Dear Friends:
In the opening words of an oft-cited poem by Rabbi Alvin Fine, “Birth is a beginning, and death a destination, and life is a journey.” Using that image, I believe that Judaism can provide us with unique markers along the path. These markers are designed to enhance our appreciation that our lives are both meaningful and valuable.
At early stages, we are welcomed into the community through Brit Milah (circumcision) or naming rituals. As we mature, we become familiar with our Jewish traditions during weekly events like Shabbat, e.g., through the lighting of candles or the blessings we receive from our parents.
On a longer timescale, we start to recognize annual holidays as we participate in Passover seders, help build and eat in (or even sleep in) sukkot, dress in new clothes for the High Holidays, don costumes for Purim, and spin dreidels on Hanukkah. And we enjoy transitional life ceremonies including those commemorating our becoming Bar or Bat Mitzvah and those that celebrate our choice of a life partner. Finally, we acknowledge our mortality when we observe Jewish burial practices at the death of a loved one.
In my rabbi work over the last quarter, I’ve been fortunate to play a role in many aspects of this trajectory by assisting others on their life journeys. I emphasize to others that Judaism is not all about weekly synagogue attendance (though I’m happy when people come to worship services). Jewish practice is a mechanism for helping integrate individuals into a community. Judaism can therefore place our lives in a broader, richer context than would otherwise be possible.
As we chart the journey of our lives, the teachings of a Rabbinic work called Pirke Avot (Chapters of the Sages 5:21) can serve as signposts on our progress. “At five years of age the study of Scripture; At ten the study of Mishnah; At thirteen subject to the commandments; At fifteen the study of Talmud; At eighteen the bridal canopy; At twenty for pursuit [of livelihood]; At thirty the peak of strength; At forty wisdom; At fifty able to give counsel; At sixty old age; At seventy fullness of years; At eighty the age of “strength”; At ninety a bent body; At one hundred, as good as dead and gone completely out of the world.” Perhaps some of these signs need to be moved a bit, but I still find the text to be informative.
I recently spoke with someone who is considering converting to Judaism, and one of her reasons for caution is the hostility displayed towards Jews that we see today. This woman worried about what she might be subjecting her children to in the future. While I don’t at all downplay antisemitism (see photo of my Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism through the Spertus Institute), I think that being Jewish is a gift that can add immeasurably to our lives. I welcome your insights into the benefits of living a Jewish life, in whatever way you’ve chosen to lead it.
B’shalom,
Rabbi Jack
Reading list for the quarter
| Quarterly reading list (asterisk denotes book of especial interest) Constantine’s Sword – James Carroll One Palestine, Complete – Tom Segev; tr. Haim Watzman Jews in Thailand – Ruth Gerson and Stephen Mallinger Ya’akobi & Leidental – Hanoch Levin; tr. Dennis Silk and Shimeon Levy They Are No More – Z. Segalowicz; tr. Amelia Levy The Sound of a Thousand Stars – Rachel Robbins Children of the Shadows – Ben-Zion Tomer; tr. Hillel Halkin The A.B. Yehoshua Controversy: An Israel-Diaspora Dialogue on Jewishness, Israeliness, and Identity – ed. Noam Marans and Roselyn Bell The Universal Square: Translations – Uri Tzaig; tr. Sondra Silverston, Richard Flantz, Peter Cole, et.al. The Pawnbroker – Edward Lewis Wallant How Judaism Became a Religion – Leora Batnitzky Stones in the Darkness – Nathan Yonathan; tr. Richard Flantz The Clever Little Tailor – Solomon Simon; tr. David Forman Time Travel – James Gleick Search the Scriptures: Modern Medicine and Biblical Personages – Robert Greenblatt Confessions of a Murderer* – Joseph Roth; tr. Desmond Vesey The Amen Effect – Sharon Brous Half-Truths & One-and-a-Half Truths – Karl Kraus; tr. Harry Zohn A Chosen Calling: Jews in Science in the Twentieth Century – Noah Efron The King of Lampedusa – S.J. Harendorf; tr. Heather Valencia Payback – Elisha Porat;tr. Alan Sacks, et.al. The Chemical History of a Candle – Michael Faraday (inspired by Hanukkah and with no explicit Jewish content, but makes a beautiful connection between humans and candles at the end) |