We are Blessed

Shalom. Winter is now upon us with freezing cold, abundant snow and the darkest of days. This can be an isolating time of the year for many. For several years members of Temple Sinai have broken through the cold and the dark to bring light and hope to the lives of others on Christmas Day. Christmas Day is when our community assumes the responsibility of delivering food and gifts to the needy on behalf of Meals on Wheels and its volunteers. For more than a decade many of our families gather in the Burlington High School cafeteria on Christmas morning. There food is prepared and packaged along with appropriate gifts for both men and women. Each team of volunteers gathers its assigned packages and receives its list of recipients and addresses. Then off we go. The mitzvah performed not only benefits the recipient it also benefits those who are performing it. We learn of the importance of supporting those in need. We learn how blessed we are. We learn humility. We learn gratefulness. This year the delivery is being organized by temple member, David Chafetz. Many thanks David! 

In Peace, Rabbi

Everyone Is Precious

Sefer Aggadah teaches, “Man was created alone in order to teach that if anyone causes a single soul to perish from Israel it is as if that person has caused the destruction of the entire world and if anyone saves a single soul in Israel it is as if that person has saved the entire world. Every human soul is precious. On Yom Kippur I shared seven Jewish values that not only supports this perspective but calls us to behave respectfully to every human-being.  These values are particularly beneficial with respect to our personal interactions within synagogue. Here are the seven:

·        Kavod: Respect: Judaism teaches us to treat ourselves and others with respect. Even the stranger is to be treated with respect. Kavod is a feeling of regard for the rights, dignity, feelings, wishes and abilities of others.

·        Shalom Bayit: Peace In The Home: Our synagogue with its committees, school, youth group and auxiliary organizations such as Sisterhood and Brotherhood are often called our second home. Everyone needs to feel comfortable, safe, welcome and respected. We should never ostracize those who seem different. We should strive to settle disagreements in peaceful and respectful ways that allow community members to maintain their dignity.

·        B’Tzelem Elohim: In God’s Image: The Torah tells us that we are all creating in the image of God. This is a simple and profound idea that should guide our interactions with all people. We do not know the image of God except as it is reflected in the different types of people we encounter in the world. If we can remember that each of us, no matter how different, is created in God’s image. This idea can enable us to find the connection we have with one another and to help create truly inclusive communities.

·        Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh: Communal Responsibility: The Jewish principle that “all Israel is responsible for one another.” This means it is our responsibility to stand up for each other, especially for those who are vulnerable and cannot speak for themselves. It also means that community may come before self.

·        Shmirat Halashon: Guarding One’s Tongue From Hurtful Speak: The Talmud warns us that we must take care of how we use language. Talking about others behind their backs, even if what we are saying is true, is prohibited. The guidelines for Shmirat Halashon remind us that what we say about others affects them in ways we can never predict. Words can hurt or heal depending on how we use them.

·        V’ahavtah L’Reiecha Kamocha: Love Your Neighbor as Yourself: Commenting on Leviticus 19:19 Rabbi Hillel once stated that this was a foundational value of the Torah. It begins with loving ourselves. We love and accept our whole selves and in doing so create the capacity for extending that love and acceptance to others.

·        Al Tifrosh Min Hatsibur: Isolation: Don’t separate yourself from the community. Find ways to be involved in the community by finding like-minded people with whom you can talk. If you know someone who is feeling isolated reach out and be a friend and ally.

The world can be cold and harsh. Yet this is not what God and Judaism endorse. Mishnah reminds us that when you live in a place that is unfriendly even uncivilized-you must be civilized. And surely this world could use a bit more civility.

In Peace, Rabbi

Learning, Learning, Learning

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”  Proverbs 22:6

During last month’s Board Meeting a momentous decision was made. The Board voted overwhelmingly to end Religious School fees. This means that no longer will parents be charged a fee for enrolling their children in our Religious School. In their wisdom the Board understood that the obligation of educating our youth is a shared responsibility. Making educational opportunities affordable and accessible for all our members increases Jewish knowledge and strengthens our Jewish community. Ahad HaAm, the founder of cultural Zionism, stated, “Learning, learning, learning; that is the secret of Jewish survival.”

To be a Jew is to be a learned person and to be learned is to be engaged in Torah study throughout one’s life. Temple promotes educational opportunities to young and adult alike. For the young school begins in pre-Kindergarten and continues through Confirmation or Chai School graduation (16 or 17 years of age). Adults also have a vast selection of learning opportunities: Torah Study, Prophet Study, Adult education offerings, Hebrew classes, the Aleinu Series, Scholar in Residence weekends and the Downtown Study group.

I applaud the Board for reminding us that we are all “Life Long Learners” and that the responsibility of making educational opportunities available rests on the shoulders of all our members. And for this we as a community can be very proud!

In Peace,

Rabbi James Scott Glazier

Reaching Out to Newtown

Reaching Out to Newtown

On December 14, 2012 a troubled youth, Adam Lanza, fatally shot twenty children and six adult staff members in a mass murder at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the village of Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut. Following that horrific event many of us felt lost and without hope. Our core beliefs were shaken; we had seen the destruction of innocence and had come to learn that evil possesses no boundary. Shortly after the horrendous tragedy in Newtown a congregant, Louise Stoll, approached me and asked what we as a congregation could do on behalf of the Newtown community.  

Noah Pozner was the youngest victim of the massacre. Noah was a Jew and his family a member of Adath Israel, the Conservative congregation in Newtown. I shared with Louise that it might be nice to reach out to his congregation in some meaningful way. Perhaps we, as a community, could sponsor an Oneg or Kiddish following a Sabbath service thus demonstrating that even at this dark moment they were not alone.  

Congregation Adath Israel was very moved by our offer and shared, to my surprise and disappointment that no other congregation had made an effort to reach out.  Here is the Congregation’s response to our offer:

“We are in the midst of arranging a program for Sunday May 5th following which we would like to provide a reception.  I was thinking that perhaps Temple Sinai might like to sponsor that reception rather than an ordinary Oneg.  The program on the 5th is related to the events in town following the December 14 shooting and might even be of interest to you and/or some of your congregants.  The invited speakers are Rabbi Seth and Sherri Mandell.  I don't know if you are familiar with them or their story.  They lived in CT for a time, and moved to Israel in 1996.  They run the Koby Mandell Foundation, named for their 13 year old son who was murdered in Israel in 2001.  Their foundation provides therapeutic programs for families who are victims of terror, and summer camp experiences for bereaved and traumatized children.  They will be speaking on the general topics of a Jewish response to surviving terror, trauma and tragedy, recovery, resiliency, and how to care for the families of our town.  I am currently finalizing the program.  But I do think this would be a wonderful way for your congregation to show its support of our congregation and of our greater Newtown community.  And we'd of course be thrilled if any of you were able to attend this program.”

After speaking with leadership I heartily accepted their request. The cost of the reception is $300. If you would like to contribute we would be most grateful. Additionally members of Temple are warmly encouraged to attend.

Reaching out to those in need feels very good.

Some years ago I needed to get in touch with a colleague in New York
City. At the time this colleague was working in a rather large congregation in the city. When I called I was taken aback when the phone was not answered by a human being rather an electronic switchboard. It was the kind of electronic switchboard that required you to go to a directory if you didn’t know your party’s extension which of course I didn’t. I then dialed the extension. The extension rang and rang and rang that is until I got the voice mail of my colleague’s secretary asking me to leave a message which I did. I got off the phone and thought I’m so glad I don’t work in that congregation.

I know electronic switchboards save money. I know that they also enable more work to be accomplished. However there are certain enterprises (doctors’ offices, police and fire stations and most assuredly synagogues) that should never adopt their use even for the most principled reasons.

I believe in the power of first impressions. So then what is the first impression a person gets when he/she calls a synagogue and hears an electronic voice? A cold institution, a place where people are not well received, a synagogue that heralds expediency over human contact? When a person calls a synagogue there should be a warm receptive human voice answering that call.

Our world is cold and insensitive enough. Things often are given more importance than people. It’s nice to know that synagogue can be warm and sensitive. It’s nice to know that in synagogue people are always valued more than things. It’s nice to know that whenever you call us here at Temple we will embrace you with a warm and friendly “hello.”