Author: Melissa

I had the great privilege two weeks ago to deliver the sermon at the community Martin Luther King Jr. Day service held each year at Foster Memorial Church here in Tarrytown.  It was a remarkable experience, in no small part because the congregational response to every part of the service in this AME Zion congregation is so totally different than our own.  The level of freedom that worshippers feel to call out responses to prayer, songs and especially to the sermon is exhilarating. (I heard lots of “amens” and at least one “preach it, rabbi!”)  Not only is the immediate feedback reinforcing, it turns the service into a much more interactive, participatory experience.  Worshippers feel empowered, and they leave the sanctuary feeling that the service has worked for them, has impacted them is a very tangible way.  And that, after all, is one of the main goals of prayer.  The closest thing we currently have to this is our Family Service, which always draws a more spirited participation, especially in the music.  Come and join us tonight at 7:00, bring your energy, and feel free to shout out your joy.  You’ll be amazed at how good it feels!

This week is “Shabbat Shira” the Sabbath of song. On Shabbat morning, all across the world, we will read the story of the Israelites fleeing the Egyptians and miraculously crossing the sea to freedom. We are told that when they safely reached the other side, Miriam, Moses’ sister, took a tambourine in her hand and led a group of women in a joyous song and dance in thanks to God. 

A tambourine. 

The Israelites were fleeing Egypt and didn’t even have enough time to let the dough rise and yet the women thought to bring their tambourines?

 It is a fascinating thing when you think about it. We have all played that game – if there was a fire, what would be the three objects you would run to save from the house? We mostly think of family heirlooms and picture albums. And yet Miriam (and many of her girlfriends) when faced with a quick rush out of the house, chose to bring a musical instrument. Why? There are probably lots of explanations but here’s the one I like best: they were making sure to bring along hope so they’d be ready for celebration. After 400 years of slavery, of being beaten down by Pharoah, these women made a decision that they were going to carry something that clearly represented joy and freedom. They 

were going to bring their tambourines and hope, please God, that they would have the chance to use them. This cannot have been easy. But they armed themselves with hope and forged ahead, equipped and prepared for joy and happiness.

What is it in your life that you are hoping for? And what can you do now so that you are ready for  it when it comes? Don’t forget to pack your tambourine because you never know if the next miracle is just around the corner

Shabbat Shalom!

Pamela Barkley

Director of Education

It is a great pleasure to be writing my first blog entry as I begin my tenure in the newly created position of Director of Temple Operations. And I get to start out in this position in the month of January which is named for the Roman god Janus. Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions, is pictured with two faces – one faces back into the past, one forward to the future.

Looking back to 2012, I had an absolutely memorable year. My family had two weddings (my son and my nephew), I was the Gala Honoree at the synagogue at which I am a member, and in November, my wife and I became Saba and Savta, grandparents, for the first time! Looking forward into 2013, I have the opportunity to get acquainted with you and work with you on your life cycle events, your programs, social action projects, and educational initiatives.  The Professional Staff and your leadership have been extremely warm and welcoming making my transition here a smooth, comfortable, and enjoyable experience. I look forward to meeting you and getting to know you through the course of this year. I appreciate your patience and understanding as I get to learn everyone’s name and become familiar with our procedures. Feel free to stop into the Temple office to say hello next time you are in the building. You can also call me in the office – I’m at extension 13 – or email me at sskolnick@tba-ny.org.

I wish all of you a Shabbat Shalom!

In this week’s parasha we read about the plagues in Egypt, and of the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart in response to those plagues.  He has evidence before him of the inevitability of God’s victory, but still he refuses to let the people go.  The sages wonder about that phrase, “hardening his heart.”  Is it stubbornness?  Evil?  Stupidity?  One thought is that it might just have been a habit.  Pharaoh, the master of Egypt, god-incarnate to his people, was not used to being challenged or confronted by anyone.  His automatic response to anyone challenging his authority was “No!”  And despite the mounting evidence before him, despite the increasing suffering of the Egyptians through each successive plague, he was unable to break the habit of automatically rejecting any request that challenged his authority.  We know how that worked out for him…

This leads me to some questions for your Shabbat meditation:  1) what are the issues/people/moments/events to which or in which you habitually and automatically say “no?”  Is it time to reconsider that response?  2) what negative habit(s) would you like to change?  Wouldn’t you like to do it now, before the plagues start?

Shabbat shalom!

So how did it feel to take that much-needed breath?

Just before the winter break, I wrote here that the time between Christmas and New Year’s was a gift. Given the anxiety that plagued many of us throughout the late fall and early winter, this vacation period was a chance to recoup and recharge. Did you remember to breathe in and exhale slowly? Did you take time to connect with others? Did you find a way to hit your personal reset button?

I hope so. Because ready-or-not, here the new year comes! 2013 is officially underway and with it, the daily grind begins again. Carpools, making dinner, doing homework, taking out the garbage, making doctors appointments, laundry……it’s all back and ready to overwhelm us if we let it. And maybe that’s the key – not letting it overwhelm.  How can we remember to take breaths on a more consistent basis throughout the year – not just during vacation periods?  How can we make sure that all the logistics of our lives don’t prevent us from actually enjoying our lives? I think it starts by just acknowledging to ourselves that this is a goal. Because although there will be new things to stress about and there will be demands made on us and there will, sadly, be more tragedies around the world, we can also remember what it felt like to feel recharged. We can remember, consciously, to breathe.

Wishing you all a 2013 filled with deep and boundless breaths!

As New Year’s Eve approaches, I’m reminded once again of the difference between this joyous secular holiday on the one hand, and the way Jews celebrate the joyous holy day of Rosh Hashanah.  Rabbi Sidney Greenberg once pointed out that at Rosh Hashanah we traditionally wish each other “a gut yahr – a good year” rather than “Happy New Year.”  He said that this is because there is a world of difference between a holiday and a holy day:

• On holidays we run away from duties; on holy days we face up to them.
• On holidays we seek to let ourselves go; on holy days we try to bring ourselves under control.
• On holidays we try to empty our minds; on holy days we attempt to replenish our spirits.
• On holidays we reach out for the things we want; on holy days we reach up for the things we need.
• Holidays bring a change of scene; Holy days bring a change of heart.

As we prepare to bid adieu to 2012, I ask you to remember the promises you made to yourself in September as we ushered in 5773.  And I invite you to join me tonight at 5:45, as we welcome the last Shabbat of the year.

It’s time to take a collective breath.

So far, it has been a pretty crazy fall/winter for all of us with hurricanes, both natural and man-made, wreaking havoc on our emotions.  Everything has seemed a little harder than usual, a little more challenging.  No sooner did we bounce back from one thing, did another tragedy strike.

But vacation week is upon us. This is a chance for all of us to stop, take a little break and recharge. It is a time where we can just take a long, deep breath. I truly hope you all can see this week as the gift that it is. If ever there was a need for a little space, a little R&R, a little respite, this is it! Take the time between now and New Year’s to reconnect – with your loved ones, with your friends, with your inner self.

The Hebrew word for breath is “Neshema”. This is from the same root as the word for soul, “Neshahmah.” May the breaths you take over the next week rejuvenate your soul so that you can approach 2013 refreshed and restored!

Shabbat Shalom!  Tonight’s services should be very special and I hope that you are planning on being with us.  Our Torah portion, Mikeitz, is about Joseph; who interprets Pharoah’s dreams and saves not only the people of Egypt, but the Israelites, by planning to collect food during the years of plenty to feed the people during the years of famine.   If it weren’t for dreamers, we wouldn’t be the people that we are today; we might not even be here. If it weren’t for those who had a dream of what Judaism could look like in the Land of Israel, it certainly would have been invaded long ago.  If it weren’t for dreamers, nothing would change.

We have many dreamers here at TBA.  There are those who dream of a renovated building and, because of their dream, determination, and generosity we have a beautiful new sanctuary.  There are those who dream of changes in our worship and so over the last couple of years, we brought in a new instrument, a new prayer book, and now are experimenting with different times for worship.

There are those who dream of not only more attendees, but more participation in worship. So this week,  Jodie Lane will be joining me on the bima and we will be leading both services together in celebration of Shabbat and Chanukah.  Jodie has put together a small choir who will help us lead services, which will include more music than usual: new, familiar and original pieces.  Under Jodie’s direction, help, and in-collaboration we are trying to work with our prayer book, which still feels new, to create a more participatory worship experience.  Whether you are comfortable singing, reading along, or engaging in conversation. we feel that there is a place for everyone in our worship space and hope that you will join us at whatever level you are comfortable.

There are those who dream of new models of education for our children.  This Friday night is also the next family program experience for our 5^th grade class.  Under Pam Barkley’s direction, the Religious School, in collaboration with LOMED (Learner Outcomes and Measurement for effective Educational Design), is experimenting with a potential new model for Religious School.  The 5^th grade teachers have been working with Pam and an advisory committee guided by LOMED to create different models of learning from the typical classroom model, to field trips, to family education, and online shared projects.  For more information, see Pam’s article in the upcoming January bulletin.

This Friday night will be very special, I hope that you will join us!

L’shalom,
Cantor Margot Goldberg

Chanukah begins tomorrow night.  We use the havdalah candle, symbolizing the end of Shabbat, to light the shammash on the menorah, as we welcome the Festival of lights.  I will be in Washington, DC with the Confirmation class, where we will celebrate the end of Shabbat and the beginning of Chanukah at the Jefferson Memorial.  Jefferson was the great champion of the separation of church and state, and it is largely thanks to him that religious minorities have flourished in the United States.  On Sunday, we will be attending the lighting of the National Menorah on the ellipse outside the White House.  Both of these ceremonies are a reminder of the religious freedoms we enjoy, freedoms that the Maccabees had to fight a war to achieve.  As you begin your own Chanukah celebrations, I encourage you to add freedom of religion to the list of miracles for which we are grateful.  Chag Sameach!

Shabbat Shalom!  Black Friday, Small Business Saturday (AMEX), Cyber-Monday, and now Latkepalooza!  It seems as if CVS has been ready for the winter holidays since the spring and the Jewish community is constantly aware that either the holiday is too early or too late.  The holidays are always right on time in the Jewish calendar; the issue is how the lunar and solar calendars work in tandem.  Our lunar calendar adds a leap month seven times in every 19-year cycle, so as to keep the holidays in their proper season.  For example, it would be odd to celebrate Passover, known as Chag ha-Aviv, or Spring Festival, in October.  So as we enter the winter holiday season, I wonder how you are planning to spend your Chanukah time and your Chanukah dollars.  The internet is filled with Chanukah ideas for gifts, recipes, virtual candle lighting, and the list goes on.  For example, the Union for Reform Judaism has a whole page dedicated to links that might be helpful as you plan you Chanukah festivities.  Here at TBA, there are opportunities for you to shop, donate, and celebrate.  We hope that you will join us this Sunday, December 2 from 9-3 for an array of activities and shopping opportunities at Latkepalooza, our Tikkun Olam team has created 4 opportunities for you to share your abundance with Light One Candle, the UJA Gift of Chanukah Program, donations of oil and onions for the food pantry, and our annual coat and sweater drive for La Asociacion.  The 6^th night of Chanukah has been designated as Ner Shel Tzedakah, where we would like to encourage you to discuss with your family giving gifts to others rather than yourselves by either donating to charity, giving a gift to UJA, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or the charity that speaks most to your families values.

Please join us on December 14 for the 7^th night of Chanukah for services at 5:45pm or 8:00pm with a dinner in the middle at 7:00pm (reservations with the office a must).

However you and your family choose to spend the holidays, I hope that your homes are filled with the light and joy of the freedom that our ancestors fought so hard for and that the year to come is filled with health and happiness.

L’shalom,
Cantor Margot