Shabbat

It's not only our Temple that occasionally proposes a prayer or way of praying that is different from "the way we do things here." It happens in all Temples everywhere! At this morning's Shabbat service, we were asked to sit when reciting the Shema. Hold on. Read on. I'd say that the Rabbi made the case quite thoroughly and persuasively. He began by telling us that the discussion of whether to sit or stand dates back to the ages of Hillel and Shammai, in the first century C.E. Since the 1890s, we Reform Jews stand. Rising to our feet is like an exclamation point, the physical act necessary to emphasize the importance in our declaration of faith in One God. ON THE OTHER HAND, if we sit to recite the shema, we can really listen -- hear (shema) -- to the Oneness that we feel with God; we can take it in. We can be centered, focused, and receptive. This morning, after the Biennial choir sang a moving piece called, "Listen", it worked for me.

In his sermon, URJ President Eric Yoffie presented a few initiatives he'd like to see our congregations adopt in the coming years. Can I tell you that it felt very good to be nodding my head as he was ticking off some suggestions? For example, that we should have a forum for telling each other our stories (Congregant Gallery) and that we should green our buildings, inside and out (Green Team Committee; our computerized HVAC system; Community Garden). When he stressed that Israel first and foremost must remain first and foremost, I thought of our newly formed Israel committee and our Scholar-in-Residence this coming week (read on). The full text of Rabbi Yoffie's sermon will be on URJ's website next week. http://www.urj.org/

Switching topics (this is a personal one, having nothing really to do with Temple life, but it was Shabbat, and I was indulging myself), there are a few things I envy about the life of a rabbinic student. One of them is the opportunity to be taught by Rabbi Michael Marmur during their year in Jerusalem. (Another is a year in Jerusalem.) You can look him up, but suffice it to say that for me, Rabbi Marmur is the ultimate teacher. Four years later, I still remember his 3-series Learning Workshop I attended at the Biennial in Houston. Well, I got to learn from him again yesterday and today. In yesterday's session, he spoke about kavannah (intention), and the factors that can strengthen or lead to kavannah when one prays. Today, he discussed Abraham Joshua Heschel's insights on prayer based upon his reading of the Book of Daniel.

Okay, the Biennial has drawn to a close, and I'm about to check myself in online for my flight home. Looking ahead to this coming week in Nashville, I can assure you that Rabbi Michael Klein-Katz is on his way from Jerusalem! In the 60 seconds that I grabbed to introduce myself to him this afternoon, I can promise you that we are in for a treat! His energy and enthusiasm are infectious! Rabbi Klein-Katz is a senior educator in Israel, a scholar of text and a participant in many areas of Israeli Education. He'll be at Lunch with the Rabbi, Friday night services, Chevrah Torah, and he'll lead a workshop on Sunday for our 9th and 10th grade parents titled: What does Israel Mean to Me? I hope your schedule allows you to participate in any and all of these. I'll see you there.