Jewish Every Day I
Erev Rosh Hashanah Sermon, September 12, 2007
Rabbi Bruce Kadden
L’shana tova! Today is the beginning of a new Jewish year: 5768.
Jews throughout the world gather in prayer to welcome the new year. We eat our
festive meal with a round challa and apples dipped in honey. We look
forward to the sound of the shofar.
Many of us have begun the process of t’shuvah, of examining our deeds
of the past year, of asking forgiveness of those we may have offended, of
thinking about how we are going to change in the year ahead. We are doing all
of those things that we are supposed to be doing at this time of year.
We know what it means to be Jewish on Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur and on
Chanukah and the other holidays. We know what it means to be Jewish on Shabbat
and when we celebrate a brit milah, circumcision ceremony or Bat Mitzvah
or Bar Mitzvah or Jewish wedding.
But what does it mean to be Jewish every day? Not just on Shabbat and
holidays, not just when we are attending a Jewish life cycle ritual, but day in
and day out. What does it mean to be Jewish not just when we are expected to be
Jewish, but each and every day?
These are questions that I want to explore during my High Holy Day Sermons
this year. Tomorrow morning I will address the question: What does it mean to
think Jewish every day. On Yom Kippur I will explore the questions: What does
it mean to act Jewish every day? and What does it mean to feel Jewish every
day? This evening I want to discuss how we develop Jewish identity that will
serve us well on a daily basis.
In many ways the issue of Jewish identity is a modern Jewish issue. One
cannot imagine a Jew who lived in the shtetl or even a traditional Jew
who lived in a big city in Europe a century or more ago giving any thought to
his or Jewish identity. Being Jewish was as natural as breathing. From the
time one awoke in the morning until the time one lay down in the evening, one’s
life was imbued with Judaism.
What one wore, what one ate, how one behaved ethically, often the language
one spoke were all dictated by one’s being Jewish. And these practices became
such natural extensions of one’s identity that no one thought twice about any of
it. We were Jewish by osmosis.
As Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel has observed, “The Jews in Eastern Europe
lived more in time than in space. It was as if their soul was always on the
way, as if the secret of their heart had no affinity with things.” Indeed,
Heschel wrote, “Judaism teaches us to be attached to holiness in time, to be
attached to sacred events, to learn how to consecrate sanctuaries that emerge
from the magnificent stream of a year.”
Jews lived their lives to the rhythm of the Jewish calendar. The entire
month of Elul was a period of s’lichot, penitential prayers leading up to
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. As soon as Yom Kippur ended, one began building a
sukkah in anticipation of the week-long celebration culminating in
Sh’mini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.
Each week was characterized by the anticipation of Shabbat and its
observance. With spring came the preparation for Pesach and the counting of the
Omer which linked the holiday commemorating the Exodus with Shavuot, the holiday
commemorating the giving of the Torah. In our hectic world, it is increasingly
difficult to prepare for these holidays and Shabbat, let alone celebrate them
appropriately.
It is easy to become nostalgic for what some might refer to as the good old
days. Watching Fiddler on the Roof, one wonders what it might have been
like to live in a community in which Tradition dictated almost every aspect of
one’s life. But we also know that the good old days were not really as good as
we would like to believe they were. Often, the only thing that allowed Jews to
survive persecution and poverty were the traditions and rituals and close knit
community.
Except for small groups of Chasidic and other ultra-Orthodox Jews who have
attempted to replicate such communities, the greater Jewish community has
recognized that there is no returning to those days and that type of life.
Rather, we are faced with the challenge of developing strong, Jewish identities
in a non-Jewish world.
When we no longer live in a Jewish world, on what do we build Jewish
identity? When our lives are no longer imbued with an overwhelming sense of
Jewishness, how do we maintain a sense of Jewish commitment and instill a love
of Judaism in our children and grandchildren?
In the second half of the 20th century, two historical events –the
Holocaust and the creation of Israel-- helped boost Jewish identity, filling the
void that was left as Jews became part of the modern world. For the baby-boom
generation and older the impact of these momentous events motivated commitment
to Judaism and the Jewish people.
With the realization of the magnitude of the slaughter of European Jewry, the
Jewish community was in shock and spent many years in collective mourning. Many
survivors did not want to speak about their experiences and most of the rest of
the Jewish community did not want to listen. But, with the publication of such
books as Elie Wiesel’s Night and a few years later the television
mini-series Holocaust and then interest in a national Holocaust museum,
the Holocaust began to take its place in the Jewish psyche, and as a foundation
for Jewish identity
For many Jews, assuring the memory of the Holocaust became a top priority,
but in some cases things may have gone too far. It wasn’t that anyone objected
to commemorating the Holocaust; rather, it was that the Holocaust sometimes
totally overshadowed everything else. This was especially problematic when it
came to children, who would often see Jews only as victims (since the heroic
stories of the Warsaw Ghetto and other resistance were touched upon minimally if
at all).
Jewish educators recognized that while the Holocaust deserved a place in the
curriculum, we should not build the Jewish identity of our young people on it.
Knowledge about the Holocaust should be an important aspect of that identity,
but it should not be its foundation. No one is suggesting that we eliminate
Holocaust education or commemorations. Rather, we must recognize that it must
be part of a larger educational effort that presents Jewish triumphs as well as
Jewish tragedies.
At the top of the list of those triumphs is the creation of the state of
Israel almost 60 years ago, which had an immediate impact on Jews throughout the
world who celebrated this historic event with joy and gratitude. The myth of
the sabra, tough on the outside, but sweet on the inside like its cactus
namesake, captured the hearts of Jews.
And the six-day war in 1967 inspired a new generation of Jews to discover
Israel. That was followed up in 1976 with the dramatic Entebbe rescue which
convinced many of us that the Israel Defense Force was invincible. Israel, with
heroes such as Moshe Dayan and Golda Meir, moved to the center of many Jew’s
Jewish identity. There was increased aliyah among young, idealistic
Jews; even those who chose not to live in Israel could not help but be moved by
the blossoming of the Jewish state.
But in 1973, the Yom Kippur War reminded us that Israel was still vulnerable
and the events of the ensuing decades such as the war in Lebanon only reinforced
this reality. When the myth that most of us had grown up with of Israel and
Israelis was replaced by the complex reality, it forced many Jews to re-evaluate
the place that Israel played in their identity.
Marc Rosenstein summed it up well in a recent article about Teaching Israel
for the URJ: “In the first decades after 1948 Jews around the world wept and
cheered on Yom Ha’atzma’ut, for they remembered Jewish life before 1948, and the
miraculous rebirth and ingathering moved them to the depths of their souls.
“However, as generations pass and the immediate memories fade, there is less
weeping and less cheering, and there are more and more Jews who feel indifferent
to or even alienated from the state. To those who don’t remember what it was
like not to have a state, to those who missed the drama of the creation of the
state, Israel is just a historical fact, a reality that is sometimes less than
inspiring.”
To be sure, Israel should play a significant role in one’s Jewish identity,
but –like the Holocaust—it will not be the foundation of the identity of most
American Jews. The realization that neither the Holocaust nor Israel could
provide the foundation of Jewish identity created a crisis in the Jewish
community, which was not prepared to fill the void left when these issues moved
away from the center.
Indeed, Jewish leaders are still coming to terms with this “crisis.” There
has been—for more than a decade and a half—since the results of the 1990 Jewish
population study were released—panic and debate among Jewish leaders about the
Jewish future. There was no denying that the Jewish community would shrink in
number; the only debate was how quickly and how significantly and what to do
about it.
There was also no denying the significant impact of intermarriage. But there
was sharp debate about the appropriate response to this issue. Some suggested
that we spend our time and resources on strengthening the Jewish core, focusing
on what is called “in-reach” as opposed to outreach to the intermarried and Jews
who had drifted away. Others argued –and I firmly agree-- that intermarriage
provides an opportunity to welcome to our community couples and families who are
interested in affirming their Jewish identity and we should therefore increase
our outreach efforts. This debate continues today in the way Jewish foundations
spend their money and the program priorities of some organizations.
Being Jewish in a non-Jewish world is our great challenge. How do we develop
Jewish identity, our own, our children’s and grandchildren’s in a world that is
at best indifferent and at worst hostile to Jewish identity?
First of all, we need to find and create opportunities to be Jewish every
day. In a large Jewish community this opportunity can be found in Jewish day
schools. But in Tacoma and thousands of other communities throughout the
country, Jewish day school education is not an option.
However, there are alternatives, beginning with Jewish pre-school. When I
was a first year rabbinic student at HUC in Jerusalem, every month or two I
would run into someone I went to nursery school with at the Oakland Jewish
Community Center. Each was in Israel for a different reason: one was married
to a fellow student, one had made aliyah and one was there on a summer program.
After a while Barbara began to wonder how many students attended that nursery
school. How could so many of us end up in Israel at the same time? I think the
key was that each of us got an early start on being Jewish every day (or maybe
it was three times a week). Our parents believed that going to a Jewish
pre-school was significant and some 20 years later many of us were still Jewish
every day.
Our synagogue is full of life on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays when our Gan
is in session. Being immersed in Judaism at such a young age is the best way to
begin developing a strong Jewish identity among our children.
For those who are past pre-school age, one of the best opportunities that has
demonstrated its value in strengthening Jewish identity is Jewish summer camp.
The only chance most of our children have to live Jewish every day is at Jewish
summer camp.
I had the opportunity to serve on faculty at Camp Kalsman, the new URJ camp
which opened this summer. What a wonderful place and what an incredible
experience! It was especially nice to see how many of our members made
significant gifts to the capital campaign, allowing the building of a first-rate
facility.
About 20 of our children attended Camp Kalsman this past summer and many
others attended Camp Solomon Schechter, Camp Kutz and BB Camp. What an
experience for our children who are often the only Jewish child in his or her
class to be with so many other Jewish youngsters living a Jewish life day in and
day out. It is no wonder that so many Jewish professionals: rabbis, cantors,
educators attribute their choice of vocation in large part to their experiences
at Jewish camp.
Temple Beth El also has two summer camps which, although they do not give the
total experience that sleep-away camps do, allow our youth to immerse themselves
in a Jewish community for a significant part of each day. The reason that camps
are so good at transmitting Jewish values and instilling Jewish identity is that
they are total immersion experiences in which the staff creates a comprehensive
Jewish environment. We need to assure that every Jewish child has the
opportunity to attend Jewish summer camp.
While we cannot replicate the camps during the rest of the year, we do
provide opportunities for weekend retreats for many of our youth through Temple
Teens, NFTY and BBYO. In addition, this fall we are holding a Family Shabbaton
the first weekend in November so that everyone can have the opportunity to spend
a weekend immersed in Jewish life.
The second important aspect of a positive Jewish identity in a non-Jewish
world is not being afraid to speak up for who we are. This congregation was
faced with such a challenge when it was the victim of anti-Semitic vandalism.
In the face of such attacks, some communities have chosen to remain silent,
believing that awareness of such an incident will only encourage more
incidents.
But experience has shown that it is important that the community at large is
aware of such attacks and that the community response can send a clear message
that such acts will not be tolerated.
This was most dramatically demonstrated a number of years ago following a
series of anti-Semitic incidents in Billings, Montana. The greater community
rallied together in a campaign called “Not in our Town.” The local newspaper
printed a full-page Chanukah menorah and asked residents to post it in their
windows. Community leaders and members offered their support and it quickly
became apparent that such acts against the Jewish community –or any other
minority community—would not be tolerated. Speaking up made a difference.
We also need to speak up when a school holds a special program such as
back-to-school night or a dance on a Jewish holiday. Often, we are not able to
change things, but at least we have let someone know about our concern which
could make a difference the next time.
I am always willing to support parents and students who are upset by such
circumstances. I have spoken with many teachers, principals and other school
personnel about these issues. Some of the conversations have been easy, others
have not. In most cases, however, the individual comes away with a better
understanding of the issue.
We should not expect the world to stop on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, but we
should insist that events and programs that can be scheduled at other times not
conflict with these observances. We cannot expect change unless we are willing
to speak up and take a stand.
We should also not be afraid to speak up when appropriate by writing letters
to the editor of the News Tribune and other publications. When an
article or editorial upsets us, we need to respond respectfully, but forcefully.
We may not be able to respond to every article which bothers us; but we
should not be afraid to speak up when an article grossly distorts the facts or
unfairly singles out Israel for criticism.
With the recent publication of the book The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign
Policy by John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, the Jewish community as a whole
faces a great challenge. Fortunately, a number of prominent community leaders,
including Prof. Alan Dershowitz and Abraham Foxman of the ADL have already
prepared detailed responses. But like the publication of Jimmy Carter’s book on
the Palestinians, we can expect that this latest attack on Israel and AIPAC will
generate a great deal of interest and it is up to us to combat the
misinformation that is presented in this work.
The third crucial aspect of building a positive Jewish identity is being open
to sharing the joys of being Jewish with others. It means inviting non-Jewish
friends and neighbors to our Passover seders, our sukkahs and our Shabbat
meals. It means welcoming non-Jewish individuals and groups to the synagogue so
they can learn about Judaism.
I am delighted that so many local churches bring their confirmation classes
to visit our service. I am pleased that each year in November we hold a
Teachers’ Shabbat, where we encourage our students to invite their secular
school teachers to our service. And I am excited that we have the opportunity
once again this fall to offer the URJ three session Taste-of-Judaism class to
the community.
We have a wonderful religious heritage and a wonderful community and we
should be proud to share them with others.
This spring we are planning a large community celebration for Israel’s 60th
birthday. It will be an opportunity to come together and appreciate what Israel
has been able to create in its first 60 years. And it will be an opportunity to
welcome the greater community to join us in celebrating this remarkable
achievement.
Being Jewish every day begins with creating strong, positive Jewish
identity. This identity can only be created
--by looking for opportunities to be Jewish every
day;
--by always being willing to speak up for who we
are and what we stand for,
--and by sharing the joys of being Jewish with
others.
May the year 5768 by one of creating and nurturing a positive Jewish
identity.
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