From
the Rabbi…
Winter
2007
Hanukkah is fast approaching
and will possibly have arrived by the time you read this.
Hanukkah is, of course, commemorating the rededication of
the Temple after it has been sacked by the Assyrians, and
we all light our candles to remember the miracle of the
victory of the Jews over the Assyrian army.
The theme of Hanukkah is redemption, and
this means that the timing of our Torah writing project
is impeccable. Hanukkah is not mentioned in the Torah, yet
the project is all about rededication. I am asking you who
have dedicated yourselves to B'nai Torah to rededicate yourselves
by participating in the writing of our new Torah scroll.
I am a little nervous, because although
I'm sure you agree, that writing our own Torah is a magnificent
and moving idea, the success of our intention relies on
a crucial point, that you regard B'nai Torah as your spiritual
home. Indeed, I see my role as a rabbi to help to create
a spiritual home for you, but I'm unsure how successful
we have been. How indeed would we measure such a concept?
A member of the congregation recently
praised me for the influence I have had on the synagogue.
I asked him what he was referring to, and he talked about
the fact that we have a new Siddur for Shabbat and a new
Machzor for the High Holidays. I responded flatly that my
idea of influence is that because of the introduction of
the prayer books, more members would be able to connect
with their Jewish tradition, thanks to the transliteration
and user-friendly English. However, it certainly is NOT
the case that more people attend services since we have
begun to use the new books.
I am one of very few rabbis who tutor
students for Bar/Bat Mitzvah. I am committed to doing so
because I hope that the personal connection that I make
with both the child and their parents will have lasting
effects beyond the day, regarding their connection to and
feeling about their Judaism. We are also one of the very
few synagogues who give over the entire weekend to the Bar/Bat
Mitzvah family. Our students lead the Friday evening service,
much of the Saturday service in addition to their Haftarah
and Torah readings. We also allow the family to fill ALL
of the aliyot. We do this, in order that what results is
a Shabbat which is memorable and all-encompassing, an event
which will leave a lasting impression, which will at the
very least mean that the new Bar/Bat Mitzvah will be participating
in the service quite often.
And yet, one of the most startling things
that I have witnessed in the Rabbinate, is that having been
to services, sometimes every week, leading up to Bar/Bat
Mitzvah, a family stops coming. I don't mean that they come
less frequently. I mean that they stop coming entirely.
It is true that many celebrate the anniversary of their
Bar/Bat Mitzvah, and several read Torah on the High Holidays,
but the regular shul experience is gone. Simchat Torah this
year, which fell on a weekend, was bereft of children. We
didn't have enough children to give all of the balloons
to! Last Friday, we experienced a moving Family Service,
with almost NO children. I'm told that when Rabbi Wallin
was here, there wasn't a seat to be found for Family Services.
So I cannot easily agree with the congregant who talks about
my influence at B'nai Torah.
This makes me wonder if indeed B'nai Torah
is your spiritual home. Do you feel a sense of belonging
that I felt growing up in my shul. My family attended every
single event, in addition to going to services, precisely
because it was our spiritual home. We probably spent more
time in the synagogue that at home.
Much has been made of our name, "B'nai
Torah", which describes US, rather than the building.
We are "Children of the Torah". The synagogue
should be the place which helps you, to write your own personal
Torah, to create a spiritual life for you and your family,
to become part of a caring community which celebrates your
simchas and consoles your tragedies. It's not just about
attending services. It's about creating social justice and
tzedakah programs. It's about supporting community programs.
You might not want to buy a piece of art, but you should
want to support the synagogue by attending the art show.
The Torah that we are writing is a symbol
of this. Imagine listening to a Torah being read, or your
child celebrating their Bar/Bat Mitzvah from a Torah scroll
that EVERY SINGLE member of B'nai Torah has contributed
a letter. IMAGINE THAT! And in order to make our new Torah
part of your lives, it inspires you to personalize Jewish
teachings by acting as a prism through which you can better
understand your lives. I want you to write a letter, but
I don't want your commitment to end there. Use the letter
as a springboard for your spiritual journey.
I have mentioned before that the story
of the oil lasting for eight days was just that, a story,
created to focus less on a military victory, and more on
the spirituality of Hanukkah. I think I have a new appreciation
for the story of the oil. The rabbis understood the need
for a spiritual connection to the holiday, which makes Hanukkah
the perfect time to kick-off our Torah writing project.
Our Torah writing project is an opportunity to rededicate
yourself to your own spiritual lives, to make B'nai Torah
your spiritual home.
Rabbi Colin
(203) 268-6940
rabbi@bnaitorahct.org
