Jewish Musings Sunday 9/25

[hollygail]

What’s on your mind – how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.



Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:



Angelika

Holly

Lee

Louise

Lynne

Peachy

[hollygail]

Went to S'lichot services last evening at the Reform temple where I teach. Just lovely! Someone (whom I know from a previous Conservative shul we both attended) makes ice cream (he made five flavors in advance); DH and I each tasted two (yummy, but you all knew that, right?) and everyone socialized on the patio. Then everyone gathered in the sanctuary, where the rabbi talked for a little while about the new Reform machzorim (High Holy Days prayer book) which she used for the service. Services were (thankfully) brief, and DH and I slipped out before the movie (I don't remember which movie they were planning to show). Very, very nice lead in to next week's opening of 5777.

Someone last week mentioned learning, so I got the idea (again) to do a text study this week. Please bear with me; I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. But if we can relate what our tradition says to our own lives, maybe that will make it easier for everyone to enter the conversation.

This week's Torah portion (the "portion of the week") is one of my favorites, Nitzavim. The tradition divides it into seven sections; it just so happens that the first two are each short, so my plan is to combine them for today's posting. Here's a translation of the first two aliyot (plural of "aliyah," and there are traditionally seven of them on Shabbat morning).

The translation below is from the JPS Tanakh. And personally, I use "Adonai" for each iteration of the Hebrew four-letter name of God which JPS translates "Lord." I left the JPS translation alone, even though I literally cringe at "He" and "His" and "Him" to refer to God... (I generally type "God" and "God's" for those.) My comments are inside square brackets.

- - -

Deuteronomy 29:9 - 30:20
First aliyah
9 You stand this day, all of you, before the Lord your God — your tribal heads, your elders and your officials, all the men of Israel, 10 your children, your wives, even the stranger within your camp, from woodchopper to waterdrawer [water carrier] — 11 to enter into the covenant of the Lord your God, which the Lord your God is concluding with you this day, with its sanctions;

Second aliyah
12 to the end that He may establish you this day as His people and be your God, as He promised you and as He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 13 I make this covenant, with its sanctions, not with you alone, 14 but both with those who are standing here with us this day before the Lord our God and with those who are not with us here this day.

- - -

I find this opening to be incredibly powerful. EVERYONE is being addressed: men, women, children; big shots and “regular” folks including those who do menial tasks (for me, “woodchopper” and “water carrier” do essential jobs — how else would we be able to cook our food, wash our bodies and dishes, etc., but apparently in those days, these were menial jobs). And for what purpose? Something holy, something important: to enter into God’s covenant. And! Not only the people standing there that day, but all of the Jews who will ever be born! You and me and everyone who may or may not have been born Jewish but who choose Judaism; ALL of us. Powerful.

So maybe today we can discuss what it means to belong. Whether it’s belonging to a family (of origin or of choice), belonging to Weight Watchers, belonging to a chavurah of women like Jewish Musings, belonging to a synagogue, belonging to a sorority (or in my case, my local chapter of the Red Hat Society), whatever it may be for any of us.

For me, belonging has taken on different meanings and different levels of importance at different times in my life. I am proud to belong to a tradition of speaking up for my beliefs, for fighting for human rights, yes, for attempting to fix what’s wrong in the world (the Hebrew term for which is Tikkun Olam). I was involved in Tikkun Olam long before I had heard the term or knew what it meant. I was taught to do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do. And it wasn’t until my 30s that I realized that’s what Torah teaches. I attend a daily morning minyan for several reasons, one of which is so that there will be ten Jews over the age of 13 in case someone has to say kaddish for a departed loved one.

Community plays a very big part in my life. Sometimes “community” has meant my friends (I’m thinking now of my 20s when friends did almost everything together: potluck dinners at someone’s house was only one of the things we very regularly engaged in). Sometimes “community” has meant family (and sometimes “family” has meant family of origin, sometimes the people I’ve lived with, sometimes the “gahnseh mishpocheh” — the extended family). And yes, sometimes “community” means my synagogue, or the local Jewish community.

What’s your take on belonging?

[gazelle18]

I'm a big "belonger." I believe that a large part of my well being is being an integral part of my community. I am super involved in the local Jewish community, not because I love meetings or like seeing my name on a list, and certainly NOT because is am building a resume!! Rather, I like the feeling of being a contributor to a vibrant and warm community. I tend towards being a loyal, team player, as opposed to a renegade trouble maker. Although, it is important that every group have someone who is sitting on the sidelines, asking the hard questions, and raising doubts against the current "group think."

At the same time, I understand those who do not join in. It's not for everyone.

[savtele]

Boker Tov All! My natural tendencies are toward being a loner - my idea of heaven is a library, with a quiet corner, a lamp & a comfy chair. Then again - I love the stimulation of togetherness also! Although I will do it, I'm not really big on exercising alone - I love my AM H2O aerobics class, and have always looked forward to the get togethers we have to schmooze when we are out of the water. And like Beryl, I also agree that a large part of my personal well-being is being an integral part of my community. Out here in the country especially, we have to depend on one another! For the past year now, out little community has been talking disaster preparedness. In case of disaster - the community around us is more important than ever! At least to know the faces, if not remember the names. If someone is missing, it's important to send out a search party!

Again, it's not for everyone. Different levels of involvement, or non-involvement. That's what makes the world go 'round!

[peachymom1]

Community has been the singular most important driving force in my identity, Jewish and otherwise. My trouble has been that I didn't grow up with much of one, so I had no foundation and have had to learn from scratch how to find one, create one and nurture one. It's not easy. Sometimes people don't respond, and you don't know if they're just busy, they're not interested in the same activities or ideas, they don't feel comfortable for whatever reason, they don't like your cooking, or they just don't like you. Sometimes it's socioeconomic issues; we couldn't afford a lot of the things our peers were doing in our twenties and thirties, because we had 3 kids and they had none, or they didn't have them until much later than we did, or they just came from wealthier families.

Family hasn't been an easy source of community either. I was always close to one of my sisters, and she's the only one who had any children, which drew us closer together. But she became a drug addict, and she communicates less and less with me. As for my other two sisters, one of them was so harsh and judgmental when my kids were small that I cut her off from my life. She felt I was depriving my kids by being a SAHM, and that I should have been a better provider. She did apologize sincerely about ten years later and we reconciled, but we don't have a lot in common, and we have very different religious beliefs, so I keep my distance to a degree. The other sister and I don't have much in common either, but she's a therapist and is much more understanding. We've all come a long way in learning to accept and understand each other, which has taken courage and effort. But there are some walls between us that I don't think will ever come down.

So my sense of belonging mainly comes from my DH and children, and my friends and Jewish community, including you. It helps that I'm a regular shul-goer, and reading Torah frequently makes me feel like I've serving the community in some capacity. Speaking of that, I'd better go practice my readings! Everyone have a great day!

[lee058]

Hi everybody. You are all part of my community, and I value our communication! I just wanted to say that first.

This is just a quick note because I have been busy all day and am going to bed soon. DS needs to be at work early tomorrow morning. It's so wonderful to be able to write those words (even if getting up so early is not exactly convenient).

I'll try and write more tomorrow, but it's going to be a busy day too. I want to watch the first debate between Hillary and Trump tomorrow night, so I am planning on taking an afternoon nap. I am very excited about the debate. The best thing that could happen would be for Trump to make an even bigger fool of himself. I have faith in Hillary's ability to stay calm and centered, no matter what nastiness Trump tries to upset her with. I've been saying little prayers for her; I hope they make a bit of a difference!

I'm about ready for bed. See you tomorrow and have a peaceful night, Lee