Why I Like Kehillat Chaverim

Kehillah 5 Year Anniversary

Thank you for the honor of addressing you on this very special milestone in the life of our kehillah.

As you know by now, I always try to extract lessons from the Torah even though I don’t necessarily take the words literally. I don’t view the Torah as a history book, but rather, it is the way our people see themselves and how we relate to Gd.

The profound truths of the Torah are what is important. So whether or not 600,000 men and their families left Egypt en masse, and whether or not the Egyptians chasing them drowned in the sea – well, that’s less important than the lesson that tyrants will ultimately fall, and that we Jews are called upon to remember the weak because our people were once slaves in Egypt. Lessons like these (and many others) give me great inspiration. And so I would like to share some of my favorite words, expressions and teachings in the Torah. As you will see, they have been embodied by the members of our kehillah.

The first of these themes is Lech Lecha – go from this place. It’s the name of one or our early parashiot. Gd tells Abraham to seek a new life in a new land, where his people will ultimately grow in number. Leave your comfort zone. Be bold. Seek something better. And I, Gd, will be with you.

The founding members of our kehillah were faced with a difficult situation 5 years ago. And indeed we went to a new place. Not just literally, but more important, figuratively. We took on a bold new task. And for me, it has resulted in nothing less than a spiritual renewal. I look at all the things I have learned and have taken on since that time 5 years ago. I would never have imagined it! I’m sure many of you feel the same way. Lech lecha. Do something new and different! Seek! Grow! Now!

My most favorite word in the Torah is “Hineni.” Here I am. This word is used several times in the Torah, in response to a call from Gd. In one instance, Gd calls out to Moses, who just killed an Egyptian because he was beating an Israelite. Moses is about to be given the greatest task of anyone in the Torah, leading the Israelites from bondage to freedom. When Gd calls Moses, Moses answers, “Hineni.” Moses put up some resistance, but he ultimately answered the call and accepted the challenge.

We in the kehillah have also answered, “Hineni.” Our members have been called upon to take on myriad new tasks in our shul. Who would have thought? But we responded. Hineni. We all pitch in, in our own way, to help make our shul a success. We’ve attended shul regularly, learned to lead our congregation in davening, read Torah, prepared kiddush, prepared and delivered D’vrei Torah. Me? Us? Who could have imagined?!? And yet, here we are. We answered, “Hineni.”

Here’s the next inspirational lesson for me. I’m not one who necessarily believes in Divine intervention. I believe that, instead of Gd bringing us into Gd’s realm by acting in the world, we bring Gd into our lives by our actions. Gd awaits us. As Heschel taught in his greatest work, Gd is in Search of us.”

And so it was, in the Book of Esther – a book in which Gd is not even mentioned, that Mordechai speaks to Esther just before calamity was to befall the Jews, enjoining her to help her people. He argues that perhaps she was placed in a position of royalty for just such a purpose. It was as though he said, “Esther, this is your moment!” And she answered. “Hineni.” And her actions saved the Jews.

We all have many opportunities to make a phone call, visit someone, bring up an uncomfortable topic in order to comfort and help . . . and make a big difference. Each of us, in these instances, has an opportunity to act as though we’re in that particular situation specifically to make a difference in the lives of others. And of course, that opportunity also applies to our involvement in our shul.

And the final theme I wish to mention is a verse that was read just last week in Parashah Kedoshim. Among the jumble of ethical commands and ritual – paying a laborer in a timely fashion, honoring parents, the proper mode of sacrifice, leaving food available for the poor, not forming idols – among this mixture of commands, only one justification is given – “You shall be holy because I, Gd, am holy.”

Kedusha – holiness – is the greatest virtue in Judaism. It’s the singular quality of Gd that we are commanded to imitate. So what is it? When we, or any havurah gather at the beginning of Shabbat to laugh, share a meal, share our lives, the prayer that is said over wine has little to do with wine, but it affirms the holiness of the day and of their behavior. This is, of course, the kiddush. In one form or another, the word is said six times during the prayer.

When two individuals form an eternal bond in a wedding ceremony the bond is sanctified and is called, in Hebrew, kiddushin.

The central portion of our amidah is called the kedushah. And when a loved one dies, we refuse to let death be the final word. We recite a prayer that emphasizes the triumph of life over death, of hope over despair – we call it Kaddish.

The word, in one form or another, is repeated countless times in our Shabbat service, and in our Jewish lives. What we have done together to create this space, is our shining example of holiness.

So those are my words, phrases and themes. Maybe you have your own.

So getting back to that jumble of ritual and ethical behavior: that jumble forms a matrix that brings us together as a people, defines what is holy, and calls upon us – all of us – to strive to become more holy, and in the process, to take responsibility for strengthening the Jewish people – individually and collectively. And for us, the kehillah plays an important role as one of the central aspects of that striving.

May we go from strength to strength – ever seeking, ever learning, ever growing, ever lifting ourselves and others, and ever doing all we can to live a holy life. We are commanded to do nothing less.

Mazel tov to everyone in our kehillah!! Shabbat Shalom

My Learning Journey

I grew up in a Conservative Jewish household. I went to Hebrew school and had a Bar Mitzvah. I even continued Hebrew school after my bar mitzvah and was encouraged by the Rabbi to daven Musaf on Shabbat mornings. Through the years, my wife and I have always been regular attendees at Friday night services but did not continue attending Saturday morning services.

My mother and father did attend Saturday morning services every week as they got older. They enjoyed the service and they enjoyed socializing with the other people in attendance. When my father died in September of 2012, I decided that I would step up and take my mother to Shabbat services every week because I knew how much she enjoyed it.

I began attending regularly, but passively. When Kehillat Chaverim was formed, we followed because the members were the same people my mom knew well. Slowly, as I sat there each week, my attitude began to change. What was at first my perceived obligation became something that I looked forward to doing. I sat every week, watching fellow congregants participate in all aspects of the service. I pondered whether I could become a more active participant. Then it happened. One day, Joel Roffman asked me if I would be interested in preparing a D’var Torah. What? I had not done anything like that since my speech at my Bar Mitzvah. I reluctantly said yes. Joel gave me a list of websites and references I could use to prepare. Although I’m used to writing and delivering lectures on medical topics, this task was far more frightening. I knew so little. I struggled, but I persisted. I learned new things as I prepared the speech. Then I gave my first D’var Torah. I think it went well. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. No one was judgmental of my superficial knowledge. I felt a sense of accomplishment. Once I had the first one under my belt, I knew I would be able to do more. Although it takes a lot of preparation each time, it has always been very worthwhile.

The fostering an environment of Kehillah Chaverim gave me the confidence to explore doing other parts of the service. Next, I volunteered to recite my Bar Mitzvah haftorah, after 53 years. I had to learn it from the beginning as I had no recollection of the trope. It was like learning a new language but I did it. Unlike the experience at age 13 when I was forced to learn it, this time it was because I wanted to learn it.

This is my learning journey. Encouraged and supported by my family and my friends at Kehillat Chaverim, I have been motivated to accomplish things I never thought I would ever do. Who knows, maybe there is a Torah portion in my future.

A Pleasantly Different Shabbat Experience

What I enjoy about our Kehillah are the many things that differentiate us from the typical conservative Jewish congregations. There is no hierarchy! All are welcome and encouraged to participate at their own comfort levels.

In our version of a down sized, egalitarian Conservative Jewish Congregation, everyone is encouraged to take risks, to make mistakes in a warm and friendly atmosphere dedicated to individual growth as a key component of our communal growth.

In years past, I often arrived at Shul on Saturdays, during Shema or the Amidah, just prior to the Torah reading. I was very familiar with those portions of the service and often led Musaf prior to the formation of our Kehillah.

I was committed to our success, and recognized the need to be a part of the minyan at the very start of services so that those who had a Yahrzheit or need to say Kaddish would be able to do so. As a result, I committed to learning P’sukei D’zimrot and Shacharit. Now I have the sense of accomplishment that I can lead any part of the Shabbat service- whenever and however we need my help.

But what I love the most about our Kehillah is that in the absence of the political Clergy/ Board of Directors related congregational hierarchy, we have developed an uncommon opportunity for devotional prayer, development of community and a spiritual experience that is unparalleled by what is found elsewhere in my nearly 60 years of Jewish living spanning several Jewish communities. I feel that we have stumbled upon a formula that fills the gaps missing in the typical conservative Jewish congregation.

As Hillel said: “If not now then when? If not me then who?”

Please join us for a pleasantly different Shabbat experience!

Mommy, we have a shul?

There are many circumstances that one could say would never happen. One of those is having a shul in your house. It turns out that there are many benefits of having services in your house. First, I have the shortest walk to shul that one could ever imagine. I walk through my garage and into the “shul room,” as my kids call it. Before this, we were lucky to get to shul during the Haftarah. Usually, it was during musaf. I would have never been able to state what prayers are recited before the Torah service. Now, I’m usually the 2nd or 3rd person there! Second, I love that my kids are literally surrounded by Torah. They hear me practicing my readings, they listen to the prayer melodies , and lead Adon Olam, sometimes. Of course, I hope that one day we will grow large enough to need to move somewhere more conventional, but until then, I will enjoy the convenience of having my kehillah come to me.