2019 High Holy Day Sermons

Tzei Ulilmod – Go Forth and Study

In May 1964, Look magazine ran a cover story ominously headlined “The Vanishing American Jew.” Jews in the United States, the article predicted, would disappear by the year 2000. Yet, despite numerous dire predictions based on assimilation trends and intermarriage surveys, America’s Jews still number between 5.5 and 6.5 million and, ironically, it was the popular magazine which folded and disappeared seven years later, in 1971.

Since last we gathered a year ago on Yom Kippur, we’ve experienced tragedies in Pittsburgh and San Diego, we’ve witnessed anti-Semitic acts world-wide and we’ve heard, in ever increasing decibels, words of Jew hatred and Israel bashing. Yet, despite the efforts of our enemies, like communities across the globe, we gather here again for the holidays – appealing to God’s mercy, establishing new commitments, and celebrating the blessings inherent in living Jewish lives. As has been true for the past 2000 years, we have survived!

Despite charges of deicide, blood libels, desecration of the host and the poisoning of wells, we’ve survived. Despite Babylonian and Roman conquests, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Cossacks of Chmielnitzki, Martin Luther, Wagner and Hitler, we have survived. Whether the attack was Christian or Muslim in source, a result of nationalism or Darwinism, whether the attack has come from the right or the left, we have survived to declare Am Yisrael Chai – the people of Israel has lived and will continue to live. Despite all the efforts of our enemies, the people of Israel will remain strong beyond our lifetimes. God’s covenant with us is eternal and we are both witnesses to, and evidence of, that Brit.

With such assurance, we need to focus our energies and our attention not on if there will be a Jewish people, but rather, the nature of the Judaism with which we will go forward, WHAT WILL BE THE NATURE OF OUR BRIT WITH THE DIVINE? How will thousands of years of Jewish life link with and guide future versions and visions of Judaism? Will the adaptations we make, utilizing our very best judgment, result in a distinct product truly worthy of being labelled Judaism? And at Rosh Hashanah, a time of introspection and fresh opportunities, we must ask ourselves if our individual efforts enhance or detract from the covenantal relationship with God?

In the 21^st century we are challenged by the fact that, as a people, we are far less knowledgeable than our ancestors regarding the terms of that Brit. In its most broad sense, we are less Torah educated than our grandparents and our great-grandparents. We are less practiced at the ritual and habit of Jewish study. We are less committed to the centrality of Jewish learning in our lives. If we wish to truly connect with our past and assure a serious, meaningful Jewish future, Jewish learning must become the core, the underlying means which drives us forward.

In Pirket Avot – Hillel taught “the Jewishly ignorant cannot be truly righteous,” a perspective echoed later in the same masechet by Elazar ben Azaryah who teaches: “Where there is no Torah, there is no proper conduct.”

For two thousand years, Jewish learning has been the base which underlies all other practices and values.  Even prayer, the very activity for which we have come here today, has historically been relegated to a second-place status relative to study. The traditional label of a synagogue as a “Shul” is telling. This word, as may be guessed, comes from the same root word that “school” comes from, the Greek word “schola.” Tradition further teaches that, if limited funds are available, the construction of a beit midrash, a place of learning for all ages, must precede the construction of a house of prayer.

Now, to be clear, as a chazan, I am not advocating against the power of heart-felt prayer. Further, the either/or dichotomy I’ve described better expresses Western culture than Jewish thought, which offers a more wholistic approach in which study, prayer and actions are to be intertwined. But there is no doubt that study provides the prerequisite wisdom, the understanding and discernment necessary for sacred Jewish living. We are the “people of the book” and whether, in our time, that book is tangible or now an online tool –it is knowledge of the “book,” it is continual Jewish scholarship, which must infuse the gestalt of Jewish life if Judaism is to remain a source of meaning for our lives.

In recent years, lacking sufficient and sustaining levels of Torah knowledge, we are experiencing a weakening of (1) our sense of community, (2) a diminishing of the place of tikkun olam in our lives, and (3) the hampered ability to prepare children for the sophisticated Jewish way of life. All three of these fundamentals will require a serious “Jewification,” a maximizing of Jewish schooling, if they are to serve as assurances of a vital Jewish future. 

Al Tifros Min Hatzibur – Pirkei Avot teaches that we are commanded to attach ourselves to the Jewish community, to hear its cries and tend to its needs. However, survey after survey report that the sense of community, a value which has girded Jewish life for centuries, is on the wane. Alan Dershowitz observes that there is not one thing that holds Jews together – not religious practice, not politics, not Israel, not even persecution. In each of these areas, internal conflict is the norm.

The great hoped-for unifier of Zionism – has also fallen short of being a source of Jewish unification. Even in its earliest days when Zionism was seemingly at its apex as a source of Jewish pride, at least 4 different visions of Zionism co-existed side by side, evidenced by an incredibly inclusive but ambiguous Declaration of Independence. Those substantive differences remain a source of divisiveness and continue to discourage the writing of a n Israeli national Constitution. And today, polarized Israeli politics further complicate any attempt at solidarity.

Here in America, the historical cohesiveness of the Jewish community is slipping away as well. Political polarization is clearly a strong dividing factor.  Often times, one Jews cannot speak civilly with his or her fellow Jew. Piercing screaming and absolutes predominate. Additionally, the religious polarization of the various Jewish movements has created divisions which are difficult to navigate.  Religious practice and theology have become a vast divide and, worse, a source of disrespect and delegitimization among the various denominations.

Peering into the crystal ball, the prospects for a unified Jewish community in the future appear no better. National reports suggest that the Millennial generation feels sufficiently comfortable amongst the larger American population that, in the main, they are not seeking a Jewish social group. This next generation, in the collective, tends to resist any hint at parochialism, abhors tribalism, and yearns for connection with the wider society, at the cost of Jewish communal identity.

Further, with the shift towards a more personalized, customized Judaism, the radical individualism of recent generations that want what they want and need to customize everything - a bricolaged, self-styled Judaism, we may be left with a non-sustainable Judaism-lite. By emphasizing autonomy, Judaism may have inadvertently weakened the commitment of many of its adherents to the collective needs of the Jewish people.

We cannot allow the synagogue to devolve into a place where Jews merely attend to their own well-being and serenity; an island of calm for individuals to commune with their innermost selves.  In such a world, we merely create God in our own image.  If I feel good about myself and my place in the world, God must be pleased.  Abraham Joshua Heschel anticipated this concern writing: “We do not step out of the world when we pray; we merely see the world in a different setting.  The self is not the hub, but the spoke of the revolving wheel.  In prayer we shift the center of living from self-consciousness to self-surrender.  Prayer takes the mind out of the narrowness of self-interest, and enables us to see the world in the mirror of the Holy.”

My friends, the traditional bonding mechanism of Jewish community is under siege. As one rabbi reported being told by a congregant: “Rabbi, we don’t need community.  We have community in our kid’s dance class.”

A second fundamental Jewish value– the injunction to engage in tikkun olam - has also failed, in any serious way, to reconnect Jews with God or their Judaism. Conservative and Reform rabbis repeatedly express uncertainty about the seeming love affair with Tikkun Olam and what is, in reality, being accomplished Judaically. As one Reform rabbi stated about her congregation: “We have a strong Social Justice message here.  People love it.  It’s so non-threatening.”

For Judaism to thrive, Social Justice cannot be simply a system which offers validation of what we wish to do in any event. Social Justice must be more than a series of internally generated “rights and wrongs.” Social Justice must be more than a surrogate religion. The statement: “My religion is pretty much to be a good person, to treat people with compassion and respect,” has value for the world but is a non-starter for those committed to a Jewish future. 

Now, there can be no doubt that we must continue to participate in improving our world, in caring for our environment, in caring for our fellow human beings: for such is what is required of us as part of humanity and as an important component of our Jewish identity. Everyone here has the z’chut and chiyuv – the privilege and the obligation to do his or her share in this process.  But while such may be a pre-requisite for Jewish living, it is insufficient for assuring a strong future Jewish world.  If Judaism is no more than Social Justice, in a world in which not only the dominant religious culture but the secular culture pushes the same value, we must ask, can a minority religion flourish if it presents itself as a pale imitation of the dominant civic and religious culture? 

“For the Kinder” –Judaism has always emphasized the need to shepherd along the next generation – to welcome, to educate and inculcate the youth into ways of life which have bound and transcended the Jewish generations. Children have always been enthusiastically welcomed into the adult Jewish world to watch, to listen, to learn and to gain comfort. From early ages, children were exposed to Jewish text and dialogue and encouraged to begin internalizing and arguing with the rabbis and scholars of preceding generations.

But we have experienced a nuanced shift, a subtle shift in modern times reflecting a lack of understanding of our core messages. Instead of an admittance of the youth into the sophistication of Jewish living, we have, instead, transformed much of Jewish celebration and Jewish life into a pediatric experience. Often times, the study of the midrashic texts of the Haggadah have not been supplemented by the throwing of frogs; they have been replaced by the child-centered activity.  Synagogues have catered to this new pediatric focus with Purim festivities and Simchat Torah partying appropriate only for little ones and those who accompany them.  The extended emphasis on B’nei Mitzvah celebrations offers us yet another example. In the words of the former head of the Union for Reform Judaism, relative to the Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony, worship of God has given way to worship of the child.

I am in my 40^th year as a professional Jewish educator of children and I remain committed to teaching our youth and involving them in Jewish life and Jewish ways.  There no doubt needs to be “a place at the table” for Jewish children if we wish to have a Jewish future. That said, in the words of my seminary classmate, Rabbi Bill Gershon, “Judaism is NOT a pediatric endeavor.” Judaism IS a highly nuanced brilliant legal system, a deep thought-provoking theology, a 2000-year-old system of personal response whose wisdom is supported by modern psychology, and a prayer ritual with an underlying assumption of deep biblical and rabbinic Jewish knowledge.

While we must make every attempt to make children feel that the synagogue is their second home, we must also communicate to them that Judaism is a serious endeavor of great value, one which requires significant commitment. We want our children here with us in our “shul.” But we want our children to see us engaged in sincere soul searching, in struggles with God, in connecting with the progression of the Jewish generations. We want our children to see us celebrating and mourning in profoundly meaningful Jewish ways. We want our children to understand that Judaism is a vehicle of value to them beyond childhood.

100 years ago, Franz Rosenzweig lamented what had befallen the Jewish home saying: “The mezuzah may have stilled greeted one at the door, but the bookcase had, at best, a single Jewish corner.” He was commenting that a Judaism composed merely of symbols, no matter how precious those symbols, had little future. While putting up a Mezuzah and lighting Hanukkah candles and the such have symbolic importance, on their own, they will not sustain us in the long run.

So, where does this leave us and our covenant with God. History informs us that we will survive any-and-all external threats.  “They’ve tried to kill us” and we continue to eat, pray and love as Jews.  Thus, we return to the task of defining how best to create a Jewish way of life with (a) durability as well as being (b) worthy of the label of Judaism. One which enhances Jewish community, deepens the experience of the divine in our acts of Tikkun Olam and one which enriches the hope for the future; one defined by the richness of Jewish study.

We must create a community in which Jewish teachings have an equal standing with utilitarian and secular assumptions. We need to focus less on “snappy branding” and focus more on serious content.

Education of our young remains paramount. The Brith Shalom religious school continues to thrive, bucking the trend of decreasing numbers nationally and locally, with an enrollment which has continually grown for more than 10 years.  Our faculty– experienced, professional, passionate and among the finest in the country, not only teach but role model Jewish life for their charges.

Kehillah High, the communal Jewish Hebrew High School, entering its fifth year, has brought energy back to our critical teenage population, as we anticipate larger numbers than ever for the coming year. Students in the program look forward to attending for social reasons but they are blessed to study with rabbis, cantors, professors and dynamic educators from around the Houston Jewish community. And, for the first time, next June, Kehillah High will be shepherding its 11^th and 12^th grade students to the land of Israel, an experience which will be more than 90% subsidized by donations from within our community. As a side note, we are still looking for a few more donors to facilitate this experience – if you willing and able to help, come see me after Yom Tov.

Summer Camps have statistically been shown to be one of the most powerful predictors of a strong Jewish identity. Many Brith Shalom students are finding their way to Camp Young Judaea, Camp Ramah and other summer Jewish experiences. To the grandparents in the room, as I’ve done in the past, I urge you to consider leaving less money in your wills and instead: use your dollars today to assure that your grandchildren are currently receiving strong Jewish educations, attending Jewish summer camps, and visiting the State of Israel with some regularity.

Jewish learning does not and cannot end at 12^th grade – it must remain lifetime pursuit, one in which we, as adults, must lead by example. There are some promising statistics and anecdotal evidence, nationally and locally, which provide a true hope in this arena. A 2014 study sponsored by the Greater Miami Federation found that 44 percent of adult Jews under the age of 35 are taking classes or learning about Jewish topics informally through the Internet. Across America, there are hundreds of well-attended Jewish book fairs, Jewish film festivals and Jewish music festivals. Synagogues, recognizing the need, are no longer hiring school-principals but engaging Directors of Life-Long Learning.

The last Lubuvitcher rebbi, Menachem Mendel Shneerson, threw down the gauntlet in creating the world of Chabad saying: “Orthodox Jewry up to this point has concentrated on defensive strategies.  We always worried lest we lose positions and strongholds.  But we must take the initiative and wage an offensive.” Those words ring no less true for those of us in the Conservative Jewish world. With apologies to Rabbi Teller, who vehemently dislikes war-like metaphors, we too must wage an offensive to tackle Jewish illiteracy and to provide educational opportunities for each Jew, at every rung on the ladder.

The good news is that Adult Jewish learning culture has always occupied a center stage at Brith Shalom. Annually, more than 200 adult members find their way to one or more of the offerings here at the shul. 

• For decades, we have had a dynamic weekly Sisterhood study group on Monday mornings which has been supplemented in recent years with a Friday morning monthly young women’s study group.
• For years, we have provided three annual weekday evening mini-series, organized by the Adult Ed Committee.
• Our ever-growing annual winter film festival and lively follow-up discussions, will return for its 18^th year this January.
• With the help of several personally endowed funds and the support of Federation, we regularly bring in scholars-in-residence for Shabbatot and weekends, exposing us to an array of national figures of prominence and deep Jewish thought.  Torch also offers a weekly Sunday class, providing a different lens, a more traditional perspective on Jewish issues.

Over the last few years, we’ve extended our classes to include two new offerings on Shabbat mornings, following the kiddush.

• The first is an advanced level Shabbat study group on the second Shabbat of the month and the second is the inspired book club which meets on the third Shabbat.
• Our annual Tikkun Leil Shavuot features a series of 9 x 18-minute presentations by leading members of our Jewish community, an event which attracts more and more people each year and has become a shared learning experience with Beth Israel.
• Last year, we began offering a weekly Yiddish class which quickly filled and is resuming once again this year, at capacity.
• Just a few weeks ago, we held our inaugural High Holiday workshop during which Rabbi Teller, Chazan in Residence David Krohn and I spearheaded discussions of the liturgical texts of the Days of Awe, offering new insights, a new sense of spirituality, and new tools for removing the obstacles to furthering our relationships with God.

As we enter 5780, we will be supplementing the above with several new initiatives: For those in the early stages of their learning who desire a sophisticated adult level introduction to Jewish life and thought, for those who want an Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah experience, and for those seeking conversion to Judaism, a new Exploring Judaism class will begin in two weeks.  For these students and for all others in the congregation who seek access to Jewish text, a basic Hebrew reading class will follow the Exploring Judaism class weekly. 

In response to a request from our Senior Men’s group, Rabbi Teller and I have begun leading monthly discussions using Jewish text as a guide to disagreeing in a constructive, traditional manner. The relevance of these skills in our highly charged world will lead us to parallel discussions during a breakfast series with our newly established B’yachad, a group of young professionals who ARE bucking the trending and seeking serious engagement with their Judaism.

Brith Shalom has members coming from near and far in search of Jewish experiences.  We are now offering a monthly study session in Cypress in which we are examining what it means to truly be a Conservative Jew, the history of our movement and its theology as well as probing into how Conservative Jewish law approaches modern day practical issues.

We are offering a wide range of opportunities for various demographics at varying learning levels.  Find yours!

Two Shabbatot ago, we read the second Tocheicha, the second Biblical curse as described in Deuteronomy. Within that text is described rewards and punishments resultant from choices made by the Israelite people in their covenantal relationship with God. In today’s post-holocaust world, we must reject the direct causal relationship described by the Tocheicha. But perhaps understanding the text as a description of natural consequences which are built into the fabric of life makes more sense. In such a model, our choices have innate outcomes, both positive and negative.

The take away from the Torah reading is that, although our brit with God guarantees the survival of the nation of Israel in the face of external enemies, we ourselves maintain the power to buttress or doom 4,000 years of Jewish life. Without requisite knowledge, without commitment to Jewish scholarship - the fundamentals, the supports, the scaffolding of Jewish life are all at risk.  Perhaps that is the potential punishment truly being described by Deuteronomy. We are therefore tasked with maintaining a healthy and vital Judaism in which Jewish learning occupies the center of the wheel. We are tasked with keeping Judaism dynamic and worthy of its history.

Jewish scholarship will enable strong Jewish community, will infuse community service experiences with Godliness and meaning, will take us beyond pediatric understandings of a sophisticated way of life, and will provide us with the tools to remain united in world of individualization. 

In the coming year, we invite you find your niche, your rung on the ladder and to ascend, to bring your unique insights to building a strong Jewish future. The cause is great, the challenge is clear. Look not to your left or to your right at others here today but at yourself. Now is the time for you and me, personally, to identify our individual rung, to commit to our own course of Jewish study so that our actions will further secure a link in the chain of Jewish history. As part of Brit Shalom, I ask you to take seriously the larger BRIT commitment to a future Judaism of (a) meaning, (b) of depth, and of (c) Godliness. Tzei Ulilmod – Go forth and study. 

Shana Tovah Umetukah