Shofar Kislev/Tevet 5772
Jewish Family Congregation www.jewishfamilycongregation.org
December 2011
From the Rabbi’s Desk On Erev Yom Kippur, Kol Nidre evening, I delivered a sermon about the fact that we all come to services as individuals, and we each come bearing a burden of troubles that others don’t really know about. I listed some of the burdens people might bring with them: worries about kids; about aging parents; about jobs; about relationships; about the economy. And I reminded us all that the person sitting near you bears his or her burden along, just as you bear yours that way.
The need for community has been experienced very sharply as we all reeled from the loss of the Friedlander family recently. Though we have each processed this tragedy in our own way, and explored its significance from our own distinct perspectives, we also came together on several occasions to derive some comfort and strength from each other; that is community. But the larger question is, what can we learn from and how can we make something meaningful of these losses?
But our sages phrased all the public prayers of our tradition in the plural. That is glaringly true in the confessions of sins that characterize Yom Kippur. And I made the point that it is very unlikely that anyone has committed all the transgressions we jointly confess to. But by reading them aloud, in the plural, we each cover the sins of which we are personally guilty, and we allow others to confess their own sins, using our jointly raised voices as “cover”, if you will.
One point that needs to be made clearly is that this tragedy cannot be dismissed as an “act of God”. God had nothing to do with this. Our tradition teaches us that humans have free will, that is, we make our own choices. This is reiterated on Yom Kippur morning in the Torah reading from Deuteronomy 30: 19, 20, which says, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose The silent prayers we offer are expressed in the singular, life, if you and your offspring would live, by loving Adonai because each person, praying privately, can take those your God, heeding God’s commands, and holding fast (to words directly to heart. But the words we speak aloud are God)”. I teach our youngsters that we have been given phrased in the plural, so we can all stand under their cover the choices to make, and we are free to make good or bad choices. Our hope is that, with the right kind of parental together. We have been reminded, in recent weeks, that we really and educational guidance, children will learn to make good choices. But because we are free to make those choices, do not know what is going on in someone else’s mind, even while we are saying or singing words together. And there can be no guarantees. we have been reminded of how isolating it is to keep those We have chosen to perpetuate the memory of Molly and Gregory Friedlander by attaching their names to our Relithoughts and feelings to ourselves. gious School Scholarship Fund; this is very appropriate beWhen I wrote that sermon, the kernel of which was suggested by Cantor Ben David, I wanted to present the idea cause their mother, Amy, was very eager to make sure that her kids would continue to learn here, and this fund that, even though we are separate people with our own unique burdens, we are also part of a community, and that will enable other children to have that same opportunity. our salvation from isolation and tsuris lies in that sense of community. From the Rabbi’s Desk Service Schedule December Oneg Hosts President’s Message Ask the Rabbi Donations to JFC Early Childhood Center The Religious School Mazal Tov, Michael Horwitz Yahrzeits/Annivs/Birthdays
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Ladies’ Bazaar Recap D’var Torah JiFTY Jewish Camping JFC Events/Fundraising Brenda Barrie Social Action Committee JFC Pot Luck Dinners Kids Ask the Rabbi Donations Form
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JFC Calendar
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