President’s Message

Bob Spector Shalom Chaverim,

Spring is upon us. Our trees and grass are green again, flowers are blooming, and the topic of COVID is hopefully not in the forefront of our thoughts (other than in terms of recognizing our COVID task force on May 22nd). But alas, we know that all is not right with the world. We have become desensitized to so much incomprehensible violence- from daily shooting deaths just miles from our suburban homes and in our schools and religious institutions to oppressive regimes in all corners of the world. But there is something about the unprovoked assault on the people and government of Ukraine that has caught the world’s sympathetic attention in ways that we have not seen in quite a while. I do not need to belabor the point on how wrong the Russian government is in its attack of Ukraine. Instead, I will share with you a couple questions/struggles that have been aroused in me over the past few weeksone of personal identity (Who am I?) and one of entitlement (What am I complaining about?). Perhaps this will resonate for some of you. My story goes back to the late 90’s. My first introduction to volunteerism at CBS began in 1997 when I joined our Social Action committee. At the time, the Chicago Action for Soviet Jewry was pairing local synagogues with struggling former Soviet Jewish communities throughout eastern Europe. I prided myself in my Russian roots and wanted to get involved with our assigned sister community which turned out to be in Tiraspol, Moldova which coincidently (or beshert?) was the town where my father was born. However, my Spector roots really are attached to Odessa in the Black Sea region of Ukraine. I made the long journey to Tiraspol via Lviv where I spent five days before arriving in Tiraspol with almost 100 pounds of medical supplies donated by our CBS community. I have felt so proud of my Russian heritage by focusing on the culture of its people not the historically evil intentions of its government. Until recently I never felt the need to appreciate the difference between being a Russian Jew or a Ukrainian Jew. I now find myself wanting to distance myself from my Russian heritage. Am I Russian, Ukrainian (I know officially that was not an independent designation until 1992), an American Jew, or a Jewish American? It is all very confusing and recently these questions have been very unsettling. And yet, I realize that my identification with all of the above has made me who I am. I guess I am a work in progress and at 68 that’s ok.

The other question I find myself dwelling on since the war began a few weeks ago is related to the phrase ‘There but for the Grace of God go I.’ The what ifs, if my grandfather chose not to leave Tiraspol, if my grandmother could not have traveled with a baby….would I have been raised under Soviet rule? Have I taken too much for granted? Do I appreciate enough of what I do have? Do I dwell too much on the No Big Deal (NBDs) problems- having the newest cell phone, paying an extra dollar for gas, paying more for entertainment….? The NBDs are endless. Oy, have I become one of the entitled I tend to resent? Throughout our lives we encounter events that cause us to question who we are, our beliefs, our values, our priorities. I believe the war on the sovereign country of Ukraine is one such event that can affect us in this way. For many of us, our family history is connected to this region of the world. For all of us, we understand how much destruction one obsessively evil person can bring to the world. This unjust war has provided me the opportunity to contemplate what really matters to me. How about you? Many of us might wonder what we can do to make a difference amid so much pain and suffering. I will remind you of one of our more sacred concepts, Tikkun Olam, repairing the world brick by brick. When we help one, it is as if we are healing all. There will be many opportunities for us to come together as a community to help our Ukrainian families in the coming months. When we put our hearts and souls into a mission, no one does it better than Congregation Beth Shalom. L'Shalom, Bob

Rabbi Ferratier’s Findings (continued from page 1)

I am also excited for new beginnings. I eagerly anticipate the challenges of finding my way around a new place, settling into a new community, and meeting the students, congregants, and colleagues who will make my new congregation in Herndon, Virginia into my home.

When we return from a funeral, we are encouraged to eat foods which will remind us of the continuity of life. At a wedding, we break a glass to remind ourselves that in the midst of our joy, there is still brokenness. In this season of transition, may we be mindful both of the bitter and the sweet elements in our lives. May the bitterness always serve to help us appreciate the sweet, and may the sweet always overpower the bitterness.