Rabbi's Reflections

Rabbi's Reflections - Signifance of Numbers

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:08:00 GMT

We are in the counting season. By the time you are reading this (hopefully on May 1), it will already be day #24: three weeks and three day of the counting of the Omer. In the Jewish tradition, we count the days from the 2^nd day of Passover until we reach Shavuot on the 50^th day. The Omer was the wheat portion which was measured as it grew before the springtime harvest which occurred just prior to the holiday.

We are known as the ‘People of the Book’. I believe the title of that Book which most clearly defines us is the ‘Book of Numbers.” 7^th day is Shabbat, 7^th year is the Sabbatical, 40 days of rain, 40 days Moses spent transcribing the 613 commandments (I bet he would have killed for an iPad. It certainly would have made the trip down Sinai a lot easier), 400 years in Egypt (I know—It says 430 years also). Certain numbers appear to be more important than others. It does appear that way when they are repeated so often.

In fact, there is the whole tradition of gematria. Each Hebrew letter is assigned a numerical value” aleph-1, bet-2, etc. Hence, the reason the increments of 18 are special because they reflect the value for the word life in Hebrew (Chet-8, Yud-10). Words which have the value of 26 are also significant because they reflect the Hebrew letters for God in the Torah (yud-10, hay-5, vav-6, hay-5).

I have heard it said that life is just a numbers game. Well, guess what, that is just fine with me.

Rabbi's Reflections - Welcoming Elijah, an important part of the Passover Seder - April 2012

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:27:00 GMT

One of the most memorable and favorite parts of almost any Seder is when a young person is sent to open a door for the Prophet Elijah. How many times does one of the guests enter the doorway to a roomful of giggles.

By the time we send a child to the door, it is already late and participants are eager for the Seder to conclude. It is rare those gathered take a moment to ponder the true meaning of this unique ritual.

Traditionally, the prophet Elijah is to return to earth in order to announce the coming of the Messiah. That is all fine well and good but we are not Orthodox. As Reform Jews, we do not believe in the coming of a Messiah. Instead, we see the mitzvah of ‘tikun olam’ (repair of the world) as the path to creating a Messianic Kingdom for all who inhabit the earth. We take the biblical prerogative of being a ‘light unto the nations’ to be at the heart of our spiritual motivation. In Judaism, there is a fine line, if any line at all, between faith and action.

Hence, when we send that child to the door, we are hoping that the spirit of Elijah will enter to inspire all assembles\d to greater acts of tzedakah and gemilut chesed (charity and loving kindness). As we sing, bimheira v’yameinu (come speedily in our day), we are reminded to make the words of our Seder action points for a better world.

Happy Passover,

Rabbi Harvey Winokur

Rabbi's Reflections - Purim Spoof Goes to the Oscars - March 2012

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:39:00 GMT

There has been a great deal of saber rattling lately with regard to the increased

possibility that Iran will be able to build a nuclear device in the near future and that Israel may target the Iranian site for an attack. Recently, I read that Israel is unlikely to inform the U.S. of its final preparations and that Iran will be less than forthcoming in the future as well.

Suffice it to say, I was pleased when I heard that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences is on top of the situation. Choosing the Iranian produced ‘Separation’ has apparently opened the doors to closer diplomatic ties between American and Iranian filmmakers. Seeing this opening, the U.S. State Department has decided to let the Academy negotiate for them to build on the success of their Oscar choice.

Apparently, the key to negotiating a peaceful solution has come down to agreeing to giving preference to Israel in next year’s Foreign Film category while supporting Iran’s request to establish a major film studio in Tehran next year. And there is even talk of an Israeli-Iranian film collaboration.

While all this may seem a bit farfetched, consider that this year’s winner in the in the Best Picture Category was a silent film (the first since 1929) and the Best Actor went to a Frenchman who only uttered two words in the entire film.That being said, it is obvious that the Academy knows something that we do not and that they have an insight into international relations that is invaluable for world peace.

The fact that the Oscars were hosted for the ninth time by a Jewish individual and that when the Iranian winner was announced that the first face that was focused on was Steven Spielberg has to make you believe that Mideast miracles can occur.

I for one am looking forward to seeing Amidanijad at the Oscars in the front row next to Brad and Angelina. Aren’t you?

Happy Purim (SPOOF)

Rabbi Harvey J. Winokur

Rabbi's Reflections: Disability Awareness Shabbat - February 2012

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:37:00 GMT

February is Jewish Disability Awareness Month. The mission of JDAM is to unite Jewish communities and organizations for the purpose of raising awareness and supporting meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities and their families in every aspect of Jewish life. TKC is a recognized 'Accessible' congregation and I am a member of the CCAR Committee on Disability and Inclusion.

Our guest speaker at our annual JDAM Shabbat, Leslie Lipson, is a member of the Georgia State

Advisory Panel for Special Education on which my wife Donnie is also a member of the Advisory Panel. In addition, Donnie has worked with Leslie on the 'restraint and seclusion' issue and has been involved with the certification training involved with the Parent Support Project. Please join us for this important presentation.

Jewish Disability Awareness Shabbat Speaker Leslie Lipson is the Project Director of the Parent

Leadership Support Project (PLSP) and the Safe Schools Initiative, and a staff attorney with the

Georgia Advocacy Office (GAO), a private non-profit corporation, which is the federally mandated protection and advocacy system designated by the governor of Georgia for people labeled as disabled or mentally ill.

As Project Director of the Safe Schools Initiative, Leslie coordinates a multi-agency effort aimed at ending the dangerous practice of restraint and seclusion in Georgia public schools. In July 2010, this effort resulted in the strongest state rule prohibiting seclusion and limiting the use of restraint to date.

Leslie also serves as an advocate attorney in multiple capacities for the GAO, providing technical assistance to the various advocate programs; presenting on multiple topics around the state; and litigating on behalf of children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Leslie has trained over 3000 parents across the state of Georgia concerning the rights of their children to receive a quality education. Leslie’s coordination of eight consecutive parent training projects, known as the Parent Leadership Support Project, has resulted in over 10,000 families experiencing the assistance of a lay advocate. Currently, she is involved in the leadership and planning of a state-wide effort to end the School to Prison Pipeline for Students of color and with disabilities.

Leslie is originally from Columbia, South Carolina, and is a member of the Georgia Bar. She is a cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University Of Georgia School Of Law, Class of 2001. She is an active member of Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) and presented at their national conferences. Leslie is also a member of the Georgia Board of Education State Advisory Panel for Special Education. Leslie co-chaired the Advocates for Students with Disabilities Committee from 2003- 2005 and 2009- 2010. The Juvenile Law Committee of Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of the State Bar of Georgia awarded Leslie the Education Child Advocate of the Year in 2004, and in 2005 and 2009, the YLD presented her with an Award of Achievement for Outstanding Service to the Public from the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia.

Rabbi Harvey Winokur

History of TKC: An Interview with Rabbi Winokur as we enter our 30th anniversary year

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:54:00 GMT

The Making of a Kehillah

It’s the spring of 1982 and the population of Atlanta is booming. Imagine this if you can, people are actually moving outside of the perimeter to live. There’s a young Rabbi, assistant Rabbi at another local area synagogue, who envisions Atlanta’s immense growth with opportunity and potential.

This story, like so many other Jewish stories, involves dinner at a Chinese Restaurant, a meal complete with dreaming, planning and thoughts to the future. As the months go by, conversations between Rabbi Winokur and his friend and fellow Temple Sinai congregant, Alan Abrams, continue and begin to build momentum. The idea was to start a new congregation, one that would serve those who were looking for a different kind of kehillah, a community that reached out in a new way to those who were interfaith or unaffiliated, those who wanted a new approach to worship and observance.

With 15 families, the new kehillah was born in the summer of 1982 and began gathering for prayer and learning. It wasn’t long before 15 families grew to 100 families, then 150. It seemed there were many people who appreciated a less traditional approach to Judaism and embraced the idea of this new kehillah. While the first few years were spent meeting and worshiping in a variety of interesting locations such as a bank, rented school classrooms, and a variety of churches, all were still locations inside the perimeter. It wasn’t long before thoughts of a putting down roots started to arise and the idea of growth outside the perimeter was broached.

The move to Roswell in 1987 wasn’t an easy one for Temple Kehillat Chaim, but it felt like the right move at the right time. It was especially difficult because some members didn’t follow as the congregation established its roots outside the perimeter. But with progress, comes change. And with change, comes progress. The congregation successfully established itself in historic Roswell, a home that became our permanent location for the past twenty-four years.

There are many people whose efforts have had a significant impact on building the Kehillah that we know today. We hope that our 30^th anniversary year provides us with an opportunity to honor those individuals and celebrate their contributions. We are planning numerous events to commemorate our many achievements and celebrate together as we look to the future of this wonderful congregation. We invite you to come with us on a journey this year that both celebrates our past, embraces our rich tradition, and welcomes progress and change to our beloved Kehillah.

Interview of Rabbi Winokur by Renee Sevy-Hasterok, incoming President, 2012.

Rabbi's Reflections - December 2011

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:44:00 GMT

In the TANAKH (Hebrew Scriptures) we read, “…for I, the Lord, am your healer.” (Ex. 15:26b) “But I will bring healing to you, and cure you or your wounds.” (Jer. 30:17a) More and more the medical and scientific community has acknowledged the healing power of prayer and spirituality.

Since the early 1990s, the Jewish community has been developing innovative liturgies and finding ways of opening up traditional prayer services so that the needs of Jews who are ill and those who care for them are more openly and effectively addressed. In some communities, these services are free-standing — e.g., a creative

healing service on a regular night of the month — and elsewhere, the existing, set prayer is "expanded" or "deepened" by integrating special melodies, readings, focused meditations, and the like. In still other settings, they have taken the form of Psalm Fellowships, groups of Jews who gather regularly to read or chant the biblical Book of Psalms, which are further developed into supportive networks for prayer, discussion and community.

Back in 1998 when we established the Caring Corps at Kehillat Chaim to be in touch with families suffering a death or illness, we also began to experiment with some healing services. The services were held for several years but for various reasons were discontinued.

With the increase in spirituality evidenced by the response to opportunities such as Ayeka, we are desirous of reintroducing Healing Services to the Kehillah. We will experiment with several different times and formats over the next few months to see which best fits our congregation before we settle on one.

Our first Healing Service will be Friday evening, December 16 at 7:00pm in the Chapel. It will be a brief (20+ minute) worship experience for those who are ill, recovering or are caregivers. Through prayer, meditation, song and other rituals, we will look to answer previously unmet need for spiritual renewal and community.

As with all but the Holyday services, no RSVP is necessary. If you feel the need, please drop in.

Donnie, Iyal and Morasha join me in wishing you a Happy Chanukah.

Rabbi Winokur

Rabbi's Reflections - November 2011

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:31:00 GMT

America's Table: Celebrating Our Diverse Roots and Shared Values

I am sure if you are like me you look forward to Thanksgiving weekend, for any number of reasons: a four-day weekend, getting together with extended family and friends, football, dozing on the couch after a bit too much turkey. But, how many of us look forward to the Thanksgiving Day meal as an opportunity to truly of give thanks while acknowledging the blessing of freedom we have been given as Americans. America has been known as a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities indicating a successful blending through assimilation. But of late, the more accurate description is that of a tossed salad. We are thrown together but when you look at us you can still see our unique identities.

In a world too often threatened by differences, Thanksgiving is a day to appreciate how our various backgrounds make America vibrant, while our democratic values unite us and keep America strong. For that reason, the American Jewish Committee created “America's Table: A Thanksgiving Reader” which tells this story and helps us express gratitude for being part of it. The American Jewish Committee's Belfer Center for American Pluralism first published America's Table after 9/11, and distributes it annually.

Profiles of individuals, whose lives and work exemplify these themes, complement a brief narrative. The narrative is intended to be read aloud prior to the Thanksgiving meal by simply going around the table and taking turns or having a leader designate parts. We have done this at times at our table and it has elevated the Thanksgiving experience for all of us.

To download this year’s copy click on the link below:

http://www.ajc.org/atf/cf/{42D75369-D582-4380-8395-D25925B85EAF}/AmericasTable2008.pdf

The profiles can be read at the Thanksgiving table or at another time. You also may want to read the profiles published in the 2004 and 2005 editions of America's

Table, which are provided on this Web site.

May we give thanks for the bounty of the earth which is lent to us by our creator and the family and friends who are able to enrich our lives with their love and care.

Rabbi Harvey J. Winokur

Rabbi's Reflections - October 2011

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:22:00 GMT

First and foremost, may you be inscribed for a year of health and happiness. . .

Now to the business at hand - As Mark Silberman mentioned is his Rosh Hashanah morning talk, we have created a Leadership Development class. At this time, eight members of the Kehillah have signed up to participate. There will be monthly meetings on Wednesday evenings beginning this month through May (see the full schedule later in this issue). Enrollment is still open. We would love to have a few more future leaders sign up. Contact me for an application.

As I mentioned in my talks about the Shofar service, several members of the Kehillah joined Dr. Betsy Gard and me in a groundbreaking adult spiritual curriculum known as Ayeka. Ayeka was created to enable Jews of all backgrounds and affiliations to discover, explore, and deepen their own unique relationship with God. What is spiritual education? Education which invites, allows, and enables me to walk the path of living in the Image of God. Education for transformation is wholly different than education for information. Ayeka creates a safe space to personally engage. No one is attacking, criticizing or judging . Everyone is on the same path of soulful discovery.

When you come to Ayeka sessions you begin to explore what traditional Jewish texts and your own personal experience can teach you about your relationship with God and how we can use this relationship to enhance our lives and to bring out the best in ourselves and in all our personal relationships. Two Kehillah members who took the class wrote the following:

“The Ayeka class helps me remember the little things I can do to stay spiritually connected to God

through my daily life. It helps reduce my stress and maintain my mood better than any therapy

or medicine! “

“For so long I have been searching for a way to have a more personal relationship with G-d and

The Ayeka program cleared the path for me. The modules are designed for self discovery and the

interaction between all the participants is amazing! I DO believe I am a different person because

of Ayeka and G-d is now really a part of my daily life! I look forward to where the next sessions

will take me!”

Judaism is not about acquiring content, conveying content, or knowing more and more. It’s not about information. It’s about transformation. It’s about becoming. It’s about using the information to evoke a better kinder, holier you. It’s about removing the obstacles that hinder our souls from

emerging.

If getting in touch with your spiritual side is one of your resolutions, join us on Sunday, October 23^rd at 9:30 am in the Chapel for a ‘Taste’ of Ayeka. Classes will continue weekly at the same time after that.

For more information go to http://www.ayeka.org.il.

G’mar Tov,

Rabbi Harvey Winokur

Rabbi's Reflections May 2011

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:28:00 GMT

As I write this article, I am struck by the fact that the Nominating Committee is about to send out the proposed slate of Board members and the position of president and executive vice president are blank. It made me realize that we need to think together about what it means to build community, and about how one's personal identity is tied up with being part of that community. The two poles between which human identity swings are that of solitude, of being by one's self, and that of refreshing that sense of self by coming together with other people.

In a study by the Medical School of the University of California in San Francisco, one of the factors leading to longevity is congregational affiliation. We live longer and we live better when we do not have to celebrate our family and person milestones by ourselves and when we do not have to mourn our losses alone. There are people on whose shoulders we can cry, people with whom we can dance and celebrate, sing and exult. In being with each other, we are able to gain information and wisdom, acquire comfort and consolation.

Indeed, our tradition teaches that the primary way God speaks to us is when we are in community. God instructed Moses to bring the Ten Commandments down to the foot of Mount Sinai and present it to all the Israelites who were gathered there. It was not to be kept secret and shared by whispered voices.

The issue of leadership which is raised by the absence of candidates for these positions begs the question of what does it take to build a kehillah (community)? We need to fashion increasingly innovative ways of responding to each other that allows community to develop. It means setting aside the differences that divide us and keep us from sitting down with one another. It means using the temple as a tool to increase our mission for social justice and tikun olam. It means putting our heads and hearts together to agree on a common vision for the future. We need involvement. The great sage Hillel says, “Don't separate yourself from the community.” We recognize that involvement is a two way street. We cannot ask you to give of your time unless your efforts are rewarded and your expectations are fulfilled.

I hope that by the Annual Meeting on Sunday, May 15, the above positions will have candidates filled in. Regardless, may we learn from this experience. Let the transformation of our community begin with each of us. Let us recommit to the reasons we joined Temple Kehillat Chaim in the first place. Beginning with each of us, we can set off ripples that will transform our synagogue. If we can do this, then community will not only become stronger, but TKC will once again be a place where we can encounter each other and ultimately that for which the Kehillah was established in the first place: a community committed to Jewish values where the everyday encounter with the spiritual is made possible through each other and God.

And of course, Donnie and I look forward to seeing many of you Saturday, May 28 as Iyal and Morasha become Bnai Mitzvah.

Rabbi's Reflections April 2011

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:25:00 GMT

Shortly after I became a Spiritual Directory last year, I learned that the annual conference of the Spiritual Directors International would be held in Atlanta. I wanted to take this opportunity to invite you to share an opening evening with me later this month. Spiritual Directors International, the global learning community committed to advancing spiritual direction around the world, is meeting from April 28-May 1 downtown at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel. The theme is Cultivating Compassion.

Programs on Friday through Sunday require a paid registration but the opening session on Thursday evening is free and open to the public. Please join me. Everyone is welcome!

Here is the schedule:

Thursday Evening, April 28

FREE and open to the public

5:00 p.m. Exhibitor and Conference Bookstore opens

7:00 p.m. Welcome to Spiritual Directors International Cultivating Compassion

7:45 p.m. Henri Nouwen and the Compassionate Life
Henri Nouwen is a revered spiritual writer who embodied compassionate care in his life ministry, and service. For Nouwen, the compassionate life is always impacted, and shaped by the God of all compassion. Together we will learn what it means to flesh out the practical dynamics of compassion within the context of community.

8:30 p.m. Author and Musician Celebration and Social
Meet dozens of talented authors and musicians who will present workshops and attend the Cultivating Compassion educational events. Fantastic opportunity to mingle, meet dozens of authors, and peruse the bookstore.

If you would like to ride with me, please email at rabbi@kehillatchaim.org.

Finally, please note the extraordinary holocaust program that we are hosting on Sunday, April 17. The secret of the Priest’s Grotto.

Happy Passover!

Rabbi's Reflections #17

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:45:00 GMT

Rabbi Fred Greene of our neighbor Reform congregation, Temple Beth Tikvah, recently invited us to share in an opportunity for interfaith dialogue with several Roswell churches. His invitation caught me at the perfect time as we are about to embrace the message of the Holy Days which concludes on Yom Kippur afternoon with “Love your neighbor as Yourself.”

Rabbi Greene explained that the goal of the encounters will be “to open the doors to each of our houses of worship to welcome our neighbors in an act of discovery of who we are and what we think as religious communities.” With so much growth in Roswell, this endeavor is an effort to build bridges among neighbors by introducing how we worship.

Each congregation will invite up to twelve people to participate in this program. Each month, the group will visit a different church or synagogue for a worship service. After the service, the host church/synagogue will offer lunch for the participants of this program. Representatives of the clergy are expected to host the group when the program is held at his/her own congregation. During this lunch, participants will be encouraged to sit with others not from their own church/synagogue. After some time being together, a member of the clergy will begin to facilitate a conversation that will touch upon how they worship at that church/synagogue, how the denomination started, what makes their house of worship special, etc. There will be time for questions and comments. The cost and food is still to be determined. If you are interested in participating, please contact me.

It is our hope that through this encounter and conversation, Jews and Christians might better learn to see each other as bearers of traditions worthy of study and understanding, to appreciate similarities and respect differences. This new era of engagement and hope can help in the ongoing process of eclipsing centuries of enmity, but only if the real work is now done in the pews and in our homes.

Coincidentally, at the same time I was communicating with Rabbi Greene, I was contacted by Sherry Frank, the retired Executive Director of the Atlanta Chapter of the American Jewish Committee, about another interfaith opportunity which will take place after the first of the year. It is being brought to Atlanta by the Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies. It is called “Reclaiming the Center.”

Approximately one hundred participants equally divided between the Christian and Jewish faiths will engage in a focused text study about Sacred Texts, Prayer and Worship and Israel. The Institute will provide specific curricular materials.

As you reflect upon your goals for the New Year during the High Holy Days, I hope you will consider becoming one of the participants in these unique opportunities for outreach and understanding.

The Winokur family wishes you a Shana Tova.

Rabbi Harvey J. Winokur

Rabbi's Reflections #16

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:44:00 GMT

Elul, the Hebrew month preceding Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, is a time of introspection, repentance, reconciliation, and heightened spirituality. This year, Elul begins on August 11th which just so happens to be the birthday of our Holy Days chairperson, Peter Lehrman (Happy Birthday Peter!) and the day that we will be preparing the mailing for Holy Day tickets (we could always use a few more volunteers).

If one has prepared physically for a race, (as I know many of you did for the Peachtree), the race experience is more likely to be positive. There will be few injuries and personal goals will be achieved. And if one prepares spiritually for the Jewish Days of Judgment and Atonement, the High Holy Days experience is more likely to be positive, too. The Peachtree is a 10k. The Holy Days are a 10 day. But how does one prepare for our annual spiritual ‘road race?’

These three suggestions for ways to observe Elul aim to help you prepare spiritually for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur:

In preparation for the New Year and Day of Atonement, Elul is the perfect time to honestly critique past behavior and commit to better behavior. What mistakes did you make this past year? How can you be a better person in the upcoming year? Who do you want to be?

Suggestion #1: Make a list of changes you want to make in yourself. Be sure to include concrete ways to make those changes. If you need to repair a relationship that has suffered during the past year, create a plan for healing the rift.

According to Jewish tradition, Elul is the time to resolve relationships with others by asking forgiveness for wrongdoings. In addition to improving upon old relationships, Elul can be an
opportunity to build new relationships with your family and friends.

Suggestion #2: Make a list of those people with whom you would like to improve upon an old or build a new relationship. Include ways to make the changes. If a disagreement with a friend stands unresolved, pick up the phone and resolve it. If you want to improve your relationship with your teenage son, commit to times and plan activities to do with him.

"God is my light and my helper, whom shall I fear?" (Psalm 27). In traditional synagogues these words are added to every service during the month of Elul. In addition, this time of preparation is heightened by the inclusion of the Selichot Service which is held on the Saturday evening prior to Rosh Hashanah. The shofar is blown at the end of this service to help prepare for its sound. (September 4th this year-check your Kol Kehillah and ticket mailing for details.)

Suggestion #3: If you do not regularly attend services, this is a great time to get comfortable before the extended Holy Day worship. It is always good to sing the Shema with the congregation.

Now that you have maximized Elul as an opportunity to better yourself, improve your relationships with others, and move closer to God, it is time to wish you a Shana Tova (Happy New Year) and Gmar Chatima Tova (Good Signing in the Book of Life)!
Rabbi Harvey J. Winokur

Rabbi's Reflections #15

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:42:00 GMT

“The Book is Dead, Long Live The Book!”

First cave drawings, then stone pillars followed by papyrus and parchment, the technology of the written word was truly “hands on” until Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press around 1439. The use of movable type was a marked improvement on the handwritten manuscript, which was the existing method of book production in Europe, and upon woodblock printing which revolutionized European book-making. That was when the last major technological change occurred in the evolution of books. The revolution we are currently experiencing with the invention of digital readers is challenging the future of the book. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and the Kindle reader, has declared that the days of the book are numbered. “As a technology, the printed book has enjoyed a monopoly of almost seven hundred years. The libraries of the world are doomed to become museums.” Not so fast… The invention of the television led to predictions of the demise of radio, and the making of movies was to be the death knell of live theatre.

Even so, what does this change portend for us as Jews: The People of the Book? After the Gutenberg Bible was published, the rabbis did not decide to put a printed book of the Torah in the Ark. The word of God as put to parchment three thousand years before had value far beyond the way it was made. They could not fathom carrying a book around a sanctuary, laying it down for reading and saying the Torah blessings over it. Can you see us doing that with a digital version of the Torah? There is a mysterious nature to seeing and reading a Torah scroll. To know that a scribe wrote every letter by hand with a quill pen and sewed the parchment sections together is to step back in time to the ancient Temple in Jerusalem.

I read somewhere that percentage-wise, Jews buy more hardback books than any other ethnic or religious group. It appears that being “the people of the Book” is in our DNA.

So now that school is out and summer vacations have begun, it is time to come up with our reading list. May I suggest you consider adding one of the following to your purchases: Crown of Aleppo: The mystery of the oldest Hebrew Bible Codex by Tawil and Schneider (Jewish Publication Society). The authors tell the incredible story of the survival, against all odds, of the Aleppo Codex which is the most authoritative ancient vocalized texts of the Bible. It had been housed in the Great Synagogue of Aleppo, Syria until the synagogue was burned in a 1947 pogrom. Thought to be lost forever, the surviving pages were smuggled into Israel and finally put on display at the Shrine of the Book with the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

The Essential Talmud by Adin Steinhaltz is my next suggestion. After almost thirty years, Rabbi Adin Steinsalz is about to complete his English-Hebrew translation of the entire Talmud. There will be a worldwide celebration of his accomplishment next November. He wrote this volume in anticipation of his monumental work.

For many additional recommendations and reviews go to www.jewishreviewofbooks.com.

As Anna Quindlen wrote in a recent Newsweek editorial entitled, Turning the Page: The Future of Reading is Backlit and Bright, “Reading is not simply an intellectual pursuit but an emotional and spiritual one. It lights the candle in the hurricane lamp of self.” I could not have written it better myself. Happy Reading!

Rabbi Harvey J. Winokur

Rabbi's Reflections #14

Mon, 10 May 2010 17:52:00 GMT

Shavuot is Hebrew for "weeks." It is one of the Big Three (along with Sukkot and Passover). In ancient times, they were a time of oleh regel (literally, going up on foot). Women and children, young men and old would troop into Jerusalem to observe the holidays together. In ancient times, Shavuot really must have been an incredible celebration. Seven weeks are counted from the second day of Passover (April 3 this year) for a total of 49 days (May 19). The fiftieth day ushers in Shavuot.

During the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot, the ancient Temple in Jerusalem was busy with a special ceremony called the omer. An omer is an ancient measurement that was brought as a wave offering. A special set of publicly harvested barley grains were winnowed, toasted, ground, sifted, mixed with oil, formed into a dough and waved in the courtyard of the Temple before a portion was sprinkled onto the altar as a sacrifice. Afterward, all new grains were permitted for harvesting and eating. Shavuot also included a ritual performed with the first of the wheat harvest.

At these three festivals, each family carried a basket of first fruits to the Temple in Jerusalem. Baskets would be filled with Israel’s seven fruits that were mentioned in Deuteronomy "A land of wheat and barley and vines and fig and pomegranates a land of olive oil and [date] honey." So many people descended upon Jerusalem during the three festivals that archeologists have found what they think were massive hotel-like structures among the Temple mount rubble.

Except for the few token weekend gardeners, most of us leave food growing up to agribusiness conglomerates. What lessons can be learned from the first fruits today? We learn to give of ourselves. Giving away a first fruit is a true gift. Farmers worked and worried about drought, blight, flies, rots and worms. They toiled. Sweat mixed with tears, soil and debt. To let these first fruits go to the Temple took a measure of self-sacrifice. To give first fruits (your time, your energy, your love) is a holy act.

We learn equality. Everyone was obligated to bring the first fruits, from the impoverished subsistence farmer to the king. Everyone had to feel the weight of the fruit on their shoulders.

Later, when the sacrificial rites were halted after the destruction of the 2nd Temple (70 CE), the rabbis redirected the holiday’s meaning. Shavuot became zman matan torateinu, a celebration of the giving of the Torah. Hence, the Torah portion for the holiday is the Ten Commandments. It was also established as one of the festivals during which we include Yizkor prayers. Although not a stand-alone service as it is on Yom Kippur, on Shavuot memorial prayers are added for our loved ones. Our Shavuot service will be held on Wednesday, May 19 at 10:30am. A covered dish Kiddush will follow. Please call the office to RSVP for the Kiddush luncheon. No RSVP is necessary for the service.

B’shalom,

Rabbi Harvey J. Winokur

Rabbi's Reflections #13

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:46:00 GMT

This year for the first time, in addition to the readings which are added to the Shabbat liturgy, the Sunday Religious School Tefilah and the Yellow Candle distribution, Temple Kehillat Chaim will hold a special Yom Hashaoh (Holocaust Remembrance Day) program. It will take place on Sunday, April 11, 2010 at 2:00pm in the Sanctuary.

In addition to our responsibility to remember the victims of Nazi terror, the catalyst for this program is the generous donation of the personal Holocaust library and artifacts which has been donated to us by our members, Anna L. and Bernard C. Medintz in loving memory of their parents, Noel and Rachel Langier and Israel and Lina Medintz.

We are pleased that as a member of the Medintz family, Stuart Eizenstat, former Ambassador to the European Union and current Special Advisor on Holocaust Issues to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been invited to speak.

This service is open to the entire community. We hope that you will invite friends and neighbors to join us in remembering the millions who were systematically murdered by the Nazis and other collaborators. If you have visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and/or Yad Vashem in Israel, you know firsthand that the horrors and immensity of this genocide are overwhelming.

We are honored that the Medintz family has chosen our temple for their personal archive. It was given in the hope that others will donate items as well.

Please join us this special program.

Rabbi Harvey J. Winokur