Emanu-El Updates

Update for Yom Kippur, October 8, 2008

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:18:00 GMT

UPDATE FOR OCTOBER 8, 2008 May you have an easy fast. No Wednesday Hebrew or TJS classes this week. The Temple office and Preschool will be closed on Thursday, October 9 for Yom Kippur. All services will be at the Heritage Theatre in Campbell. Street closing: Friday, October 10, 7 AM to 5 PM Myrtle Street from Taylor to Hedding (the last coat of resurfacing) In this Update: Upcoming Services Sunday Schedule Adult Education: theres still time to join the classes! Sunday classes Wednesday Beit Midrash & Adult Ed Month of Mindfulness Zen Meditation starts this Sunday October 12 Auxiliary Activities Game Night Saturday, Octber 11, 6-10 PM - Torah Portion of the Week UPCOMING SERVICES Wednesday, October 8 Kol Nidre 6:00 PM Family Alternative Service (1st grade and up) 8:00 PM Kol Nidre Service Thursday, October 9 Yom Kippur Day (Temple offices/Preschool closed) 9:00 AM Childrens Service (Preschool Kindergarten) 10:00 AM Yom Kippur Morning Congregational Service/Gesher Program 12:30 PM Sermon Discussion with Rabbi Magat 1:00 PM Tikkun Olam Committee Discussion 2:00 PM Yom Kippur Afternoon Service, including Healing Service and Haftarah 3:30 PM Musical Interlude 4:30 PM Concluding Service, Yizkor, Neilah and Havdallah followed by Break the Fast Friday, October 10 7:30 PM Erev Shabbat Service: Ask the Rabbi Saturday, October 11 9:00 AM Shabbat Morning Minyan led by Maggie and Bob Cant 10:30 AM Adam Heerwagen, son of Hilary Schneider and James Heerwagen, will be called to Torah as a Bar Mitzvah Monday, October 13 5:30 PM Bring your own dinner: eat in the Sukkah 6:30 PM Erev Sukkot Service (in the Sukkah) Tuesday, October 14 8:00 AM Sukkot Morning Service Friday, October 17 7:30 PM Erev Shabbat Service Saturday, October 18 9:00 AM Shabbat Morning Minyan 10:30 AM Scott Lunell, son of Anita Lunell, will be called to Torah as a Bar Mitzvah. Monday, October 20 6:30 PM Erev Simchat Torah Service and Consecration of new students in our Religious School Come see a Torah scroll unrolled around the sanctuary and hear the end of Deuteronomy and the beginning of Genesis as we celebrate the never-ending cycle of Torah. Tuesday, October 21 8:00 AM Simchat Torah Morning Service and Yizkor Sunday Schedule: October 12 9:00 AM Hebrew Classes/Confirmation 10:00 AM Brotherhood Meeting (Cottage) 10:15 AM Jewish Studies 10:15 AM Adult Intermediate Hebrew Conversation 10:15 AM Wisdom of Heschel (Cantor Unterman) 10:30 AM Adult Aleph Hebrew (introductory) 11:30 AM One Heart, Two Homes: Israel and the Sacred Identity of American Jews (Rabbi Magat) 11:30 AM Jewish Ethics (Cantor Unterman) 1:00 5:30 PM Zen meditation retreat (followed up with 4 Wednesday night classes) Can pay at the retreat. Wednesday Adult Ed: resumes October 15 6:15 PM Western Faiths (Cantor Unterman) 7:15 PM Rock and Roll with Rabbi Magat 7:30 PM Eastern Religions (Cantor Unterman) 7:00 PM Meditation Classes (4 weeks, following up on Oct 12 retreat) AUXILIARY ACTIVITIES Saturday, October 11 6:00 10:00 PM Game Night (sponsored by Sisterhood and Brotherhood) Bring a game, a snack to share. Suggested donation: $5 per person. Pizza and drinks provided. Sunday, October 12 9:00 AM Brotherhood Meeting in the Cottage Sunday, October 12 1:00 5:30 PM Zen Meditation Retreat The lead-off event for the Month of Mindfulness Sunday retreat, followed by Wednesday evening classes, 7:00 8:30 PM, October 15, 22 and 29, and November 5. Retreat only: $40 for Temple members, $60 for non-members; retreat plus classes: $75 for Temple members, $100 for non-members. Wednesday classes are cumulative and students are expected to attend all four sessions. RSVP to <a href="mailto:admin@templesanjose.org">admin@templesanjose.org</a>; can pay on Sunday. Sunday, October 19 10:30 AM Larry Magid, host of CBS radio and TV, noted child safety expert and writer for the SJ Mercury News will speak at Emanu-El on how to keep your children and grandchildren safe online and recognize warning signs or issues. sponsored by Brotherhood. RSVP to <a href="mailto:brotherhood@templesanjose.org">brotherhood@templesanjose.org</a> Saturday, October 25, 2008: Shabbat in Nature at Sunol Regional Park Shabbat Morning Service, Potluck Lunch, hikes and more. No minyan at the synagogue this week. Sunday, October 26 Brotherhood and Sisterhood Trip to the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco Thank you for the great response to this trip! There are still a few places left on the bus (but you can go up on your own as well). We prefer prepaid museum admission (gets you $1 off and gets us a better head count for the tour, because space is limited). Depart Temple by handicap accessible bus at 12:45 pm Return to Temple at approx. 5:30 pm COST: $15.00 per seat MUSEUM COST: Admission: $9.00 adult, $7.00 senior, under 18 free, Museum members free. Our docent-led tour is at 3:00 pm. and will last approx. 60 minutes. Brotherhood and Sisterhood are hosting the tour which is included in the prepaid museum admission. Spaces are limited. For questions: Contact Barbara Berlant (e-mail preferred) <a href="mailto:auntbarbara@comcast.net">auntbarbara@comcast.net</a> Saturday, November 8 6:00 10:00 PM Diaspora Dinner XVI: The Jews and Cuisine of Scandinavia A five-course gourmet dinner and history presentation by Jonathan Hirshon. Space is limited to the first 80 diners. Your check ($49 per person) payable to Brotherhood guarantees your spot. Optional wine-pairing $18 per person (can be shared). Torah Portion of the Week: can be found on the URJ website, <a href="http://urj.org/torah/">http://urj.org/torah/</a> Haazinu, Deuteronomy 32:152 Shabbat, October 11, 2008 / 12 Tishrei, 5769 The Torah: A Modern Commentary, pp.1,5551,566; Revised Edition, pp.1,3981,412; The Torah: A Womens Commentary , pp. 1,2511,270 Haftarah, II Samuel 22:151 The Torah: A Modern Commentary, pp. 1,6261,630; Revised Edition, pp. 1,4131,417 D'VAR TORAH | The Last Lecture: Mosess Valedictory Song Sue Levi Elwell What would you say to the people you care about if you knew you were about to die? How would you choose and position your words to reflect your deepest commitments? How would you capture and then keep the attention of your listeners and, without self-pity, give them the tools to carry on after you are gone? Every year, when we Jews are focused on questions of life and death during the High Holy Day season, we read Mosess last lecture, Mosess final song. Few of us have the opportunityand the skillto articulate a valedictory speech, a legacy of direction to those we love. Mosess words as presented in Parashat Haazinu and preserved for so many centuries pose more questions than answers. These words serve to provoke more than to calm, to challenge rather than to comfort. Mosess words are in the form of a poem, Shirat Haazinu , also called the Song of Moses. In the Torah scroll, and in some printed versions, these forty-three verses are written in two columns, the only poem that appears in this format in the Torah. This ancient form was chosen by the editors of the Torah to underscore the importance of Mosess last words, even as the poem tells of a"relationship gone awry" (Andrea L. Weiss, in The Torah: A Womens Commentary , ed. Tamara Cohn Eskenazi and Andrea L. Weiss [New York: URJ Press, 2008], p. 1,251). The poem begins with great strength as Moses addresses not only the people, but also the heavens and the earth:"Give ear, O heavens, let me speak; / Let the earth hear the words I utter!" (Deuteronomy 32:1). He continues by invoking the natural water sources above and below and comparing his words to their power:"May my discourse come down as the rain, / My speech distill as the dew, / Like showers on young growth, / Like droplets on the grass" (Deuteronomy 32:2). As Moses stands at the edge of the land he will not enter, he pours out his heart to his people. The words that tumble from his mouth are full of love, but as so often happens when we desperately hope that our listeners will take our words to heart, Moses turns to rebuke, warning, and threat. While God is"upright," the Israelites are"Unworthy children / That crooked, perverse generation" (Deuteronomy 32:45). Employing a rich range of metaphors, Moses speaks of God as father, as companion, as eagle, as nursing mother. In spite of this nurturing, the Israelites"grew fat and gross and coarse / They forsook the God who made them / And spurned the Rock of their support" (Deuteronomy 32:15). Only when God realizes the potential drawbacks of destroying the people does God decide to preserve themand honor the covenant. Moses recalls Gods words:"I might have reduced them to naught, / Made their memory cease among humankind, / But for fear of the taunts of the foe, / Their enemies who might misjudge / And say, Our own hand has prevailed" (Deuteronomy 32:2627). Instead of offering us a nechemta , a message of comfort and healing, the final images of the poem are of an angry, vengeful God:"O nations, acclaim Gods people! / For Hell avenge the blood of His servants / Wreak vengeance on His foes, / And cleanse His peoples land" (Deuteronomy 32:43). Who is Moses as he delivers these words? Does Moses feel caught between his loves: his love of God and his love for the Jewish people, described here as hopelessly entangled in conflict? Is the weather-beaten, still powerful patriarch expressing his own pain and terror as he reflects on this strained relationship, a relationship that represents his lifework, his raison detre? As Moses concludes, his tone markedly changes:"He said to them [all Israel]: Take to heart all the words with which I have warned you this day. Enjoin them upon your children, that they may observe faithfully all the terms of this Teaching. For this is not a trifling thing for you: it is your very life; through it you shall long endure on the land that you are to possess upon crossing the Jordan" (Deuteronomy 32:4647). Moses has been speaking to the Israelites for over forty years as Gods mouthpiece, attempting to serve both his God and his people. Here, at the last moment, he wants desperately to give direction and guidance to the people he is about to leave. With words of love that reflect his lifes passion, he reminds them that true service to the Holy One demands all our energyindeed, our entire beings. He points the people to read these words as one part of a much larger corpus:"take to heart all the words ," those spoken today and those spoken on our long journey fr om slavery to freedom, on the shared and arduous trek toward the land of promise. These teachings are"your very life." The parashah concludes with one of the most poignant exchanges in the Torah. God tells Moses,"Ascend these heights . . . to Mount Nebo . . . and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving the Israelites as their holding. You shall die on the mountain that you are about to ascend, and shall be gathered to your kin. . . . You may view the land from a distance, but you shall not enter itthe land that I am giving to the Israelite people" (Deuteronomy 32:4952). Perhaps this excerpt from the poem "I Wasnt One of the Six Million: And What Is My Life Span? Open Closed Open," by the Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai, best describes our patriarch at this moment: . . . I still have the fire and the smoke within me, pillars of fire and pillars of smoke that guide me by night and by day. I still have inside me the mad search for emergency exits, for soft places, for the nakedness of the land, for the escape into weakness and hope, I still have within me the lust to search for living water with quiet talk to the rock or with frenzied blows. Afterwards, silence: no questions, no answers. ( Open Closed Open, trans. Chana Bloch and Chana Kronfeld [New York: Harcourt, 2000], p. 3) Mosess song is spent, and he is silent. We remain, to consider his direction, his passion, his angers, his loves. We remain, to weigh Mosess words and to contemplate his, and our, end. . . . As we complete our Torah study for 5768, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to study with you through this extraordinary medium. I am particularly thankful to the faithful editors who enabled us to study together: Debra Hirsch Corman, Audrey Merwin, and Rabbi Joan Glazer Farber. I am also indebted to the many colleagues who extended and expanded our inquiry and insights through their davar acher contributions. We can keep in touch through e-mail: <a href="mailto:slelwell@urj.org">slelwell@urj.org</a>. Lshanah tovah! Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell , Ph.D., serves as the director of the URJ Pennsylvania Council and the Federation of Reform Synagogues of Greater Philadelphia and as co-president of the Womens Rabbinic Network. You can contact Rabbi Elwell at <a href="mailto:slelwell@urj.org">slelwell@urj.org</a>. DAVAR ACHER | Unfinished Journeys Eric Eisenkramer In her dvar Torah, Rabbi Elwell describes Moses as a "weather-beaten, still powerful patriarch." He is an elderly, exhausted man, a man who fears that his lifes work may be erased by his death. Moses knows that he cannot enter the Promised Land and that his journey of forty years will end just short of the destination. As he prepares for his own death, Moses must have felt deep sadness and disappointment, perhaps even despair, at not being able to cross the Jordan River. Like Moses, we too will not complete all of our journeys in this life. There will be tasks left undone, goals not accomplished, dreams left unfulfilled. No matter how hard we work, there will be tasks we leave behind. The higher goals that we pursue, creating peace and repairing our world, cannot be completed in one lifetime. It is our very mortality that prevents us from achieving all that we would hope. Yet the Torah teaches us not to despair over the unfinished work. In the Book of Numbers, Moses ascends the heights of Abarim, to view the land before he dies. God then tells Moses to"single out Joshua son of Nun, an inspired individual, and lay your hand upon him" (Numbers 27:18). Joshua will continue the journey, leading the people to the Promised Land. As Moses ordained Joshua, we too pass on the unfinished tasks to those who come after us. It is the next generation that offers the possibility of completion and redemption. In the Talmud, we read,"Rabbi Eleazar said in the name of R. Chanina: The disciples of the wise increase peace in the world, as it says: All thy children shall be taught of the Eternal, and great shall be the peace of your children (Isaiah 54:13). Read not banayich [your children] but bonayich [your builders]. Not my children, but my builders" (Babylonian Talmud, Brachot 64a). In our lives, we may not be able to accomplish our loftiest goals, like creating shalom, peace, in this world. Therefore, we teach our children to be our builders and, like Joshua, to continue the journey toward the Promised Land. Rabbi Eric Eisenkramer is the rabbi of Temple Shearith Israel in Ridgefield, Connecticut. He also writes a blog, The Fly Fishing Rabbi, www.flyfishingrabbi.com , about trout, God, and religion.

Update for October 2, 2008

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:35:00 GMT

ROADS CLOSED! This Sunday, October 5th, is the San Jose Rock and Roll Half Marathon. Please allow extra time to get to the synagogue. The Alameda will be closed near the Temple from 8:00 AM to at least 12:00 PM. Please check <a href="http://www.rnrsj.com/home.html">http://www.rnrsj.com/home.html</a> to see the race map and road closings. Suggested routes: Take Highway 87, exit on Taylor (expect delays on 87N). Go west to Myrtle Street and turn right (North). Or, if you are traveling North on 880, exit on The Alameda and turn right. Make a left turn on W. Hedding Street and then and immediate right turn on Myrtle Street. UPDATE FOR OCTOBER 2, 2008 In this Update: Upcoming Services Sunday Schedule Adult Education: theres still time to join the classes! Sunday classes Wednesday Beit Midrash & Adult Ed Month of Mindfulness Zen Meditation starts Sunday October 12 Auxiliary Activities - Torah Portion of the Week UPCOMING SERVICES Friday, October 3 6:15 PM Potluck Dinner open to all (RSVP to the Temple office) 7:15 PM Erev Shabbat Family Service/Shabbat Shuvah Students in 7th grade will be leading in the service. Boards of the synagogue and auxiliaries will be installed. Saturday, October 4 9:00 AM Shabbat Morning Minyan led by Rabbi Magat and Cantor Intern Simerly Sunday, October 5 1:00 PM Kever Avot Service led by Rabbi Dana Magat and Cantor Intern Meeka Simerly at Oak Hill Memorial Park, Chapel of the Roses (300 Curtner Avenue, corner of Monterey Road, San Jose) Wednesday, October 8 Kol Nidre No Wednesday Hebrew or TJS classes this week 6:00 PM Family Alternative Service (1st grade and up) 8:00 PM Kol Nidre Service Thursday, October 9 Yom Kippur Day (Temple offices/Preschool closed) 9:00 AM Childrens Service (Preschool Kindergarten) 10:00 AM Yom Kippur Morning Congregational Service/Gesher Program 12:30 PM Sermon Discussion with Rabbi Magat 1:00 PM Social Action/Tikkun Olam Committee Discussion 2:00 PM Yom Kippur Afternoon Service, including Healing Service and Haftarah 3:30 PM Musical Interlude 4:30 PM Concluding Service, Yizkor, Neilah and Havdallah followed by Break the Fast Monday, October 13 5:30 PM Bring your own dinner: eat in the Sukkah 6:30 PM Erev Sukkot Service (in the Sukkah) Tuesday, October 14 8:00 AM Sukkot Morning Service Monday, October 20 6:30 PM Erev Simchat Torah Service and Consecration of students new to our Religious School Come see a Torah scroll unrolled around the sanctuary and hear the end of Deuteronomy and the beginning of Genesis as we celebrate the never-ending cycle of Torah. Tuesday, October 21 8:00 AM Simchat Torah Morning Service and Yizkor Sunday Schedule: October 5 9:00 AM Hebrew Classes/Confirmation 10:00 AM Sisterhood Coffee and Shmooze in the Cottage 10:15 AM Jewish Studies 10:15 AM Adult Intermediate Hebrew Conversation 10:15 AM Wisdom of Heschel (Cantor Unterman) 10:30 AM Adult Aleph Hebrew (introductory) 11:30 AM One Heart, Two Homes: Israel and the Sacred Identity of American Jews (Rabbi Magat) 11:30 AM Jewish Ethics (Cantor Unterman) 1:00 PM Kever Avot Service at Oak Hill Memorial Park Wednesday Adult Ed: resumes October 15 6:15 PM Western Faiths (Cantor Unterman) 7:15 PM Rock and Roll with Rabbi Magat 7:30 PM Eastern Religions (Cantor Unterman) AUXILIARY ACTIVITIES Saturday, October 11 6:00 10:00 PM Game Night (sponsored by Sisterhood and Brotherhood) Bring a game, a snack to share. Suggested donation: $5 per person. Pizza and drinks provided. Sunday, October 12 9:00 AM Brotherhood Meeting in the Cottage Sunday, October 19 10:30 AM Larry Magid, host of CBS radio and TV, noted child safety expert and writer for the SJ Mercury News will speak at Emanu-El on how to keep your children safe online and recognize warning signs or issues. sponsored by Brotherhood. RSVP to <a href="mailto:brotherhood@templesanjose.org">brotherhood@templesanjose.org</a> Saturday, October 25, 2008: Shabbat in Nature at Sunol Regional Park Shabbat Morning Service, Potluck Lunch, hikes and more. Sunday, October 26 Brotherhood and Sisterhood Trip to the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco Open to anyone (not necessary to be a Temple, Sisterhood or Brotherhood member but it would be nice if they were). Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Depart Temple by handicap accessible bus** at 12:45 pm Return to Temple at approx. 5:30 pm COST: $15.00 per seat by October 5. MUSEUM COST: Admission: $9.00 adult, $7.00 senior, under 18 free, Museum members free. Our educator-guided tour is at 3:00 pm. and will last approx. 60 minutes. Brotherhood and Sisterhood are hosting the tour which is included in their prepaid museum admission. Spaces are limited. Saturday, November 8 6:00 10:00 PM Diaspora Dinner XVI: The Jews and Cuisine of Scandinavia A five-course gourmet dinner and history presentation by Jonathan Hirshon. Space is limited to the first 80 diners. Your check ($49 per person) payable to Brotherhood guarantees your spot. Torah Portion of the Week: can be found on the URJ website, <a href="http://urj.org/torah/">http://urj.org/torah/</a> Vayeilech, Deuteronomy 31:130 Shabbat Shuvah, October 4, 2008 / 5 Tishrei, 5769 The Torah: A Modern Commentary, pp.1,5461,554; Revised Edition, pp.1,3861,394; Haftarah: Hosea 14:210; Micah 7:1820; Joel 2:1527 The Torah: A Modern Commentary, pp.1,6341,638; Revised Edition, pp. 1,4361,440 The Torah: A Women's Commentary, pp. 1,2351,250 D'VAR TORAH | Vayeilech : Shabbat Shuvah! Be Strong and Resolute" Carol Ochs In Vayeilech, the shortest portion in the Torah, Moses tells the people that he will not be leading them into the Land of Israel, per God's instruction; instead, Joshua will lead them (Deuteronomy 31:13). Then God informs Moses that he will soon die and that he should prepare Joshua to lead the people. Must he die before he will reach the goal that has absorbed his entire life! But only of God can it be said that God's work was finished. By the time we reach a certain age, we know that we are mortal. We have lost grandparents. Later, we lose parents. And, still later, we lose peers. And yet we spend our days as if we were not mortal. We initiate projects, we form relationships even though all we cleave to we must hold very loosely. At some point we will learn that now it is our turn. When we are told that we may look over into the Promised Land but will not reach it, how do we live out our final days? So many of our days have been spent anticipating times to come. Do we know how to live in the present when we have been told we will not be part of the future? From the beginning of Elul we have been preparing for the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, which, ritually, is a preparation for death. Some of us actually dress in the kitel that will be our shroud. We do not bathe or eat or engage in sex. What is this annual rehearsal of death really about? The holy day of Yom Kippur is not about death, but about rebirth. We let die the many ways we have grown callous, been spiritually asleep. Then these twenty-five hours of intense introspection, repentance, and physical affliction bring about liberation, a fresh start, a year new not only in time, but also in the opportunity to start again. We have, over the course of the past twelve months, gradually grown away from the ideal self who emerged after the last Yom Kippur. Those first few weeks after the High Holy Days had been so promising, but eventually the old bad habits reemerged. These old habits now seem even worse than they were the year before. We feel helpless to overcome them by ourselves. Gritting teeth, making forced promises seems to be inadequate. Judaism is the religion of freedom, but our imprisonment springs from us, our habits, our appetites. And now we reach Shabbat Shuvah, the Sabbath between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, and we look to the Torah portion to map our own transformation. Three times in the portion we read, Be strong and resolute" (Deuteronomy 31:6, 31:7, 31:23). And in verse 31:6 we read, For it is indeed the Eternal your God who marches with you: will not fail you or forsake you." By ourselves we cannot find rebirth. We imprison ourselves. We are tempted to accept our not-so-bad self. But the repeated verse gets our attention: Be strong and resolute." And before we can once again protest our weakness we are assured, It is . . . God who marches with you. will not fail you or forsake you." What has become clear to us over the course of the Ten Days of Repentance is that we can't do it alone. Whether we locate God in our most authentic core, in the interaction with the Jewish community, or in the chain of tradition that makes our personal trials part of the story of the Jewish people, we need to relate our struggle with our people's in order to cross over to the Promised Land. But how is this portion supposed to guide and reassure us when Moses does not make it to the Promised Land? The line from Pirkei Avot 2:16 reminds us, It is not up to you to finish the work, yet you are not free to avoid it" (trans. Leonard Kravitz and Kerry M. Olitzky, Pirke Avot: A Modern Commentary on Jewish Ethics [New York: UAHC Press, 1993], p. 30). If we have understood our lives in terms of Torah, and Torah in terms of our lives, then we are ourselves a work in progress. We may not have reached completion, but that cannot keep us from the daily work of transforming ourselves. Had Moses reached the stage of completion? There is no way we can know. We can only understand how Moses functioned for the Israelites. As long as he was around they were the Children of Israel not yet the full-grown, responsible people who would battle for the Promised Land. Moses rejoined the democracy of those who age and diethe mere mortals who inhabit our Torahreminding us of what mere people can do in alliance with God. Are we ready now for rebirth? Be strong and resolute." Maybe this year can mark a new way of our being in the world. Maybe with the help of Torah, tradition, and communitymaybe with the help of Godwe can overcome the obstacles that have kept us from becoming our best selves. Maybe now we are ready to enter the Day of Atonement with the sense of hope and confidence that are the core of its message. Dr. Carol Ochs is director of Graduate Studies and adjunct professor of Jewish Religious Thought at Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion in New York. DAVAR ACHER | Re-creating and Reconnecting through T'shuvah Nancy Kasten We read this short parashah on Shabbat Shuvah this year during the time that our liturgical tradition is most focused on t'shuvah . How can Parashat Vayeilech contribute to our understanding of and participation in this process of t'shuvah , a term most often translated as repentance" or turning"? In his Hilchot T'shuvah 7:4, Maimonides states: Let not a penitent imagine to himself that he is distant from the level of the righteous because of the transgressions and sins he has done. It is not so; rather he is beloved and pleasing to the Creator as if he had never ever sinned. Moreover, his reward is greater, for he has tasted the taste of sin and withdrawn from it and overcome his evil urge. Our Sages said that in that place where penitents stand, the completely righteous are unable to stand [Babylonian Talmud, B'rachot 34b]. That is, their level is higher than that of those who have never ever sinned, because they overcome their urge more than the latter. In this week's parashah, Moses seems to have come to terms with the fact that his life will end before the Israelites enter the Promised Land. He does his best to prepare Joshua and the Israelites for an imminent leadership transition without expressing bitterness or resentment. In this moment, he doesn't rebuke the Israelites for their waywardness or lack of faith. He simply reassures them that God will remain with them no matter what mistakes they may make or transgressions they may commit. He also provides the Israelites with a set time to remind themselves of the understandings that he, Moses, comes to at the end of his life. This picture of Moses is very different from the one we get of him earlier in his lifea Moses who clings to his authority despite his frustration and impatience with a people whom he sees as noncompliant and self-destructive. Moses almost appears to have re-created himself in this final chapter of his life, perhaps understanding that his own transgressions and mistakes actually have drawn him to a deeper and more profound understanding of God's relationship with him and with future generations of the Jewish people. In his writings on Shabbat Shuvah, the S'fat Emet refers to those who truly seek forgiveness as m'chadshim , literally renewers" or re-creators." This concept addresses the potential pitfall of Maimonides' perspectivethat we might justify our transgressions by claiming that sinning draws us closer to God and that t'shuvah is about resisting the urge to sin again. By defining true t'shuvah as a process of renewing oneself, the path toward God becomes a path of tikkun of taking ourselves apart and putting ourselves back together to be different than before. Our parashah presents Moses as an example of one who remakes himself even in his last days, when his old self might have been jealous, judgmental, and self-pitying. Instead, through t'shuvah, the repentant, renewed Moses is open, accepting, and connected to God and community. Rabbi Nancy Kasten is currently teaching classes in the Melton Mini-School, freelancing, and volunteering. She lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband Rabbi David Stern and their three children.

Emanu-El Updates Message

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:34:00 GMT

Update for September 25, 2008 L'Shanah Tovah!

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:19:00 GMT

Do you want to make new friends? Come be a greeter at Shabbat services. If you are interested in joining the friendly gang of folks who distribute the Shabbat handout, please contact Melenie Pearson, <a href="mailto:melenie.pearson@gmail.com">melenie.pearson@gmail.com</a> Entertainment Books are now on sale in the office and Gift Shop. Makes perfect gifts. Pays for itself in two coupons! UPDATE FOR SEPTEMBER 25, 2008 In this Update: Upcoming Services Auxiliary Activities In the Community - Torah Portion UPCOMING SERVICES Friday, September 26 6:30 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Service Saturday, September 27 9:00 AM Shabbat Morning Minyan led by Mark and Tzvia Cahn 10:30 AM Allison Gabbert will be called to Torah as a Bat Mitzvah Monday, September 29 Erev Rosh Hashanah Monday, September 29 Erev Rosh Hashanah 6:00 PM Family Alternative Service (1st grade and up) 8:00 PM Rosh Hashanah Service Tuesday, September 30 Rosh Hashanah Day 9:00 AM Childrens Service (Preschool Kindergarten) 10:00 AM Rosh Hashanah Congregational Service/Gesher Program 1:00 PM High Holy Day Experience (an informal explanation and discussion open to the community without charge: Invite your unaffiliated friends) 5:00 PM Tashlich at Oak Meadow Park (Picnic, Havdallah and Taslich service) Break the Fast sponsorships For only $72 you can help provide the delicious food for Break-the-Fast after services at the Heritage Theatre. This can also count for your annual Oneg commitment if you wish. Please contact Anita Medeiros (408.773.1410 or <a href="mailto:anitajmed@yahoo.com">anitajmed@yahoo.com</a> ) if you are interested in being part of this. Save the Dates: Sunday, October 19 10:30 AM Larry Magid, host of CBS radio and TV, noted child safety expert and writer for the SJ Mercury News will speak at Emanu-El on how to keep your children safe online and recognize warning signs or issues. sponsored by Brotherhood. Saturday, October 25, 2008: Shabbat in Nature at Sunol Regional Park Shabbat Morning Service, Potluck Lunch, hikes and more. Sunday, October 26 Brotherhood and Sisterhood Trip to the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco Open to anyone (not necessary to be a Temple, Sisterhood or Brotherhood member but it would be nice if they were). Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Depart Temple by handicap accessible bus** at 12:45 pm Return to Temple at approx. 5:30 pm COST: $15.00 per seat by October 5. MUSEUM COST: Admission: $9.00 adult, $7.00 senior, under 18 free, Museum members free. Our educator-guided tour is at 3:00 pm. and will last approx. 60 minutes. Brotherhood and Sisterhood are hosting the tour which is included in their prepaid museum admission. Spaces are limited. OTHER OPTIONS: 1. carpools (will they drive and take other passengers, how many?) 2. own transportation with prepaid admission (no lines, includes space on our tour)? 3. family friendly no host dinner on return to San Jose? For questions: Contact Barbara Berlant (e-mail preferred) <a href="mailto:auntbarbara@comcast.net">auntbarbara@comcast.net</a> or 408-264-5706 Torah Portion of the Week: can be found on the URJ website, <a href="http://urj.org/torah/">http://urj.org/torah/</a> Nitzavim, Deuteronomy 29:9−30:20 Shabbat, September 27, 2008 / 27 Elul, 5768 The Torah: A Modern Commentary, pp.1,537−1,545; Revised Edition, pp.1,372−1,381; The Torah: A Women's Commentary, pp. 1,2171,234 Seventh Haftarah of Consolation, Isaiah 61:10−63:9 The Torah: A Modern Commentary, pp.1,618−1,622; Revised Edition, pp. 1,3821,385 D'VAR TORAH Nitzavim : The Mitzvah of Choosing Lewis M. Barth This week's Torah portion, Nitzavim , or large sections of it, are well-known in Reform congregations. On Yom Kippur morning, we read Deuteronomy 29:914 and 30:1120, the opening and concluding paragraphs of Nitzavim . I have never ceased being moved by the mood in the congregations I have attended or the services I have sometimes led when these passages are read. Through the wisdom of what we might call the liturgical process, ancient and modern; the sense of the holiness of the day; the impact of being in a packed sanctuary; and the openness of each member of the congregation to the meanings of the Day of Atonementour capacity to listen is heightened. We become available to receive the power of the passages. What touches us in these sections, and why are we touched? Without arguing that everyone listening has the same thoughts and feelingsan impossibilitythere are aspects of these Torah verses that have a particularly powerful impact as we read and listen: You stand this day, all of you, before the Eternal your Godyou tribal heads, you elders, and you officials, all the men of Israel, you children, you wives, even the stranger within your camp, from woodchopper to water drawerto enter into the covenant of the Eternal your God, which the Eternal your God is concluding with you this day, with its sanctions; in order to establish you this day as God's people and in order to be your God, as promised you and as sworn to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I make this covenant, with its sanctions, not with you alone, but both with those who are standing here with us this day before the Eternal our God and with those who are not with us here this day. (Deuteronomy 29:914) We don't hear these verses within their biblical setting, the narrative context of the final address of Moses to the Children of Israel (Deuteronomy 29:18). We hear because we are addressed directly, as if by an unseen voice. This unseen and authoritative voice doesn't allow even one of us to claim we were and are not there. As an "audience" we are all includedwhether physically there or not. The text gives us no wiggle room for denial. We are there to enter the covenant that God is making with us. It is the fulfillment of the promise to the ancestorsinvoking history and memoryand it is for us and all our descendantsestablishing a future of trust, obligation, and relationship. For these reasons, embedded in the passage itself, our modern and postmodern cynicism, struggle with belief, and living so much in the contemporary world are all obliterated, and we are taken out of ourselves to feelings of timelessness and living beyond history. That "out-of-time" dimension is paralleled by an "out-of-space" dimension as our reading jumps to the concluding section: Surely, this Instruction which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach. It is not in the heavens, that you should say, "Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?" Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?" No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it. (Deuteronomy 30:1114) The description of location here is extraordinary, given the ubiquitous biblical myth of revelation at Sinai. In the passage just quoted, the word translated as "Instruction" is mitzvah , usually understood as a commandment, and traditionally "heard" as a specific law or rule, one of the 613 mitzvot composing halachah, the Jewish system of law. And we know that the myth of revelation at Sinai itself is understood in Jewish tradition as including both the Written Law and the Oral Law, both Torah and Rabbinic tradition. However, our text is saying something very different! In stressing that the mitzvah is not in heaven or beyond the sea, but rather "in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it," the biblical text seems to mean that the mitzvah is part of our being, embedded within us. It cannot get more individual, more personal, or more concrete than this. This notion that the mitzvah is a dimension of our being helps us to understand why the text then specifies what exactly that mitzvah is: See, I set before you this day life and prosperity, death and adversity . . . I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose lifeif you and your offspring would liveby loving the Eternal your God, heeding God's commands, and holding fast to . For thereby you shall have life and shall long endure upon the soil that the Eternal swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give to them. (Deuteronomy 30:15, 30:1920) The mitzvah to "choose life" is grounded in the belief that we can make moral choices. Deuteronomy 30:1520 does talk about "God's commandments, God's laws, and God's rules." It specifically discusses the prohibition against idolatry and that it leads to death and adversity. Such prohibitions and the punishment for their violation, as well as blessings and curses, do, in fact, fill a good deal of the rest of the passages of Nitzavim that we read on this Shabbat, but not on Yom Kippur (Deuteronomy 29:1530:10). The specially chosen passages for Yom Kippur morning (Deuteronomy 29:914, 30:1120) stick in our minds. It is not the power of the myth of revelation at Sinai that speaks to us at that moment, but the power of the myth of choice that Yom Kippur represents. Because we have the mitzvah to choose life within ourselves, as part of our being, it shapes our capacity to overcome shame and adversity and to push on, renewed for the year ahead. Rabbi Lewis M. Barth is professor emeritus of midrash and related literature, Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion, Los Angeles, California. DAVAR ACHER | Nitzavim : Life and Death Josh D. Zweiback "I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose lifeif you and your offspring would live . . ." (Deuteronomy 30:19). Rabbi Eliezer Davidovits (18781942, Slovakia) asks the obvious question: "Is there a person who would choose death?"( Ed Ya'aleh, Commentary on the Pentateuch [Bne-Brak, Israel: Lipa Friedman, 1988]). What kind of choice is really being offered here? Wouldn't most everyone prefer life to death, blessing to curse? Here is his insight: There are two ways to "choose life." The first way is the "I" way. If we want, we can choose to think of ourselves first. We can worry about our needs and our desires and our wishes, and only latermuch later sometimeswill we consider the needs, desires, and wishes of others. But there is another way to "choose life," another way to live our lives. This is the "you" way. Before we act, before we decide, before we speak, we can choose to think about how our actions, decisions, and words will affect others. We can think about how our behavior will affect future generations, including our own children and grandchildren. A real choice is in fact being offered. Do we live in a way that supports life in the broadest sense, or do we live in a way that serves only ourselves, only our own narrow interests? This narrow way, this second choice, ultimately leads not to life but to death. "Choose life" is the message at the heart of Yom Kippur. May it be the message that guides us all the days of our lives. Josh D. Zweiback is a rabbi at Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills, California.

EE Update for September 18, 2008

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:52:00 GMT

High Holy Day tickets are almost all in the mail. If you have not received them by September 22, please contact the office. UPDATE FOR SEPTEMBER 18, 2008 In this Update: Upcoming Services In the Community - Torah Portion UPCOMING SERVICES Friday, September 19 6:00 PM Tot Shabbat 7:30 PM Erev Shabbat Service: Ask the Rabbi (The oneg honoring Jane Jacobson has been postponed.) Saturday, September 20 9:00 AM Shabbat Morning Minyan 10:30 AM Alexandra Schmitt will be called to Torah as a Bat Mitzvah 7:00 10:00 PM Selichot: Study Session, Reception, Havdallah and Selichot Service Friday, September 26 6:30 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Service Saturday, September 27 9:00 AM Shabbat Morning Minyan 10:30 AM Allison Gabbert will be called to Torah as a Bat Mitzvah Monday, September 29 Erev Rosh Hashanah Tuesday, September 30 Rosh Hashanah Break the Fast sponsorships For only $72 you can help provide the delicious food for Break-the-Fast after services at the Heritage Theatre. This can also count for your annual Oneg commitment if you wish. Please contact Anita Medeiros (408.773.1410) if you are interested in being part of this. IN THE COMMUNITY Knitzvah: This Sunday, 10:30 AM to noon at JFS (Oka Road, Los Gatos). Barbara Berlant invites all knitters and crocheters for a brief meeting so then in the afternoon they can all go to the TO LIFE! FESTIVAL THIS Sunday, September 21, 10 AM 5 PM To Life! Festival, California Avenue, Palo Alto Free Admission, live music, Judaica and fine arts, and FOOD! Childrens activities area too. Save the Dates: Sunday, October 19 10:30 AM Larry Magid, host of CBS radio and TV, noted child safety expert and writer for the SJ Mercury News will speak at Emanu-El on how to keep your children safe online and recognize warning signs or issues. sponsored by Brotherhood. Sunday, October 26 Sisterhood and Brotherhood are organizing a Temple Emanu-El trip to the new Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. Great for the whole family. Leave after Sunday School. Look for the flyer soon. Torah Portion of the Week: can be found on the URJ website, <a href="http://urj.org/torah/">http://urj.org/torah/</a> You will find on the URJ website (<a href="http://urj.org">http://urj.org</a>) a lot of other wonderful things including a link to the Jewels of Elul at <a href="http://www.jewelsofelul.com/">http://www.jewelsofelul.com/</a>

Temple Emanu-El Update

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:33:00 GMT

TEMPLE EMANU-EL www.templesanjose.org UPDATE FOR SEPTEMBER 11, 2008 Adult Education Classes Start NEXT WEDNESDAY!!! Sign up now before classes fill up! See below for class schedule. IN THIS UPDATE: - Upcoming Services - Adult Education Information - Religious School - Miscellaneous Temple Items - In the Community - Refuah Shlayma - Life Cycle - Torah Portion UPCOMING SERVICES Friday, September 12 7:30 PM Erev Shabbat Service Saturday, September 13 9:00 ARE Shabbat Morning Minyan Friday, September 19 6:00 PM Tot Shabbat 7:30 PM Erev Shabbat Service Saturday, September 20 9:00 AM Shabbat Morning Minyan 10:30 AM Alexandra Schmitt will be called to Torah as a Bat Mitzvah 7:00 ¡V 10:00 PM Selichot: Study Session, Reception, Havdalah and Selichot Service ADULT EDUCATION The Temple Emanu El Adult Education program is offering new classes beginning on Sunday, September 21 and on Wednesday, September 24. Please go to <a href="http://www.templesanjose.org/AdultEd.pdf">http://www.templesanjose.org/AdultEd.pdf</a> to view the complete flyer and to print the registration form. For more information, please contact the Temple office: <a href="mailto:admin@templesanjose.org">admin@templesanjose.org</a> or call 408-292-0939. SUNDAY CLASSES FOR ADULTS « Adult Aleph: Prayer book Hebrew I « Adult Hebrew: Intermediate Conversation « One Heart, Two Homes: Israel and the « Sacred Identity of American Jews « Dates for Fall Semester Classes: « How to Talk to Your Children - and Your « Grandchildren - About . . . « The Wisdom of Heschel * + « Jewish Ethics * + WEDNESDAY CLASSES Western Faiths * + « Rock and Roll with the Rabbi « Guys and Dolls in the Bible « Eastern Religions FIRST DAY OF RELIGIOUS SCHOOL The first day of Religious School is this Sunday September 14 beginning at 9 AM. The Brotherhood is offering their welcome back pancake breakfast from 8:15 AM to 9 AM. Please join us for some delicious pancakes before school classes begin. Hebrew school classes start on Wednesday September 17 at 4 PM MISCILANEOUS TEMPLE ITEMS The Temple Brotherhood is holding its monthly meeting this Sunday at 10:30 AM Break the Fast sponsorships: For only $72 you can help provide the delicious food for Break-the-Fast after services at the Heritage Theatre. This can also count for your annual Oneg commitment if you wish. Please contact Anita Medeiros (408.773.1410) if you are interested in being part of this IN THE COMMUNITY Save the Date: Sunday, September 21, 10 AM ¡V 5 PM To Life! Festival, California Avenue, Palo Alto Free Admission, live music, Judaica and fine arts, and FOOD! Children¡¦s activities area too. REFUAH SHLAYMA Pearl Solomon DEATHS We note with sadness that Natalie Hockman passed away on August 30 in San Diego For the Torah Portion of the week please visit The Union for Reform Judaism website at www.urj.org