From the Senior Rabbi

In July, I begin year 7 of the great honor to serve as Senior Rabbi of our synagogue community. For the past six years, each Friday, I have offered Shabbat Awakenings as a way to move toward Shabbat, present new ideas, and to consider world and local events through Torah and a Jewish lens. A few times I shared the voice of the Reform movement. Each week has allowed me to maintain a writing practice and a way to reach the hearts, souls, and minds of our community and those in our TI orbit Each Shabbat Awakenings ends with an invitation for response. This has allowed me to further

Rabbi Elaine Zecher the conversation and, for some, probe deeper or interact through respectful disagreement Senior Rabbi (and answer a random question about when services begin or how to get High Holy Day tickets). I have appreciated greatly how Shabbat Awakenings has opened pathways to those who love and appreciate Temple Israel and who may not be actively involved in our programming. Pirkei Avot, the ethical teachings of the rabbis of the Mishnah, emphasized the following about Torah:

Turn it over, and [again] turn it over, for all is therein. And look into it…And do not move away from it, for you have no better portion than it. (5:22)

Each week, I am reminded of these words as I sit down to write. I have tried to mine the depth of our tradition for meaning. I have found ways of using Pharaoh or Balak, the king of the Moabites, as an allegory for leaders of our country engaged in reprehensible behavior, or have brought in voices outside of our community, like Frederick Douglass whose inspirational words lifted us all. In these past two years, as we have sought comfort and strength, I have used Shabbat Awakenings as an encouragement for hope, perseverance, and moving forward. We all had to figure out how to navigate in an unprecedented world of a pandemic. Our weekly Torah portion, the holiday cycle of the year, and the refreshing image of Shabbat nourished our souls and gave us all some well-deserved strength. I plan to take this seventh year, during some but not all weeks, to share some pieces from the past six years that speak again in informative and hopefully inspiring ways. Please accept my gratitude for the support and encouragement of your thoughtful responses and your appreciation for the ideas presented.