1953-2007
THE CYBERSHUL

Now You can Both Go to Shul, And Have a Shul Come to You!

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TORAH READING

Nitzavim

Moses notes that the entire people have been gathered to enter into a brit (covenant) with God. The brit exists for all future generations as well. The people must remain faithful to God lest they risk suffering all the horrible sanctions recorded in the Torah. Should future generations wonder why the Lord treated this people so harshly, the answer would be because in spite of God’s kindness in rescuing them from Egyptian slavery, they turned to other gods. Nevertheless, repentance will soften God and a loving relationship can be restored almost immediately. The end of exile, the return of prosperity, the promise of children will all be realized. The teachings of Torah are very accessible to all. The people would do well to follow Torah and choose life.

Vayelekh

At the age of 120, Moses admits that his time is running out. Though he will not cross the Jordan with the people, Joshua will lead them as directed by God. The Jews will encounter resistance by the indigenous peoples there, but the Lord will deliver them into the Israelite hands. Moses addresses Joshua with words of encouragement, writes down some teachings and gives them to the kohaNIM (priests). He instructs all of Israel to hear the words in full once every seven years during Sukkot, the Festival of Booths. God speaks to Moses and Joshua and predicts the infidelity of the Israelites. But God teaches them a poem, which will explain the meaning of suffering. Why do they suffer? Because they have betrayed God. The poem will appear in the next paraSHAT hashaVU’ah, Ha’aZInu. Moses wrote down the appropriate teachings and charged the Levites to keep it next to the Ark of the Covenant (which contained the Ten Commandments).

A SHABBAT THOUGHT

If you have a job without aggravations, you don’t have a job..

~~ Malcolm Forbes ~~

WEB OF THE WEEK

http://www.aish.com/movies/blinkofeye.asp

A Rosh Hashanah short about hope, faith, and perseverance.

AURAL TORAH

The Beauty & Strength of Psalm 27
Be Sure to click on the attachment to hear the Aural Torah!

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HOW ‘YA GONNA KEEP ‘EM DOWN ON THE FARM?

Dear CyberRav,

TODAY THE MODERN NON-ORTHODOX JEW WANTS A RABBI OR A SYNAGOGUE FOR 4 REASONS:

A BRIT FOR A SON;
A BAR/BAT MITZVAH;
A WEDDING (IF THEIR CHILD MARRIES A JEW);
A FUNERAL FOR A LOVED ONE, USUALLY A PARENT;

HOW DO YOU KEEP MEMBERS? MANY PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THE COST OF DUES, ETC. DO THEY REALIZE HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO TURN LIGHTS ON?

MANY PEOPLE QUESTION THE EXISTENCE OF A HIGHER BEING AND SEE NO REASON TO JOIN AN ORGANIZED PLACE.

I RECENTLY HAD DINNER WITH FRIENDS WHO I SEE 2 -3 TIMES A YEAR AT MOST. THEY WERE FORMERLY MEMBERS OF A LOCAL SYNAGOGUE AND BOTH THEIR SONS HAD THEIR BAR MITZVAHS. THEY ARE VERY COMFORTABLE FINANCIALLY WITH A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE LOCALLY, AND A MORE BEAUTIFUL HOUSE IN FLORIDA, FANCY CARS, ETC. THEY ARE MEMBERS OF A RITZY COUNTRY CLUB.

WHEN I ASKED THEM WHY THEY LEFT THE SYNAGOGUE, THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY DID NOT LIKE THE RABBI. THEY NOW PRAY TO THE GOLF GOD.

ANOTHER EX FRIEND OF MINE ALSO DOES VERY WELL. HE WOULD GO TO THE CHABAD $50 DURING THE HIGH HOLILDAYS. RECENTLY, HIS DAUGHTER WAS MARRIED. HE SPENT OVER $100,000 FOR A HUPPAH BUT WOULD NOT SHELL OUT $2000 FOR YEARLY DUES.

YOUR THOUGHTS?

Things Look Bad

THE ANSWER

Dear Things Look Bad,

First of all, thanks for writing about this deeply serious matter.

I'm going to begin by expanding your assumptions on why a non-Orthodox Jew may need a synagogue. There is Nursery School and ours now has a waiting list. There is also Religious School and ours also has a waiting list. There are the High Holidays which are liberally attended. And believe it or not, even those who may not come to synagogue regularly want a personal relationship with a rabbi, and that they can have via the synagogue. I will exclude the recitation of Yahrzeit, since this observance is widely ignored, and yet a synagogue that can sponsor a daily minyan, morning and evening, as we do, often comes in very handy.

I've often quipped to colleagues (who share my warped sense of humor), that if Jews are so disconnected from synagogues, why are we working so hard? We should be out on the beach, sunning ourselves, given the descriptions put forward about the profound apathy of the Jewish community. Maybe those descriptions are just plain wrong. Perhaps some of our cherished assumptions about the apathy and disconnectedness of the Jewish community are simply generalizations or exaggerations.

The families that I regularly come into contact with want to feel Jewish, have a respect for Jewish tradition, wish they knew more, want their kids to love their Jewishness, believe in a strong Israel, get real exercised over anti-semitism, would love an inspiring sermon now and then (even if they rarely get one), and enjoy Jewish study. These are good people. They are good Jews. They could be better Jews, but they are definitely good Jews.

Are there families that leave the synagogue after Bar Mitzvah? Absolutely, but clearly the majority stay, at least here they do. Are there families where belief in God is non-existent? Yes, certainly, but why would we fault them for not belonging? They don't believe in God. They will seek a more congenial setting for their social needs.

Are there people who leave synagogues because they don't like the rabbi? In all three synagogues I have served, people have left because they have not liked me. Sometimes they have left because they didn't like the cantor, or the principal, or the religious school, or the synagogue board! There are many, many excuses for why someone might choose to leave a synagogue. But serious Jews belong because one of the ways of being Jewish is by belonging to something Jewish.

To tell you the truth, I don't know exactly how to keep Jews in synagogue. I can be provocative so I am unafraid to bash some popular values, as secularism, or materialism, or the mindless focus on sports and entertainment, and that's always good for some stimulating discussion following services. We do promote the importance of community, supporting a synagogue, supporting Jewish education for the community as a whole, and keeping a Jewish presence in a neighborhood. Those reasons may not resonate with people who are disconnected, but their reasons for disaffiliating--saving money, golf, dislike of the rabbi, etc., don't particularly resonate with me. It's a free world and people make their choices.

Bottom line--we let people know, in no uncertain terms, that the survival and thriving of the Jewish people is a responsibility that falls on each and everyone of us--not just the rabbi.

L'shanah Tovah Tikateivu--May we all be written into the Book of Life for a Healthy New Year, Filled with Opportunities to bring Healing and Repair to a World that Needs Both!

Shabbat Shalom--

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