Job Opening at Jewish Federation of Delaware

Nice to see one in this economy, in this case from Jewish Federation of Delaware, posted by Ruth Rosenberg. see below:

The Jewish Federation of Delaware has an immediate opening for a Database Manager/Executive Assistant. The successful candidate will have excellent technical and administrative skills with the ability to manage our fund raising database in support of the Annual Campaign, provide support for our online activities and website, along with a variety of administrative responsibilities. We are looking for a detail oriented self-starter with outstanding interpersonal skills to work full time in our busy downtown office. Qualified candidates should send their resumes to me at ruth@shalomdel.org.

What does it mean to be 'really' Jewish?

This article in Ha'aretz struck a real chord with me, as it's a question I spend a lot of time thinking about. Why is it that we concede authenticity to the visibly orthodox (i.e. chasidic Jews)? What does it say about our own sense of integrity as liberal Jews that, so often, we hold some idealized frum up as the 'real' Jew, or we exert all kinds of energy tearing that image down as if to cast the Shomer Mitzvot individual as some kind of religious Neanderthal?

This question came up again at Torah study this past week, even. What is 'mainstream' Judaism? The Judaism experienced in synagogues, JCCs, and other places of affiliation, or in marathons of "Curb Your Enthusiasm", pictures from Maccabi games on Facebook, and the Adam Sandler Hanukah song? Or does it even need defining?

So, I ask you: what does it mean to be authentically Jewish? Does it have to do with affiliation? With personal practice? Is it an ethical, cultural, or ethnic thing? Is it undefinable? Post your responses here (or leave a response when this gets posted as a note to my facebook)!

In the meantime, a happy New Year to everyone!

Chanukah and Human Rights

Rabbis For Human Rights (of which I am a member) is promoting tonight and tomorrow as 'Human Rights Shabbat', coinciding with the beginning of Chanukah. While CBE is not directly participating this year (didn't have time to get the word out), it's a good time for us to remember that human rights are a significant part of this holiday. We talk about the jug of oil, of Mattathias and Judah's revolt, of the restoration of the Temple, but the Hasmonean revolt (which this holiday celebrates) was very much about Human Rights as our ancient worthies understood them; rights which we as Jews have fought for, trumpeted and celebrated for over a thousand years.

So as we settle in for a night of Adam Sandler songs, gifts, candle lighting, fried foods (and maybe even going to services, *cough cough*), let's take some time to remember the real miracle this holiday celebrates: that all of us, created in God's image, may be free to live with security and liberty.

Want to make your own Chanukah more Human Rights oriented or are looking for some Shabbat Table Talk? Check out the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Or use this prayer for Human rights by Rabbi Brant Rosen.

How do we disagree?

So the following status update was posted on a friend's Facebook:

Can't we all just get along and WRESTLE? 1: to contend by grappling with and striving to trip or throw an opponent down or off balance, 2 to combat an opposing tendency or force, 3 to engage in or as if in a violent or determined struggle...

A perfect quote for this week's parasha, parashat Vayishlach. This is the famous scene wherein Jacob wrestles with some ambiguous someone (himself? an Angel? Esau? God? The text leaves the question open) and receives a blessing and a new name: Yisrael, one who struggles with God or if you prefer (and Arthur Waskow does): Godwrestler.

In my sermon tonight (should be updated by the end of the weekend), I'm going to talk about this idea of Sacred Struggle, and how critical it is for the health of a synagogue. Here's an excerpt:

And if there is a place where we should be able to have this experience, it is in the synagogue. This is a place where we feel and experience deeply, where we are at our most empowered and at our most vulnerable, a place that we want to stand up for certain values even as we want it to fulfill our every need. This cannot be a place where opinions, no matter how heated, no matter how divergent, are minimized. Every person’s voice matters in synagogue; not just the board member’s or the rabbi’s or the teacher’s, but everyone’s. We are all equal ‘stakeholders’, if you will. No one who truly cares and has the congregation’s health at his or her heart should feel that it was better to sit on disagreements until they fester, and find themselves leaving the synagogue or ‘causing trouble’, complaining about minor points that don’t speak to the real issue at hand, the one that’s burning inside. We cannot allow ourselves to be doctrinaire, to minimize and exclude opposition, or disallow innovation and growth. At the same time, this does not mean the synagogue exists to always affirm every request, regardless of how it relates to the community’s mission or sense of self; at some point a synagogue exists to respond to the needs of many, not only the few or the one, and no matter how reasonable or thoughtful the argument, sometimes the synagogue—with regret and love—cannot answer in the affirmative. Real community allows for dissonance—or if you prefer, polyphony—for the full variety of voices to be heard, joined together, in all our messy, divergent glory, somehow motivating all of us to take ownership, to encourage creativity that we may work together to strengthen the synagogue. So long as we see our challenges as belonging to someone else and we remove ourselves—our allow us to be removed— from the process, we will never grow as individuals or a community, and we will deny each other the blessing that could make us more committed, more inclusive, more thoughtful Jews.

I know, however, that confrontation and conflict are hard , both to do well and to do at all. No one wants to confront the rabbi, or to express concerns or comments, until the steam builds up to such a point that the confrontation becomes, shall we say, explosive.

Now, please understand, I'm not itching for a fight every week. Rather, I want people to feel comfortable enough to engage in meaningful conversation here--with me, other members of the leadership, with each other--without feeling either that they have to win at all costs nor that they are going to lose no matter what. I want people to have the opportunity to be transformed and blessed by the experience just as Jacob was. Of course, that takes hard work. It takes conviction but also a sense of the sacred in the other, a desire for learning as much as (if not more than) a desire for winning. A love of the individual and of the community. My hope is, when conflicts arise, we'll be able to approach them as Jacob is able to approach them: as an opportunity for blessing and growth.

A Holiday discussion of Ritual

Thanksgiving is a good time to talk about rituals. Because there is very little in the form of set liturgy or tradition (other than menu and travel), it's a great time to see a lot of diversity and difference among families, who cherish those rituals they've inculcated for themselves.

With that in mind, a couple of links to help us.

First, my friend Rabbi Phyllis (of ima on the bima) shares her Thanksgiving 'Seders' on her blog here.

Second is Rabbi Hayim Herring's exploration of new rituals at his blog, Tools for Shuls, here.

And finally, as we at CBE continue to test Mishkan T'fillah, you can find it on Google Books (at least in chunks) here.

Finally, a question: what are the rituals that you look forward to, that make the holiday (or Shabbat, or a different holiday or life cycle event) meaningful for you? What would it mean to change those rituals, either by introducing new ones, or taking old ones away?

May you have a day full of gratitude, family and food.

Blessing for Non-Jewish Spouses

Tomorrow night is our Interfaith Family Shabbat (look it up on Interfaithways.com), where we will celebrate the non-Jewish parents and spouses who have chosen to share themselves and commit to this community. I've spoken about blessing non-Jews on the bimah before, so I won't belabor that point. but I would like to share some words (specifically, Rabbi Janet Marder of Temple Beth Am in California) of why this is an important and significant moment in the life of this congregation.

We are blessed to have those who, in choosing to marry a Jewish person, have chosen to commit themselves to the Jewish people and to our congregation. While they have not converted, they live Jewish lives, support Jewish spouses and family members, raise Jewish children, and have chosen, in loving a Jewish individual, to love us as a people. I can't think of anything more worthy of a congregation's blessing, but as they used to say on Reading Rainbow, you don't have to take my word for it. Read Rabbi Marder's blessing below.

Blessing for Non-Jewish Spouses—Yom Kippur Morning - URJ

Long overdue post

I know, I know. I'm, like, the only blogger who went to the URJ Biennial in Toronto and didn't blog about it, yet.

Needless to say, it was pretty amazing, despite my sore throat (and sounding like I swallowed a wood chipper) and only being there through Friday morning. It's always great to learn from--and hang out with--old friends and colleagues who are, on the whole, way better at this whole rabbi thing than I am. So always glad to learn from them.

Also was happy to see my dad's (which is to say, the Jewish Welfare Board's) display and their Torah for the Troops project (which was also presented at the GA). Make sure you take a gander (we may even find a way to get them here!).