The Festival of Northern Lights

This marvelous video, Hanukkah in Alaska, with well known actress Molly Ephraim reading from the children's book by Barbara Brown, illustrated by Stacey Schuett, is an absolute delight! Wonderful for children, but a pleasure for everyone, of all ages, we promise you will never look at Hanukkah, or Alaska, the same way again!





Hanukkah in Leonia may not be quite as exotic, or exciting, but we do hope you are having a happy holiday nevertheless, and don't forget about our nightly five-minute outdoor menorah lighting, tonight and every night of Hanukkah, at 7 PM sharp! No moose sightings so far, but you never know...

Communities of Practice

Did you see the article, URJ Unveils ‘Communities of Practice’ in this week's Jewish Standard (dated January 18)?  Written by Lois Goldrich, the article begins with the following pargraphs:

While many synagogues generate creative ideas for growing their membership, they often lack the resources to implement them. 

To address this issue, the Union for Reform Judaism has created the “communities of practice” program, bringing together 37 congregations around the country to share ideas and experiment with new strategies. Two of them are local — Temple Beth El of Northern Valley in Closter and Congregation Adas Emuno in Leonia.

Before focusing on our congregation, Goldrich first focuses on our sister shul in Closter. We'll skip over that part, but if you're interested, you can read the article in its entirety on the Jewish Standard website.  And here's how it looked in the print version:

And now for the relevant section of the article:

Congregation Adas Emuno in Leonia has been selected for the young families initiatives. Its rabbi, Barry Schwartz, is excited about his congregation’s participation in the project. 

“I think the URJ has come to realize that they need to put congregations that share the same needs and same challenges together,” he said. “That’s what this is about. Small congregations like ours have one set of challenges; large congregations have another.”

While Adas Emuno, founded in 1871, is what Schwartz calls “a wonderful little congregation,” with some 100 member units, it nevertheless embraces members of all ages, including 70 children. 

But with no preschool—and with what the rabbi described as “demographic challenges”—it is not easy to attract young families with children.

“We have a declining number of young families because the Jewish population in this part of the county is diminishing,” he said. Still, membership has been steady, “and we want to keep that base. We’ve been around 140 years. We want to make sure there’s a generation to take our place.”

Noting that his synagogue serves people beyond the immediate neighborhood, Schwartz said the congregation is eager to attract families that are not yet affiliated with the community, including interfaith families.

School director Annice Benamy and congregational leader Rebecca Kind Slater will represent the synagogue in URJ meetings, traveling to Chicago later this winter to participate in the inaugural conference. Both, he said, are professional teachers.

“They’ll be talking to congregational staff and leaders with expertise in this area,” he said. “Why not learn some of the best practices?”

The rabbi said discussion of the issue has already begun, and the congregation has initiated a series of tot programs, including offerings on Shabbat and holidays as well as field trips. He said that young families particularly enjoyed the shul’s recent Chanukah party, at which he played guitar, “did a Chanukah rap, and showed them my dreidel collection.

“We’re trying to develop family-friendly programs,” he said, pointing out that the shul is employing different communications strategies, including social media, town listserves, local newspapers, and parenting publications.

“We have to grow more sophisticated,” he said. “We have to go out to where the people are.”

This year, the congregation’s Hebrew school launched a series of family enrichment activities. Once a month, the rabbi chooses a different grade and leads a discussion.

“Last Sunday I met with third-grade parents to do a Jewish family inventory,” he said. “I listed 20 material objects and 10 observances and each family did an inventory exercise. They scored themselves and compared scores. It led to a provocative discussion of what distinguishes a Jewish home.”

Schwartz said the URJ initiative will “help us come up with a comprehensive strategy [to be] an inviting institution for young families. But whether it will lead to the establishment of a preschool or day care or ‘mommy and me’ program remains to be seen. I’m supportive of the URJ’s efforts.”

The URJ's Communities of Practice program involved a competitive application process, and so we proudly congratulate our Religious School Director Annice Benamy and Trustee Rebecca Kind Slater for their successful efforts, and look forward to the fruits of their endeavor!

Religious School News—Coming Together After a Tragedy

From the pages of Kadima, the Newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:

Religious School News from

Annice Benamy, Religious School Director

Coming Together After a Tragedy

We have memories of where we were for significant events:  I was teaching music in Room 200 in Cleveland, Ohio when 9/11 took place. I was in high school marching band when the TV show “Dallas” questioned “Who shot J.R.?” I was at home getting ready for bed when I heard the news about the death of Princess Diana.  I was on Facebook when I heard about Sandy Hook.  Where were you when you heard about the shooting at Sandy Hook?  Facebook is filled with petitions to sign for every cause – tax cuts, better education, progressive Judaism in Israel, and now better gun control laws. The petitions I sign make their way to Washington DC to that my lawmakers know my name and my beliefs.  I advocate for so many causes to advance our country in the 21st century.  I invite you to do the same.  Take a stand.  Sign your name when a petition comes before you to show your commitment to our world, our country, our community and to our family.

From: www.urj.org                                                      
Prayer:  When Burdens Are Too Heavy We come to You, O God, for your gracious help. You dwell within our heart, You feel our distress, You know our pain, and how burdened we are. Give us strength to bear our burdens with courage, wisdom, and grace. Help us to be true to our better self, to discern our real work in life, and to do it with all our might. When our struggle within our own heart, stay by our sides. Then we shall be able to say with Your prophet (Isaiah 40:31) “But those who hold fast to the Eternal shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

May our work, and the ties that bind us to family and friends, make life rich in meaning for us. so that each day we live may be yet another step leading us nearer to You. Amen




Recommended Books 
 A list of books for talking to your children about death:

Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen


It Must Hurt a Lot: A Book about Death and Learning and Growing  by Doris Sanford


The Bug Cemetery by Frances Hill


Goodbye Mousie by Robie Harris


When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death by Laurei Krasny Brown and Marc Brown


Tough Boris by Mem Fox


When a Pet Dies by Fred Rogers


A Candle for Grandpa: A Guide to the Jewish Funeral for Children and Parents by David Techner and Judith Hirt-Manheimer


The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst


Daddy's Chair by Sandy Lanton


Where Do People Go When They Die? by Mindy Avra Portnoy


from the pages of Kadima, the newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:

From the desk of …                    

 Rabbi Barry Schwartz

    

THE THREE PILLARS OF ADAS EMUNO

 The Talmud teaches that our Jewish lives rest on three pillars: Torah (learning), Avodah (prayer), Gemilut hHasadim (kindness).

The synagogue has evolved to fulfill these crucial functions. Indeed, the three Hebrew names for synagogue (which is a loan word from the Greek) are Beit Midrash (House of Study), Beit Tefilah (House of Prayer), and Beit K’nesset (House of Assembly).

Here at Congregation Adas Emuno, we strive to fulfill these three responsibilities. Education, worship, and social action are at the heart of what we do. As we return from summer and gather for the holidays, I invite you to consider how you can “upgrade” your commitment in each of these endeavors.

Education: Take the Torah study plunge! We gather every Shabbat morning (10:00-11:15am) for lively text study and discussion. This year (starting Sept. 8) we are beginning a whole new study of the Mishneh Torah—the magnum opus of Moses Maimonides, arguably the greatest sage in Jewish history. Every session stands on its own; you are always welcome.

Worship:  Nurture your spiritual life! Beautiful music and thought provoking words fill our sanctuary every Shabbat evening (7:30 PM). Bring children of all school ages to our monthly family service (generally the third Shabbat of the month). The family service is not just for the grade being honored! We read from the Torah at this service so that everyone can join in that experience. On Sunday mornings our joyful Religious School service will now begin at 9:00 AM (at the start of the day) to give parents an opportunity to sing and learn with their children.

Social Action: Live generously! A social action committee has been revived this year; ideas are flowing freely. Keep an eye out for details on how you can lend a hand to make our congregation, our community and our world a little bit better place. Our Jewish bumper sticker is not “random” acts of kindness, but “regular” acts of goodness. 

To say that our lives are busy is an understatement. But isn’t it true that the busiest people seem to find the most time? Not everyone may see the “value added” dimension of enhancing their demanding lives with learning, prayer and activism. But Judaism has long insisted that it is imperative that we nurture our intellect, our spirit, and our communal engagement. These are the pillars of soulful living. Rosh Hashanah is a time of promise and possibilities. From my house to yours: Wishing you a sweet and soulful new year!

Life in Leonia

If you're a Leonia resident, you no doubt noticed that Congregation Adas Emuno was featured as the front page story of this past week's issue of the weekly newspaper, Leonia Life.  Dated Friday, August 24th, the article by Raeshelle Middleton is entitled Leonia congregation reconnects as summer nears end.  You can click on the title to read the article over on NorthJersey.com site, or read it here.

As you may recall, we held a special event, an Ice Cream Social, on Sunday August 19 (as noted in our previous post, Parent Guide News), and that's what the article was about.  Here's how it begins:

The congregation at Adas Emuno hosted an ice cream social Aug. 19, to connect with members of the community.

Attendees included families who were already members of the synagogue, and the event allowed members to have the opportunity to reconnect after the summer.

The social was also a celebration to introduce the new cantor, Allison Lopatin, and new religious school director, Annice Benamy.

Tours were given of the synagogue and of the religious school as prospective members of the synagogue inquired about some of the new programs offered, with a special focus on the youth program.

A picture accompanies the article, credited to photographer Danielle Parhizkaran, with the caption, "Rabbi Barry Schwartz with kids and their balloons at the Adas Emuno ice cream social on Aug. 19."  Of course, that's the Rabbi in the middle, and over on the right is David Benamy, the husband of our new religious school director Annice Benamy, our new Youth Group adviser, and balloon twister extraordinaire!

Returning to the article, it continues with quotes from Rabbi Schwartz, Adas Emuno President Lance Strate, and Religious School Director Annice Benamy:

"We feel that our religious school is the jewel and the crown of our little congregation here," said Rabbi Barry Schwartz.

"We are a part of the community and we've always been involved with the community," said Lance Strate, the president of the congregation. "This has been a Leonia institution for many decades now. This is a way for us to connect, reconnect and bond with our community."

Parents attended with their children and there was ice cream for everyone with many different toppings to choose from. There were also balloon animals being made for the children and different types of arts and crafts available for them to participate in.

"Anything a synagogue does is for its congregants, so it's not about the leadership or the professional staff but it's about what we can do for the community to make them feel more connected to their synagogue," Benamy said.

The article also includes a quote from one of our guests:

"I thought it was a good way to introduce yourself to the temple. It looks like a cozy, nice and friendly congregation," said Richard Kaplan, visiting from Gutenberg with his wife, Myriam. "We were looking at the Hebrew school for our son Joshua. He is going to the third grade, and third grade is the time when you start formal religious training."

The article continues with a mention of upcoming events:

The temple hosts different events open to the rest of the community throughout the year. At Hanukkah, the synagogue hosts another event open to the community followed by a Jazz concert, and there is also an interfaith Thanksgiving service. The synagogue is also planning a film screening for the award-winning documentary "Connected" Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. The film focuses on how all things in the world are connected and pays special attention the filmmaker's own experiences. Rabbi Schwartz expressed that the doors are open to people of all faiths who are interested.

 The plug for our screening this past Sunday contributed to an exceptional turnout for our latest Havdallah Talk event.  The article concludes with a quote from one of our longstanding congregants:

"I have three of my kids here ages 11, 14 and 20. I got to see people that I really don't get to see which is nice," said Eric Fisher. "I think it's a wonderful thing that they've done. We've been attending for 15 years. I think the fact that the congregation is expanding and the services that it's offering to all age groups is really important, because the kids are the future."

And there you have it! Congregation Adas Emuno contributes regularly to life in Leonia, New Jersey, and to the greater Bergen County community.

A Review for the Rabbi

Faithful readers of our congregational blog certainly know by now that we are quite proud of our Rabbi's recently published book, Judaism’s Great Debates: Timeless Controversies from Abraham to Herzl.  So, I thought I would share the fact that I wrote a review of the book over on Amazon that you can find on the book's page, and here's a nice link to it for your convenience:

By the way, if you order the book through the above link, or order anything through the Amazon search box over on the left, Adas Emuno will get a share of the profits. So if you're going to order anything from Amazon, why not do it through us and help to support our congregation?

As for the Amazon review, I'll share it here on our blog as well:

No Debating the Value of this Book

Rabbi Schwartz's latest book, Judaism's Great Debates, is a well-written and accessible guide to some of the major disputes in Jewish history, and as such, serves as a great introduction to this essential element within the world's oldest monotheistic tradition.

The book presents us with 10 debates in all, stretching all the way from Abraham's argument with God to spare the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah, to the differing views on Zionism of Theodor Herzl and Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise at the turn of the 20th century. Each debate is presented in a concise form, with emphasis on the dialogue, whether real or virtual, between the disputants. And most importantly, each debate is presented with an eye towards the continuing relevance of the issues under consideration for contemporary life. The debates are a part of a living tradition, and are in their own way reflective of the contradictions inherent in the human condition.

Each of the 10 debates is thought-provoking, and provides an excellent opportunity for discussion and self-examination.  But I do have my favorites.  The 3rd debate, between Moses and the daughters of Zelophehad is remarkable for its relation to women's rights, the fact that it implies flexibility in regard to Mosaic Law, and its connection to the question of intermarriage.  Chapter 4's debate between King David and the prophet Nathan is a sobering case of the abuse of authority and the need to speak truth to power, and the essential ideal that no one is above the law.  The debate between Hillel and Shammai in Chapter 6 is a classic in Jewish tradition, encapsulating the conflict over lenient and strict interpretations of the Law, between liberal and conservative, progressive and fundamentalist.  Chapter 7's dispute between the Vilna Gaon and the Baal Shem Tov similarly speaks to the conflict between head and heart, between intellect and emotion, between study and prayer, and offers two sides of Judaism that are each in their own ways worthy of celebration.  The debate between Spinoza and the Amsterdam Rabbis in Chapter 8 regards in unblinking manner a dark moment in Jewish history, where one of the greatest of modern philosophers, and one of the founders of the Enlightenment movement, was excommunicated for his views--this chapter alone is worth the price of the book!


Barry Schwartz explains that he took part in tournament debate as a high school student, and his love of the form is present throughout the volume.  Despite the sometimes tragic consequences of the conflicts that took place, Rabbi Schwartz makes it clear that "debate is more than a valued intellectual exercise in Judaism.  In echoing the divine process of creation, it is a holy act."  His introduction and overview of the tradition of "arguing for the sake of heaven" would serve as an excellent text for religious studies courses, adult education, and is an absolute must for anyone interested in moral theology or a dialogical approach to religious experience.

In case you're wondering, anyone signed in to Amazon can rate this book and any other product, and can post a review as well. And while we're at it, here's a link for the young person's version of the book:

And while we're at it, a link for the Teacher's Guide:

And finally, you might also want to add Rabbi Schwartz's book on Jewish Heroes, Jewish Values to your collection, or to give as a gift:

In future posts, we will feature other items that you might be interested in, that can be purchased online, and please feel free to share with us a review that you have written, or write one for us to share here of books, music, movies, or any other type of Judaica.

New Beginnings

New beginnings. New challenges, New motivation.  NewCAJE.  New Year.  I am a new blogger.  I am Annice Benamy, Religious School Director at Congregation Adas Emuno.  I am humbled to have been asked to be a contributor to the Blog.  I will try to have something worth reading that will spark some motivation and inspiration to learn more.  This is my new beginning.

One of the highlights of my summer (besides beginning this amazing new position) was to attend NewCAJE.  "New" because the "Old" CAJE folded several years ago.  "New" because Rabbi Cherie Koller Fox and CAJE participants wanted it back so they created a new organization based on an old one.  CAJE stands for the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education.  It encompasses all denominations of Judaism including Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Renewal.  Each year a different university is chosen to host the four day conference. Participants come from all over the country (this year we represented 31 states and 2 countries) to study, learn, worship, play, sing, network, and eat. 

My first CAJE experience was in Atlanta, Georgia in 1986.  I was teaching in Cleveland, Ohio and wanted to really get involved in Jewish education.  My mother, who is my absolute role model, was involved in Jewish music education and she encouraged me to attend CAJE with her.  It was such a fabulous experience that I attended the next CAJE at Ohio State University in 1987 again with my mother.  Not only did we attend, but we served as an airport service.  This is where I met my friend and brilliant musician, Craig Taubman. We offered to pick up Craig and his band at the Columbus airport and bring them to CAJE.  A friendship quickly formed and 25 years later I am still inspired by his musical greatness.  I also got to sing with Debbie Friedman in the CAJE Chorale the same year.

New motivation:  NewCAJE was just as fabulous as CAJE.  After arriving at Newark airport on Sunday from a family work/vacation in Arizona, my daughter, Ilana, and I went to Montclair State University for our Jewish education week.  Ilana was the official NewCAJE Photographer.  In four days I took workshops on Administration, Text Study, Technology, New Ideas for Traditional Schools, Great Jewish Debates (Rabbi Schwartz's new book), Creative Torah Teaching, Madrachim Training, Taste of Trope, and Intensive Mitkadem Hebrew Training. We heard concerts from Cantor Doug Cotler, Baal Shem Tones, Six13, Kenny Ellis, New Voices of Noah Aronson, Naomi Less, Jay Rapoport, Eric Komar.  But the "cherry on the top" was the 40th anniversary of Kol B'seder - Rabbi Dan Freelander and Cantor Jeff Klepper.  Who are they you ask?  On Friday Shabbat, we sing "Shalom Rav."  They wrote that song.  Other songs they wrote that we sing are "Haporais Sukat Shalom" and at Silent Prayer "Oseh Shalom".  They contributed much of the contemporary music we sing today.  With Debbie Friedman, Kol B'seder paved the way for musicians such as Craig Taubman, Dan Nichols, and Josh Nelson. 

New challenges:  Jewish education is alive and well in the 21st Century because of the new professionals entering the field.  Jewish education is changing day by day because there are new ways of doing things.  I learned to keep an open mind, be flexible, take risks, and remember our work is for our students at any age.  I learned that our biggest blessing is that we can study Judaism together every day. 

I look foward to you joining me in 5773 for new beginnings, new challenges, and new motivations.

L'shalom,

Annice Benamy

Parent Guide News

Have you seen our entry in Parent Guide News? If not, maybe you should go take a look, as it's online as well as in print. According to their website, Parent Guide News "caters to expecting parents and families with children up to 12 years of age. The monthly columns and feature articles in our ten regional parenting magazines, as well as online, address both global and local parenting concerns, such as health, education, pregnancy, child-rearing and much more.

So, go take a look at our page on their site, and while you're their, you can explore all that this site has to offer.  Or if you're the impatient type, here's what it says:

Congregation Adas Emuno
254 Broad Ave.
Leonia, NJ 07605 (map)
Phone: (201)592-1712
www.adasemuno.org 

Congregation Adas Emuno is a Reform congregation whose goal is to strengthen within its membership the bonds of faith and community and instill within its children the sense, history and responsibility of growing up in a Jewish community. A dynamic clergy team, led by Rabbi Barry Schwartz, along with a creative religious school staff and actively engaged membership, help them realize that goal. They offer a positive Reform Jewish experience for families with children of all ages, providing free high holy day children’s services, monthly Family Shabbat Services, Sunday morning religious school for grades Kindergarten through Confirmation, and creative programming for younger children . For the 2012-2013 school year, families with young children can look forward to fun activities like apple picking for Rosh Hashana and Super Sukkot Family Day in September, Chanukah Celebration for Tots in December, Arts and Crafts at the Jewish Museum in January, and hammantaschen-making for Purim in February! Please visit the temple website for more information. Join them on August 19 from 2-4pm for a “Meet and Greet” ice cream social. Congregation Adas Emuno is proud of its long history serving the Bergen and North Hudson County communities since 1871.

Now, why don't you just see what it looks like on their page anyway, just click here, go there, and let us know what you think.

It’s The Connection

from the pages of Kadima, the newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:







A Message from our President, Dr. Alan Spector



It’s The Connection



Although I was not in attendance, leaders of Reform congregations gathered together at the Union for Reform Judaism’s Biennial convention in Washington D.C. last month and returned home feeling energized, and determined to meet the challenge set by the movement’s leadership: to double synagogue participation by high school seniors by the end of the decade. Our own Rabbi Schwartz attended the biennial, as did President Obama who spoke at the convention [see our previous post, Obama at the URJ]. With more than 6,000 attendees, this Biennial was the largest ever, the first to be sold out, and one of the largest indoor gatherings of American Jews ever.


With its new “Campaign for Youth Engagement”, the URJ is focusing on the statistic that “80 percent of the children who become b’nei mitzvah will have no connections of any kind to their Jewish community by the time they reach 12h grade”. The goal of the campaign is that by 2020, we increase the number of young people who will stay involved throughout high school from 20 percent to 50 percent.


The youth engagement campaign is about helping congregations ask intentional, challenging questions about themselves, about whether everything is as excellent as it can be.


As President of Adas Emuno, I have the responsibility of asking these questions of you, specifically: Is everything as excellent as it can be? More concrete questions are: What can we do to make it better (whether we focus only on the Campaign for Youth Engagement or something additional that we can help with)? Do we, as just one small congregation that is a member of the Union for Reform Judaism, have to take responsibility for this grim statistic or do we, as parents, grandparents, extended family and/or friends of our 13-18 year olds who are the focus of this statistic, have to take some responsibility as well?


Do you have your own Jewish traditions such as Shabbat dinner, weekly candlelighting, Friday night challah (and having your kids look forward to having “daddy’ s french toast made with the leftovers on Sunday morning)? Do your children attend Jewish-based pre-schools, Jewish-themed day and sleep-away camps? Do they become involved, along with yourselves, with Jewish-based causes and social justice, celebrations of any and all Jewish holidays? Do we go out of our way to have our “at risk” youth continue to connect with the Jewish counterparts that they have met along the way? As Rabbi Schwartz asked us at the High Holidays, “are you making Jewish memories”?


As a parent of three young adults, I am aware that it is not always so easy to always raise our children “Jewishly”, to give them a sense of Jewish pride and identity, particularly as Reform Jews who are being raised in a mostly secular environment. But we have to begin somewhere, and we do: with the celebration at a Brit Milah or a baby naming; with attendance at Religious School; with becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah; and hopefully, with Confirmation. Maintaining a family affiliation with the synagogue after Bar or Bat Mitzvah is also crucial; it demonstrates a commitment to Judaism long after the celebrations.


So it’s not so easy to make all this happen, but there is help along the way if you need it: be it emotional, spiritual, financial, or otherwise. And for many of our interfaith families, it is even more crucial that they be given the resources and guidance they need to make sure that the partners who were not born Jewish, but either are Jews by choice or have chosen Judaism for their children, feel welcome in the community, and their children feel secure in their Jewish identity.


We need to ask our young people what their positive Jewish memories are, both in and out of the synagogue. With this knowledge, one would hope that a greater percentage of our high school seniors will move on to universities and associate with Jewish organizations such as Hillel and/or Jewish-based fraternities and sororities. That on a spring break, a greater percentage will take advantage of a Birthright Israel program. And yes, that they will eventually choose a lifestyle informed by their own childhood Jewish memories, a life where they will create new memories for the next generation.


The new leader of the Reform movement, Rabbi Richard Jacobs said, “We should not be talking about the unaffiliated; we should talk about uninspiring congregations. We need to look at what’s inspiring people.” Clearly, we need to hear from you. It is up to each and every one of us, our members and friends of our Jewish community, to be of help, to feel comfortable seeking help. As parents, grandparents and guardians of Jewish children, it’s the connection to our Jewish heritage that we presently share that will make it happen. It’s all about the kinderlech.

Shalom,

Alan

Rabbi Schwartz's Sermon for Rosh Hashanah Morning 5772

MEMORABLE JUDAISM

ROSH HASHANAH MORNING 5772

RABBI BARRY L. SCHWARTZ

When I was growing up, my family made the two hour trip from Peekskill, New York to Brooklyn, New York once a month. It was not an especially pleasant drive from suburb to city.  Each trip had its share of potholes, crazy New Yorkers, and traffic jams.  Yet we made the trip every month, every season, every year.  The reason, quite simply:  Grandma and Grandpa.

One of the things I remember about my grandparent’s home was this:  It was small, but it was full of pictures. There were photographs everywhere.  In fact, I still marvel at how many photos could be displayed in such a small space.  My grandparents had one picture each of their own parents, a handful of themselves, and several of their two sons.  The lion’s share of photos, however, were of us, the grandchildren.

In one sweep of the eye I could see my great grandparents, grandparents, and parents all on their wedding days.  I could see my father in knickers, at his high school graduation, in his Navy uniform.  I could see myself as a baby, as a Bar Mitzvah.

The visits were timed to include major Jewish holidays.  So there were also pictures of us lighting Hannukah candles, and celebrating Pesach.

The memories of those visits are still vivid, some forty years later.  I can still see my grandparent’s home like it was yesterday.  Their faces and their embrace.  I can still smell the food, still hear the stories, still sing the songs, still speak the Yiddish (a bissel), still picture the neighborhood.

On the way home, we always stopped for fresh bagels.  I mean real Brooklyn bagels.  Are there good bagels on this side of the river?

Zicharon.  Memory.  This sermon is about memory.  And here is my thesis:  The secret of Jewish continuity is family, and the secret of family continuity is memory.  Put another way:  what keeps Judaism alive is the bequeathing of our heritage from generation to generation, and what motivates one generation to pass on its values and traditions to the next, is memory.

Without memory, we become orphans in history.  Without nostalgia, we lose touch with our past.  Nostalgia, from the Greek nostos, a return to home, and algia, pain.  A desire to return home so strong, it hurts.

In a positive sense, nostalgia is a yearning for feelings so dear that we are moved to perpetuate them.  If our Jewish memory is joyful, we receive it as a gift and want to share it with those who come after us.  If our Jewish memory is hostile, or simply indifferent, then it will come to an end, with us.

Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artzon recalls that when he was a child, he and his sister loved to look through their parent’s photo albums.  He writes, “we loved the pictures of their ski trip to Tahoe, of their wedding, of their first apartment, or moving into their first house.  We would gather time after time to see the albums.  Somehow, we never tired of looking at those pictures, reveling in memories and the love.”

Then Rabbi Artzon continues:  “Those albums brought us great joy until the day our parents got a divorce.  Once my parents separated, my sister and I stopped looking at those pictures.  They had become too painful for us to see.”

Rabbi Artzon concludes with a larger point:  “Divorced from the Jewish heritage, memory albums no longer inspire; they accuse.”

And so, permit me to ask you a personal question. Regarding your own Jewish memories: Do they inspire, or accuse? Are they nostalgic, or alienating? Do you summon them with enthusiasm or trepidation or indifference?

I began by sharing my visits as a youth with my grandparents. My paternal grandmother and grandfather were both immigrants. My maternal grandmother (I never knew my paternal grandfather) was native born, but in the totally Yiddish world of the turn of the century lower east side. They were joyfully and proudly Jewish and to this day it brings a smile to my face.

Take a moment, if you will, and summon a Jewish memory that brings a smile to your face…

Now, a follow up question, inspired by an old adage that I cherish so much that I use it at every baby naming I do.

 “Let us consider our world not so much as inherited from our ancestors but as borrowed from our children.”

What memories do we want to create for our families?

What legacy do we want to leave for the next generation?

What shall we do today that will bring a smile to our children tomorrow?

Judaism sanctifies time.

Are we celebrating Shabbat in ways that summon a smile?

 

Do we make time for a special Shabbat evening meal, complete with white tablecloth, candles, Kiddush, challah, blessing of the children, good food, good conversation, and everyone home?

Is our Seder a joyful and meaningful affirmation of peoplehood and history, or a rush to the food?

Judaism sanctifies space.

Are we celebrating our holy places in ways that summon a smile?

Do we make time for the joyful experience of synagogue, camp, retreats, heritage tours, israel?

Judaism sanctifies people and relationships.

Are we celebrating the milestones of life, and extending a helping hand to those in need, in ways that summon a smile?

If we seek greater rootedness in our dizzying world, have we deepened our ties to community and tradition?

If we seek greater family unity in a fractured society, have we taken a second look at venerable rituals that bind the generations ?

If we seek indelible memories in a disposable culture, have we done anything out of the ordinary?

What might we do, as a congregation, out of the ordinary? Innovative and compelling enough that in the end we will say: that was special? That was transformational? I will always remember that?

I welcome your ideas and your passion.

A Shabbaton at the synagogue?

A multi-generational weekend retreat in the Poconos?

A heritage tour to Eastern Europe?

A family trip to Israel?   

At this New Year, let us challenge ourselves:

Am I living a Jewish life worthy of memory?

Is there joy in my Judaism, or only obligation?

Am I secure enough in my identity that my children will be in theirs?

Am I willing to think big?

Experiences of Shabbat, holidays, social justice work, Israel are “mishpacha memories,” Jewish family experiences that lodge in the mind and are not forgotten. Memories that will bring that smile and sense of connection…  ten, twenty, thirty years from now.

The memory albums of our lives will inspire or accuse. For sure, they take years to assemble, and years more to penetrate to the very core of who we are. Only now, for example, do I fully appreciate the impact of those monthly shleps to Brooklyn, and of course, in the broader sense, the legacy of my immigrant grandparents. So, having begun this sermon in terms of personal memory, let me then conclude the same way.

As I was mulling over this theme some years ago, I experienced a powerful moment of family continuity, right in front of my computer. I had read about a then new website: ellisislandrecords.org. I learned that from 1890 to 1922, more than 20 million immigrants came to America via Ellis Island. Meticulously recorded ship manifests chronicle each and every arrival. An army of volunteers, largely from the Mormon Church, put all these manifests on disk. When the Ellis Island website went online, the response was overwhelming. Millions of Americans began searching for their roots.

I was one of them. I began my search with my maternal great grandfather, because I knew the specifics of his arrival. He had saved the ticket that brought him to America, and he so treasured it that he passed it on to his daughter, my grandmother, who framed it. My grandmother gave it to me shortly before her passing at 100 years of age. It is on my wall, next to the certificate proclaiming my great grandfather a United States citizen. He saved that paper too.

Logging on to the website when it was not overloaded proved formidable, but then I was in, and several clicks later—there it was. Just one entry: One of twenty million. Line 21. Leo Lorber. Age 20. Ship: The Pennsylvania.  Port: Hamburg, Germany. Date of arrival: Nov.18, 1899.  Funds upon arrival: $15. The handwriting on the manifest was identical to that on the ticket. The same clerk had issued my great grandfather’s ticket and recorded his journey. A century later his great grandson, who bears his name, would rediscover the entry.

Zicharon. Memory. The secret of Jewish continuity is family, and the secret of family continuity is memory.

At this New Year, we dedicate ourselves anew to securing the link that binds the generations.

At this New Year, we dedicate ourselves to singing the song of our people, the song that will never be lost.

At this New Year, we raise the cup of thanksgiving:

L’mishpacha–to family!

L’zicharon–to memory!

L’hayim–to life!

Innovative Programming at Adas Emuno Religious School

It's August, and while kids may start to feel summer slowly slipping away, many adults exult, or at least start to plan for back-to-school days in September.  So, as we start looking ahead, why not a look back at our school year?

Our Adas Emuno Religious School is notable for its innovative educational programming in the tradition of Reform Judaism.  Below we see our students passing through the “sea of reeds” on the way to freedom, as part of the School's Passover program, held on March 28.  

Information about our Sunday school programs, and registrations forms can be obtained from the Adas Emuno website at http://www.adasemuno.org/school.

Something to Dance About--Adas Emuno's Religious School

The students and families at Congregation Adas Emuno in Leonia were treated to a special Israel themed program on May 16th.  In addition to planting flowers, posting prayers on their own "Western Wall", and sampling delicious falafel, Adas Emuno was able to include Israeli folk dancing to their program. The dancing was led by instructors from the Israeli Dance Institute of Manhattan and made possible thanks to a generous grant from the Israel Programs Center of the UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey.  

As you can tell from the photograph, a wonderful time was had by all!  

Tomorrow is the last day of our religious school year, and we send our congratulations to all of our wonderful students for successfully completing their studies this year, and our sincere appreciation as well to our School Director, Jennifer Katz-Goldstein, and all of our dedicated, gifted teachers!

Shabbat Meyuchad

Once a month, on the first Saturday afternoon at 2 PM, Congregation Adas Emuno holds a Shabbat Meyuchad service that has been designed to be especially appealing and welcoming for people with developmental disabilities and their families.  The service is open to all, of course, and can be appreciated by and meaningful for everyone.  But it is also meant to be especially welcoming and comfortable for families and individuals touched by autism, and other forms of disabilities.

The service is called Shabbat Meyuchad because it is an afternoon service, and as Sabbath services go, it is brief, and highly musical.  The idea for the service came after our spiritual leader, Cantor Shapiro, worked with my daughter Sarah, who has moderate autism, to give her an uniquely-tailored Bat Mitzvah ceremony a year ago.  And this made for a great story for our local cable news program, as you can see from the video below.

A brief note:  The person who came to film us on a weekday afternoon made it a point to get us to pronounce all of the Hebrew words correctly, but somehow the anchor was not able to get it right when she said "Adas Emuno" (should be ah-Dahss eh-Moon-oh), "Meyuchad" (should be may-Yoo-chahd), and even "Shabbat" (should be shah-Baht)! And their use of the phrase, "mentally challenged," in reference to individuals with developmental disabilities is inappropriate.

Be that as it may, it certainly was a worthwhile topic for a news report:

The question of inclusion comes up quite often in discussions relating to the education of people with disabilities. Religious inclusion does not receive anywhere near the same amount of attention, but it is very much relevant to inclusion in general, to be a part of one's family and community. And while you might expect it only natural for religious institutions to make the effort to include individuals with disabilities, all too often that's not the case. It means a great deal to me and my family that our congregation has that kind of openness, and is willing to make the effort.

The next Shabbat Meyuchad service is this Saturday, all are welcome to join us!

Just a photograph from the Adas Emuno Religious School to brighten this rainy Sunday!

 
You shall teach them diligently to your children...