Category: Relationships

Sukkot 5785

 

We are about to begin the holiday of Sukkot.  From My Jewish Learning, this is an overview of the holiday:

Beginning five days after Yom Kippur, Sukkot is named after the booths or huts (sukkot in Hebrew) in which Jews are supposed to dwell during this week-long celebration. According to rabbinic tradition, these flimsy sukkot represent the huts where the Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after escaping from slavery in Egypt. The festival of Sukkot is one of the three great pilgrimage festivals (chaggim or regalim) of the Jewish year.

Here is the link to the full article: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/sukkot-101/

By using the Sukkah, we glimpse the experience of our vulnerability.

And this moment of vulnerability requires us to think of those held captive.  We pray for and demand the release of the hostages.

We are told to eat at least one meal in the Sukkah.  On a lovely fall evening, you can see the stars through the Skach, covering the top.  But on cold or rainy evenings, it is another entirely different experience, and we certainly get the message of being vulnerable!  (By the way, our great sage, Maimonides, suggests strongly that when it’s rainy, go inside!)

One of the interesting aspects of “dwelling in the Sukkah” is the ritual of inviting the Ushpizin.  These are our revered forebears with whom we’d love to talk and glean some of their wisdom.  It started with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and King David.  It is extended to include the great matriarchs Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther. And it is a chance to broaden the guest list even further.  I have invited loved ones, particularly my great-grandfather.  Who is on your guest list?

 

 

Tisha b’Av

On Monday evening, August 12, we begin the solemn remembrance of Tisha b’Av, the Ninth day of the Month of Av in the Jewish calendar.

This day marks the great disasters that have befallen the Jewish people: the destruction of the First and Second Temples and other catastrophes.  It is a sad day, often a fast day, with prayers of lament, including chanting the Book of Lamentations known as Eicha.

As a people of history, we know persecution too well.  AntiSemitism has become more out in the open and widespread.  The current war has complicated our relationship with the world even further.  There is even speculation that Iran will launch its reprisal attack on this date as a cruel, ironic twist to the ongoing hostilities.

It is a time to acknowledge and share in the sorrow and the martyrdom of so many of our brothers and sisters whose only crime was to be Jewish.

As we reflect on this somber moment, we also take heart in knowing that Am Yisrael Chai, The People of Israel, lives through it all.

You can listen to the chanting of Eicha with its haunting melody here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8RBrOiCy40

 

 

Shabbat Shalom Bring them Home

This Shabbat we continue to pray for peace.

My friend and colleague, Cantor Jennifer Duretz Peled, shared this prayer, Ein Milim- There are no words, hoping that the hostages will come home so they would enjoy the peace we envision every Shabbat.

Shabbat Shalom

Juneteenth

JUNE 14, 2024

JUNETEENTH STATEMENT FROM PASTOR CARL DAY AND RABBI DAVID LEVIN OF THE NEW GOLDEN AGE

We acknowledge and mark Juneteenth, the 19th of June, to celebrate the day the United States fully recognized the Emancipation Proclamation.

This significant day, Juneteenth, was not the day of the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared the end of Slavery in the United States. Instead, it was the day when news of Lincoln’s historic decree reached the enslaved people of Galveston, Texas. Carried by 2,000 Union Troops, this news brought the long-awaited freedom to these individuals. Juneteenth stands as a pivotal moment in the journey towards realizing the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, that “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.“ The journey towards freedom began on January 1, 1863, when Lincoln proclaimed that all enslaved people within the rebellious states were to be free. However, this news took two more years to reach Galveston, Texas, in 1865. The word of freedom has since spread across the nation, but the task of turning the dream encapsulated in those words into a reality is an ongoing one.

The New Golden Age, the convening of a Black-Jewish alliance sponsored by Culture Changing Christians and the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia is a testament to the enduring significance of Juneteenth. This occasion, which celebrates the date and renews our commitment to the American vision of freedom and equality for all, underscores the ongoing relevance of Juneteenth. It serves as a reminder that the work towards realizing this vision is not yet complete, but together, we strive to fulfill that dream.

This statement was drafted by Pastor Carl Day and Rabbi David Levin of the New Golden Age.

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The New Golden Age is a joint partnership between the Jewish and Black communities in Philadelphia focused on combating hate, enhancing security, and strengthening the local community’s social safety net. This initiative was started by The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and the Culture Changing Christians.