Ahz mah (So what)

Last week, our children discussed the challenges and opportunities new Jewish immigrants faced when it came to their dietary habits. Would they maintain the traditional laws of kashrut? Would they maintain their mothers' time-honored recipes from the old country? Or would the powerful allure of "being American" trump tradition? The children learned how well-meaning Americans (including Jews who had immigrated a generation earlier) sought to influence immigrant eating habits through influencing the children in public school. Social welfare, or coercion -- what do you think?  Oh, and about that gefilte fish... I want to recommend a touching story called The Carp in the Bathtub by Barbara Cohen.

How would you answer this question: What do a sukkah , a turn-of-the-century tenement slum, and a home in the Boston suburbs all have in common? Recently, our temple children were exploring comparisons between the sukkah mentioned in Torah, immigrant living conditions at the turn of the 20th century, and the children’s own sense of security in their homes. David and I shared with them some ancient rabbinic musings about the sukkah, in which it was suggested that God’s protective presence (symbolized by the “cloud of glory” which accompanied the Israelites in the desert) was the real shelter. To give a sense of the sort of protective presence being suggested by the rabbis, we posed to the children this question: Do you feel differently being in your home when a parent is home versus when you are home alone? The younger children all spoke of feeling a greater sense of security and safety when there was a parent in the house. Many of the older children expressed a sense of freedom and...

Yom Kippur 5772/2011 On March 11th of this year, Japan was rocked by a massive earthquake followed by a terrifying tsunami. Imagine: One day you are going about your life, with a reasonable sense of certainty about what is happening and what will be happening… and the next day, everything you hold dear is literally swept away. Everything about life is uncertain, except the certainty of change. Every one of us will be hit by a tsunami or a hurricane or some equally powerful blast in our lifetime. It’s coming – for some of you, it may have already hit.... Click here for complete sermon

Kol Nidrei 5772/2011 The story is told that when Solomon became king of Israel he had a ring made, upon which he had engraved the words gam zeh ya’avor – This too shall pass. Gam zeh ya’avor . This too shall pass. An expression of the truth of life that is both saddening and liberating. Or, in the words of Abraham Lincoln when he told a version of this same story:  “This too shall pass. How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!” Gam zeh ya’avor . This too shall pass. Everything about life is uncertain, except the certainty of change. Everything that we “have” will eventually and inevitably pass away. Slip through our fingers. And tightening our grip doesn’t make any difference; it only gives us rope burn.... Click here for complete sermon

Rosh Hashanah 5772/2011 Recently, Alan and I had reason to be in Logan Airport. As is our custom, we were there early, and thus had plenty of time to sit in the waiting area at our gate. Our attention was caught by a young woman – a very young woman – sitting alone with no carry-on except for one oversized garment bag with the name of a bridal shop on it. She also was there very early, but she was crying. Weeping, I should say. When we finally boarded the plane, the captain came on the PA system to tell us that there was a special passenger with us today – a “little girl” who had missed her flight earlier in the day and was therefore missing the rehearsal dinner for her own wedding. He asked us to give her a round of applause to show our support.... Click here for complete sermon