For what are you thankful?

On this Sukkot - time of our rejoicing - for what are you thankful?

Me - the various opportunities to teach in the community, and to build community with so many wonderful people from different backgrounds...

(photo above from recent guest teaching appearance and St. Mary's, Notre Dame IN.)

A thought for Shabbat, just prior to the 9-11 10th anniversary

May this Shabbat of sacred commemoration also be one of celebration. As we look back with tenderness on the tragic events of 9-11 (and following), and still deal with the pain and challenge that has ensued - I hope we also find the strength of our highest values inspiring us to work together to build bridges of understanding across all lines. Wishing you a weekend of PEACE, compassion, good times, and especially much love...SHABBAT SHALOM!!!

Preseason begins - thought for the first day of Elul

I've come to think of Elul (the month preceding Rosh HaShanah, in which we prepare for the New Year) to be something of a "preseason" for those of us who think in terms of Jewish time. As we begin looking toward the High Holy Days, we have a chance to ready ourselves - physically, spiritually, intellectually, emotionally - for the turning of the year, and what it represents regarding possiblities for improvement and renewal in our lives.

Entering this Holy Day preseason, I know I'm fortunate to be in a community in which so many people appreciate the value of interreligious dialogue and learning. This has given me a great array of opportunities for my own growth and involvement, which continues with interfaith work nearly every day. Early this morning I had the chance to be a guest for the men's bible group at Sunnyside Presbyterian Church. My friend and colleage Jamie Miller had invited me over the summer. The group had provided a list (ok, 3 pages) of topics, questions, and comments mainly revolving around its exporation of Deuteronomy. For about an hour, I was privilege to join in (and add to) a lively discussion among a dozen men who really wanted to gain from my differing background and perspective. And discovering our similar notions about text interpretation and the evolving nature of healthy religions was again reaffirming of our common humanity and sacred responsibilities.

As well, I note that today is the Muslim holy day Eid al-Fitr, culminating the observance of Ramadan. It seems no coincidence that whatever our faith backgrounds, the cycles of our sacred seasons (and their resonant themes) mingle and overlap. I learned just recently that one of the practices on Eid is to provide for the needs of the poor that they too can celebrate the holiday. This tradition, Sadaqah al-Fitr (righteous giving for the fast-breaking), is a direct parallel to our Jewish commitment to Tzedakah - working for justice. The world actually seems a smaller and better place as I recognize these sacred connections.

I hope that all who are working to enhance their religious expression or are seeking to improve our world have a meaningful Elul and productive preseason.

Looking for love, or, uh, inspiration

Summer's been a pretty darn good one :) yet I seem to be at a loss for creative inspiration. If you've got the keys to creativity (or at least a suggestion or two how to recapture it), PLEASE share....

What baffles me most about this is that we had GREAT experiences at camp (as always), and a fabulous vacation in the SW - both OSRUI and Arizona provide engaging, memorable activities and opportunities - seemingly without end....(I just can't get my head in the game)....

It's soon to be Elul - like the preseason for the new year 5772....so whatever creative sparks you've got - I'd sure appreciate....

Camp Camp

What a terrific session it has been so far - half way through Kallah Bet at OSRUI. The kids are great, the staff is fabulous, and of course working with my colleagues and friends on faculty is as enriching as ever.

As we explore the *North American Jewish Experience*, the children have been exposed to a great range of ideas about the emergence and uniqueness of our community here, as well as to the rich and broad spectrum of Jewish life on this continent. Highlights have included: immigrating through Ellis Island and navigating first steps into the "New World"; decision-making as free and equal citizens in a democratic society; and how we articulate our beliefs in a positive and constructive manner (for our session on the platforms of Reform Judaism, we set the stage by conducting our morning t'fila - oops, I mean worship - in a "classic" style, right out of the good ol' Union Prayer Book. Most of the unit had never had such an experience. Thanks especially to my faculty partner, Rabbi Batsheva Apel, who served as a circuit rabbi in the south and has probably led more services out of UPB in the last 5 years than anyone :).
And this morning - our limmud (study) topic was to cover the Reform tradition of political activism and working for social justice. The program went great - as the staff did a marvelous job in making the situation (a lost opportunity for a pool party) believable as an excuse to protest. While teaching the chanichim (campers) about tikkun olam (repairing the world) and tzedek (justice) - we were able to bring these values directly to our young people - making the conceptual into something they could grasp. The campers wowed us with their ability to relate this (mild) situation to the greater issues that have faced our world and our movement - they offered such parallels as civil rights, genocide, hunger, poverty, and environmental concerns. We should be proud that these young Jews, entering grades 5-7, are truly ready (and able!) to change the world.
Oh how much I'm looking forward to the rest of our time at camp!
For more, be sure to follow @jazzrabbi and @ravbat7 on Twitter.

The son becomes the father, and the father becomes the son

It was the last Tuesday of June, 1979. I was twelve years old, and a newly "entering 7th grader". The car - my parents' '79 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale, in which I'd learn to drive a few years later - was packed to the hilt (well, not really, as the trunk was big enough to use as a dwelling for a medium sized family). Mom and Dad were driving me and Eliot off to summer camp for the first time. I don't recall what my thoughts were as we headed west to the Berkshires for my initial visit to URJ Eisner Camp (where I would spend the subsequent 10 summers). I do, however, remember exactly the moments of welcome when we arrived. A young counselor (Adam Marshall, I believe) helped shlep my stuff in bunk 11, and I was greeted by three fellow campers (Mike, Michael and Jon) who already had a couple years of camp experience between them (of all wonderful things, I'm in touch with each of them - to some degree or another - to this very day).
Looking back - there are a few things I know for certain. Attending camp for those years remains a most powerful building block in my life. And for a young Jewish kid less than a year away from Bar Mitzvah, it was clearly the most significant leap I'd ever taken in developing my own sense of self, and Jewish identity.
Skip to today. This morning, our family of four heads off to Wisconsin for two glorious weeks at URJ OSRUI. I am privileged to serve on faculty (very cool, kinda ironic), while our kids get to soak up the experience of being campers at the best place on earth. Granted, this is not their first year...yet as we finish packing the magic bus (our 2011 Honda Odyssey could easily fit into the back of my parents' trusty ol' Olds :) I am touched by the idea that Ben, now a newly entering 7th grader, is now subject to the same hopes, fears, uncertainties and enthusiasm as every such kid must be, less than a year away from the milestone of Bar Mitzvah. It's crazy I know, but closing my eyes, my opening moments at camp were like just a moment ago. And yet it's truly been a lifetime and more. I simply hope that Ben will also grow to cherish these times like no other...

Only once in my life did I seriously consider making aliya - moving to Israel. A (very) brief thought crossed my mind about how exciting/challenging/fulfilling it might be to cultivate my Jewish identity in our ancient homeland.
Mostly, I have come to understand that it is a gift to be Jewish in the Western world. As a modern, progressive, somewhat worldly Jew, I remain an adamant supporter/lover of Israel - the people, the state, and what it has come to mean emotionally: a symbol of a thriving spectrum of Jewish life after so many years of dispersion, oppression and uprootedness. And yet, our history in the diaspora has allowed and cause Judaism to evolve in so many magnificent ways, and to bring its universal prophetic message of tikkun olam (repairing the world) to all corners of the earth.
Currently, as always, great conversations are underway about the meaning, purpose, and "rules" regarding aliya (for more, go to www.ejewishphilanthropy.com). My question remains: is aliya an ideal for which Western Jews should strive, or the fulfillment of hard-core Zionism (only) for some? I don't think I'll ever have a complete answer, as reality (and my heart) lies somewhere in between.