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This past week during his radio program Rabbi Yitzchak Wyne of Young Israel Aish Ha Torah in Las Vegas stood idly by and laughed as the co-host of the show and past president of his congregation, Peter Dubowski, called the Conservative Movement a breeding ground for Jews for Jesus.  Rabbi Wyne sat in silence as Mr. Dubowski informed his radio audience that Conservative Jews are, by and large, ignorant and devoid of spirituality because they have removed God from their congregations.   (Please click here to access the audio clip.)  As Conservative Jews, and for the sake of Klal Yisrael, we cannot allow this type of divisive speech to flourish.  This is an example of baseless hatred disguised under the cloak of leadership in the Jewish community.  At a time when Israel is being attacked from all sides and when anti-Semitism is rampant in the world, these two individuals chose to attack other Jews with lies and misinformation in order to advance their own agenda.  Leadership in the Jewish community belongs to those capable of rising above differences in order to advance the ideals of God, Torah and Israel, which can make both our community and the world a better place.  At such a crucial time in the history of the Jewish People, Rabbi Wyne and Mr. Dubowski chose to devote their efforts to dividing our people instead of bringing us together.

It is time to speak out about what this type of irresponsible “leadership” can do to our community.  If we want to build a community where God will dwell among us there is no place for venomous and reckless speech. If you know anyone who is a member of Young Israel Aish Torah please ask them if they agree with their Rabbi.  While Rabbi Wyne did not speak these words himself the Talmud teaches us Shtikah K’hoda’ah Dami! – Silence is equal to agreement!

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Dr. Zuhdi Jasser to speak at Temple Beth Sholom on Sunday Oct. 18, 2009.

I can still remember that day, I believe that most of us can remember exactly what we were doing or where we were when we heard the news.  For our generation, 9/11 had a very similar effect to that of President Kennedy’s assassination on the generation of  our parents and grandparents. 

Losing one’s innocence, understanding that the world can be a cruel desolate place devoid of morals or ethics is a horrible reality to wake up to.  Yet I am amazed!  As much as we say we remember what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, as much as we go through the motions of trying to understand and as much as we sometimes still break into tears, I believe most of us have truly forgotten why this happened. 

I refuse to admit that our country was not prepared, for how can we possibly defend and protect our country against a terrorist plot that seemed to spring to life from the pages of a Hollywood Blockbuster Movie script!  Who can think of such a way to murder people in cold blood?  The answer: Radical Islamist Fascists!

For those of us who have been to Israel, it is not hard to understand what the threat of Radical Islam is really like.  Israel is surrounded by enemies on all sides who espouse Radical, Fascist and murderous Islamic ideologies. Even those countries like Egypt and Jordan whom Israel has peace treaties with - struggle internally to contain the threat of being “eaten alive” by that ugly monster! 

I remember a cartoon that was published right after 9/11; it showed a calendar in Israel where all the days on it were marked as Sept. 11.  Yes, Israel is prepared and always alert, not because it wants to but because it needs to!  And still, sadly, as prepared as we can be, sometimes there is no way of anticipating what could happen next. 

When you travel through Israel, if you pay close attention, when you come upon a place where a terrorist attack once took place you can see a small plaque listing the names of our fallen brothers and sisters.  Instead of making grandiose monuments and pledging over and over again not to forget, Israel actually does something about it.  The most important step in doing something about terror is understanding who, what and how we are fighting.

Very often I watch in disbelief how we try to apologize for the world!  A few months ago, President Obama went to Cairo and delivered an embarrassing and short-sighted speech where he called on The Muslim World to join America in creating a better world. 

Did anyone try to remind the President that all of these “moderate muslims” he was trying to extend his hand to were absolutely SILENT after 9/11?  I vividly remember all media outlets interviewing muslims and asking them for their thoughts right after 9/11. The majority did not condemn the hijackers and their evil plot.  Most of them simply remained silent. 

Time and time again, the defense was used that as long as Israel existed, these things will continue to happen.  Time and time again, we heard then and we hear now that Zionism is the problem – according to President Obama, Israeli “Settlements” are the problem.  NO!  The problem is murderers running around without restraint as we try to appease them again and again.

If we want to remember the victims of 9/11, it is important to do it by understanding that as long as we don’t face the threat of Radical Fascist Islam with open eyes and stop lying to ourselves thinking these people can be appeased – if we go through life thinking that they can understand ethics, morality and love the same way we do, then 9/11 will happen again. 

In trying to understand the constant threat of Radical Fascist Islam, Temple Beth Sholom is bringing to Las Vegas an extraordinary speaker.

I would like you to mark your calendars with an important date.  On Sunday Oct. 18, 2009 at 4 PM, Temple Beth Sholom will be hosting Dr. Zuhdi Jasser who is the director of The American Islamic Forum for Democracy.  Dr. Jasser is perhaps one of the most outspoken critics of Radical Fascist Islam. Dr. Jasser is also a devout Muslim.  He is the voice and the vision behind the documentary: The Third Jihad.

I highly recommend that you watch The Third Jihad before coming to Dr. Jasser’s lecture.  Our congregation has arranged for a screening of The Third Jihad on Tuesday Oct. 13, 2009, at 7 PM  here at Temple Beth Sholom.  Please join us for both the screening of the documentary and for Dr. Jasser’s lecture the following Sunday Oct. 18, 2009 at 4 PM.

In closing, I would like to thank the Men’s Club of Temple Beth Sholom and the committee that oversees the Warsaw Ghetto Remembrance Garden for providing us with the necessary funds to make this program available.  Every contribution made to The Warsaw Ghetto Remembrance Garden project at TBS goes to a special fund that is used to promote a better understanding of how hate and racism can be dealt with and eventually eliminated from our world.

Bellow, I have included a couple of links to some of Dr. Jasser’s appearances on CNN, FOX and other TV Networks.

Hannity – The Third Jihad – Sharia Law In America

The Third Jihad: Abridged Version

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Before I begin to write the words that I really want to write, I want to take a trip down memory lane. Let me warn you though, these are not pleasant memories. I remember it as if it happened yesterday.

I was a rabbinical student at The Jewish Theological Seminary. Shabbat Nov. 4, 1995 seemed to be just like any other Shabbat; it turned out to be a day that changed the fabric and soul of the Jewish People forever.

I will never forget that Saturday night. I remember turning on our TV just to find out that Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin had been assassinated. I also recall with absolute horror the first words I uttered after I heard the news. “I have this horrible feeling that it was a Jew who shot him!” When my wife heard the words come out of my mouth, she stood there in complete and absolute disbelief. After we learned what happened, we as a People also stood lonely and shaken, feeling betrayed and disgusted. That was just the beginning of something we had no idea had been set in motion.

Our Sages of blessed memory warn us constantly and profoundly in their writings about what happens when we turn on each other. We know for a fact that the destruction of The Holy Temple in Jerusalem was caused by the deep divisions and hate that separated The Jewish People at the time. One needs to look no further than the writings of Josephus to understand that the hate we held for one another was very real, intense and yes, it was deadly.

Very often I wonder how it is that we can’t learn from our own history. For centuries, we taught our children how to read and write even when other cultures wasted no time in what seemed to be a trivial matter. For centuries, we grappled with history knowing full well that Sinat Hinam, baseless hatred, spreads and kills more accurately than the most modern of weapons.

Hate triumphs because it is championed by fanatics, it triumphs because it preys on people’s ignorance. Back in 1995, the Rabin assassination was not an isolated act, it was the result of hundreds of hateful speeches. It was the result of careless and irresponsible behavior of many. It was the result of a perverted use of our Torah to justify murder and bloodshed. It happened then and it happened this past Shabbat, again.

Last Saturday night, a gunman made his way into the gay and lesbian youth center in Tel Aviv. He opened fire, killing two people and wounding many others. WHY? I think we all know the answer but refuse to understand it. Judaism is a tradition of light and life but just like any other religion, it can turn into a deadly weapon if perverted or misunderstood. It doesn’t matter who you are — liberal, conservative, orthodox, reform! It doesn’t matter what your political views are.

We were tasked by God with being Or L’Goyim, a light unto the nations. Is that the way in which we are behaving? Just like Rabin’s assassination was not an isolated act that happened in a vacuum, this shooting won’t be either. One needs not to dig too deep into the recent past and listen to the speeches or read the writings of many of Israel’s leading Ultra Orthodox Rabbis. When speaking about homosexuality, they all have a common thread running through them, an unbelievable hateful and primitive understanding of homosexuality. They seem to ignore, time and time again, that all of us are created in the image of God.

So what happens now? Something like this shooting is not only barbaric but has no place in an enlightened society like Israel. What happens when wolfs in sheep’s clothing use The Torah to hide their ignorance and turn it on its head to justify hate?

No one knows what happens next, but I sure hope that we don’t turn the other way. It is unbelievable that having been the subject of hatred, torture and so many false and calamitous accusations through time we allow this to happen again. I hope the criminal who perpetrated this cruel act will be brought to justice and locked up in the deepest of pits that exist in the Israeli Judicial System! I hope that we understand that hateful speech in Israel needs to be stopped! I hope that all of us understand that Rabbinic Ordination is not a license to use your tongue for evil! I hope we understand that unless we STAND UP to this type of hate, it will not be stopped by anyone.

I read a beautiful prayer by Bradley Burston who writes for The Haaretz newspaper. I will include it here because it is a beautiful way of understanding how we all should be feeling after this horrible tragedy.

_____________________

For Liz Trobishi, 17, and Nir Katz, 26, of blessed memory, and for the recovery of the 15 young people wounded late Saturday by a gunman in a Tel Aviv club for gay teens.

_____________________

Lord, teach me to stand naked before you
And, in so doing, learn the meaning of modesty.

Let me stand naked, which is to say, stripped to my humanity,
And mourn these young people shot
For having chosen to practice
Their own humanity.

Cause me, Lord, to shed this defective armor,
Which we call clothing, respectability, convention,
The mask which we mistake for loyalty to tribe.
The mask which keeps me from seeing the face behind the mask of the tribe we have come to call enemy.

At the close of this dark anniversary, this time when tradition tells us, the worst of calamities were wrought by sinat hinam, hatred unbound, hatred for its own sake, teach me what I need to know about my true enemy.

Force me to see that what I am so certain that I hate, the clear, familiar targets of my fury, are already inside me.

Help me heal of this contagion, this cruel disease which scars and hardens the soul, which cores and blackens and blinds the heart, this affliction which feeds on self-righteousness and the conviction that God plays favorites, that the person whose behavior and appearance, and ways of speaking and dancing and loving are foreign to me, has less right to a true self than I.

Rock me awake, O Lord who invented the mosaic, the patchwork, the universe.
Force me to see the miracle of every life on the threshold
Of what we have come to know as
Real life.

Let me know that in the beginning, real life is created through ahavat hinam, love unbound, love unfiltered, love unselfish, love shorn of armor and unkindness and judgment and ancient rage.

Lord, whose business it is to give life, shock us, cajole us, manipulate us, bring us to heel, force us in this terrible moment to know the enormity and the necessity of chesed, lovingkindness.

Lord, whose great gift and whose most murderous creation was the human being, help us find the human in the Other, hated from habit and from afar. Help us up, the mourning, the remnant, those whom tragedy has in cruelty and in lovingkindness left alive. Teach us to honor the slain by honoring the living, their own behavior and appearance and speech, the dancing and the loving of those doing nothing more banal and nothing more extraordinary, than living a genuinely real life.

© Rabbi Felipe Goodman

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When summer arrives, I go through an almost indescribable feeling of redemption. I can only imagine what the experience of The Wilderness was like for The Children of Israel. Yes, I know that they complained constantly for having left Egypt. Yes, we all know that during some very difficult times of the 40-year journey, slavery seemed like a better option that facing the uncertainty of the never ending apparent desolation of the territory they covered in their journey through The Midbar.

One of the most important questions to ask ourselves year after year as we study this part of The Torah is –why would God reveal himself to his people in The Wilderness? When you think of all the places God could have chosen to give us The Torah, it is really kind of dramatic that God chose the desolation of The Midbar, The Wilderness. The traditional explanation found in The Midrash Rabbah tells us that God chose The Wilderness precisely because he wanted people to not have any distractions when they were invested in the spiritual exercise not only of receiving The Torah but also in understanding what that moment meant!

The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Have you ever thought about what our life would be like without trivial distractions? When I was a child, I was able to sit down and do my homework and the only distraction my parents feared were the four different TV stations that we had at the time, beyond that and my regularly scheduled sport activities the distractions were not what they are today. Think about our children. We demand so much of them, we ask them to compartmentalize themselves in such a way that they often have no time to just perceive reality in a simple and open wilderness type of way. Think about what happens every afternoon in many of our homes. Hours of homework combined with the most technologically advanced and sophisticated distractions modernity can buy. Did I mention 500 TV channels, the web and online games?

Sometimes in life we have to willingly place ourselves in The Wilderness. I know, it sounds crazy! But it’s not so crazy. The other day I was having a conversation with a friend, we were talking about different types of medication that children with “ADD” take so that they are better able to focus in school or in their daily activities. I couldn’t believe it but I found out that many adults try to take this medication because it allows them to focus better in work and be more productive. I also learned that in many college dorms there is a new drug problem which extends itself beyond the drugs we already know about and into medications that help you stay awake and write a better paper in less time.

There is a message in this week’s Torah Portion. Simplicity works. The Midbar can be a place of desolation or a place where someone who is searching can focus and find what he or she has been looking for. This week’s Torah Portion begs us to return to things that are not complicated, to empty our lives of distractions that cause us to lose focus and lose sight of the important things in life.

Our Sages taught that we always have to follow in the footsteps of God. Our tradition is shaped in many ways by our persistence in trying to imitate Godliness. This is one of the most important messages to understand and then use for our own existence. Make yourself open like the wilderness, eliminate from your life that which separates you from whom you truly are and just like we received The Torah our most precious heritage and possession in the middle of The Midbar, may we be always blessed to understand the meaning of the blessings that are given to us by others without distractions or conditions.

Shabbat Shalom

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Ambassador Ross came to speak as a surrogate of the Obama Campaign. Just like we did for Senator Lieberman when he came on behalf of the McCain campaign, we listened carefully and were delighted to have such a prominent figure in American public life share with us insights on the current election.

Ambassador Ross gave a fascinating presentation on Senator Obama’s foreign policy perspective.  I just came upon an article published by Haaretz this morning that very much summarizes what Ambassador Ross said at TBS.

I have chosen to post the entire article; it is both interesting and may also be enlightening as to what the future may hold in store if Obama is elected president.

Again, this doesn’t constitute my personal endorsement of any candidate nor does it represent the Temple’s point of view or mean that Temple Beth Sholom endorses or supports any specific candidate.

Dennis Ross on why he’s working for Obama and how he’d talk to Iran

By Natasha Mozgovaya

Tags: Israel News, Iran

WASHINGTON – Ahead of the American elections, Dennis Ross, the man who used to work as President Bill Clinton’s envoy to the Middle East, has been busy “working” the shuls in Florida, a key battleground state in the presidential election. Aside from sitting on the boards of many different research institutes, Ross also acts as Democratic candidate Barack Obama’s Middle East advisor. In addition, he is a leading contender – among some 300 candidates – for the post of secretary of state in an Obama government. This week he sat down and talked to Haaretz.

How was it in Florida? How did people react and what are the main concerns of the local Jewish community?

Ross: “When I was down there a few weeks ago, I think there were many more questions about Senator Obama than what I see among audiences today. The questions that are asked now show that people are beginning to decide that they want to go for him, and they want to be satisfied. I think there’s a desire to understand the nature of his relationship to Israel, how he would approach Iran, and [what] he thinks about the peace process. I would say those are the three big questions I was asked in one form or another everywhere I went.”

Assuming that the next president’s capacity to deal with these issues will be limited because of national debt, two ongoing wars and the recent financial crisis, can he really promise anything – and keep his word?

“In the first instance, [Obama] views the issue of Iran as an urgent priority, because the Bush administration’s approach to Iran has failed. I talk about how Obama wants to use our willingness to talk as a means to get others to actually apply more pressure on the Iranians, as a way to ensure the talks’ success, but also because the talks themselves send a signal [to] those who fear [that] applying more pressure means you’re descending toward a slippery slope of confrontation. This is a way of saying, ‘Look, we’re trying to see if there’s a way to avoid that.’ Preventing Iran from going nuclear is a very high priority for him, not only because it’s such a threat to Israel, but because it’s such a threat to the United States.

“On the question of Israel, I talk about what I saw during his trip to Israel, how I saw his understanding of the relationship with Israel – he would describe it as a commitment of the head and heart. He looks at Israel and sees us as being two countries with common values. But he also looks at Israel and sees that whatever threatens Israel also happens to threaten the United States. So we have a [common] interest, because we end up facing the same threats.

“Regarding the peace process, I think this is an issue where engagement is also crucial, but, much like Iran, it is an engagement without illusions. When you engage, you do so without illusions. But when you don’t engage, you leave the way open for your adversaries to actually gain more. The Bush administration wanted to disengage for its first six years in office. [By doing so] they actually strengthened Hamas’ hand, because Hamas’ argument is [that] there is no possibility for peace. The least you want to do is show that there could be an alternative answer.”

What kind of engagement might it be? The Israeli government isn’t fond of being under pressure, and some people are very sensitive about the idea of talking to Iran, especially since the Iranian leadership is saying nasty things about Israel.

“Sure, that’s why I started by saying that it’s an engagement without illusions. With regard to the Iranians, we know that by not talking to Iran the U.S. did not improve the situation. Today Iran is a nuclear power – it doesn’t have nuclear weapons yet, but in 2001 it was not yet able to convert uranium or uranium gas, it didn’t have a single centrifuge. Now it’s stockpiling highly enriched uranium. So the current approach of not talking hasn’t worked. There’s no guarantee that if you talk you’ll succeed, but if you don’t talk you will fail.”

Does one talk to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?

“You don’t talk to Ahmadinejad. First of all, he’s not the decision maker. When Senator Obama suggests that he would be prepared to meet with him, he says such a meeting first has to be prepared. What he means is that you have to coordinate with your allies – all your allies. Secondly, it means you have to check whether you can put together an agenda for a lower-level meeting. If it becomes clear that you can’t put together such an agenda, then you don’t hold a meeting at a high level – the presidential level – because it’s not going to lead anywhere. But if you can produce something that you know will lead somewhere, then it’s silly not to do that.

“And in terms of the peace process, if you don’t engage, then by definition, Hamas becomes stronger. We’ve seen that. Senator Obama won’t deal with a non-state actor like Hamas unless Hamas changes its position, unless it’s prepared to recognize Israel, unless it makes it clear [that] it gives up on terror, unless it’s prepared to recognize previous agreements. So as for non-state actors, he’s not willing to deal with them. Engagement without illusion in the peace process means that the U.S. should play a role, the U.S. should be involved, the U.S. should do what it can to promote the peace process and build bridges where it can.

“At the end of the day his position is [that] we cannot impose peace, because an imposed peace isn’t peace at all. He’s more than willing to invest in the process, but, then again, how he does it and in what ways will depend very much on the circumstances, and obviously there are many other issues out there.”

Do you believe Israel and the Palestinians can reach an agreement in the near future? Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she’ll do her utmost to try and reach a framework agreement by the end of the Bush administration.

“I think that in the current circumstances, it’s difficult to see that happening. It’s important for the two sides to do what they can, but I think we need to be realistic as well.”

Leaving the sidelines

Not everyone in Washington likes the Israeli talks with Syria. What do you think?

“The fact that Israel is negotiating indirectly with Syria through Turkey is a sign that Israel believes it’s worth trying this approach, and I believe we should try it, too. I think it’s a mistake not to. Too often when you don’t talk – as I said before – you create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just because you make the effort doesn’t mean you’ll succeed. But at least you ought to see if you can do it, you ought to do it with your eyes open, without illusions, without naivete, but it’s worth probing and testing.”

Why and when did you decide to take on an active role in this campaign?

“I decided to take an active part in the campaign because I feel the stakes are so high. I looked at us, especially in the Middle East, and I think we’ve been on the sidelines everywhere except [in] Iraq. And when the U.S. is on the sidelines, U.S. interests suffer and I think Israel’s interests suffer, too. I felt that I just didn’t have the luxury of remaining on the sidelines and sitting this one out.”

Some of America’s image problems didn’t start with the Bush administration. Is it possible to repair the damage?

“One of the problems of the last eight years is that too often we’ve staked out objectives that we could not achieve. The rest of the world watches and looks for several things. The first is whether we are effective in terms of what we do. Secondly they have to see that we don’t just lecture, we also listen.”

Can you define what constitutes an American interest right now?

“I think our interest at this point around the world is [that] we do have to contend with the radicalists, they do constitute a serious threat to us. But I think we have to realize who our natural partners are and how we can work with both them and our allies so we, in a sense, build our collective leverage against those who constitute threats to us. It’s very clear that we have to restore our economic well-being, because you can’t be strong internationally if you’re not strong at home, and if you’re not strong financially.”

Is it about the stakes, or Obama’s personality and policies?

“It’s a combination. First, the stakes were so high, and I think he’s also a unique talent. I’ve sat in on probably 100 meetings with our presidents – those I’ve worked for and their counterparts. I know what it takes to be an effective, good leader. I saw Senator Obama at work in meetings with leaders. His manner of operation shows me unquestionably that he’s someone who grasps issues in their detail, but also strategically, and he understands how to deal with leaders in an effective way, from the standpoint of promoting America’s interests and needs. It’s a combination of the stakes but also of seeing in Senator Obama a transformational figure at a time when I think the United States needs a transformational figure.”

If Obama wins and you are offered the post of secretary of state, would you accept the offer?

“I’m not assuming that. The truth of the matter is that I’m concentrating on helping him through November 4. Whatever happens after that – we’ll see.”

What in his character impressed you the most, and what does he lack as a leader?

“I think that what impressed me the most is that he has perspective. He’s very thoughtful, he knows how to ask the right questions, and he doesn’t jump to conclusions. He’s careful with his judgments and he’s not afraid to ask questions, because he’s not afraid to have people ask him questions. I think he has a kind of personal character and the kind of temperament presidents need.

“I’ve worked on the National Security Council staff of Ronald Reagan’s administration, so I was in that White House. I served in a senior State Department position under George H. W. Bush and then I was President Clinton’s negotiator on the Middle East – so I’ve been around a few American presidents. I’ve witnessed decision processes, I’ve been around American presidents at times of crisis, and I think I have a pretty good sense of what it takes for someone to be effective as president – in terms of judgment capability, perspective and even wisdom. And I think Senator Obama brings all those to bear. That’s why I find him enormously impressive and believe he is just the person we need at this time.”

Some progressive groups have expressed disappointment with him, saying that some of his positions are actually more hawkish than those of President Bush. Suddenly his positions regarding Al-Qaida terrorists, Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iran are becoming harsher.

“I think he is quite realistic. Contrary to what was commonplace practice in the Bush administration, he doesn’t let ideology blind or color his thinking. His assessments are based on looking at the world as it is and understanding the kinds of things we’ll need to do to change the world where it needs to be changed.”

Taking into account the possible “Bradley effect” [referring to the discrepancies between voter opinion polls and the outcome of U.S. election campaigns], the traditional low voting rate and other “unknowns” – do you think Obama will win?

“I certainly hope he will, and I’m cautiously optimistic.”

Be sure to check out this related story — Temple Becomes Tiny Battleground.

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What an amazing feeling it is to be ready to immerse ourselves in the beauty of Sukkot!  Since I was a child, Sukkot has always been my favorite Holy day and even today it provides me with my very own hide away “spot” within The Jewish Calendar. 

After the overwhelming and awesome number of people that come to The Synagogue for The Yamim HaNoraim, after many of us have had our “deep immersion” in Judaism for the entire year, Sukkot is very often one of the least attended Holy Days. Sukkot is the time of the year when we really experience an outmost sense of Joy!

For me as a Rabbi, it provides some very much needed spiritual time with my family and also with my own soul. The smell of the Etrog alone brings back memories of years gone past and the promise we just made ourselves not even five days ago to live our lives anew as we strive to reach our full potential as human beings.

Sukkot is sometimes referred to simply as “Sman Simchatenu,” The Time of Our Rejoicing. I have always marveled at this name, because on one hand it is a Mitzvah to rejoice on Sukkot and on the other we need to be constantly mindful of the fragility in life that The Sukkah itself represents. It is almost like a balancing act; we see fragility all around us and in these times of economic hardship, we don’t even need the Sukkah to remind us! And yet we must rejoice because we have reached this point in time together with those whom we love and treasure.

This year, that feeling of balancing fragility and joy is especially poignant. When our new Assistant Rabbi, Adam Watstein, came to Las Vegas and he was looking to buy a house, I went around with him looking at different homes. Many times we would come into a house that was in foreclosure and was already owned by a bank. Many of these homes were in perfect condition but others still had personal belongings left behind by the owner. The feeling that you get when you know that a family who once lived there viewed that home as their permanent dwelling and all of a sudden that security was no longer there for them was one of the worst feelings I have ever felt! It really brought home for me the fragility of our dwelling places and the fragility of life.

The Sukkah as a symbol is fragile and it is the outmost expression of nomadic life and non permanence that we have in The Jewish Tradition. The Sukkah is also a symbol of hope!  If we look at our history, we know that even though we traveled from place to place for 40 years in the wilderness, there was an incredible ending to the story, God ultimately brought us to Eretz Israel, our Promised Land flowing with Milk and Honey.

This has been a year marked by the tumbling of our financial institutions, the collapse of the sub prime lending frenzy and millions of foreclosures. The message that Judaism has to offer is one of hope and growth. As a result of a new appreciation for the frailty of our way of life, we may also experience a renewed respect for what it means to have a roof over our heads. Once a year, we dwell in our Sukkah. We have been doing it for thousands of years — not because we are preparing for difficult times ahead but because we understand what can happen if we don’t force ourselves to remember how fragile and unpredictable life can be.

Hag Sameach

Rabbi Felipe Goodman

© Rabbi Felipe Goodman.  All rights reserved.

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Instead of trying to put the puzzle of Ki Tetze together, I would much rather bring your attention to Judaism as a whole. One of the most important and absolute truths (I don’t use this term often or lightly) about Judaism is that it is not merely a religion. Judaism is a way of life, and that is what makes us so different from all other different religions in the world.

The number and nature of Mitzvot contained in Parashat Ki Tetze has to remind us that as Jews that we have a unique way of seeing the world and understanding how we interact with it. For us, life is Holy. We regard life as a God given gift and in trying to make the most out of that gift, in trying to bring meaning to our existence, we use the Mitzvot as tools to turn our lives into instruments of spirituality, kindness, service, justice and peace!

Have you ever asked yourself why Judaism is not a religion that proselytizes others? Many if not the majority of other faiths spend a great amount of time and energy trying to bring their own version of truth and holiness to others. We as Jews have a unique mission — we have to make ourselves whole through the Mitzvot so that we can become indeed a light unto the nations.

We spend our energy trying to decipher the ultimate meaning of the commandments. We strive to observe the commandments not out of fear of God but out of a profound sense of responsibility. Many look at Jewish Law as a system that enhances prohibitions and restrains behavior. Jewish Law as a system with its rules and nuances has a twofold purpose — to elevate our lives from the realm of instinct and impulse into the realm of purpose and meaning, and of course to preserve our People as such through the passage of time.

We live in a day and age in which many Jews have little or no regard for The Mitzvot. We can’t understand the observance of The Mitzvot as something optional, something left to the choice of the individual rather than as a force that keeps the community as a whole and holy community.

The term “Kehila Kedosha,” was used to designate a community that lived and thrived through its service to God by the observance of The Mitzvot and their understanding of how God manifested God’s self in the life of the community through these holy precepts can’t apply to a community where people act based on instinct and good will rather than through a sense of being commanded.

One of the most incredible statements ever pronounced by our sages is contained in The Talmud — “Greater is a person who is commanded to do something and does it than the one who is not commanded and does it!” This is extremely counter culture.

In today’s world, we regard someone who acts out of simple good will as better than someone who is obligated and then acts because he or she is obligated to do so. To explain this Rabbinic concept, let’s take one of the Mitzvot contained in Parashat Ki Tetze — “Do not stand idly by!” Imagine we, as Jews have no choice we have to cry out for injustice regardless of who the victim is! We can’t afford the luxury of judging whether we like a person or not or whether he or she is deserving of our help!

Because not standing idly by is a Mitzvah, we are obligated to act; we are compelled to help even if we don’t want to. Others can first judge each case on its merit before helping. Remember the Tsunami? Remember the Indonesian government refusing to allow the Israeli planes to land with humanitarian help? The Indonesian government is perhaps, next to the government of Iran, one of the most anti-Semitic regimes in the world, yet we went and helped. Why? Because we are commanded by The Torah and by God!

This Shabbat, when we read Parashat Ki Tetze we must remember that the Mitzvot are not simply concepts that we learned as children in religious school. The Mitzvot are and must always be a major driving force in our personal and communal lives as Jews.

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He finally finds God speaking to him in a “still small voice!” — just like the author of Unetaneh Tokef (one of the most powerful and beautiful prayers in our High Holy Day liturgy) wants us to visualize God’s power. Not in the midst of a great show of force, rather in the silence and the stillness of a small voice! Kol D’mama Daka!

As we quickly approach the end of a year and the beginning of a new one, we have to ask ourselves a very important question: How do we listen to the voice of God in our own life? If we haven’t heard God’s voice lately, is it possible that we have been looking in the wrong place?

Most of us look for great miracles! We look for signs, and when we can’t find them we are completely paralyzed by fear and anger. We often ignore one of the most beautiful messages our tradition teaches us. More often than not, God is found in the mundane and the human — not in the grandiose and the supernatural. More often than not, God is found in the small details, in the silence rather than in the loud noise of deafening confusion.

In just a few days, we will find ourselves immersed in prayer, we will seek to see through our own soul to understand the stillness of the small voice through which God speaks to us. What is it exactly that we have to be listening for? Beyond praying for health and life for us and our families, we need to see ourselves as part of our People. Before we can listen to God’s voice, we need to ask ourselves another question: What does it mean to be a Jew? Why am I really here? It is impossible to decipher God’s message if we become consumed by the myopic vision that our own self-centeredness provides us with.

Our life, our tradition, our mission — it is not about ourselves alone! It is about the ones that came before us and the generations that are still to come. It is not about pretending that our lives as Jews will forever be the same if we don’t dramatically try to change what we see happening around us. For years, the message has been in the still small voice — it has always been there but every year it is harder to listen to.

These High Holy Days, I would like to challenge you! Think about what your presence in The Synagogue means. It is not about prayer alone, it is a statement! That you are here and you want to be counted, that what happens to us as a people matters. It is a statement that what happens to Israel matters. It is understanding what God is trying to tell us; it is not only about us but about our people! We don’t only pray for ourselves, we pray for all of us!

Each and every single one of us has the ability to change our future. We love history, and we often use it to inspire us to live better lives. Past generations faced multiple challenges and many of those carried with them mortal danger to our People. Our generation faces a whole new challenge — THE CHALLENGE OF INDIFFERENCE AND ENTITLEMENT. If we don’t do something today to become better, to show that our heritage matters, tomorrow may be too late.

I am always puzzled by the hundreds of e-mails that are forwarded to me from week to week. People write about how great Israel is! People write about why The Jewish People are so important to the history of the world! People write about how proud they are of their heritage and how much it means to them!

Yet, every year I see less and less people involved in Jewish life, every year our numbers decrease and every year more Synagogues around the world close their doors! Can it be that we have become a people who loves the abstract world of the “ideal” but refuses or is too lazy to step into the real? The answer is in our hands. Let us listen to the Kol D’mama Daka and realize that if we can’t hear it today, tomorrow may already be too late.

May this New Year 5769 be a year of health, joy and personal growth. May this be the year when we finally visit Israel, when we set our feet in our Synagogue to experience the joy of Shabbat. May this be the year when the pride we feel as Jews, jumps out of the e-mails we all forward and onto real life.

Rabbi Felipe Goodman

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Before we came here, we also knew that Costa Rica boasts a small but strong Jewish Community. Growing up in Mexico City, we always had contact with many Jews from Costa Rica as many of them married people from our community.

Jewish life in Costa Rica today is very vibrant and caters to the 2,500 Jews in the country. All denominations of the community revolve around the Centro Israelita Sionist,a founded in 1930, which includes a WIZO, B’nai B’rith, La Sociedad de Damas Israelitas de Beneficencia, several Zionist and youth groups, and a social and sports club.

The Centro publishes a monthly newsletter called Hayom, which includes a bulletin devoted to improving Jewish-Christian relations. New buildings for the Shaare Zion Synagogue and the Community Center were inaugurated in September 2004 on a 17,000 square meter plot. The new buildings house the new synagogue, the Hanoar HaTzioni Youth Organization’s headquarters, a community museum and library, a kosher restaurant, and three mikvahs — one for women, men, and khelim. These buildings also house administrative offices for all active Jewish organizations in Costa Rica, including the Asociacion Ciudadano de Oro House, the Golden Citizen Association for the elderly.

B’nai Israel is a Reform synagogue, which meets Friday nights at 7:30. This community also has a youth group, cultural events such as lectures and movies and a bulletin called Koleinu on synagogue activities.

Kosher food is readily available in San Jose with a kosher butcher shop and a delicatessen run by Orthodox Jews that carries kosher products. There are two kosher hotels in Costa Rica, one in San Jose and another in Camino Real.

We expected all of that; we knew it. Here is what we didn’t expect — we have seen many, many Israelis. It all started when we were going through passport control, we saw many young Israeli tourists clearly getting out to see the world after they completed their military service. Costa Rica seems to be a wonderful destination because it is peaceful and extremely safe. We have all heard the stories and seen pictures of entire cities in India and Thailand that cater to Israeli tourists, menus in restaurants, directions on the streets can be found all in Hebrew. I never heard that about Costa Rica.

While we were traveling in the rain forest, going up towards the Arenal Volcano, we ran into a very interesting sight. In the middle of the road, right there at the top of the rain forest paradise, we saw a sign in Hebrew directing us towards a hotel and restaurant. We were instantly drawn to it by the Hebrew and stopped for a little break. We found an amazing place where about 30 Israeli young men and women have opened up a hotel where all the food is vegetarian. When you walk inside, you are immediately struck by the beautiful facility that resembles a luxury Kibutz (if that can exist!). There are books in Hebrew on the tables, and we all had a chance to practice our Hebrew right there amidst the monkeys, the sloths and the butterflies.

It is a great feeling. When you run into other Jews in the most unexpected places you feel safe, you feel as if you are visiting long lost family. We drank a cup of coffee, had a couple of blintzes and continued on our journey to see the second most active volcano in the Americas erupt multiple times. Every day that I have been here, along with everything our eyes have taken in, I have been repeating as a mantra one of the most beautiful verses in The Tanach. “Kol Israel Arevim Ze B’ze.” — all of Israel is responsible for one another.

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I know that many of us feel very uneasy about the support Evangelical Christians show for Israel. On one hand, many of the issues on their political agenda are so very different if not diametrically opposed to many long held and treasured values within The Jewish Community. On the other hand, The Evangelical community has proven time and time again that their love for Israel is basically just predicated on a very simple premise: Love for Israel!

I know that for some of us it is very hard, but we need to start looking beyond the theological divide. I remember during the very hard days of the Intifada in Israel, being alone, standing on Ben Yehuda Street and the only other American tourists in sight were not Jews but Christians.

During the past years, I have had the opportunity to establish an ongoing dialogue with many of the pastors that are truly and genuinely friends of our People and friends of the State of Israel. In those conversations, I have never experienced anything that would lead me to believe that an ulterior motive for our friendship and their support for Israel exists.

So, why a “God Bless Israel Night?” Well, because we must never forget that in the midst of chaos and difficult times, there are people who still believe and understand Israel to be a light unto the nations!

Yes! Many of us are painfully aware of the different ways in which Evangelical Christians in the past have sought the unconditional conversion of the Jewish People to their faith. This by itself shouldn’t be a shock to us because this has always been a part of the mission of Christianity.

Perhaps one of the most difficult statements ever to come from an evangelical group came from the Southern Baptist Convention when Rev. Bailey Smith said, at the 1987 SBC convention, words to the effect that, “God does not hear the prayer of a Jew.”

In the same breath as the previous paragraph, let me also share with you that many of the children and adults that visit our Warsaw Ghetto Remembrance Garden at Temple Beth Sholom every year come from Evangelical Churches from around Las Vegas and around the country.

This coming Monday July 7, 2008, we will be hosting a group of about 40 teenagers from Garland Texas. They will be in Las Vegas to participate with their choir in the God Bless Israel Celebration.

More than the sometimes very harsh anti-Semitic rhetoric of the past, I sense a true renewal in our relationship with our Christian neighbors. They — more than us — are painfully aware of what has been done to the Jewish People in the past in the name of Christianity — not only in this country but all over the world.

What do we do with this? Let us work together on an answer: We must always be aware of what has been said and what has happened in the past! We should always be mindful that to move into the future, we sometimes need to take a leap of faith and believe that people’s intentions are indeed genuine.

I recently read a book that I found very interesting, and I would like to recommend it to anyone who, like me, felt suspicious and at best uncomfortable with the Evangelical community’s new-found passion for Israel. The name of the book is “Standing with Israel” by David Borg. I had the opportunity to listen to David Borg speak at an AIPAC Policy conference, and I found both his book and his remarks tremendously insightful.

I hope to see you this Sunday July 6, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. at the Summerlin Community Baptist Church to celebrate Israel with our Christian neighbors. Let us give ourselves a chance to see what it can feel like when people other than ourselves understand the meaning of Israel, Or L’Goyim — a night unto the nations.

Speakers: Congresswoman Shelly Berkley, Rabbi Felipe Goodman, Pastor David Fee. Special Musical Performance of Hatikva by The Garland Baptist Church Choir. Dairy refreshments provided by The Bagel Cafe.

© Rabbi Felipe Goodman, all rights reserved.
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