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Parshat Hashavua: September 3/4 2010

September 2, 2010 by Steve 

Less than a week to go until we welcome the new year and commence our communal reflection regarding the year which has passed.  And so we come, once again, to Parshat Nitzavim-Vayelech – this extraordinary passage which transcends time. Its message, so profound and compelling, has been chosen by the Progressive Movement to re-read on Yom Kippur as a replacement for the traditional Torah reading.  So, where is this mystic found? Why has its message captivated us for generations? And what is it saying to us today?

There are 4 main parts to this double parsha, which, carefully weaved together, provide an answer to these questions.

First, the parsha begins with a fascinating concept that the covenant between God and the Jewish people was both sealed and continuous, entered into and concluded on “that day”, as it says:

“You are standing here today, all of you, before Adonai your God, your tribal heads, your elders, and your officials, every man of Israel, your children, your wives, and your sojourner who is in the midst of your camp… to enter into the Covenant of Adonai your God, which Adonai is concluding with you this day, with its sanctions, so that God may establish you this day as God’s people and be your God as promised to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Not with you alone do I seal this covenant and this oath but with each one who is here standing with us this day before Adonai our God and with each one who is not here with us this day.” (Deuteronomy 29: 9-11, 13-14)
In this passage, the ripple of the past, present, and future, all co-existing, created a timeless, yet everlasting moment which formed who we, the Jewish people, were to become and who we are today. Just as one whose parents have died can still hear the voice of their parental wisdom, comfort, and rebuke throughout their lives, so too can we hear the message of Torah speaking to us throughout our lives. The bond that was made so long ago remains and is strengthened, or weakened, through our life’s choices.

Second, the text comforts and encourages us to take control of our lives, our decisions, reminding us that change is not out of our reach (“not in the heavens”). We must not sit idly by waiting for a miracle, waiting for G-d or the leaders in our community to initiate change. We not only have the ability to bring about change, but the obligation, as it says:

“This command which I charge you today is not too wondrous for you nor is it distant. It is not in the heavens, to say, ‘Who will go up for us to the heavens and take it for us and let us hear it, that we may do it?’…But the word is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.” (Deuteronomy 30: 11-12, 14)

Third, we are reminded of the consequences of our actions.

“…I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day; I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse – Choose life, that you and your offspring would live… (Deut. 30:19).”

For each choice we make, the repercussions occur on two levels: the spiritual and the physical (the heavens and the earth).  The environment and humanity are affected by even the small choices we make: recycling, saving water, or leaving the heater on all day, influencing the future quality of life for the next generation. Similarly, the choices we make to nurture our spiritual selves affect our general well-being. This, in turn, affects how we interact with others and model for the next generation.

Finally, as we enter the second parsha, Vayelech, Moses acknowledges his fate and informs the people that Joshua will lead them into the Promised Land instead. He advises the people not to fear the battles that lay ahead, but rather, he says:

“Be strong and resolute; be not in fear or in dread of them, for Adonai your God marches with you. God will not fail you or forsake you…Moses wrote down this Teaching and gave it to the priests… who carried it the ark of Adonai’s covenant, and to the elders of Israel (Deut. 31:6, 9).”

No one lives forever. Life throws at us many challenges. Some, we will overcome, while others will knock us down. Face them bravely and confidently and support will be there for us. This is our teaching, the timeless message of our tradition: We are part of a people who made a pact a long time ago to consciously and pro-actively choose our actions to improve ourselves and our world.

During the coming Yamim Noraim, how can we internalise and actualise this powerful message? How can we find the balance between being honestly critical and compassionately realistic of ourselves? How can we simultaneously merit the deeds of our ancestors, set an example for the future generations, and be fully present with all our choices?

“The Torah, which began in the nameless, unknowable past,

ends in the limitless present and future.” - Everett Fox, introduction to Deuteronomy in The Five Books of Moses

Parshat Hashavua: August 27/18 2010

September 2, 2010 by Steve 

As I write this, it is the day after Election Day in Australia.   I expect that members of the Jewish community have voted for candidates and parties right across the board.  But one thing that many of us seem to agree on is that this has been a lackluster campaign.  The major parties have failed to fire the electorate with their vision or insight.  There’s little inspiration or imagination, no feeling that we’re moving into a new era, entering a new dawn.

What a contrast with both the Torah and haftarah readings this week.  We are just two weeks off Rosh Hashana and the Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe.  Both the Torah portion Ki Tavo and the prophetic reading, the sixth “haftarah of Consolation” following Tisha B’Av, express with brilliant images the possibilities that present themselves to the people Israel in the future.

The Torah portion opens with a vision of life in abundance once the Jewish people settle in the land of promise.  It describes how the farmers will bring baskets of first fruits to the Temple in Jerusalem.  There, they will recite verses that celebrate our history as a people and, in just a few words, trace our journey from an uncertain and often traumatic past into a future filled with goodness and prosperity in a “land flowing with milk and honey.”  They acknowledge that what they have to enjoy and consume is ultimately a gift from God.  This is followed by a second formulaic passage which the farmer recites when he sets aside tzedaka for those without independent means to sustain themselves: priest, stranger, fatherless and widow.  He declares that he has acted properly and asks God as a result to bless the people who dwell “in the land flowing with milk and honey.”

I find these passages truly inspirational.  The first passage is still recited today.  It forms the core of the Pesach Haggadah that we read at the seder.  It opens, “My father was a wandering Aramean.  He went down to Egypt with small numbers and sojourned there; and there he became a great and mighty nation….”  Out of this obscure and tentative beginning arises an extraordinary story, the tale of the Jewish people’s urge to survive and flourish in a land that is tiny and insignificant, yet “flowing with milk and honey.”  It is that last phrase that echoes in our consciousness as a people.  Somehow it translates into our concern to imagine the whole world flowing with milk and honey.  It gives us our messianic vision.

This phrase recurs in the second formula, which is devoted to tzedaka and care for the needy.  It links the vision of “a land flowing with milk and honey” to a strategy by which we can set about to create that world through acts of giving and caring.  That, too, is inspirational.  It means that we are not locked into the situation in which we currently find ourselves, a world that is far from being prosperous and equitable for all.  It teaches us that it is possible to change the world in which we live.  There is hope even when things appear at their darkest.  This formula suggests that, by putting in the effort to create a fairer world through deeds of generosity and justice, we can transcend our immediate situation and renew our lives and the lives of others who are touched by our goodness.

These two passages from the Torah, filled with celebration and vitality, vision and hope, are reinforced by the haftarah from Isaiah: “Arise, give forth light, for your light goes forth; the glory of the Eternal shines forth upon you!”  Light is the dominant image in this haftarah.  It is light that transforms the dreariness of the everyday into something shining and alive.  It chases away the darkness of dispute.  It replaces the lackluster and dull with “victory” and “renown” (verse 18), goals that are worth striving for.  What could be more invigorating in the aftermath of the Australian election than this promise: “I shall appoint Shalom as your government and Tzedaka as your officials” (verse 17)?  The continual references to light in the haftarah convey the sense of our “lightness of being”, the ability to open ourselves up to new possibilities.  They relieve the heaviness that we feel when we believe that change is impossible, that the future can only be more of the same.  On the contrary, every reference to light in the haftarah suggests that the potential for change is real and liberating.  Listening carefully to Isaiah, we can pick out as a refrain the expression lo od, “no longer”: “no longer shall violence be heard in your land… no longer shall you rely on the sun for light… no longer shall your sun set” (verses 18, 19, 20).  Isaiah imagines a different future when things are lo od, “no longer” the way they are but rather the way they might be.  We, too, can imagine a future when shalom and tzedaka are valued by all, and when every land is “flowing with milk and honey.”  These images inspire us and give us our vision as Jews and citizens.

Questions for the Shabbat table:

How are you preparing for Rosh Hashana this year?  Both in practical terms (food shopping, buying new clothes, cleaning the silverware and so forth), and spiritually (reviewing your actions over the past year, reading about the High Holydays, listening to the shofar, going over the prayers, humming the melodies, reflecting on your life’s direction and so forth)?

Examining yourself honestly and sincerely, do you believe that change is possible, or do you believe that people basically cannot change?

How does your belief affect the way you live your life?

If you had been elected to Parliament on Election Day, what would your vision for the country be, and how would you go about inspiring others to see things as you do?

Parshat Hashavua: August 20/21 2010

September 2, 2010 by Steve 

Parshat Hashavua: August 13/14 2010

September 2, 2010 by Steve 

Our parasha this week presents us with a murder mystery. The very last law of the long catalog of halachot in parashat Shoftim specifies what must be done if the body of an unidentified murder victim is found in an uninhabited place. The Torah requires a very elaborate ritual in such cases:

If, in the land that the LORD your God is assigning you to possess, someone slain is found lying in the open, the identity of the slayer not being known, your elders and magistrates shall go out and measure the distances from the corpse to the nearby towns. The elders of the town nearest to the corpse shall then take a heifer which has never been worked, which has never pulled in a yoke;  and the elders of that town shall bring the heifer down to an everflowing wadi, which is not tilled or sown. There, in the wadi, they shall break the heifer’s neck. The priests, sons of Levi, shall come forward; for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister to Him and to pronounce blessing in the name of the LORD, and every lawsuit and case of assault is subject to their ruling. Then all the elders of the town nearest to the corpse shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the wadi.  And they shall make this declaration: “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done.   Absolve, O LORD, Your people Israel whom You redeemed, and do not let guilt for the blood of the innocent remain among Your people Israel.” And they will be absolved of bloodguilt.  Thus you will remove from your midst guilt for the blood of the innocent, for you will be doing what is right in the sight of the LORD.

This odd ritual raised many questions in the minds of the Rabbis and later commentators. What is the purpose of this procedure? Why do the elders, who presumably were not party to the crime, declare “Our hands did not shed this blood?” Why do “the people” as a whole need to be absolved for a crime committed  by just one of their number?

According to Maimonides, the principal function of the ceremony is to make the crime widely known. The dramatic eglah arufah (broken-necked heifer) ritual was meant to attract attention and stimulate public conversation about the crime. The rite was a sort of “Eretz Yisrael’s Most Wanted” program, the aim of which was to elicit information leading to the capture of the murderer.

Maimonides’ explanation is plausible concerning the ritual in general, but it does not explain the specific declaration made by the elders, which for many commentators is the most puzzling aspect of the rite. The Rabbis of the Babylonian Talmud crystallize this central problem of the text when they ask: “But can it enter our minds that the elders of the court of justice are shedders of blood?”  Clearly the elders’ declaration cannot be meant literally. The Rabbis teach that the ritual formula should be read as an assertion that “The man found dead did not come to us for help and we dismissed him without supplying him with food, we did not see him and let him go without an escort.”

The death of a stranger outside of town would be easy to dismiss as a matter of little importance and quickly forgotten. The Rabbis, however, will not allow us to look away. In their view, the ritual is meant to raise uncomfortable questions. Did this happen because we failed in our duty to welcome the stranger? Was this someone who perished because we viewed him as undeserving of our care and concern? The practice is meant to reinforce the idea that no one is to be left to his or her fate.  Closing our hearts to our fellow human beings makes us allies of those who victimize the weak.

While this ritual was abolished in the 1st century, the underlying principle remains relevant. The Torah takes a much wider view of what is “our business” than is natural for most of us. We are not permitted to draw circles of concern tightly around our friends and family, or even around our own community, however we may define it. The Torah demands wide-angled compassion for this reason: placing a person outside our moral field of vision is potentially a death sentence.

Living in an interconnected world as bearers of a tradition that views all people as children of God, we cannot truthfully claim “our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done.” We know. We see. The world teems with those left to wander in a wilderness of neglect and want. We do not need to break a heifer’s neck to know that all the world’s hurt is our concern

Conversion Bill article, continued

August 10, 2010 by Steve 

The debate about who has the “key” to the Jewish world is not an Israeli matter. It is an old debate between different streams of ideology, personified by Herzl’s belief that when the Jewish State existed the Diaspora would disappear and Ahad Ha’am’s “cultural Zionism” that saw Israel as a central component of a Jewish world but not necessarily a political entity.

In the late 1950s, the question of “who is a Jew” was in the centre of a huge debate regarding how to list the new olim (immigrants) from mixed families. Ben Gurion asked the question and got various answers: some from a religious perspective, some from a national one and some offered different definitions for state matters. The story about Ben Gurion himself tells us that he was “accidentally” late to his son’s wedding in England as he did not want to be seen in public blessing his son’s marriage to a non Jew.

Recently the debate heated up after the third version of the Conversion Bill suggested by MK David Rotem from Israel Beiteinu party. Israel Beitenu is a secular national party, considered to be right-wing in matters of politics. The party’s leader, Avigdor Leiberman, is Foreign Minister and is known as the right side of the current coalition - so why would they be so interested in conversion? And what is this bill all about?

The draft bill basically suggested giving local rabbis in the cities of Israel the option to conduct conversions. According to the proposal, the city rabbis would be able to carry out conversions through the use of a panel of three qualified rabbis, and would also be able to register marriages for those who have converted.  Most of the voters of the Israel Beitenu audience come from the aliyah of the 1990s from the Former Soviet Union, and among them there are approximately 300,000 immigrants who are not recognised by the Rabbinate as Jews. They are Psolei Chitun (non-marriageable) according to the Orthodox Halacha and therefore cannot get married in Israel and cannot be buried in a Jewish cemetery when they die.    

As in all democratic countries, in order to get votes you need to make some promises, and Leiberman and his party promised civil marriage and to make conversion more accessible and possible for all. (So far they have passed a very limited civil marriage law.)   

So where is the problem? The intention of this law is to make it more accessible for people to convert. On the surface it’s a good thing - improving the system, having more places for people to convert and therefore improving the way these places treat their clients. Obviously not what an ultra-religious group would want.           

And so the religious parties rejected the bill. Rotem was actually facing them when he tried to bring in the bill to the Knesset the first time. Yahadut Hatora and Shas, representing the Ashkenazi and the Sephardi religious groups, opposed the bill. To make a compromise with them, an addition to the bill was that the Chief Rabbinate will approve all conversions and the courts that will be able to carry them out.

But I want to go back some 62 years. Israel was established as the state for the Jewish people. Ben Gurion introduced us to the Law of Return in 1951, under which Jews from all around the world who immigrate to Israel are immediately entitled to citizenship. However, to decide who is eligible to get Israeli citizenship you need to define who is a Jew.

The basis of this law came from the Nuremberg Laws of the Nazi regime in 1935. According to these criteria, a Jew, his/her kids, his/her grandchildren and his /her spouse are entitled to citizenship - i.e. if you were Jewish enough to be killed by the Nazis, you were Jewish enough for Israel. After Ben Gurion got the responses to the “who is a Jew” question, he opted not to decide on a lot of state-religion matters, and a definition for civil matters was only issued in late 1960s, stating that a Jew is defined as someone that has a Jewish mother or maternal grandmother, or someone who converted to Judaism and does not practise any other religion.

Now you can see the problem.  Theoretically since that time you can find an entire family making Aliyah when only the grandfather is recognised as a Jew. That is why you find in Israel thousands of people who cannot get married and have difficulty converting. Some of them were excluded because of being Jewish in their homeland and are now excluded again because they are not Jewish enough. They get automatic citizenship and serve in the army, yet if they are killed, they are buried “behind the fence” as they can’t be buried in a Jewish cemetery. This is an awful situation and it cannot be accepted that Israel brings Jews from all around the world in heroic operations and then makes them second-class citizens!

It is interesting to note a survey about Israelis getting married in a civil marriage in Cyprus. There were two main groups identified - some of the former Soviet Union countries and other Olim who can’t get married in Israel in a Jewish wedding; and the second group consisted of Israeli-born people who don’t want a religious ceremony. While the second group is getting married in Cyprus for ideological reasons, as they don’t want to be forced to have a traditional Jewish Orthodox ceremony, the first group actually wants a traditional ceremony but can’t have it.

If this situation described above is the case then why are conversions held outside of Israel recognised by the state? The Bagatz (Supreme Court) ruled that non-Orthodox conversions will be accepted and converts will be listed as Jews in the state records. But note: there is no actual law that allows it but rather a “gap” in the law that doesn’t prevent it! In 2005, the Bagtz also acknowledged “Jump conversions” - which means people studying for their conversion in Israel and flying out for their exam, getting their papers and coming back.

The new Conversion Bill jeopardises this de-facto situation and is of concern for two reasons: first it gives more power to the Chief Rabbinate which is Orthodox and becoming dominated by religious extremists; and second that Progressive and Conservative conversions done outside of Israel might no longer be recognised by the state (the ones done in Israel are not recognised anyway - or - yet).

The involvement of the Jewish community in stopping the bill last month was impressive. This is clearly not a very flattering place for the Government of Israel, being controlled from the outside rather than from the inside. Yet it shows us the importance of the involvement in Israel by Jews in the Diaspora and also highlights what can be achieved by concerted action.

Stopping the bill was a successful battle but it didn’t win the war. For me, the war is not to demolish this bill totally; rather it is to work together to find legislation that will make Israel a more pluralistic state and that will solve the very real problem of the Jewish immigrants as described above. If we, as Progressive Jews, emphasise tikkun olam (social justice) in our ideology then we must see that these people need a solution now. They are not willing to hold on until the Progressive movement is known and accepted, and they can’t wait until the Chief Rabbinate is willing to welcome Conservative and Progressive rabbis, and they shouldn’t be expected to accept this ridiculous situation that we have put them in.

I know that the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) is working behind the scenes with the government to create alternative legislation, and that efforts are being made to deal with the very real problem of those from the FSU.  But we too need to keep in mind those who are caught up in all of this.       

In June, Anat Hoffman, the head of IRAC (the IMPJ’s Israel Religious Action Centre) visited Australia. In one of her inspiring and very interesting sessions during Limmud Oz, she addressed the question of why most of the women praying with her at Rosh Chodesh at the Western Wall are Orthodox. She replied that Conservative and Reform women find it difficult to wake up so early in the morning to pray. So maybe this week’s events will provide the wake-up call - for them and for us - to wake up to these issues, get involved and actually make a difference.

ARZA article, continued

August 10, 2010 by Steve 

The World Zionist Organization (WZO) was founded as the Zionist Organization in 1897 and served an umbrella organization for the Zionist movement.   When the State of Israel was declared in 1948, many of its new administrative institutions were already in place, having evolved during the regular Zionist Congresses of the previous decades.

Since that time, the role of the WZO and the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) which was established to sit beside the WZO and assist with immigration to Israel and related issues, has been a mixture of work to develop Zionism around the world and a struggle for political control of the Zionist movement and its substantial budget.  The 36^th World Zionist Congress was a continuation of this, as well as being a celebration of the 150^th anniversary of the birth of the founder of the concept of the modern Jewish State, Theodor Herzl. 

The Congress was organized so that each party had previously put forward a broad range of proposals and resolutions which were separated into seven “areas of interest”.  These resolutions were then discussed in formal committees.  These committee meetings included long and heated debate about many of the issues with threatened “walk-outs” by those on the religious and political Right who saw that they were being defeated on most issues.  In the majority of cases the approved resolutions were sent to the plenum for voting although, when there was major dissent, the item was forwarded for further discussion and voting at the Plenum.

For those of us who had been to a previous Congress, the heated debates and sometimes crude behaviour was not particularly new, even if we found it unacceptable.  Some of us likened it to Shtetl politics that we read about.  The robust debate however was put aside during corridor discussions between people from different factions or parties.  These discussions which were often more useful than the floor debates, gave us new ideas for hasbara and to assist in dealing with some of the more difficult issues that face us, such as intermarriage and the reemergence of anti-Semitism cloaked in garb of anti Zionism.

It is worth noting the achievements of ARZENU and its coalition partners, including the WUPJ, both within the Congress and beyond, including the following issues, which received support from a substantial majority of the Congress delegates:

• 1. Overwhelming opposition to the proposed changes to Israeli conversion law.
• 2. Immediate implementation of equal WZO funding for all Jewish religious streams’ activities around the world, outside of Israel.
• 3. Cancellation of elections to the 37th World Zionist Congress on a one-time basis. As a result, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars for the movements around the world, and the WZO saved millions of dollars during a time of continued economic uncertainty, whilst maintaining the numerical strength from the prior Congress elections.
• 4. Control over the Congress. ARZENU was the leader of the largest faction in the Congress, ensuring its positions and concerns were given legitimacy and weight. The Israeli political parties in the faction, Labour and Meretz, committed themselves to an agenda of pluralism. Labour is of course a member of the governing coalition in the Knesset.
• 5. ARZENU and our faction partners, together with our partners in the World Union for Progressive Judaism, succeeded in passing our major resolutions and in defeating all resolutions which attempted to attack pluralism or other Progressive core values.
• 6. We strengthened the role of women in forthcoming Congresses and strongly asserted the negative impact of settlement expansion. Our presence was strongly felt and acknowledged by all participants, thanks in no small part to the extremely active and engaged presence of our delegates and alternates and the leadership roles assumed by our youth representatives.
• 7. ARZENU and its WUPJ partner held key leadership positions within the Congress planning and operational period. Amongst other key positions, Phil Meltzer from ARZA (U.S.) was chair of the Congress Presidium; Yaron Shavit, the upcoming chair of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism chaired its Standing Committee.
• 8. Ehud Barak, the leader of the Labour party, committed to expanding the role of Progressive Judaism in Israel in the quasi-governmental sector through filling positions with Progressive Jews identified by us.
• 9. The Progressive movement now holds the co-chair position in the Diaspora department of the WZO, enabling direct input to Zionist activities around the world. It also holds the land position in the Jewish National Fund, which gives it control over land issues and related funding issues.
• 10. The role of Diaspora representatives in the WZO was expanded through an agreement to provide translation and participation in key committees throughout the year. This will enable our representatives to play a larger, ongoing role and will help to ensure the WZO is more open to Diaspora input.
• 11. The process of reforming the WZO was continued. Our negotiating team ensured that extensive checks and balances were implemented, particularly with regard to financial matters. We will be chairing an empowered budget and finance committee.
• 12. Our youth were active, empowered and valued participants throughout the WZO Congress. The measure of the success of their participation will be found, of course, in their ongoing involvement in their constituent countries.
• 13. We began with an extremely successful weekend ideological seminar. This resulted in an engaged and informed core in our delegation.
• 14. The announcement of a competition (funded by ARZA Canada) to fund further bridge-building by youth in the Diaspora and Israel is a first step toward realizing our future.

The discussion and passing of the resolutions was interspersed by presentations from leading Israeli figures, including President, Shimon Peres, Opposition leader, Tzipi Livni and Jewish Agency Chairman, Natan Sharansky as well as various musical presentations.  Unfortunately the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netenyahu, did not speak at the Congress due, as we were told, to pressing issues that he had to dealt with.

In conclusion, I believe that this historic Congress leaves us, as Zionists, with some wonderful opportunities and with some worrying threats.  We, and particularly the members of the ARZENU-Meretz-Labour coalition, have the opportunity to change the WZO and introduce transparency, accountability and honesty into its dealings.  Further, we have the special chance to show that our passionate support for Israel should not prevent us from offering criticism, as long as we do so in a constructive manner and within a relationship that is based on respect and shared goals. 

It is my sincere hope that we can use the coming few years to support the WZO and the Jewish Agency to move toward a creative and open partnership with the Diaspora communities that will allow us all to work towards a safe, secure and democratic State for all Jews and to provide the moral and practical support that Israel requires. As one of our delegates said “I will criticise Israel’s faults as though she is at peace and defend her from external threats as though she is at war”.

Netzer article, continued

August 10, 2010 by Steve 

In Sydney, maybe it was the spectacular contest of colour wars; or the surprise appearance of some of the cutest animals around from an animal farm; or the greatest last-night-party ever to hit the Jewish youth movements.

In Melbourne, maybe it was a new campsite sitting right on the beach; or having pizza for breakfast on backwards day; or the visit by our Sudanese friends from SAIL (Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning).

 

On any Netzer camp, it could be the wonderful atmosphere that floats through on Shabbat. It could be the superior quality of madrichim, who put Netzer Camp as a priority for four months over everything else. Or maybe it’s something we put in the cordial? We’d assume it has nothing to do with the latter, though we do whole-heartedly believe that it is a combination of all the others.

Sydney Rosh Machane Jonno Baker tells of his personal highlight:

“It was dusk, just before Shabbat sank in. Our shlicha Anat was busy running a program for some of the seniors on the ethical dilemmas that the Israeli Army faces until she was quickly pulled out of the class by the other madrichim. Outside she was met with a sight that I’m sure will never leave her. Held up on a huge sign by 10 senior chanichim was a sign that read ‘Will you marry me?’ Standing centre-stage, was Ofer, Anat’s man of the hour. As she said yes, an enormous cheer erupted from all around the campsite, kids and madrichim running everywhere at once. What a moment, we all thought. I hope that moment never leaves me. For the chanichim involved, too, I doubt it will ever leave them either.”

Such a camp will hopefully be engrained into the memory of the kids for many, many years to come. If you have a child that you think might be interested in Netzer, give it a go! Netzer is a not-for-profit youth movement that works purely to provide entertainment and education about Tikkun Olam, Progressive Judaism, and Progressive Zionism, and provides a basis for informed, ethical thinking. For those of you who are already involved in Netzer, we encourage you to come to our fortnightly gatherings, get-togethers and adventures. Please support us so that we can support your kids. This movement is our passion and nothing could please us more than a group of kids excited to hang out with us, have some fun and learn a bit along the way. Thank you for your continued support of Netzer; it is appreciated more than you know.

ACCJ article, continued

August 10, 2010 by Steve 

We began the tour in the Old City and walked to David’s City and immersed ourselves in the history and archaeology of the first Temple period, walking through the tunnels and explorations of three thousand years ending the day at the Kotel just before Shabbat. The organisers of the tour, headed by Rabbi Rich Kirshen, meant this to be a full-on educational experience from dawn to dusk and no opportunity was missed to provide us with background information and discussions. After services at Kol Haneshama, kiddush and dinner we settled in for Shabbat. After services the following morning at Harel Synagogue, we were privileged to hear an address from Rabbi Raymond Apple who with his wife joined us for lunch at Beit Shmuel. Rabbi Apple was the senior rabbi at the Great Synagogue in Sydney until his retirement and a few years ago moved to Israel to join all his family. He spoke on being an Australian Jew in Jerusalem and captivated the group, most of whom had never been to Israel. The afternoon was spent on a wonderful walk through the Old City, walking Jerusalem through the Psalms and after some rest a glorious Havdallah again overlooking the domes and steeples of the Old City.

Sunday was appropriately Christian Day! We walked from the Mount of Olives to the Church of the Ascension, Gethsemane and the Dormition Abbey, lunched near the Via Delarosa and spent much time in the Christian Quarter and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Jews amongst us began to realise that Christianity was made up of numerous denominations that had differing ideas on the importance of the many Christian holy sites.

We heard an address by Rev Dr Petra Heldt, a Lutheran minister in Jerusalem for the past 30 years who is very involved in interfaith work. She emphasised the Islamic domination of Christian churches and schools in East Jerusalem and other Palestinian run areas. The situation is so bad that the Catholic Church had organised a major forum in Cyprus the previous weekend at the behest of the Archbishop of Turkey. Sadly he was murdered on his way to the airport.

The next day was our Islamic day with an excellent Muslim guide Ibrahim Ghazawi. We toured the Temple Mount, talked about Islam and had Arab coffee in the Souk of the Muslim Quarter. Ibrahim spoke about his life as an Israeli Arab and shared that although at times life could be hard, if there was a two-state solution, he had no doubts that his preference would be to remain an Israeli citizen. We then had planned to visit revered Islamic Cleric Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bukhari, who was co-director of the Jerusalem Peacemakers and founding member of the Abrahamic Reunion, a group of religious leaders that had been very involved in inter-faith dialogue with leaders of the Christian and Jewish communities. Sadly, he had died just a few days earlier, but his gracious widow insisted that we still visit their home, where she and her son served us coffee and dates, and spoke lovingly of her husband and his work.

By an incredible coincidence their home was exactly opposite the front door of the Sisters of Sion, who were the founders of the Council of Christians and Jews, and we were invited into the Sisters’ home. This is a large complex of hostel and lecture halls and the sisters gave us much background to their formation and work. It was a relief to escape the heat. After lunch we toured the Arab market and the Tower of David Museum.

In the evening we toured the tunnels along the newly excavated Western Wall which takes visitors to the nearest point to the Holy of Holies.

Tuesday began with a visit to Yad Vashem, the moving display of the history of the Holocaust. Without doubt a moving and emotional experience even for those who had previously visited the museum. We had an excellent guide who was able to lead us to the important events in the destruction of European Jewry.  We then toured Mount Herzl visiting many of the graves of Israeli leaders and soldiers.

We heard a most interesting address from Dr Debbie Weissman, president of the International Council of Christians and Jews. She spoke about the challenges facing Jerusalem and the growing divide in Israeli society between the ultra-Orthodox and secular Israelis. and the need to draw Arab Israelis into the general community; a topic accentuated by the protest a few days later by 100,000 Charedim marching through Jerusalem.

We travelled from Jerusalem to Nazareth, visiting the Basilica of the Annunciation, the first Byzantine church built over by the Crusades in the 12th century. We then journeyed to the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum and the Mount of Beatitudes. This for all the Christians was a most moving and spiritual moment of the tour. especially when Rev Lorraine Parkinson talked about the beatitudes and their Jewish origin, and then recited the Beatitudes on the site where Jesus spoke.

Our visit to Jaffa and Tel Aviv was a sharp contrast to religious Jerusalem, and when we visited the Trumpeldor Cemetery we used the famous names inscribed on the headstones as a basis for a discussion on the various philosophies of Zionism and the development of modern day Israel. This was followed by a most informative visit to the Diaspora Museum and the Independence Hall.

We enjoyed a lovely tour of the ancient city of Jaffa with a guided tour revolving around bread and its significance to religious movements over the past 4000 years. Jaffa is in the process of a major upgrading and has become a place where Jews and Arabs work and live side by side. It is full of historic landmarks, including St Peter’s Church, where Peter passed on his way to Rome.

An afternoon was spent absorbing the vibrant Tel Aviv atmosphere, where we had lunch in the Tel Aviv Crafts Fair, a huge area given over to artists of all abilities, musicians and entertainers.

After Friday night Shabbat services held at our hotel that was bang in the middle of Jaffa, we had a study session of Jewish Bible texts, which featured Jewish and multi-Christian viewpoints.

A number of us attended Beit Daniel Synagogue in the heart of Tel Aviv. This Progressive synagogue holds three bnei mitzvahs every Shabbat due to an incredible demand. After services, Rabbi Meir Azari graciously spoke to our group for nearly an hour. He gave a different perspective on the state of many local Christian communities, as many were led by radical Christian bishops who were increasingly dividing their communities as they supported Palestinian extremists. The afternoon offered a walking historic tour of Jaffa followed by another memorable Havdallah celebrating the closing of the holy Sabbath and welcoming of a new week.

The enthusiasm and flow of ideas for further ACCJ led tours on the concluding day of the tour was a wonderful high point to a most absorbing, educating and at times confronting 10 days. The leaders of the Anita Saltz Centre were simply amazing in their sheer joy of teaching and their ability to explain really complex issues. If nothing else we had become very aware that whenever an issue arose in the media critical of some Israeli action then we needed to look behind the story for the truth before jumping to any conclusions.

We left for our different destinations knowing each other better and with many new friendships created.

Shir Madness article, continued

August 10, 2010 by Steve 

“There’s now a new breed of up-and-coming young Jewish performers playing in a vast variety of musical styles.

“At the same time there has been renewed interest in all forms of Jewish music from Klezmer and Chassidic to Ladino and Israeli. With so much talent and musical activity, it seemed natural to put together a festival to showcase the best of Jewish music and Jewish musical performers to both the Jewish and wider Sydney community,” Gary says.

He explained that “shir” means “song” in Hebrew and “madness” can mean “unrestrained excitement or enthusiasm”. Clearly there will be an abundance of both at the festival!

Worthy of special note is that the Emanuel Synagogue Cultural Fund is sponsoring two of the acts - highly regarded modern music string-quartet FourPlay and Nadia & Her 101 Candles Orkestra, as well as the piano accompanist for the combined NSTE and ES choirs.

Other stand-out artists include Israeli pop favourite Ido Lederman, Berlin-based Orthodox Marimba virtuoso Alex Jacobowitz, Deborah Conway, Monsieur Camembert, Adrian Deutsch, NY-based Sydney-sider Natan Kuchar, The Jews Brothers Band from NZ, Melbourne’s Jossher Band, Husky, Tinpan Orange, rapper MC Reason, Ronit, The Preachers, Alana Bruce, Ange Takats, Threequarters Hazel, Eddie Bronson, Sketch the Rhyme, the Sydney Jewish Choral Society, Dahlia Dior, Fay Sussman with Klezmer Connexion and sexy modern jazz leader Leonie Cohen … plus, as they say, “many, many more.”

The website www.shirmadness.com  gives the full lineup and schedule so you can plan your day and hop from one to another and really fill up on the best of the best … and all in one of Australia’s iconic locations.  

SHIR MADNESS. Sun 15 August from 11am to 10pm. Advance tickets ($50 / $35 conc, $140 family) available online at www.shirmadness.com  or www.moshtix.com.au  or by calling 1300 GET TIX (438 849), on your mobile via www.moshtix.mobi  and at all moshtix outlets including Red Eye Records and Fish Records. Tickets at the gates on the day $60.

President’s Message, continued

August 10, 2010 by Steve 

Of international importance was the huge effort undertaken by forward- and rational-thinking Progressive Jews from around the world in putting pressure on the Government of Israel to reject the controversial bill concerning conversions. The fact is that, due in no small part to the efforts of our leaders in this part of the world alongside our friends and colleagues in Israel and the rest of the world, the Prime Minister of Israel received over 50,000 emails and letters condemning the bill. This shows that ours is a voice to be heard and listened to. The battle is not over and there will come a time in the near future where we will, once again, need to consolidate our efforts to stop this blatant discrimination.  One of the very easy and tangible ways you, as an individual, can make a difference is to contribute to the UIA Progressive Trust campaign in the secure knowledge that your donation goes directly to Israel, where it is used to ensure the IMPJ is able to carry out its vital work in promoting Progressive Judaism in our homeland. 

At long last we can see the finishing post of our Mishkan T’filah project. There have, probably understandably, been some mutterings over the past few months about the various delays in getting this new Siddur to our region. Many of our members, however, will have little idea of how complex a project of this magnitude is. The huge effort in getting the editing and text as accurate as possible is but one aspect of the project. Suitable recognition of those involved in that side of the project will be made at our upcoming UPJ Biennial Conference. Since the final drafts have been accepted by the publishers (CCAR Press), there has been a monumental effort by a very small group to ensure the issues relating to legal, accounting and shipping matters are dealt with correctly, as failure to do so could have catastrophic consequences. At the risk of leaving some names out, I must pay tribute to Steve Denenberg, Jocelyn Robuck and Neil Samuel from the UPJ, as well as Rabbi Hara Person of the CCAR Press. Without their many, many hours of detailed planning, advice and effort I question whether we would have seen the project so near to completion. By the time you read this newsletter, we expect that the books will have been collected from the printers and will on the way to our region.    

November sees the culmination the UPJ’s 80^th anniversary celebrations with the holding of our Biennial Conference. Flyers and registration forms have been sent out to all congregations and we are planning a really amazing four days. With presenters from all over the world, as well as our own educators, musicians, rabbis and administrators all combining to offer you an experience you will never forget, may I suggest you complete your registration form urgently and commit yourself to being part of this weekend.

Since our last edition, I have had the privilege of attending Temple Beth Israel’s wonderful 80^th anniversary celebrations, which were held over a weekend that could not have been more Progressive Judaism-centred. In addition to TBI’s celebrations, the UPJ Presidents and Executive gathered for their six-monthly meetings, a special celebration was held to celebrate Rabbi John Levi’s 50^th year since his ordination as a rabbi, and Peter Kolliner was presented with his UPJ Vatik Award. A huge mazaltov to TBI on hosting such a wonderful weekend.

At the end of June, Steve, Jocelyn and I also attended North Shore Temple Emanuel’s 50^th anniversary celebrations and what celebrations they were. One of NSTE’s many strengths are their musical abilities, and the weekend centred around two beautiful Shabbat services featuring the NSTE choir singing alongside visiting Cantor Robbie Solomon. What an experience this was. I was able to present NSTE with a special plaque commemorating this special occasion at the Shabbat morning service. On the Sunday night, we were treated to an amazing concert featuring Cantor Solomon with a choir comprising members of both NSTE and Emanuel Synagogue. I hope this concert was recorded and will be available on a CD. It is well worth listening to. I was so proud that the UPJ had co-sponsored Cantor Solomon’s visit and, from all accounts the Cantorial Master Class workshop, held on the Monday and Tuesday, was an extremely successful UPJ event. Kol Hakavod to everyone involved in this special weekend.

In conclusion, may I wish each and every one of you a Shanah Tovah for the upcoming High Holy Days.

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