that go both horizontally and vertically. When Mishnah urges us to ‘acquire a friend,’ it suggests that we need people to share our lives with, the good and the bad, those who support us, and those who need our love and encouragement in return.

But it opens with ‘aseh lechah rav’ – find yourself a rabbi, a mentor, a teacher – someone to inspire you, to help you look at the world through a different prism, someone to challenge you to grow and develop – as a person and as a Jew.

A few weeks ago we said goodbye to our beloved Rabbi, mentor, and friend – Rabbi Emeritus Jerry Brieger. There were many beautiful words and stories shared at the funeral and shiva, a fitting tribute to Rabbi Jerry’s beautiful soul and the amazing impact he has left on his community of almost 40 years… He was a true friend to many, and he was an inspiring rabbi to many more, imprinting his love of Judaism and music on generations of TE members of all ages. Together with many of you, I have cherished each story, each memory shared, each glimpse of the Jerry we knew and loved – and miss so dearly…

In the days that followed, I have spent much time thinking of ways to honor this humble man who inspired so many. It quickly became apparent that one of the best ways to honor Rabbi Jerry is through music – Jewish music that he loved and shared with all those around him for so many years. I am incredibly excited to tell you that the legendary Kol B’seder, a duo of Cantor Jeff Klepper and Rabbi Dan Freelander, have agreed to honor their teacher and colleague with a special concert in his memory. On November 6^th, the eve of what would have been Rabbi Brieger’s 72^nd birthday, we will come together to establish a new annual tradition in Rabbi Jerry’s memory – and to sing some of our favorite Jewish melodies.

We will have more details of the event available soon; in the meantime, please save the date and share it with your friends and family.

A number of years ago, we were discussing the need to review and edit the beloved TE ‘blue’ prayerbook, and the ritual committee made a decision to adopt an existing prayerbook that would fit the needs of our community, in addition to the TE’s own siddur. I was able to temporarily secure (from Camp Eisner) enough copies of Mishkan Tefilah, the new Reform prayerbook, and we had a number of services over the course of a few months, giving everyone a chance to explore the new book and to see it ‘in action’. While no one prayerbook can ever be perfect, at the end of this process the ritual committee agreed that Mishkan Tefilah was a wonderful siddur for Temple Emanuel to have and to use. We have used the two prayerbooks ever since – usually alternating between them every other week, and we continue to experiment with our liturgy all the time.

Every time the High Holy Days are approaching and we begin to prepare by going through the liturgy, I am reminded just how challenging the current HH machzor Gates of Repentance is for many of our members. Gates of Repentance has served the Reform Movement well for many years. When it was first published in 1978, it represented exciting and progressive liturgical innovation. However, today it is beginning to feel dated. The fact that it does not include transliteration is a stumbling block for many in our community, something that has been acknowledged in both our TE ‘blue’ siddur and the Mishkan Tefilah. So too, many of today’s Jews feel disconnected from prayer and from theological and ideological concepts that do not seem consistent with a contemporary sensibility. Gates of Repentance was a wonderful innovation in its time. Incorporating more Hebrew and traditional liturgy allowed for a feeling of renewed tradition in the High Holy Days. Adding gender-neutral language addressed many of the contemporary needs of the Reform world. Today, our needs go beyond gender neutral language – the basic meaning of the holidays needs to be addressed and updated.

Over the last few years URJ congregations all across United States have engaged in piloting the new High Holy Day Machzor, Mishkan HaNefesh. Although TE has not been involved in the piloting process, we have obtained and used at TE the early draft of the Rosh Hashanah service on the 2nd Day of Rosh Hashanah for the last two years. Last fall hundreds of congregations throughout the US have adopted Mishkan HaNefesh, and the reviews have been incredibly positive across the board.

After much discussion at the Ritual Committee, we have decided to engage in a year of learning and exploration of the new Machzor. Starting on September 8th we will have a number of weekly sessions that will explore the changes and innovations in Mishkan HaNefesh and invite learners to find new meaning for their High Holy Days experiences. We will have an opportunity to engage with the new machzor in comparison to other texts, as well as explore some of the different readings and changes to the service. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the month of Elul and to begin to prepare for the upcoming High Holy Days, as well as explore the new Machzor in greater detail.

Later in the year we will create additional opportunities to explore the new book, and to experience what it may feel like using it as part of our HH observance at TE. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing many of you on September 8, 22 and 29, and October 6 at 7:30 pm!

When I was a rabbinical student back in the 1990s, I missed out on one of the most important elements of rabbinic training. Due to circumstances completely beyond my control, I found myself without a valid passport and was forced to give up one of the key elements of my education – a year spent studying and living in Israel. Back then I promised myself that one day, soon, I would remedy this and come spend extended periods of time in Israel, improve my Hebrew and engage in learning, living, and being in Israel. Sadly, this dream of mine has so far remained just that – a dream, but I have been blessed with many opportunities to come to Israel for shorter periods of time over the years. I have sat on the beach with my kids when they were small; I have danced at weddings of friends; I have cried at the funeral of my aunt. I have walked the streets of Jerusalem, Jaffa and Tzfat with teenagers and with grownups over the years, sharing with them my love for this land and watching them ‘get it’ with every step they took. What a privilege it is to watch the land you love and to struggle with its challenges through the eyes of the people you love! What an honor it is to stand next to someone who sees the Kotel, the Western Wall in Jerusalem, for the first time… Over the years I have begun referring to my trips to Israel as a chance to ‘recharge my internal batteries.’ And so as I was approaching my sabbatical, I knew that one of the things I HAD to do was spend some time in Israel. An opportunity to visit Israel together with a group of young Jewish leaders this October sounded like an excellent chance. None of us could have known that the situation on the ground, or ‘matzav’ as Israelis call it, was going to become so tense just two weeks prior to the trip with a series of violent stabbings in Jerusalem and throughout Israel. Many lives have been lost in recent terrorist attacks, and the society is very much on edge, watching in disbelief as a possible third intifada unfolds in front of our eyes…
Adjustments had to be made to the program. Some of the planned activities (such as a trip to Hebron) were simply not going to be possible in this new reality, but the rest of the trip proceeded as planned. And so we spend our days talking to Israelis and learning of all the challenges, historic and present, big and small, that continue to face not just Israel, but the Jewish people at large. We talk of the vision of the founders of the state and of the courage and commitment of those who have worked hard to implement that vision into a reality and continue to do so. We ask questions of ourselves and those who come to share their wisdom with us as we continue to ponder what vision for the future we each hold and what work needs to be done to bring that future forward. The famous quote of Herzl looms large: ‘if you will it, it is not a dream…’
My dream of spending a longer period of time in Israel will come true one day – in the meantime, I am grateful to my TE family for this opportunity to be here as part of my sabbatical, and I am grateful to my wife Olga who has invited me to tag along on the trip she is leading. By the time you read these words, I will be back in my office at the Temple. For now, I sign off from my beloved Israel, praying for peace – Shalom Yerushalaim, peace for Jews and non-Jews who share this land and for all those who work hard to make this peace a reality.

New Year is upon us! Rosh Hashanah is coming! The cycle of Jewish life is about to be renewed once again, with ritual, prayers, solemn and uplifting community gatherings, family reunions – and, of course, lots and lots of food. Food for the body, food for the soul.

The spirit of renewal is very much in the air at Temple Emanuel. For the first time in our congregation’s history we are gathering our entire community under one roof! The One Campus addition has been completed and has already transformed the daily life of our community. One roof. One set of doors. One house for learning, prayer and gathering. Bright and spacious classrooms just in time for the brand new educational year for our children. A new director of religious school, Jodi Harris, dedicated to making this new academic year the best one yet for our young families. A year full of adult learning opportunities, giving us a renewed sense of excitement about our spiritual home. A reinvigorated intergenerational community that is rolling up its sleeves to move furniture, transform gardens, update the library and celebrate the fact that we still have that pioneer TE spirit that has been our signature card for over 50 years!

The month of Elul, leading up to High Holy Days, is the time to look back, to take stock, to slow down and to get in the right set of mind. Time to evaluate our priorities, make changes, get back on track. Time to think more about tzedakah and to be more philanthropic. With all the demands of the move into the new wing, it has not been easy to find time to sit quietly and to ponder in a traditional Elul kind of way. And yet, as I watched dozens and dozens of volunteers come together to express their love for Temple Emanuel through hard work and dedication, I couldn’t help but feel that this was a perfect way to usher in the month of Elul and to begin the countdown to the most sacred days of the Jewish year.

May this New Year 5776 be the year of renewal for us all. May we see these exciting new experiences as an invitation for us to try new things in this Jewish year. Let us be adventurous and deepen our Jewish knowledge and involvement. We no longer have to wonder if we will know which door to enter – all we have to do is walk in!

Wishing you and your loved ones shanah tovah u’metukah, a sweet and happy new year.

In just over a month I will be celebrating 14 years since my rabbinic ordination. It has been an incredible experience, and I am grateful every day for the opportunity to do what I love – to spend my days taking care of the Jewish people and my beloved community, Temple Emanuel. Early in my career I have moved around the world, and so it is only now that I am approaching my first sabbatical – an opportunity to step back from my daily routine, to study and to learn from others, to find new ways to enrich my rabbinate. It is perhaps symbolic that the first act of my sabbatical (to be taken over the course of the next three years) was to attend the biennial conference of the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ).  I feel in many ways that I am a poster child for the World Union – it had inspired me to become a Jewish leader when I was a teen, offered me an invaluable Jewish education at Machon (Moscow institute of Jewish studies) where I met my wife Olga, a fellow student who has become my life-long partner in life and work. I was honored to return to the FSU as a rabbi and to continue to serve my movement as best as I could. The WUPJ has seen me grow from a teen with leadership potential into a Jewish professional, and so it was really exciting for me to attend the Connections 2015 in Rio as part of my sabbatical!

Hundreds of people from all over the world, multiple languages spoken. Rabbis, cantors, youth leaders, lay leaders, fellow travelers. People who have supported the WUPJ for years – indeed decades – and brand new faces. Dozens and dozens of attendees from Latin America – Brazil, Argentina, Chile – hosting the WUPJ conference in their part of the world for the very first time. Shabbat services hosted by the ARI synagogue in Rio, a 900-family strong community which so lovingly welcomed us all into their synagogue and their homes for shabbat meals afterwards. A chance to learn about the realities faced by reform and progressive communities all around the globe, a chance to see old friends (including Rabbi Elena Rubinstein from St. Petersburg) and to make new ones. To learn and to teach, to pray together and to laugh. To take in the Copacabana sun and to learn to say ‘obrigato’ to the friendly waiters and taxi drivers. A chance to celebrate this worldwide Jewish community, to thank the outgoing Chair Mike Grabiner (London) for his work, to install the new Chair of WUPJ Carole Sterling (Toronto), to sing and to dance. To be together. It doesn’t happen all that often – but when it does, it is an honor and a privilege to be part of this wonderful gathering.

I am very grateful to my TE community for giving me this opportunity to begin this process of renewal by reconnecting with my roots. As my sabbatical plans continue to take shape, I am excited to know that we are off to a good start!