Reform Judaism: Community Archives

A Forgotten Man
October 10, 2008 (1 Comment)

By Larry Kaufman
Raise your hand if you can identify Maurice Samuel.

Maybe a little prompt will help. Choose the right identifier from the list below:

American author of a novel about the Borgias
Radio partner of Mark Van Doren in discussing the Hebrew Bible
Translator of Erika Mann from the German
Translator of Edmond Fleg from the French
Translator of Sholem Asch and I.J. Singer from the Yiddish
Executive of the Zionist Organization of America
Polemicist/critic of Arnold Toynbee's A Study of History

Actually this fascinating personality was all of the above - author of six novels and twenty works of non-fiction, translator into English of 22 books from the French, German, Hebrew and Yiddish, popular lecturer, investigative journalist, aide to Henry Morgenthau Sr. in his investigation of Polish pogroms, aide to Chaim Weizmann in the writing of his autobiography. You can learn more about him in an article written eleven years ago by Louis Kaplan to commemorate Maurice Samuel's 25th yahrtzeit.

Filed Under: Community

An easy fast?
October 8, 2008 (4 Comments)

By Gardening Grandma
As Yom Kippur approaches, many people have wished me an "easy fast."

I find it very strange - and disconcerting.

The fast is meant to force us to do some deep and not-so-easy reflection and self-examination. It's meant to push us beyond our normal comfort zone. Why then, should it be easy?

I think I'll stick with G'mar Chatima Tova when I'm at temple tonight. And so, to you, the readers of this blog, "may you be sealed in the book of life."

Filed Under: Community | Holidays

Authentic Judaism
October 7, 2008 (2 Comments)

By dcc
In the most recent New Voices, Josh Nathan-Kazis interviews Rabbi Rick Jacobs of Westchester Reform Temple about the threat of Chabad to the Reform Movement. The interview, Rabbi Jacobs's answers and even the questions are worth reading. However I completely dismiss the premiss of this article:

"Chabad constitutes a challenge to the Reform movement. When Chabad's rabbis come to town, the local Reform synagogue faces the risk of appearing less authentic than the competition."

Filed Under: Community | Religious Life

Rabbi Bachman knocks it out of the park
October 2, 2008 (3 Comments)

By David A.M. Wilensky (First published on The Reform Shuckle)
I've said it before and I'll say it again: The man is a genius. Check out a transcript of Rabbi Andy Bachman's erev Rosh Hashanah sermon here. Here' an excerpt:

Surrendering total control is never easy-especially as members of a synagogue community founded on principles that value the intellect over the experiential; the rational over the mysterious; Reform over Tradition. Of course, as we continually need to remind ourselves, the historical circumstances that founded this community in 1861 are quite different from those that demand action in the world today. Our membership, ever growing, comes from all walks of Jewish life-Reform, Conservative and Orthodox and non-Jewish life as well. I find that fewer people have an intellectual ax to grind with Tradition and Reform is not much more than: 1. a commitment to egalitarian values for men, women, gays and lesbians; 2. a rationalist and historical view of the authorship of Torah; and, 3. devotion to the principles of Tikkun Olam, Social Justice and Social Action. But "Reforming Judaism?" I've yet to encounter in my years here a single Jew who truly wants to Reform Judaism. After all, in humility, we could easily spend the next 50 years just figuring out what Judaism IS!

Filed Under: Community | Holidays | Israel | Religious Life

Assimilation and Its Discontents
September 29, 2008 (1 Comment)

By Gardening Grandma
In its 40th anniversary issue, New York magazine takes a look at how Jews have been assimilated into New York and how, by doing so, have lost some of their identity.

Contributing writer David Samuels writes:

The ascendancy of the Jews of New York can be viewed as a Hollywood-style triumph, but it can also be read as the tragedy of a group of brilliant outsiders who remade a city in their own image, only to cut themselves off from the roots of their tribal genius, ensuring that the future will belong to the children of the new outsiders--Koreans, Indians, Russians, and Chinese.

I'm not sure I agree that "success has ruined the New York Jew." I rather like feeling at home in the city.

Filed Under: Community | Religious Life

Amidah antics -OR-
The way Reform Jews should think about prayer
September 29, 2008 (17 Comments)

By David A.M. Wilensky (First published on The Reform Shuckle)
(A follow-up of sorts to William Berkson's post about commandedness)
A Shabat morning with Chavurat Lamdeinu, progressive non-denominational minyan extraordinaire, is always full of oddities, whether it's just the assortment of people or the comments made throughout the service. This week was no different, except that this week's major oddity was a fantastic education in obscure litrugical rules and a perfect example of what bothers me about the way we Reform Jews threat our prayers.

When I arrived to services this morning, Tanach study had just wrapped up so a few people had just left. Unfortunately, not enough showed up to replace them. I was the ninth person to arrive for services, making today's crowd a small one, even for us.

Filed Under: Community | Shabbat | Torah

Growing Up is Hard to Do
September 29, 2008

By dcc
My fiancée and I recently joined a congregation about a block from our home. We went to the new member Shabbat, were called by the rabbi, welcomed by members and Abby (my future bride) was called this morning to read an Aliyah on Rosh Hashanah. But even after such a warm welcome still it is kinda strange.

This will be our first High Holidays as "adults" and I for one am freaking out a bit. What should we do for dinner on Erev Rosh Hashanah and Kol Nidre? More importantly do we host our own or seek an invitation to a well-established-bagels-lox-cream-cheese-kuggle-and-caffeine-filled brake-the-fast? For sure I won't be asked to blow the shofar signaling it is (finally) time to eat.

Filed Under: Community | Holidays

This Week Is Like a Box of Chocolates
September 28, 2008

By Barbara Weinstein
Legislative Director of the Religious Action Center
I'm an I Love Lucy aficionado. I have seen every episode, can recite by heart the Vitametavegamin routine that ends with Lucy sloshed on the alcohol-laced health tonic, and know that the longest laugh the show recorded came when Lucy did the tango with a shirt stuffed full of raw eggs. But for my money, the funniest episode is called "Job Switching," where Lucy and Ethel get jobs in a candy factory. Watching Lucy-as-candy-wrapper try and keep up with the ever-faster conveyor belt of chocolates is watching a master comedian at her best.

Sometimes, I feel a bit like Lucy at Kramer's Kandy Kitchen. That's particularly true this week as Congress tries to work through myriad bills that have languished for months, while also dealing with the economic challenges on Wall Street, and trying to leave town to campaign before Election Day. The legislative team at the RAC has been busily strategizing, posting action alerts, firing off letters to members of Congress, issuing press releases, and trying to make sure that social justice values are reflected in our laws.

Filed Under: Community | Ethics | Social Action

Go Take a Walk! Small Steps to a Better World
September 25, 2008 (1 Comment)

By Gardening Grandma
Rachel Cohen, an Eisendrath legislative assistant at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, writes on the RAC's blog about the "walk to school" movements popping up in Massachusetts and around the world. Parents and children are making the conscious decision to walk more and drive less, and are doing so at a time when speed and safety are both paramount concerns for families.

It's no surprise that the motivating factor is not exercise (although with the obesity problems in our country, that alone would be great) but rather about reducing our carbon footprint.

But why limit it to children? Next time you need a quart of milk, a book from the library, or some cash from the ATM, why not leave the car in the garage and take a walk? Better yet, why not walk to services this Rosh Hashanah?

Filed Under: Community | Social Action

Sukkot of Transition: Use holidays to help cope with economic angst
September 24, 2008 (1 Comment)

By Richard Address

The start of the month of Elul brings our community into its preparation for the High Holidays. Now the pace of communal life starts to change and our focus is on reflection, reconciliation, repentance and the annual response to new beginnings.

For too many in our community, however, this season will hold more angst than joy.

The economic situation in our country presents us with challenges unseen for nearly a generation. Too many will sit in synagogues next month and be equally concerned with their own economic situation as they will the state of their soul. Increasingly senior citizens on fixed or limited incomes are seeing their resources challenged. Young adults are concerned about job security. Too many of our people of all ages have lost jobs, been downsized or live on the edge of job and financial uncertainty.

Filed Under: Community | Holidays