Tag: #traditions
tradition, holidays, mitzvot, life cycle, customs
Every1Counts: Day 46
May 15, 2018 1 Sivan, 5778
TONIGHT IS FORTY-SIX DAYS, WHICH IS SIX WEEKS AND FOUR DAYS, OF THE OMER
Since 2012 we here at TBA have turned the Omer period between Passover and Shavuot into an amazing program called Every1Counts (E1C). This year, we shared the voices of our congregation and enhanced our community by listening to each other. We received 45 submissions to the question, “What does being Jewish mean to you?” For these last four evenings of the Omer, we will count by “listening” to some famous voices describe what being Jewish means to them.
“The pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, an almost fanatical love of justice, and the desire for personal independence—these are the features of the Jewish tradition which make me thank my stars that I belong to it.”
Albert Einstein
(Einstein, Albert. The World as I See It: BN Publishing, 2007. Digital, p. 89.)
Every1Counts: Day 45
May 14, 2018 29 Iyar, 5778
TONIGHT IS FORTY-FIVE DAYS, WHICH IS SIX WEEKS AND THREE DAYS, OF THE OMER
What being Jewish means to me are the stories in the Torah, and the lessons we learn from them. It is the holidays we spend with family and the traditions we hand down generation to generation. It is the respect and responsibility for each other and ourselves that our parents and grandparents taught us. It’s about knowing when you’re all together that you will spend the first 15 minutes talking about the route you took to get there and the last 45 minutes just saying goodbye.
I like that being Jewish is about following ideas and values—not following one person. I like that Judaism encourages questions and dialogue, not blind faith.
Being Jewish is being constantly evolving but rooted deeply in the past.
Melissa Baer
Every1Counts: Day 44
May 13, 2018 28 Iyar, 5778
TONIGHT IS FORTY-FOUR DAYS, WHICH IS SIX WEEKS AND TWO DAYS, OF THE OMER
Being Jewish to me means helping my own children and my students find their personal joy and connection to our rich and vibrant tradition. To see and feel its wisdom and beauty and to celebrate it and to grow from it as a citizen of the world.
Rabbi Allison
Every1Counts: Days 42 & 43 (a double portion because it will soon be Shabbat) – copy
May 11, 2018 26 Iyar, 5778
TONIGHT IS FORTY TWO DAYS, WHICH IS SIX WEEKS, OF THE OMER
Being Jewish means having a community such as our TBA community to call home – a place that is so much more than a house of worship – it’s our home…complete with our second family where together we celebrate our simchas and also help one another through the toughest of times. TBA is both our house of worship and a second home.
The Wilson Family
MAY 12, 2018 27 Iyar, 5778
TONIGHT IS FORTY-THREE DAYS, WHICH IS SIX WEEKS AND ONE DAY, OF THE OMER
*We are posting this response today, so you do not have to use your computer/phone on Shabbat.
Being Jewish is my identity just as it is being an American woman. It is also my connection to all of the generations of Jews who came before me since we share many of the same experiences. The idea of appreciating not eating on Yom Kippur to understand what that may be like for another person (even though we know there is a break-fast to go to), or to enjoy the simple beauty of lighting candles, and the shared experience of eating Matzah for a week. My Grandmother exemplified this feeling when during her last days she shared that she wasn’t sure who or where she was, but she knew she was Jewish.
J.M.
Every1Counts: Day 41
May 10, 2018 25 Iyar, 5778
TONIGHT IS FORTY-ONE DAYS, WHICH IS FIVE WEEKS AND SIX DAYS, OF THE OMER
To me, Being Jewish means being in a story that’s over 5000 years old, and 100 years old, and happening now. It means being free and grateful. It means being connected to a community that is obliged to making the world better, less broken
Jonathan Gleit
Every1Counts: Day 40
May 9, 2018 24 Iyar, 5778
TONIGHT IS FORTY DAYS, WHICH IS FIVE WEEKS AND FIVE DAYS, OF THE OMER
To me, being Jewish means:
- Knowing that I am part of a chain of tradition that goes back generations
- Knowing that I am not the last link in the chain
- Feeling comfortable that I can enter a sanctuary anywhere in the world and know what is going on and how to participate
- Feeling guilty that I do not go more often
- Being proud to be of Am Yisrael
- Appreciating foods that everyone loves (brisket, bagels, blintz, babka) and foods that everyone loves to hate (borsht, herring, gefilte fish, chopped liver)
- Taking to heart that it is my responsibility to help repair the world
- Being an active member of our community
Herb Baer
Every1Counts: Day 38
May 7, 2018 22 Iyar, 5778
TONIGHT IS THIRTY-EIGHT DAYS, WHICH IS FIVE WEEKS AND THREE DAYS, OF THE OMER
To me, being Jewish means I have the privilege of being part of a nation that has survived countless trials and enormous changes in the world around us for over 5000 years. Through all of that time we continued without losing our unifying identity as the Jewish people, Am Yisrael. Right now I’m spending an amazing semester in Israel, connecting with my Judaism and learning so much in the process. The many young Jews on this program with me are the future of reformed Judaism, and it’s amazing to see how passionate we all are. I think it’s fair to say that, speaking for all of us, we are honored to be able to continue as Jews and perpetuate an unbroken chain that tells the incredible story of our people.
Arielle Kolodzinski
Every1Counts: Days 35 and 36 (a double portion because it will soon be Shabbat)
May 4, 2018 19 Iyar, 5778
TONIGHT IS THIRTY-FIVE DAYS, WHICH IS FIVE WEEKS, OF THE OMER
For me, being Jewish means a living, breathing connection to a peoplehood that spans time and place. I find these connections in my family, my spiritual practice, my learning, the people I meet and know, and the creation of my art. All of these threads infuse who I am and the home I have tried to create for my children so that they will have this same connection no matter where they go or eventually put down roots. I feel a sense of both responsibility and fulfillment, of intense pride at being an active part of our collective memory, history and culture.
Alix
MAY 5, 2018 20 Iyar, 5778
TONIGHT IS THIRTY-SIX DAYS, WHICH IS FIVE WEEKS AND ONE DAY, OF THE OMER
*We are posting this response today, so you do not have to use your computer/phone on Shabbat.
Judaism is all about community for me. Being Jewish means that I am part of a large community of people who have shared understandings and beliefs. The community of people who came before us passed down the knowledge and traditions of Judaism. There is a community of people with shared history and traditions, who you meet everywhere you go. The synagogue community is there for prayer, for support, for celebration, and for friendship. Within the synagogue community are a community of friends and my chavurah family. No matter where I go, I’m connected to the Jewish people around me…because we are all part of the Jewish community
Jen G.
Every1Counts: Day 32
May 1, 2018 16 Iyar, 5778
TONIGHT IS THIRTY-TWO DAYS, WHICH IS FOUR WEEKS AND FOUR DAYS, OF THE OMER
Being Jewish means belonging, family, tradition, zedaka and Tikun Olam.
It manifests itself in a thousand ways, both for the individual and for those around her or him, near and far.
It happens during Hanukkah on a plane, drawing a Menora on a napkin and “lighting” the candles with a checkmark of a pen.
It happens by saying Kadish for 38 family members who perished in the Holocaust.
It happens by building a Torah Ark for the alternative services.
It happens with celebrating holidays with family, writing one’s own Hagaddah.
It happens by caring for and supporting Israel.
It happens by acting like a mensh.
Yishar Koach
Ari Delevie
Every1Counts: Days 28 and 29 (a double portion because it will soon be Shabbat)
April 27, 2018 12 Iyar, 5778
TONIGHT IS TWENTY-EIGHT DAYS, WHICH IS FOUR WEEKS, OF THE OMER
As my country struggles to preserve its moral center and maintain its democratic values, I am able to find comfort and solace in my Judaism. For me, being a Jew means to not stay silent; to speak out in the face of injustice, bigotry, racism, and misogyny to name a few. Social justice is a core tenet for a Reform Jew. Passover is one of my very favorite holidays in large part because it affords us, as Jews, to reflect on our own journey from slavery to freedom and in so doing we are faced with our own reality of how people in our country and in the world remain “enslaved “ for a multitude of reasons and unjust practices. I honor my Judaism and thereby myself, my family and those who came before me, when we raise our voices for justice and challenge ourselves around our Seder table to reflect on these issues and ask ourselves what are we going to do to make this world a better place?
Liza K.
April 28, 2018 13 Iyar, 5778
TONIGHT IS TWENTY-NINE DAYS, WHICH IS FOUR WEEKS AND ONE DAY, OF THE OMER
*We are posting this response today, so you do not have to use your computer/phone on Shabbat.
