Are any of you suffering from post Passover blues?
Probably not....after all as much as we might like matzah, it does get a bit tedious.
Yet, aren't we lucky...onion matzah, whole wheat matzah, chocolate covered matzah, egg matzah, vegetable matzah crackers, and so many different varieties- yet it's still matzah.
Now that we are past Passover, the community moves into high gear. The next 6 weeks are filled with events, programs, annual meetings, not to mention all the graduations that so many of you will experience.
Take a look at our community calendar at www.jewishcentralmass.org and join in the fun. There is something for everyone and if not, let me know...and we'll see what we can find together.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Change is in the air!
Looks like we will actually experience spring later on next week. Temperatures are expected to reach into the 70's. To say it's about time, would be redundant!
With the spring of 2011 upon us, it is time to think about the changes that will take place this summer and fall in our religious community.
Three rabbis will be leaving their congregations: Rabbi Larry Milder of Congregation B'nai Shalom, Rabbi Seth Bernstein of Temple Sinai and Rabbi Joel Pitkowsky of Congregation Beth Israel. Different circumstances for all three have precipitated career moves and changes. Their service to their congregations and the community has been much appreciated. They all have brought their unique talents and approaches to their congregations and all will be missed.
Several people have wondered out loud that this seemingly mass exodus of community Rabbis speaks to the further erosion of our Jewish community. This could not be further from the truth. It is indeed coincidental that these three Rabbis will be leaving at the same time. Lest one think that we will not have skilled talented and motivational religious leaders this fall, let me assure you that both B'nai Shalom and Temple Sinai have already hired interim Rabbis for the coming year, and Beth Israel is in the midst of its search.
By the fall of 2012, all three congregations are planning to have on board their full time permanent rabbis to lead their respective congregations. New personalities bring new ideas and approaches.
Yes, it is always somewhat disconcerting to say good bye to those who have been our spiritual leaders. But in Hebrew we say L'hitraot: not good-bye, but see you again!
With the spring of 2011 upon us, it is time to think about the changes that will take place this summer and fall in our religious community.
Three rabbis will be leaving their congregations: Rabbi Larry Milder of Congregation B'nai Shalom, Rabbi Seth Bernstein of Temple Sinai and Rabbi Joel Pitkowsky of Congregation Beth Israel. Different circumstances for all three have precipitated career moves and changes. Their service to their congregations and the community has been much appreciated. They all have brought their unique talents and approaches to their congregations and all will be missed.
Several people have wondered out loud that this seemingly mass exodus of community Rabbis speaks to the further erosion of our Jewish community. This could not be further from the truth. It is indeed coincidental that these three Rabbis will be leaving at the same time. Lest one think that we will not have skilled talented and motivational religious leaders this fall, let me assure you that both B'nai Shalom and Temple Sinai have already hired interim Rabbis for the coming year, and Beth Israel is in the midst of its search.
By the fall of 2012, all three congregations are planning to have on board their full time permanent rabbis to lead their respective congregations. New personalities bring new ideas and approaches.
Yes, it is always somewhat disconcerting to say good bye to those who have been our spiritual leaders. But in Hebrew we say L'hitraot: not good-bye, but see you again!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Afula Part 2 and Passover
Jews worldwide will usher in Passover with a seder on Monday evening.
Of all the Jewish holidays, the Passover seder is the most widely celebrated event in the Jewish calendar. Probably because its message is one of freedom-we were freed from slavery and this struggle is used as an example of how peoples around the world still need to struggle for their freedom.
Seders will be conducted in formal settings, informally in as many places as one could imagine and in countless creative ways to meet the needs of the seder participants.
This whole thing started when Joseph sojourned to Egypt. Initially welcomed, Joseph and his cohorts flourished, but as guests sometimes do, they overstayed their welcome, and their hosts became somewhat agitated.
Eventually the Egyptians turned on those Israelites and their journey to Freedom is memorialized in the Passover seder.
The freed slaves were promised a land flowing of milk and honey, but once having arrived, realized that such was not the case. Much work had to be done to reclaim the land and make it prosper.
Even today there is still much to do. The Gilboa region has embarked on one novel approach:
While in Israel, we visited Sha'ar Hagilboa, a new ski site and tourism complex in the Gilboa region. The Gilboa ski as it is called is located on the northern slope of Mt. Gilboa and allows visitors to ski on an intriguing slope that offers a beautiful view of the Gilboa scenery. The Gilboa is mentioned in the bible in the Book of Samuel. On the Gilboa, David said in his Lamentation to Jonathan: "Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is viley cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil".
Standing on Mt Gilboa overlooking the Jezreel Valley where so many Biblical stories occurred, our Jewish history came alive. And combined with the new tourist attractions in the region created a sense that our present is truly interconnected with our past. The modernity of a man made ski resort on the Gilboa where David roamed is truly a remarkable experience.
The struggles for freedom are not over...in the Afula/Gilboa region, immigrants from Ethiopia are learning how to be free...Arab and Jewish Israelis are struggling to learn about one another...
But at this Passover season, we celebrate the freedoms we have here and in Israel, and the freedoms that we all hope for, for all peoples.
Of all the Jewish holidays, the Passover seder is the most widely celebrated event in the Jewish calendar. Probably because its message is one of freedom-we were freed from slavery and this struggle is used as an example of how peoples around the world still need to struggle for their freedom.
Seders will be conducted in formal settings, informally in as many places as one could imagine and in countless creative ways to meet the needs of the seder participants.
This whole thing started when Joseph sojourned to Egypt. Initially welcomed, Joseph and his cohorts flourished, but as guests sometimes do, they overstayed their welcome, and their hosts became somewhat agitated.
Eventually the Egyptians turned on those Israelites and their journey to Freedom is memorialized in the Passover seder.
The freed slaves were promised a land flowing of milk and honey, but once having arrived, realized that such was not the case. Much work had to be done to reclaim the land and make it prosper.
Even today there is still much to do. The Gilboa region has embarked on one novel approach:
While in Israel, we visited Sha'ar Hagilboa, a new ski site and tourism complex in the Gilboa region. The Gilboa ski as it is called is located on the northern slope of Mt. Gilboa and allows visitors to ski on an intriguing slope that offers a beautiful view of the Gilboa scenery. The Gilboa is mentioned in the bible in the Book of Samuel. On the Gilboa, David said in his Lamentation to Jonathan: "Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is viley cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil".
Standing on Mt Gilboa overlooking the Jezreel Valley where so many Biblical stories occurred, our Jewish history came alive. And combined with the new tourist attractions in the region created a sense that our present is truly interconnected with our past. The modernity of a man made ski resort on the Gilboa where David roamed is truly a remarkable experience.
The struggles for freedom are not over...in the Afula/Gilboa region, immigrants from Ethiopia are learning how to be free...Arab and Jewish Israelis are struggling to learn about one another...
But at this Passover season, we celebrate the freedoms we have here and in Israel, and the freedoms that we all hope for, for all peoples.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Visit to Afula Part 1
Whenever I travel to Israel and Israelis ask me where in the country I will be spending most of my time and I respond: "Afula", they look at me quizically and ask "why".
I suppose that I could answer that in a national poll asking the question where can you eat the best falafel, Afula's Melech Falafel was named the number 1 falafel stand in the country.
I suppose I could also answer that the best garinim, or sunflower seeds are grown in the Afula/Gilboa area and that the freshest and best tasting cashews, almonds and pumpkin seeds can be purchased at the nut stand next to Melech Falafel.
Or I could repond that the Gilboa region in which Afula is situated is one of the most picturesque areas of the country which boasts many tourist attractions, including the very recently opened ski slopes.
But the real reason why 11 participants from our Southern New England Consortium (SNEC) were in Afula was for an historic meeting between members of our American steering committee and our Israeli counterparts. We were there for a planning retreat to discuss, deliberate and come to terms on what we needed to do to make our partnership more meaningful and stronger.
Gone are the days when we in America were looked upon as the rich uncle who doled out financial favors to its poor cousins. Yes, it is true that the gap between the haves and the have nots in Israel is growing wider, and that we will most certainly continue to fund certain program and projects that help to narrow that gap, but a true partnership is not based on one side giving while the other takes. And our Israeli friends stated over and over again that we need to develop more people to people exchanges so that we Jews here can better understand Israeli Jews and vice versa. One of the most successful programs to accomplish this is our young emissary program, and although it is the biggest and well known program that is offered here, it is not and cannot be the only one.
Over the next few weeks I will fill you in what we did, what we hope to accomplish and how all of us can help strengthen the connections between our 2 regions.
I suppose that I could answer that in a national poll asking the question where can you eat the best falafel, Afula's Melech Falafel was named the number 1 falafel stand in the country.
I suppose I could also answer that the best garinim, or sunflower seeds are grown in the Afula/Gilboa area and that the freshest and best tasting cashews, almonds and pumpkin seeds can be purchased at the nut stand next to Melech Falafel.
Or I could repond that the Gilboa region in which Afula is situated is one of the most picturesque areas of the country which boasts many tourist attractions, including the very recently opened ski slopes.
But the real reason why 11 participants from our Southern New England Consortium (SNEC) were in Afula was for an historic meeting between members of our American steering committee and our Israeli counterparts. We were there for a planning retreat to discuss, deliberate and come to terms on what we needed to do to make our partnership more meaningful and stronger.
Gone are the days when we in America were looked upon as the rich uncle who doled out financial favors to its poor cousins. Yes, it is true that the gap between the haves and the have nots in Israel is growing wider, and that we will most certainly continue to fund certain program and projects that help to narrow that gap, but a true partnership is not based on one side giving while the other takes. And our Israeli friends stated over and over again that we need to develop more people to people exchanges so that we Jews here can better understand Israeli Jews and vice versa. One of the most successful programs to accomplish this is our young emissary program, and although it is the biggest and well known program that is offered here, it is not and cannot be the only one.
Over the next few weeks I will fill you in what we did, what we hope to accomplish and how all of us can help strengthen the connections between our 2 regions.
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