Rabbi's Chayva's Chat

Adapted from Rabbi's sermon on 10/19/24

Ecclesiastes (Kohelet, in Hebrew) is an unusual book in the biblical canon because, as observed by scholar Michael V. Fox, “It gives voice to an experience not usually thought of as religious: the pain and frustration engendered by an unblinking gaze at life’s absurdities and injustices.” Just like we read the book of Esther on Purim and Ruth on Shavuot, we read Ecclesiastes/Kohelet during this week of Sukkot. Kohelet’s central focus on the ephemerality of life aligns with the vulnerability of Sukkot, when we forgo our safe beds and sturdy walls for the flimsy walls and hard, chilly sukkah floor. Though many of Kohelet’s lines are often quoted, I was drawn to a lesser known passage where the narrator turns his attention to when evil people gain power.

“I have noted all that went on under the sun, while men still had authority over men to treat them unjustly. And then I saw scoundrels coming from the Holy Site and being brought to burial, while those who had acted righteously were forgotten in the city. And here is another frustration: the fact that the sentence imposed for evil deeds is not executed swiftly; and thus men are emboldened to do evil.” (8:9-11)

We know that Kohelet is not making this up - sometimes bad leaders do not pay for the deeds they have done. In fact, sometimes they are rewarded for it. And sometimes they return to power. That story is a dark, frightening, familiar one. We often worry about whether it will become true, but I have a different question: Is that the only story we are able to tell?

In her Yom Kippur sermon, Rabbi Sharon Brous of IKAR in Los Angeles, spoke on the power of our stories. She quoted Yuval Noah Harari, the Israeli historian, saying that if a disagreement is based in different versions of stories, we can address the problem and be empowered to change it, by writing a better story.

The most important story we tell ourselves right now is whether anything that we do matters in this election that is 13 days away.

We hear that question echo in the words of Ecclesiastes. The book opens “Utter futility, said Kohelet, all is futile! One generation goes, another comes, but the earth remains the same forever.” And yet, despite the apparent futility, the narrator continues wrestling. He cannot see if his wrestling will come to anything, if he will be satisfied at the end, but he goes on. He does that important and holy work of questioning the narrative.

Rabbi Brous questions our dominant narrative that there is nothing we can do to impact the election. She said, “When the story of our time conspires to leave us feeling powerless, we are not powerless. Every one of us must do everything we can, not only to vote, but to knock on doors, to monitor polls, especially in the face this year of an unprecedented threat against our poll workers. To contribute what we can in the fight for our democracy. To talk to anyone and everyone who will listen about how much this matters. How much is actually on the line. Poised as we are before the unfolding of history, we have a very limited window to defy this story and break this pattern. This is our holiest and most urgent work: we have to fight to reshape our political culture, countering the norm with a better story.”

Leonard Cohen is not usually who I would go to as a counterpoint to Ecclesiastes’ despair - both are frequently melancholic. And yet, I remember the words we sang on Rosh Hashanah Day 2, from his song, “Anthem.” At first, the text does sound much like Ecclesiastes: 

Yeah, the wars
They will be fought again
The holy dove
She will be caught again
Bought and sold
And bought again
The dove is never free

It sounds like there is nothing new under the sun. And he doesn’t deny the world’s brokenness. But then we get his most frequently quoted line:

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in

Yes, this election is on the edge, and many of us are scared. And in San Francisco, our vote has local impact but little national import. And we can tell ourselves the story of not enough time, or we wouldn’t make a difference. But Pirkei Avot tells us, “It is not required of you to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” (2:16)

In two weeks, the story I want us to tell is that we pushed. That we cared enough to - in the words of Michelle Obama - do something. 

So here’s what I will be doing: on Election Day, I will be stationed at an elementary school in Phoenix as a poll chaplain with Faiths United to Save Democracy and T’ruah: Rabbis for Human Rights. My role will be to help facilitate peaceful voting, guide concerned or anxious voters and deescalate any voter intimidation. I will also spend several days before the election doing Get Out the Vote canvassing in Phoenix as well.

You don’t have to travel. There are many resources online to connect with Get Out the Vote phonebanking, through organizations such as Rock the Vote, Action Network, and our very own Manny’s is holding numerous civic engagement events leading up to the election. 

We don’t know how this election will go, but there has been a growing crack in the darkness of cynicism and defeatism. Let us be the light, and let us expand the crack through which the light gets in. Let that be the story we tell. Or if you prefer postseason baseball to Leonard Cohen, take it from the New York Mets: Ya gotta believe.

We did it! We made it to the last Dispatch of 5784. What a year it’s been.

It’s not an easy time to be Jewish, so if you’re going to be coming to High Holy Day programs and services, I want to say kol hakavod, all the honor (and kudos) to you. I can’t wait to spend the next month leaning into Jewish time, reflecting on the year that has been, and preparing ourselves for the year to come.

If you have time in your schedule, I want to invite you to add a little bit of time to volunteering at services. It’s not just a mitzvah - it’s for you to be able to see everyone, reconnect with old friends and make new ones. And if you’re not a people person, have no fear! Parking attendant volunteers are also needed. Volunteer sign-ups are here.

Finally, when the big days are past us and we mellow out into Sukkot, I want to make sure you know that we’ve made a Sukkah reservation system. The sukkah is a dwelling that stands open to community, which means it’s there for you to use! Have a birthday party, a happy hour, high tea - any sort of gathering or meeting. Just put yourself down on this sign-up sheet, or call the office to reserve a time. (And if the sukkah is available, feel free to drop in without signing up as well!)

Everyone, I have to tell you, I am so excited to be back to High Holy Days this year, our second together. Last year, we wished each other a year of sweetness, and I truly feel that we had one. Through the ups and downs, we showed up for each other, we learned together, and we laughed a lot together. May 5785 bring us ever more sweetness, and may we grow from strength to strength. Shana tova!

Can you believe that we’re already into Elul, and Rosh Hashanah is three weeks away? Two weeks ago, I gave an overview of the schedule in my Dispatch note, and now that Am Tikvah members have received the High Holy Day packets in the mail, I want to draw your attention to things that will be new or different this year. (Also: if you are a member and have not received your packet, please call the office at 415-586-8833.)

First, we are going to bring back Reverse Tashlich, the tikkun olam opportunity of cleaning up our beautiful Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica on Sunday, September 29, 1-2 pm. This year, we’re partnering with Or Shalom, and the event is open to everyone, so feel free to bring your friends, gloves, sneakers, and trash bags.

Second, the Rosh Hashanah hike that was previously on the second day of Rosh Hashanah will become a spiritual practice to prepare for Rosh Hashanah. It will follow Reverse Tashlich on Sunday, September 29, from 2:00 to 3:00 or 3:30 pm. We will hike up to Mori Point and open ourselves up to the awe and peace of the ocean. 

A note for both Reverse Tashlich and the spiritual hike: make sure to allow time for travel and possibly carpool, because they will overlap with the second day of FogFest in Pacifica. We’ll be away from the heart of the festival, but best to plan just in case.

I’ll try to cover the rest succinctly. (The key word is “try” - I’m a rabbi, we like words.) 

For the second day of Rosh Hashanah, we will join Ner Tamid for a creative service built around the music of Leonard Cohen, with a few Carole King songs included for good measure. We will still chant the Akedah, the binding of Isaac, and we’ll teach about Rachel’s tears in the haftarah. Ner Tamid will join us at Am Tikvah on Saturday morning for Shabbat Shuvah services as well, completing the exchange.

Since the second day of Rosh Hashanah is on a Friday, our Friday night services on October 4 will be Zoom only. It will be low key, just a moment for us to be together and come down from the heights of Rosh Hashanah to the peaceful groundedness of Shabbat.

For better or for worse, the anniversary of October 7 lands right between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur this year. Rather than turn inward, we are going to join the greater San Francisco Jewish community at the joint service at Congregation Emanu-El. As this anniversary approaches, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or others to talk about what it brings up for you.

On Yom Kippur afternoon this year, we have a mix of new and old: Rabbi Laura Geller, my mentor and friend, will lead a workshop along the theme of her Yom Kippur Morning sermon and her book, Getting Good at Getting Older. I recommend buying the book in advance if you plan on going. Following Rabbi Geller’s workshop, our very own Beth Weisberg will lead a QiGong and gentle stretching session, which is back by popular demand! Finally, we’ll have a music and meditation service in which Jerry Bernstein will lead the meditation, and Ariela Morgenstern, Jodi Meromy, and I will lead reflective, secular song.

Almost there! We’ll have our regular Sukkot programs this year, but I want to give you a heads up that the office will create a sign-up sheet so that people can host group events in the sukkah. Do you want your committee to have a meal together? Is your group of family and friends game for a singalong? You’ll be able to plan your own Sukkot events in the Am Tikvah sukkah - keep an eye out for the link in future Dispatches. 

Finally, youth and family services will precede Erev Rosh Hashanah and Erev Yom Kippur services this year, rather than happen concurrently with morning services. I keep asking, but God still hasn’t granted me the ability to be in two places at once (which is probably wise). There will still be childcare during adult services.

That’s all the new stuff! If you made it to this point, then perhaps you’ll join me in how I feel while writing this: excited, ready, and with a huge sense of “I can’t wait to see you!” See you soon!

Are you ready to get back into the swing of things? The school year has started, the High Holy Days are coming, and the Am Tikvah staff and lay leadership team has been hard at work developing a full schedule for September and October! Let’s give it a look.

We have two mazel tov occasions next Shabbat, September 6-7. First, Rabbi Faryn Borella will be installed at Or Shalom on Friday night. Then on Saturday, we have an Am Tikvah simcha (celebration): Sophia Buschell is becoming Bat Mitzvah! And not only will we celebrate her bat mitzvah, but we will welcome Rabbi Mark Melamut back to Am Tikvah for the occasion, since he has taught Sophia much of what she knows. The continuity of relationships that we have with past and emeritus clergy is such a blessing for our community, and I am thrilled for Sophia’s achievement and that Rabbi Mark will join in the celebration.

A few more highlights of the coming month: on Sunday, September 8, we’ll gather in Pacifica for the Am Tikvah Community Picnic and Am Tikvah School kickoff; and on Thursday, September 12, we’re going to Giants Jewish Heritage night and our Elul learning series will begin on Zoom with Rabbi Shana. (Rabbi Jason Mann of Beth Ohr will teach on September 19, and I will teach on September 26, all on Zoom.) Then we have the joy of another bar mitzvah! Adam Bensinger has been a joy to learn with, and I am so proud that he will become bar mitzvah on September 21. Please join the Bensinger family in celebrating Adam! Finally, we’ll conclude the month with our joint Selichot service with musical accompaniment at Ner Tamid on September 28.

It will be a full, joyous, reflective, and meaningful month of Elul/September. If you see a staff member or lay leader, I invite you to give them words of gratitude and encouragement, and perhaps an offer to volunteer during the High Holy Days. As Pirkei Avot says, “Torah which is not combined with a worldly occupation, in the end becomes neglected and can become the cause of sin…all who labor with the community, their righteousness endures forever.”

May we each do our part, through study and thoughtful reflection, acting kindly with one another, and bringing our own unique gifts and contributions as we prepare to close one year and start a new one, together.

The following is adapted from Rabbi Chayva's drash (sermon) last Shabbat.

The first movie I ever loved was "Beauty and the Beast." The music, the love of books, and the heroine all appealed to my young self, and the film's motifs come to mind often. I recently found myself reflecting on the mussar value of gevurah, strength, who is embodied in Disney lore by the infamous Gaston. Jewish tradition, of course, doesn’t have Gaston, so who is our model of gevurah, of strength? 

Rabbi Judy Shanks would say that in Parshat Devarim, we see that it is Moses. “As he reaches his final days,” she writes, “Moses both exploits and contains his undiminished gevurah. He implicitly accepts God’s decree that Joshua will take the mantle of leadership and lead the Israelites into the Land. It takes internal strength, fearlessness, and a reining in of the ego to offer unvarnished accounts of moments of his own weakness and failures of leadership. With his words and his silence, Moses seems to forgive himself for his mistakes, while simultaneously extending forgiveness and chesed, lovingkindness, to those standing before him who have stumbled before and will surely stumble again.” What a beautiful way to be strong.

The first thing Moses speaks of in Deuteronomy is not the parting of the sea, the receiving of the Torah, or the many frustrating years lost in the desert. No, he speaks of the time when he was unable to manage his leadership responsibilities. He harkens back to the moment in which his burden became too great and he had to set up a tiered system of judges and governors. His strength, his gevurah, showed not in his ability to govern an excessively large, complicated, and argumentative group, but rather in being able to accept help and collaborate.

This is not to say that Moses is perfect. After all, he does criticize and complain about the people’s bickering frequently, and there are multiple stories of protests against his leadership style. We see in Moses both sides of good gevurah, and sometimes a little too much gevurah - he can be judgmental of the people, heavy-handed in his governance.

The danger of too much gevurah is excessive harshness - aggressive and overbearing, with the potential to demean or alienate others. But too little gevurah and one will get walked over, which will leave you feeling too small, vulnerable, perhaps even blaming and abusing yourself for how things played out.

Neither extreme is acceptable. And though Moses is a great model to have, we often think of him through Torah study. I'd like to offer another lens - a more spiritual setting to meditate on inner strength.

The second blessing of the amidah is called the Gevurot blessing, because it speaks to all of God’s strengths:

Sustainer of the living with lovingkindness, One who gives life to all things/to the dead with great mercy, Supporter of the fallen, and Healer of the sick, and Releaser of the imprisoned, and Fulfiller of God's faithfulness to those who sleep in the dust. Who is like You, Master of mighty deeds, and who can be compared to You? Sovereign who causes death and restores life, and causes deliverance to sprout forth.

To paraphrase a Talmudic rabbi, we are not obligated to live up to all of these traits, but neither are we free to stop trying at all. I’d like you to ask yourself what you will identify as your gevurah, and what gevurot, what strengths, you see in others. Where do you see yourself accepting help, recounting your life, pulling back your ego to be able to share something meaningful like Moses? Where do you see others being somech noflim and matir asurim, supporting those who are in a low, dark place, helping them find a way to be released from the prison of self-torment? Who is bringing a sense of healing? Who stood by you when you slept in the dust?

The Gevurot blessing concludes with Baruch atah Adonai, mechayei hakol or mechayei hametim, depending on which prayerbook you prefer. Blessed are you, Adonai, who gives life to everything, gives life to those who lack it. This is the impact of gevurah, the great life-giving strength. May your inner strength sustain and free yourself and others in the weeks and months to come.