Getting Involved

Kol Nidre 5772
October 7, 2011 

Rarely does one have such a public forum as this to say thank you, but I would like to do just that as my wife Shira, our daughter Naama and I could not have been welcomed to your community and your congregation any more warmly. This warmth is a testament to the love and devotion you have for Beth El, this kehillah kedoshah, this holy community. 

As Bev mentioned I grew up in Maryland, attending public high school and graduated from the University of Baltimore. It was not until high school, through my involvement in USY did I finally come to love and appreciate Judaism. Judaism never spoke to me, or at least I never heard it. It spoke to my grandparents and it spoke to my parents but I simply never heard it. USY, Hebrew High School, observant friends were what brought Judaism alive for me and I will always be grateful for those experiences. In college I became more observant and it was at that point that I decided that rabbinical school was the right path for me to take. Looking back I know that Judaism always had something to say to me…maybe I was simply not ready to hear the message. 

I have a firm belief that in order for someone to want to be more involved with Jewish life, Judaism needs to speak to them personally. This may be an unfair request of Judaism, but it is a perfectly reasonable request of the synagogue. Our job is to help create meaningful Jewish experiences and if in the process more people feel attached to our sacred teachings and rituals and thereby become more knowledgeable Jews…well then, speaking for the professional staff of the synagogue, “we win”. 

I am embarrassed to admit it, but when we told a lot of our friends and family that we were moving to Omaha, they insisted that we must be going as shlichim, as emissaries of Judaism. People mock the differences between East and West coast Judaism but rarely do they take the time or effort to appreciate the Judaism being practiced and preached here in the Heartland. And the truth is that Judaism is alive and well both inside and outside of these walls to a degree that everyone should be proud. 

Take a second; reflect on the beauty of what you, your parents and grand-parents have built. If you were at one point new to Omaha like we are, reflect upon your first impressions of this Jewish community and how it affected your transition here.  

And now that you have taken the time to be proud or your accomplishments, we have work to do. Throughout the month of Elul and into the Yamin Noraim, the High Holy Days we talk a lot about turning our thoughts inward, exploring our souls. This introspection that we are asked to do is referred to as a Heshbon HaNefesh or an accounting of the soul. This accounting is in essence our own personal strategic planning. 

Yet, tonight, I will ask you not to only take an accounting of your own spirituality but of our synagogue. Part of the reason, I believe, that Bev wanted me to speak tonight was because just like Rabbi Levin and Cantor Schlosberg before me, I am new to this community and bring with me new ideas, uninhibited the synagogue’s history or baggage.

In my short time at Beth El it is easy to see why so many care so deeply about its history, its present and its future. It was only a few short weeks ago that Shira, Naama and I had the unique opportunity of visiting the “old” Beth El, the building on 49th and Farnum that was home to Beth El until 20 years ago when this beautiful synagogue was built. We were overwhelmed not by the tour leader, but by the stories all of you wanted to share with us about the synagogue. From your stories it was easy to see that the synagogue was more then a place of worship, it was a second home. It was not only a place to congregate for worship; it was a place to spend time with family and friends. 

I speak for all of us at Beth El when I say that we want those same feeling that once resonated with you and your parents, and still do for many of you, to once again to speak to you, your children and your grandchildren. We believe that Beth El is a place where everyone is welcome and no one is outside our audience. 

Just look at this past Rosh Hashanah. We had four services conducted simultaneously under one roof! There was the main sanctuary service led by Rabbi Levin and Cantor Schlosberg, the Alternative Minyan led by Rabbi Harlow. (A man – by the way – for whom is a pillar of knowledge, someone whose work we should all admire and although we lived only blocks away in New York City, it took coming to Omaha to finally meet him). We had the family service, a new endeavor open to all members of the synagogue, whether you have a family or not, that I believe went very well and will be offered again tomorrow, and lastly our beloved Ms. Patty led the younger children in a tot service. The more options the better! Having multiple services in this building is something that is not unique to the High Holidays: we often have Tot Shabbat services and have seen the tremendous work done by the Simchat Shabbat group in facilitating an alternative service on Saturday mornings. Having more services is one case where more is truly better! The more entry ways we create to get people involved the greater our chance of providing an experience for you to feel more attached to Judaism. 

Getting more people involved is the reason we are having a world-renowned rabbi come speak about the Jews of Prague. Getting more people involved is the reason on another weekend a dear friend of mine who was a founding member of the group Storah Telling will be here to teach his Torah. The message these individuals will share will be vastly different, and that’s ok, because we owe it to you to offer dynamic Jewish experiences. It is the reason we have a mens club, a sisterhood, a social action committee, a young adult committee, a marketing committee and the list goes on. 

Speaking of the marketing committee. This is a group of individuals who have taken it upon themselves to help publicize the amazing programs that are taking place both inside and outside of these walls. On your chairs I hope you noticed the bookmarks that are the beginning of our effort to more effectively promote and publicize what we have to offer. 

Abraham Joshua Heschel is quoted as saying that “A stone is characterized by its finality, whereas man’s outstanding quality is in it’s being a surprise. To claim to be what I am not is a pretension. To insist that I must be only what I am now is a restriction which human nature must abhor. The being of a person is never complete, final.” (Abraham Joshua Heschel, Who is Man?)

A synagogue, like a human should have certain tendencies, which are predictable, but we should also be able to change, adapt and cause some to be surprised. We are one synagogue made of a diverse customer base and we should…and do offer programming and services that reflect that diversity. But we can and must do more, and we need your help. 

It has been a true privilege over the past two months to meet with so many of you and hear what you love about Beth El. I want to hear from everyone, I’ll make time. I want to hear what we can do to appeal to you, to serve you. My hope would be that we offer something for everyone, and if you don’t see something for you listed in the Kol, our newsletter, let me know and hopefully we can work on it. We can work on it together! 

We want to hear from you! I am honored to have been hired as your assistant rabbi, and I am privileged to get to work with and learn from Rabbi Levin and Cantor Schlossberg. I have so enjoyed meeting so many members of this community and for those of you who I have not yet had the pleasure to meet; I cannot wait to get to know you. My door, my phone, (even my face book and twitter pages) are always open to you. 

May you have an easy and meaningful fast and may this year bring us, and our synagogue, many blessings. 

Gmar Chatimah Tovah!