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SUMMER 2013/ 5774 VOLUME 15 NUMBER 3 THE JOURNAL OF THE STEINHARDT FOUNDATION FOR JEWISH LIFE

SHABBAT: WHAT DOES IT MEAN? WHAT CAN IT BE? FROM THE EDITOR

SUMMER 2013/TISHREI 5774 VOLUME 15 NUMBER 3 : WHAT DOES IT Eli Valley MEAN? WHAT CAN IT BE? Editor f all the , Shabbat is arguably the most well-known — Erica Coleman Copy Editor but it is also widely ignored. Lurking at the end of each , Shabbat is prone to be taken for granted or to be seen as workaday — an odd Yakov Wisniewski Design Director Oparadox for a day meant to signify a cessation of work. With its sheer frequency, Shabbat easily morphs into a non-holy day, shorn of the pomp of Rosh THE STEINHARDT Hashanah or the circumstance of a Seder. Added to this is its association with stringent FOUNDATION strictures and prohibitive rules, and it is no wonder that a majority of prefer FOR JEWISH LIFE to Shabbat. H. Steinhardt And yet, historically, Shabbat has been a centerpiece of the Jewish calendar and a Chairman linchpin of Jewish cultural life. In every generation, its ideals have informed Jewish Robert P. Aronson President values and practice across the religious spectrum. Can Shabbat continue to be instructive and even inspiring to Jews for whom the strictures of religious observance have little Gedzelman Executive Vice President appeal? Are the ideals at the core of Shabbat incompatible with modern life, or can elements of Shabbat find receptivity in a fast-paced society hungry for moments of peace? Rabbi Irving Greenberg Founding President The essays in this issue of CONTACT examine the potential of Shabbat for individual Jonathan J. Greenberg z”l sustenance and communal reinvigoration. Whether through explorations of the evolution Founding Director in the ways in which we perceive Shabbat, visions for the future of Shabbat in Jewish life CONTACT is produced and and in American society, or glimpses into novel and unique ways of commemorating the distributed by The Steinhardt Foundation weekly holiday, the articles share a passion for Shabbat and a dedication to sharing its for Jewish Life, 729 Seventh Avenue, 9th floor, New York, NY 10019. age-old message of . All issues of Contact are available for download at www.steinhardtfoundation.org/journal.html Eli Valley Individual subscriptions are free of charge and are provided as a service to the community. To subscribe, please send your name and IN THIS ISSUE mailing address to [email protected]. 3 SHABBAT IS OUR BIRTHRIGHT Phone: (212) 279-2288 Michael H. Steinhardt Fax: (212) 279-1155 Email: [email protected] 5 THE CHALLENGE AND POTENTIAL OF SHABBAT Website: www.steinhardtfoundation.org IN COMMUNITIES Rabbi Elie Kaunfer For media inquiries about The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life, please contact 6 SHABBAT, SHABBOS AND SATURDAY: Dan Gerstein at [email protected]. OPENING DOORS AT THE JCC Copyright © 2013 by Rabbi Joy Levitt The Steinhardt Foundation 7 SHABBAT IN : IT’S CHANGED A LOT! for Jewish Life. Rabbi Hayim Herring REIMAGINING SHABBAT ON CAMPUS The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life is 8 Hart Levine dedicated to strengthening and transforming Ameri can Jewish Life to ensure a flourishing, 10 REFLECTIONS ON SHABBAT AT ON CAMPUS sustainable community in a fully integrated free Chana R. Novack and Rabbi Hershey Novack society. We seek to revitalize through educational and cultural 11 THE JOY OF SHABABA initiatives that are designed to reach out to Karina Zilberman all Jews, with an emphasis on those who are on the margins of Jewish life, as well as to 12 WHEN SHABBAT SIMPLY DRIBBLES AWAY advocate for and support Hebrew and Jewish lit- Alex Pomson eracy among the general population. 13 IN DEFENSE OF A SECULAR Judith Shulevitz Photographs in this issue appear courtesy of 14 SHABBAT IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE Bigstock.com and contributors. Rabbi David Gedzelman

2 CONTACT SHABBAT IS OUR BIRTHRIGHT by MICHAEL H. STEINHARDT

habbat” can be a scary word. ties that have made it the foundation of Jewish People would do well to examine the For many Jews, it conjures Jewish existence for millennia. It wasn’t reasons Shabbat has been the archetypical ‘‘Sreligiosity and prohibition: the rules and prohibitions that trans- Jewish holiday since antiquity. In my view, swaying in , shutting the phone, formed Shabbat into the iconic Jewish the heart and soul of Shabbat can be found avoiding work, money, computers, pens, experience. It was its simple yet ingenious not in the world’s synagogues but in its din- even erasers. If Shabbat is the core of emphasis on the social: A community tak- ing rooms. are a time of , one might conclude that ours ing a break and celebrating life together. social connection, spiritual engagement and is a of ascetism incompatible with In this, Shabbat cuts to the core of Jewish intellectual debate — the foundations of our modern life. values and announces itself as perhaps the community — all centered on the corner- And yet, to view Shabbat solely primary distinguishing element between stones of universal human yearning: good through the lens of religion fails to appre- Judaism and every other major religion. food and good drink. ciate its depth and its grandeur, two quali- As Joshua Heschel put it, “It is a Speaking from personal experience as a day for praise, not a day for petitions.” secular , it is at Shabbat meals — Michael H. Steinhardt is Chairman of The Steinhardt Those of us seeking to deepen Jewish whether as a host or a guest — that I feel Foundation for Jewish Life. engagement and strengthen the bonds of the most profoundly and intimately Jewish.

SUMMER 2013 3 Among food, friendships and family, debat- After having devoted considerable become more than simply sites of satiation. ing the news, joking and sharing gleanings energy to Birthright NEXT in the effort to We will coordinate and partner with local of Jewish wisdom ancient or modern — at keep Birthright alumni involved Jewishly, I institutions that have track records of engag- these moments, I feel more connected to the have concluded that in this effort there is ing young adults. We will help develop com- millennia-long trajectory of the Jewish Peo- only one sine qua non, and that is Shabbat. puter and mobile apps to disseminate ple than I do anywhere outside of . Various other post-Birthright activities have educational materials and activities tailored to night meals are Judaism’s prime at best a mixed record and have nowhere diverse cohorts, and to make it easier for example of Peoplehood because they are near the resonance that Shabbat can poten- Birthright alumni to organize and participate sanctuaries of commonality no matter one’s tially have. Why not use Shabbat meals — in the meals. Finally, we will seek ways of gender, denomination, political views — the weekly bubble of Jewish celebration bringing elements of the Birthright Israel or, for that matter, religion, as nothing for- — as the primary connecting point for experience, including but not limited to bids non-Jews from celebrating with us. Birthright alumni and their friends? encounters with Israeli culture and society, Whether familial or communal, they are I envision a nationwide Shabbat pro- into the structure of the meals and activities. the quintessential Jewish experience that gram that harnesses the success of Birth- We should remember that for many offers most of the virtues of being Jewish right Israel to make Shabbat meals a vital Birthright alumni, the first experience of a without requiring deep knowledge, partic- part of participants’ — and, in turn, meaningful and exhilarating Friday night ular religious beliefs or even a faith in the a crucial element in their Jewish journeys. Shabbat dinner took place on their Birth- supernatural. Unfortunately, for too many Shabbat meals provide a venue to catch up right trip. A thoughtful and rigorous Shabbat with fellow partici- program has the potential to take one of the pants, make friends, few elements of their Israel experience that is FROM THE TIME of our inception as experience Jewish portable — Shabbat — and bring it back to culture and learn the Diaspora intact. It helps participants to a community, Shabbat has been an something new. They deepen the connections they made with one offer opportunities another on their trips, and creates opportu- oasis of social, spiritual and sensual for continuous Jew- nities for new connections based on their sanctity. It is time to return Shabbat to ish engagement and peers’ respective social networks back home. empowerment It builds on Birthright’s success, enhancing its role as a unifier of the Jewish untethered by daunt- and expanding the ten-day bubble into what ing commitments. can turn into a weekly routine for life. This People and a catalyst of Jewish Who doesn’t enjoy a is crucial: we are not interested in one-shot reflection. meal among friends events, annual Shabbat reunions or last-min- old and new? Our ute Friday -togethers. We are interested in goal must be to creating new social habits that become as Jews Shabbat has been encrusted with ritu- make Shabbat a habit in the lives of this memorable as the Bar or Bat — als and rules, the sheer wonder of commu- generation so that they experience the true with an emphasis on the fact that while a nal celebration lost or forgotten. It is time ethos of the Jewish people: The ways in Bar or Bat Mitzvah occurs once in a lifetime, to return Shabbat to its traditional place of which the social, spiritual and sensual Shabbat is a weekly celebration. celebration: of eating, learning, debating come together as one. We at Birthright Israel have not done as and socializing for the purpose of “l’chaim.” But these meals will advance beyond eat- good a job as we might have in attracting a Just as Shabbat has bound the Jewish peo- ing and drinking and into weekly venues for majority or even a meaningful minority of ple together for centuries, so it has the sharing and learning. Shabbat meals are a our alumni. In my view, it is time to focus potential to revitalize Jewish commitments perfect context for informal education. entirely on Friday night Shabbat experi- among those for whom Jewish experience They’re primarily social experiences, unfet- ences. Even if we start in pilot cities, the has lost its interest and edge. tered by the hierarchical burdens of tradi- vision is to be broad and expand across the And we have an unparalleled opportu- tional learning, and focused instead on peer country. If executed properly, Birthright nity: Hundreds of thousands of Birthright engagement. Most of all, they are participant- alumni will incorporate these meals into Israel participants have been returning to powered. As I envision them, the meals will their lives so that ultimately they eagerly the Diaspora, craving points of connection not take place in synagogues or JCCs but in await Friday nights as a special time of Jew- and seeking to fan the flames of Jewish homes, emphasizing both a DIY ethic and a ish connection, exploration and celebration. excitement ignited on their trip. In Israel it grassroots appeal. Meals will potentially From the time of our inception as a was easy: immersed in the “Birthright Bub- branch off into other activities ranging from community, Shabbat has been an oasis of ble,” they were inundated 24/7 with Jewish traditional to alternative, depending on the social, spiritual and sensual sanctity. It is history, culture and people. But the success respective community, all with an eye time to return Shabbat to its role as a uni- of Birthright has become its greatest chal- towards expanding participants’ Jewish hori- fier of the Jewish People and a catalyst of lenge: How can we recreate such intense zons. But while the education will be infor- Jewish reflection. If we are successful, and concentrated connections to Jewish life mal, it will be rigorous. We will carefully Shabbat can help revolutionize Jewish once participants have returned home? As recruit, train and coach Shabbat ambassadors engagement as a new social habit in the the years go by, the magnitude of their Israel and hosts, educating them at learning retreats lives of hundreds of thousands of Jews, experience risks being diminished by the and providing them with original educational sealing the bonds of the Jewish People for mundane exigencies of post-Birthright life. materials and activities, so that the meals generations to come. ■

4 CONTACT INDEPENDENT MINYANIM represent THE CHALLENGE some of the most positive aspects of AND POTENTIAL Shabbat in the modern world. They also OF SHABBAT illustrate a particular challenge around the IN COMMUNITIES power of Shabbat. by RABBI ELIE KAUNFER habbat is perhaps the best gateway like. They don’t mean for that vision to haps, however, the Shabbat experience for the drug for an involved Jewish life. encompass all of Jewish life. But for the peo- first-timer in any community shouldn’t For so many in the Jewish com- ple who connect to that particular vision (for be focused on history or choreographic Smunity, Shabbat is the clearest instance, prayer infused with original music; instructions, but on preparation for an expe- expression of the positive aspects of counter- potluck meals; small and intimate physical rience. The focus can be more on the aes- cultural Jewish values. The general culture val- settings), it can lead to a powerfully positive thetic experience than on intellectual ues electronic connectedness; Shabbat values Shabbat experience. information. Imagine a guidebook or email unplugged fellowship. The general culture val- When it works well, this focus on a spe- sent in advance that reads (in part) like this: ues the fast-paced and faddish; Shabbat values cific vision can have broad appeal. If I attend Welcome to our Shabbat service! A tradi- slow contemplation and consistency. The gen- a service that has a lot of participatory sing- tional service is probably eral culture values non-stop working; Shabbat ing, even if I am not familiar with the words unlike most things you experience in your values enforced (and sometimes inconvenient) or melodies, I can often connect to positive daily life. You will see people standing, sit- breaks in the work cycle. While Shabbat is not aspects because I see the other people having ting, swaying, bowing. These are all an obvious step for many Jews, because of its a powerful experience. This runs counter to attempts to connect to God through counter-cultural nature, those who embrace its conventional wisdom about welcoming syna- prayer. You will hear music and melodies deep meaning and value often can’t imagine gogues. A welcoming service (with page you have probably never encountered. how they could live without it. announcements, greeters and plenty of Some of these are centuries old; some of Yet, Shabbat is also a lightning rod for smiles) can sometimes lack appeal if the regu- them were written last year. Don’t worry some of the larger criticisms of engaged Jew- lars don’t connect to the core service itself. It about following along with every word, ish living. For many, alienation from Judaism is one thing to be welcomed into a room; it is especially in . Prayer is not was sparked by a particular Shabbat experi- another to enter a room where something about a cognitive experience of the words. ence. “I didn’t know what to do in services.” powerful is happening. Of course the best We invite you to relax and experience this “I felt judged by someone more observant.” services (in synagogues or independent min- connection in any way you can. Know that “This wasn’t the tune I grew up with.” “No yanim) manage to do both. no one is judging you, wondering what one said hello to me at .” The same is true for Shabbat eating cul- page you’re on, or trying to ignore you. We This paradox is particularly acute in inde- ture. Similar to many traditional synagogue are welcoming you to our intensive prayer pendent minyanim. Since the year 2000, communities, many independent minyanim space and we hope that your energy (even more than 100 independent minyanim have value the culture of inviting people for a if entirely non-verbal) will contribute to been formed across the United States, in large meal. This happens both organically, relying the aesthetic we are building. cities and suburbs and, most recently, on col- on a culture of ad hoc hospitality, and One other challenge around Shabbat: lege campuses. Tens of thousands of Jews (80 through systems of organized hosted meals or Lived Judaism, especially as played out in percent under the age of 40) have engaged of designated hosts for on-the-spot meal invi- independent minyanim, has the danger of with these minyanim. For many participants, tations. Other minyanim favor regular potluck focusing solely on Shabbat as the time to these services provide their first real expres- meals: Come for the davening, stay for the express deep Jewish connection. The vast sion of intensive Jewish community. And meal. Community is often thickened through majority of independent minyanim meet only these minyanim are overwhelmingly formed the one-on-one intimacy of sharing a meal on Shabbat (and some on holidays). But around Shabbat ritual: prayer and meals. together, and the benefits of the meal culture Judaism is not expressed only on Shabbat. It Independent minyanim represent some of often pay back into the prayer culture. plays out intensely in weekday davening, in the most positive aspects of Shabbat in the There are of course challenges in inde- communal acts of hesed, or lovingkindness, modern world. They also illustrate a particu- pendent minyanim around Shabbat, and I and in ongoing study opportunities. While lar challenge around the power of Shabbat. want to raise two of them. One is similar to a Shabbat can be a powerful entry point, we First, the positive: Shabbat in an indepen- problem faced by many synagogues trying to risk it being the only stop in people’s Jewish dent is powerful because it is orga- welcome Bar Mitzvah guests: How can we experience. The challenge for successful inde- nized around a specific vision of what best welcome people to an unfamiliar prayer pendent minyanim is to break out of the epi- Shabbat ritual can be. People form minyanim experience, much of which is in Hebrew? The sodic experience of Judaism that relies only because they have a picture of what Shabbat conventional wisdom is to guide the people on Shabbat, and begin to build a culture of services, and/or Shabbat meals, should look through the choreography: Stand here, turn Jewish expression and engagement that runs to this page, please be seated. Similarly, the all week long. Whether this happens through Rabbi Elie Kaunfer is the co-founder and executive written material focuses on the history and independent minyanim or through other director of Mechon Hadar (www.mechonhadar.org). He is structure of the service: The Shema is about institutions or communal expressions, we a Wexner Graduate Fellow, a Dorot Fellow and the God’s unity; the Alenu entered the Shabbat can’t be satisfied with a successful model that author of Empowered Judaism: What Independent service in the , etc. Independent works only on Shabbat. While Shabbat is a Minyanim Can Teach Us about Building Vibrant Jew- minyanim typically eschew these guides, but critical pathway, it really is only one element ish Communities (Jewish Lights, 2010). don’t replace them with anything else. Per- in a broader engaged Jewish life. ■ SUMMER 2013 5 6 A by RABBIJOY LEVITT JCC AT THE DOORS OPENING SATURDAY AND SHABBOS SHABBAT selves aseitherasecularorreligious institution with values.Inotherwords, wedon’t seeour- searching forwaystostrengthen theirfamilies their lives,hopingtofindconnectionsand through ourdoorsislookingformeaningin whowalks gogue, webelievethateveryone members whowouldn’t stepfootinasyna- come totheJCCexercise, andlikewiseJCC who are activesynagoguememberswhoonly attend them.Whilethere are certainlypeople both institutionsaswellofthepeoplewho as “religious” wasaninaccuratedescriptionof standing ofJCCsas“secular”andsynagogues started from anassumptionthattheoldunder- Jewish life,Shabbatisagifttoallofus?We advancing thenotionthat,asacentralideain of practicesinourcommunitywhilealso multiple ways?Howcanwehonorthevariety diverse communitythatdefinestheseideasin renewal onShabbat withinthecontextofa positive force inourcommunityforrest and reframed thequestion. HowcantheJCCbea erful decisionwasunhelpful—sowe wayofapproachingbinary apotentiallypow- remain open.For TheJCCinManhattan,this tion withfor-profit healthclubs,wantedto JCCs tocloseandJCCs,frequently incompeti- Put simply, synagoguesinthemainwanted dered abattlebetween synagoguesandJCCs. about openingorclosing,andhasoftenengen- Formostofthelast50yearsorso, question ofShabbatandJCCshaslargely been Judaism andcommunityinimportantways. its understandingofcommunity, andtolink the JCCregarding bothitsJewishqualityand would enableustoarticulatethemissionof what wedid(andnotdo)onShabbat Shabbat. From thebeginning,we knewthat designed torevolutionize Jewisheducationforchildren. Project,she foundedtheJewish Journey an initiative rabbi onLongIsland andinNewJersey. Most recently, JCC sheservedfortwentyyearsasacongregational Community CenterinManhattan.Prior tocomingthe Rabbi JoyLevitt seen inthewaywethinkabout that animateanddefineuscanbe t TheJCCinManhattan,thevalues is ExecutiveDirector ofTheJewish is very differentis very thanitisduringtheweek. transacted) andthelookfeelofbuilding at theJCConShabbat(thatis,nobusinessis basic principles:there isnocommercial culture that, whilediverseinnature, adhere totwo sands ofpeopleintoprograms andactivities lunch ordiscussion.Today, wewelcomethou- center membersorforanoccasionalShabbat building until1pm,andthenonlyforfitness- munity’s needs.Foryears,wedidn’t openthe as we’vecometobetterunderstandourcom- opened, ourprograms andpolicieshaveevolved WhileourvisionforShabbathasnot changed inthe12yearssincebuilding down multiplepathwaysintoJewishlife. but ratheraplaceofJewishengagementlaying • • • SATURDAY PART- MORNING SHABBAT SHABBANG/ INSTALLATION: ART THE NERS: together onShabbat. the ideaofdifferent kindsofpeoplecoming Shabbat dinnersmore affordable andloved a donorwhowantedtomakecommunal and families.Thesedinnersare subsidizedby gramming isgeared towards youngchildren session; forShabbatShabbang,Jr., thepro- tasting,amusicalconcertorstudy a setofexperiences.Itmightbelecture, a Kiddush programming ineachroom. shares Everyone ners throughout thebuilding,withdifferent Once amonth,weholdlarge Shabbatdin- SHABBAT SHABBANG JR.: images thathelpuscreate amoodofrest. bride andanynumberofotherShabbat installation evokescandlesticks,theSabbath atmosphere ofShabbat inourlobby. Her to designaninstallationthatcreated an and selectedanartist—MichelleBrody — that Shabbatiscoming.We heldacontest descending from theceiling,announcing lobby andnoticebillowingwhitecolumns peoplewalkintothe Fridaymorning, Every ball and engage in other supervised activi- ball andengage in othersupervised York cometotheJCCswim, playbasket- childrenof underserved from alloverNew inthelobbyandthenchoosesfrom Every Saturday hundredsEvery morning, , :

can onlyimagine whatmightcomenext. response, we’re ontherighttrack—andwe munity asaforce forgood.Judgingfrom the sure ourbuildingextendedbeyondcom- urday ortheweekend.We wantedtomake reach peoplewhocallitShabbat, Shabbat. Inotherwords,observe wewantedto people andhonorthevarietyof ways people wanted toreach thewidestpossiblegroup of richness ofShabbattoourcommunity. We sion againstthatgoal.We hopedtobringthe to achieveandameasurementdeci- ofevery been anarticulationoftheoutcomewehoped Mosthelpfulingrowing theseprograms has • R & R: R&R: or music. do notuseamplification,writingmaterials bat elevatoranddesignatedfloorswhere we or anytechnology, and there isboth a Shab- munity. Thelobbyisfree ofamplified music needsinthecom- sensitive tothevarying pital. We andweare welcomeeveryone, and opportunitiestovisitpeopleinthehos- book club.There are social-justiceprojects watch afilm,studytextorbepartof do origami,listentoacappellamusic, yoga andmeditate,attendafamilyconcert, 800 peopleeachShabbatwhocometodo Shabbat isfree at theJCC.We greet 600to generousThanks toafewvery donors, that Shabbatisagifttothecommunity. We wantedtomakeanimportantstatement free programming fortheentire community. with Shabbatafternoon is transformedevery dren have learned toswimattheJCC. dren havelearned As aresult,chil- thousands ofunderserved for theSaturday Partnersprogram. morning westillreservedthepool Shabbat mornings, we decidedtoopenthefitnesscenteron worked withchildren inneed.Evenwhen put togreat use byorganizations that an asset—ourbuildingthatcouldbe wehad nally closedonShabbatmornings, an awareness that becausewewere origi- Kids andothers.Thisprogram grew outof for theHomeless,NewYork Cares, Achilles’ including theChildren’s AidSociety, Homes ties through anumberofJCC partners, From SukkottoPassover, theJCC Shabbos C O NTACT ■ , Sat-

Photograph by Anna Rozenblat find some form of musical instrumentation in many non-Orthodox congregations. In addition, SHABBAT IN SYNAGOGUES: and musical styles are much more original and eclectic. Melodies written by Debbie Fried- IT’S CHANGED A LOT! man in Reconstructionist, Conservative and by RABBI HAYIM HERRING Reform congregations, and by Shlomo Carlebach in every kind of congregation, are now common. ow much have synagogues’ celebra- ational experiences and not niche or generation In Modern Orthodoxy, there has been a clear tions of Shabbat changed in a genera- specific, with the exception of “junior congrega- shift away from the melodies of Eastern Europe Htion? In broad strokes, a trip back to tions” for children. One similarity that spanned to a more contemporary style of music from the 1980s offers some clues to the revolutionary denominational boundaries was the standard fare Israel and the United States. The Institute for evolution we have witnessed. at the Kiddush: some version of tuna salad with Jewish , the Reconstructionist move- If you walked into a Conservative congrega- too much mayonnaise, nasty-smelling herring ment and others have spawned more energetic tion on Shabbat morning in the 1980s, you would and bad coffee. and more meditative chanting styles, and other typically find a mostly Hebrew service led by a There wasn’t any singular event that caused congregations continue to innovate in this essen- rabbi and that lasted for approximately the rather dramatic change in communal Shabbat tial element of Shabbat celebration. three hours. You would also be able to attend a celebration that we now take for granted. But in Synagogue 2000 did a significant job at pro- late Friday evening service, which would attract an retrospect, it’s quite incredible how radically differ- moting healing services, which are still very pop- older crowd and the Bar or Bat Mitzvah family, if ent Shabbat is celebrated today. What has changed ular at many congregations on Shabbat. STAR one was being celebrated on Shabbat morning. about the celebration of Shabbat? In sum, it is the (Synagogues: Transformation and Renewal), the In a Reform congregation, the primary com- sheer variety of experiences that constitute the cel- foundation that I led for almost a decade (and munity service was held on Friday evening. If ebration of Shabbat across America. which was supported by The Steinhardt Founda- you were a member of a Reform congregation, it When historians and sociologists write the tion among other philanthropic partners) also probably wouldn’t occur to you to attend a history of synagogues that pioneered new path- had a major impact on the variety of experiences Shabbat morning service unless you were invited to a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Whether on Fri- THE AMOUNT OF CHANGE day evening or Shabbat morning, the service and innovation in the had much more English than Hebrew. celebration of Shabbat is quite breathtaking when contrasted And Orthodoxy? Typically, whether on Shabbat evening or Shabbat morning, you with the way Shabbat was observed only a generation ago. would find a straightforward Hebrew service, with little communal singing. Needless to say, ways for Shabbat in the late 20th and early 21st one still finds today in Shabbat services. Some you would not have expected to find women Centuries, clearly, B’nai Jeshurun (BJ) and Kehilat may take for granted that in non-Orthodox con- leading any aspects of the service. Hadar, both in Manhattan, and Temple Sinai and gregations, one might typically find multiple Another standard feature of Shabbat in the IKAR, both in Los Angeles, will take their rightful experiences in addition to prayer on a given synagogue was the Dvar . This was a time places. These four congregations are often cited Shabbat. Torah and yoga classes, meditation, prior to personal computing, the Internet and for their Shabbat experiences because their drumming circles, discussions of contemporary social media. Maybe I’m being unduly nostalgic, respective rabbinic leaders have invested and Jewish issues and a host of other experiences can but it seems like people’s attention spans were continue to invest significant efforts in creating be found in congregations that were directly or longer then. The sermon might therefore have intentional Shabbat communities characterized indirectly influenced by Synaplex™, one of occupied 20 minutes of the service. by high-quality music, spirited and spiritual dav- STAR’s signature initiatives, which focused on In sum, a little over a generation ago, Shab- ening and attention to choreography. But these building a Shabbat community. bat celebration was characterized primarily by are not the only efforts of note. Because of these demographic-specific expe- prayer and the sermon. It was very much pulpit Within the past couple decades, each of the riences, some of which are very casual, the way focused — the sage was on the stage, the cantor four major denominations has published a new people dress for Shabbat has changed. I’ve been conducted services and lay people were much . With the relatively recent publication of in synagogues where individuals in dress clothes more passive, with the exception of Orthodoxy, the Koren Sacks Siddur (Koren Publishers, 2012), bump up against those in yoga pants or bicycle where the norm remains for lay people to lead we’ve seen greater attention to a more eloquent clothing. More often than not, in this era of services. It was very easy to identify the type of English translation for the Modern Orthodox business casual, people tend to dress down for congregation one was in by the amount of Jewish community. Conversely, the Reconstruc- Shabbat anyway. Hebrew used, the presence or absence of musical tionist and Reform prayer books now incorporate The amount of change and innovation in instrumentation and the involvement of women much more Hebrew than previous iterations, and the celebration of Shabbat is quite breathtaking in the service. Moreover, denominations across the Reconstructionist siddur incorporates beauti- when contrasted with the way Shabbat was the country generally maintained commonalities ful artwork. Current versions of the Conservative observed only a generation ago. This innova- in terms of melodies and (custom). siddur include contemporary and tion, combined with a sensitivity to the tradi- What’s more, services were centered in syna- readings in English and still adhere primarily to a tions and values of Shabbat, is yet another sign gogue buildings, where vestiges of formality con- traditional egalitarian Hebrew liturgy. of the vitality of the American Jewish commu- tinued to exist (for example, in levels of decorum Meanwhile, the venues for Shabbat services nity. There is every reason to expect that the and child-friendliness). In many places, the now transcend the walls of the synagogue build- American Jewish community, nurtured by some expectation for dress was jacket and tie for men ing, whether that means they take place at the exciting developments in Israel, will continue and dresses and skirts, or dress pants, for lake, at the beach, in the park or in a parking to be an incubator of innovation in the years women. Services were thought of as multi-gener- lot under the stars. And if you can’t physically ahead. Counting a holographic projection of a get to a Shabbat service, some synagogues will person in a minyan, siddurim that you can cus- Rabbi Hayim Herring, Ph.D. is C.E.O. of HayimHer- bring the service to you by live streaming. tomize and download, hybrid digital and physi- ring.com, a consulting firm that “prepares today’s leaders Instrumentation (outside of the Orthodox cal Shabbat services involving congregations in for tomorrow’s organizations”™ by advancing future ori- community) plays a much larger role on Shabbat other communities — all of these and more are ented solutions for nonprofit leaders. He recently authored than in the past. Not long ago, you’d find musical possible. With any luck, synagogues will find Tomorrow’s Synagogue Today: Creating Vibrant Cen- instrumentation primarily in Reform congrega- more creative staples at Kiddush lunches than ters of Jewish Life (The Alban Institute, 2012). tions. However, it is now increasingly common to tuna, herring and bland coffee. ■

SUMMER 2013 7 REIMAGINING SSHABBATHABBAT ON CAMPUS by HART LEVINE

he state of Shabbat life in college solution to this problem might lie within. I whatever reason, these students weren’t com- can be deceptive. Many campus was part of such a beautiful and meaningful ing to Hillel or Chabad — but Shabbat at a T Hillels and Chabads are bursting community — albeit one whose walls were friend’s apartment? Sure, they said, why not? on Friday nights with engaged students, hard to climb — and I wished we could find Of course, there’s more to being Jewish innovative programming and dynamic staff. ways to open it up to those on the outside. than having a bunch of Jews together, and However, no matter how amazing the offer- So we set out to try. Finding students our Shabbat dinners filled that role by pro- ings are, these institutions are considered who were strangers to Jewish life and outsid- viding a framework of meaningful Jewish successful if they reach just 10 or 20 percent ers of the Jewish community seemed to be a content. During the meal, we would intro- of Jews on campus through weekly Shabbat challenge, until we realized that we all knew duce and share the rituals and their themes dinners. Some blame the core communities people who were Jewish but not actively — Shalom Aleichem and welcoming, Kiddush at Hillel and Chabad for being intimidating, involved — from classes, dorms and activities and sanctity, Hamotzi and sustenance, Birkat exclusive or of no interest to the majority of around campus. My friends and I started Hamazon and gratitude. There would some- Jews on campus. Others think traditional inviting these students to Shabbat dinners, times be a song and often an ice-breaker, but events like Shabbat dinners are an archaic but instead of bringing them to Hillel or Cha- other than that there was no script — it was and ineffective engagement model, or that bad, we created our own welcoming Shabbat just students sharing of themselves with their Judaism itself needs revamping. spaces in our homes, our apartments and our peers in an authentic and genuine manner. As a student at the University of Pennsyl- dorms. Some of these guests were new to And because the hosts were actively engaged vania and as someone whose life revolved Shabbat (a few had just found out they were Jewishly, the Shabbat meals were transformed around weekly Shabbat dinners and the com- Jewish), some had minimal exposure into spaces and micro-communities of mean- munity that formed around them, I felt that a (through grandparents, summer camp or an ingful Jewish life. occasional showing at Hillel or Chabad), and Since these meals were run by regulars Hart Levine is the Director of Heart to Heart, a grass- some had grown up religious (perhaps even of the Jewish community, they also served as roots movement of Jewish students and young adults studying in Israel before college) but entryways to further Jewish and communal sharing Jewish life with their peers. neglected it when they got to campus. For involvement. Hearing the blessings and lit-

8 CONTACT IN SOME ways, the greatest outcomes from the Shabbat meals were the friendships formed around the tables between people from across the involved/uninvolved divide.

urgy of Shabbat dinner led to requests for stand our model of student-led dinners three years on 40 campuses for 6,255 stu- Hebrew lessons and the beginnings of peer- seems to be symptomatic of a larger trend in dents — 60 percent of whom were previ- based Hebrew learning programs; falling in today’s Jewry — that most people don’t see ously uninvolved in Jewish life. Now I know love with the songs and led to themselves as authentically Jewish or capa- I didn’t invent this — Jews have been keep- appearances at tishes and at Jewish a cap- ble. It’s easy to see why this is so, given that ing Shabbat for thousands of years, and pella concerts; and asking inquisitive and the most pervasive spiritual models involve we’ve been welcoming strangers into our probing questions led to follow-up conversa- . Our Shabbat dinners were the perfect homes since Abraham and his tent. But what tions and weekly chevrutas. opportunity to demonstrate peer-led and we have created is a network, a movement, In some ways, the greatest outcomes from home-based Judaism. Here were people who of thousands of college students and young the Shabbat meals were the friendships lived and breathed Shabbat but who were adults who live and breathe Jewish life, shar- formed around the tables between people also regular students, friends and classmates. ing and creating experiences, relationships from across the involved/uninvolved divide. This made it relatable and tangible, showing and community with their peers — which is These relationships were also the means that rabbis aren’t the only members of the exemplified best through the mindful mixing through which outsiders could venture in and community who do Shabbat or live Jewishly. of regulars and non-regulars around a Shab- become integrated into a meaningful and sus- Our dinner companions saw that they, too, bat table. tainable community at Hillel or Chabad. could be owners, shapers and hosts of their There’s something powerful about the These student-led dinners also served to Judaism. intimacy and serenity of Shabbat that is challenge a certain assumption about Jewish What started out as a few dinners run by sometimes lost in cafeteria-style dining halls life. I remember telling a friend about the my friends and me has turned into an orga- and their crowded, endless tables. But seat dinners and she asked, “So which rabbi runs nization called Heart to Heart, named for the 15 Jewish college students around a table, them?” After I explained that it was actually personal relationships and meaningful con- give them a framework and some food, and just run by students, she responded, “No, I nections on which this model is based. something magical will happen: strangers, know, but which rabbi makes the blessings Working in close partnership with the OU, acquaintances and friends will turn into a and does the rituals?” Her inability to under- we have organized 450 dinners over the past community. ■

SUMMER 2013 9 REFLECTIONS ON SHABBAT AT CHABAD ON CAMPUS by CHANA R. NOVACK and RABBI HERSHEY NOVACK

hy do college students flock bration as a community, without judging dent who is, by nature or nurture, deadline- to their local Chabad on how they might Shamor (guard) and keep driven and goal-oriented. Refraining from W Campus for Shabbat dinner the laws of Shabbat. melacha, or certain types of work prohibited each week? For the free food, right? Since the Jewish student population is on Shabbat, is a celebration of , not Well, not exactly. While a home-cooked quite diverse, we seek to build community one’s deeds. This healthy message empowers meal can set the stage for a Shabbat experi- that is broadly inclusive. Students who are college students with a vital sense of per- ence, it is merely a platform. All over cam- more involved — let’s call them “Shabbat spective. As one sophomore told us, “Shab- pus, students have easy access to good food, natives” — have the opportunity to take bat provides an outlet through which well-appointed dining spaces and a wide ownership of the Shabbat experience by tak- outside noise can be silenced.” variety of exciting programs and activities, ing on responsibilities such as preparing, COMMUNITY: all at no direct cost. inviting friends, welcoming guests, serving The need to create a sense of “manageable Maybe it’s the alcohol? Sorry. Our Cha- the meals and sticking around after dinner community” is a driving force in the lives of bad House, like virtually all in the Chabad to create an atmosphere of Oneg Shabbat. college students. Manageable community on Campus network, does not serve any- This might include playing board games, helps to provide context in a large and thing stronger than a bit of Kiddush wine. singing nigunim and Z’mirot or merely chat- impersonal class of students. Chabad serves So what do students see in the Chabad ting — just as they might in their own as a comfortable environment in which to Shabbat dinner experience? Well, we asked homes. The secret is to create a cultural meet new friends and form community. Stu- a few of them. Here are some of the ideas environment that is both meaningful for the dents eat together, talk together, share in the that they shared with us along with our students who observe Shabbat in a rich rituals of the Shabbat meal and create life- observations as educators. manner, while also welcoming and accessi- long bonds. For them, the social aspects of ble to students who might be at their first ACCEPTANCE: Shabbat at Chabad are paramount. Shabbat dinner ever. At Chabad, every student is accepted as they The Jewish context of hospitality is criti- are; personal Jewish observance and practice BEING, NOT DOING: cal. At Shabbat at Chabad, students have the are not critiqued. We encourage everybody Shabbat serves as a break from all the work opportunity to meet professors, visiting par- to Zachor (remember) the Shabbat, in cele- and pressures of college. It is a time to reju- ents, businesspeople in town for conferences, venate. An implicit message of Shabbat is Israeli politicians, Israeli backpackers, philan- Chana R. Novack and Rabbi Hershey Novack are the that what matters most is a person’s essence, thropists and individuals visiting the area for founding directors of Chabad on Campus — Rohr Center not their actions. This runs counter to the medical treatment. It’s a diverse and eclectic for Jewish Life at Washington University in St. Louis, archetype of the high-achieving college stu- crowd that gathers around our Shabbat table. where they are beginning their twelfth year.

10 CONTACT DONORS AND DEDICATION: FAMILY: the Chabad on Campus network, there is We are blessed with a diverse array of Young adults feel the connection to a home another Chabad network serving a signifi- donors, typically alumni of the universities environment and want to be welcomed by cant population of young Jews: who that we serve and the parents of current one. Yet, Chabad is far more than an experi- have just completed military service. This students, along with faculty and other ence in “radical hospitality,” to borrow Dr. population often departs Israel for a period friends, who place great value in the service Ron Wolfson’s phrase from Relational Judaism of travel, trekking in such places as Thai- we provide. Beyond providing generous (Jewish Lights, 2013). While we do serve as land, Nepal, India, Cambodia, Argentina, support, they also offer encouragement and a Jewish communal institution, at our core Brazil, Peru, Australia, New Zealand and, guidance to the local Chabad family. This we are a family. Each Chabad on Campus is yes, even in New York. To reach them, the effusive support, broadly defined, cannot headed up by a husband and wife team, typ- Chabad movement has opened Chabad be overstated. ically aided by some wonderful children. Houses in each of these places. To our Shabbat is what we do with our family every knowledge, there is no other Jewish organi- EDUCATION: Friday evening, and we invite students to zation that operates on this scale, with pro- We want students to discover the beauty and celebrate Shabbat as part of our family. Our fessional staff at virtually every significant warmth of a traditional Shabbat and ulti- staff doesn’t take turns being “on call” for location where young Jews are to be found. mately to choose to incorporate it into their Shabbat dinners, nor do we cancel Shabbat Common throughout this system is the lives. We do this by using a multidimen- dinners during school breaks. If it’s Friday Shabbat at Chabad experience. By binding sional tool of experiential education: Shabbat night, we are going to be celebrating with a diverse set of young people with a com- dinner. Shabbat dinner is a hands-on learn- our family, and we naturally invite students mon social platform and shared religious ing tool that impacts via affect, behavior and to join us. New York Times columnist David language, perhaps this program can help cognition. Dr. Leonard Saxe calls this trifecta Brooks called this “haimish.” connect Jews with their heritage and bridge the “Kishkes, Cortex, and Kinesthetics Prin- divides within the Jewish People. ciple.” When the educator deploys all these GLOBAL: Rabbi Yossy Gordon, Executive Vice aspects, the combined result is a powerful There are many challenges facing the Jew- President of the Chabad on Campus Int’l and rounded pedagogical experience. ish People today. For example, many young Foundation, summed it up for us nicely. Formal education occurs as well. Dur- Jews are Jewishly-illiterate, cut off from the “Students are smart. They perceive the ing the meal, typically the rabbi will share a core ideas and practices of Judaism. Some genuine Ahavas Yisroel [love of the Jewish Dvar Torah. This teaching must be mean- analysts argue that young Jewish Americans People], as well as the dedication to ingful yet brief, broadly relevant to contem- are distancing themselves from Israel. serving Am Yisroel [the People of Israel], porary students, yet Jewish and Chasidic at Within Israel, there appear to be deep divi- that motivates the Chabad family to set up its core. Ultimately, we want people to con- sions, particularly along the secular/reli- shop on a college campus and open their sider Chabad a location where they will gious axis. It is therefore appropriate to home to all.” appreciate powerful Jewish ideas and ideals. highlight a positive global trend. Parallel to And students get it. ■

story where everybody is part of the narrative?” THE JOY OF SHABABA That is the philosophy behind Shababa, a series of intergene- by KARINA ZILBERMAN rational community gatherings throughout the week that provide a am not going to tell you what Shabbat is — you already know range of ways to connect to celebratory Jewish life and the Shababa that. Instead, I am going to talk about joy. community, including High Holiday and Shabbat experiences, holiday Every week, I am blessed to be in the presence of children celebrations, singing groups, an annual benefit concert and I projects. I don’t believe in pediatric Judaism. Entertaining children in and their grownups while they are all celebrating Shabbat together. I have experienced for myself how fun can be transformed and ele- a Jewish setting is not an effective path to a joy which can bind vated to the highest level — joy — when it happens in a meaningful children and adults to Jewish tradition. But experiencing a journey context. As Martin Buber said, “The beating heart of the universe is together — parents, children, grandparents, nannies, strangers-who- holy joy.” (Quoted in Simplicity: The Art of Living by Richard Rohr, become-friends — that is how we participate in something larger Crossroad, 1992) than ourselves. That is the moment when transformation happens. It So what makes joy holy? is the difference between a program and an experience. Shabbat is Joy becomes holy when it is connected to a community, to a tra- something to experience, not to assist. dition and to our authentic selves. As Reb Nachman of said, This intergenerational, experiential, joy-driven approach to Jewish “It’s a great mitzvah to be always happy.” (Likutey Moharan, Breslov education and community has been recognized and celebrated by the Research Institute, 1995) True joy is a huge challenge, but when it is Covenant Foundation and many Jewish Community Centers in North connected to a community, its power is endless. America, England, Israel, Germany and Russia. To bring this joyful, When we started Shababa in 92Y’s lobby with just me, my pup- intergenerational approach to Jewish communities around the world, pets and my guitar on a Friday morning in October 2007, I wanted to we are in the early stages of creating the Shababa Network, through bring Shabbat to the people and remove all the obstacles. I didn’t which synagogues, community centers and day schools can access want families to have to look for me in the 92Y’s impressive cata- this methodology, adapt it for their own communities and share their logue or to sign up for a “Shabbat Kids” class, program or service. experiences and learning with one another. Together, we hope to help ■ That would have already created an obstacle and a lot of conscious more people make Shabbat a joyous intergenerational experience. work for these very busy adults. Instead, I thought, “What if we Karina Zilberman is Director of Jewish Family Life and Culture at the 92nd Street Y invited adults and children alike to be part of a story — a Shabbat in New York and the creator of the 92Y Shababa™ Community.

SUMMER 2013 11 than sporadically at the homes of their par- When there are few other sources of Jew- WHEN ents. If they had previously observed Shabbat ish inspiration at home (a common denomi- through gathering at home for a weekly fam- nator among a significant minority of our ily meal, they now added Kiddush or sang sample), it seems that children have an out- SHABBAT some special Hebrew songs. If previously they sized influence on whatever Jewish practices had made it a custom to go out to eat as a do or do not happen. In the same way that it SIMPLY family on a Friday night, now there was Jew- was comfortable to take on Shabbat practices ish talk at the table — about, for example, when children brought them home from DRIBBLES the children’s mitzvah of the week. school, it has also been easy to let them drop The reasons behind such changes are not when children no longer agitated for them. AWAY hard to discern, and they have significance for As another father explained, “As they got by ALEX POMSON those interested in nurturing Jewish engage- older, they were playing here and there out- ment more broadly. Children bring home the side. We didn’t insist that they come in and or the last ten years, I have been accoutrements of Shabbat in their school bags: we do [Shabbat].” stalking Jewish families. This has they make Kiddush cups in school; their kin- These last examples highlight the erosion Fbeen a socially acceptable kind of dergarten classes have a Shabbat box that stu- of practices as a consequence of aging or stalking; in formal terms, I am engaged in dents take turns bringing home. For parents, ontogenetic processes. Those same processes, family-life course research. Together with my without having to leave the comfort zone of we are finding, can also lead to an intensifica- colleague, Randal Schnoor, I have been study- their homes, as it were, Shabbat finds its way tion of Jewish practices, particularly in terms ing a group of Jewish families in Toronto into their lives. And in an age in which parents of engagement outside the house. One single whose children were in the early grades of value connecting school with home, most take mother, when we first interviewed her, did elementary school when we initially launched the view of “why wouldn’t we?” If their chil- not go to synagogue on Shabbat because, she a study of their Jewish day school. Today, dren have learned at school how to celebrate said, her young daughter was too tired at the returning to these families for a third inter- Shabbat, why wouldn’t they also celebrate it at end of the school week and wanted to sleep view in ten years, the same children are either home in some way? in. Now that her daughter was older and in high school or a few years beyond. Some parents do resist, and are not com- ready to come along with her on Shabbat, she It has been an intriguing sample of fami- fortable chanting blessings over wine or bread had become a frequent shul-goer and, more lies to study. In Jewish terms, most were when they themselves have rejected most reli- recently, a board member at a synagogue barely engaged when they enrolled their chil- towards which her daughter gravitated dren in a Jewish day school: hardly any were because of social opportunities there. synagogue members, few had received a Jew- MORE THAN anything else, A more common phenomenon — driven ish day school education themselves, and a by generational rather than ontogenetic significant minority were living in intermar- how these families mark Shabbat change — is how the run-up to Bar/Bat mitz- ried families. For wildly different reasons, has served as a prism through which vah, and then a year of ferrying children to they had travelled a long and winding road celebrate with others, cements parents into that led to at least one child spending a few to observe the Jewish routes along social and communal relationships that might years in a Jewish day school. which they have travelled. not otherwise have taken hold once they had Thanks to funding from the Canadian gov- left the adult social networks of their chil- ernment, we have had an opportunity to return gious expressions, but the great majority are dren’s schools. If parents and children choose to these families nearly a decade after we first willing to indulge their children. In fact, it is so to mark their Bar or Bat Mitzvah within a met them, after most of their children have normal to adapt the rhythms of their own lives congregation, rather than in the context of a graduated or withdrawn from Jewish day to those of their children that some parents, we home-made event (an increasingly wide- school. This has given us a chance to explore found, didn’t notice what had changed at home spread phenomenon), this choice keeps in the extent to which the relationships and behav- until someone else commented on it. motion a flywheel of Jewish social engage- iors stimulated by their children’s schooling These patterns naturally played out when ment that was set in motion during their time have survived as more than a fragile web of their children were still quite young, when at school. In turn, this dynamic sees expres- memories or good intentions. More than any- they sought out or depended on their parents’ sion in maintaining Shabbat practices in both thing else, how these families mark Shabbat has attention. We have now had a chance, almost public and private spaces, at home with a sta- served as a prism through which to observe the ten years later, to see what shifts occurred ble circle of Jewish friends and in the com- Jewish routes along which they have travelled. over a longer period of time due to what biol- munity. Like many families with little pre-existing ogists call ontogenetic change (the natural Because parents’ Shabbat habits are largely Jewish cultural capital, observance of Shabbat processes of aging) and/or what sociologists driven by their children’s interests or simply by was the Jewish expression they were most call generational change (the shifting roles in their physical presence, once their children age likely to adapt once their children started the family brought about by new life stages and move on from Jewish schools, little remains Jewish elementary school. Their synagogue such as the move from elementary school to of whatever customs they took on during those attendance did not generally change; neither high school or through life transitions such as years when their children were young. Without did their observance of Jewish dietary prac- Bar or Bat Mitzvah or parental divorce). social reinforcement, this dynamic is almost tices nor their memberships in other Jewish We found that just as some parents had inevitable despite the best of intentions. To use organizations. But when it came to Shabbat, a previously not noticed how they had adopted the evocative phrase with which Franz Kafka good deal shifted. a fairly regular practice of marking Shabbat in bemoaned his father’s failure to pass on what he In their children’s first years at elementary some way, others now hadn’t noticed that it called the few flimsy gestures he performed in school, many families began to mark Shabbat had withered away. As one father wistfully the name of Judaism, these customs and prac- for the first time in their own homes, rather commented, “I don’t remember a conscious tices simply seem to “dribble away.” This hap- Alex Pomson, Ph.D., is Director of Research and Eval- decision to stop [doing anything together on pens even when these customs are as joyful as uation at Rosov Consulting, and is a member of the fac- a Friday night]. It just sort of happened... some of the Shabbat experiences had been in ulty at the Hebrew University. which is too bad.” the lives of young families. ■

12 CONTACT IN DEFENSE OF A SSECULARECULAR SABBATH by JUDITH SHULEVITZ

nyone who has ever found herself that utters itself in every grand institution of ersatz information; the forces that push us to on a synagogue mailing list has freedom” and allowed “eighty million persons, process information quickly rather than Acome across this aperçu by the the refugees of every land” to become a single thoughtfully. If we don’t fend off those pollut- writer and Zionist Ahad Ha’am: “More than people. In 1961, Supreme Court Justices Earl ants, he cautions, we risk becoming cut off Israel has kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath has Warren and Felix Frankfurter wrote into legal from the world, less able to make wise deci- kept Israel.” Though raised Hasidic, Ahad history the link between the Sabbath and civic sions, stressed and out of control of our own Ha’am (1856-1927) was very much a consciousness in separate but concurring opin- lives. “Much as the modern-day environmental rationalist. Nonetheless, he based his ions in defense of -closing (or blue) laws movement has worked to cultivate and pre- on Jewish institutions like the Sabbath, for he in a case called McGowan et al. v. Maryland. It’s serve certain natural habitats, such as wetlands thought Israel should root itself, as a nation, in jarring to remember how recently Americans and old-growth forests, for the health of the Judaism’s cultural, social and ethical traditions couldn’t work or shop on Sunday, except when planet, so too should we now begin to culti- rather than in ethnic nationalism and anti-anti- medically necessary or when certain services or vate and preserve human habitats for the sake Semitism. But was he right? Does the day of stores were deemed essential to fun on days off. of our own well-being,” Levy writes. (David L. rest strengthen the bonds of a nation, or is that What was wrong with letting people shop? Levy, “More, Faster, Better: Governance in an grandiloquence? Certainly Sabbath laws now Frankfurter glossed over the obvious point that Age of Overload, Busyness, and Speed,” in divide Israel as much as they unite it. it forced everyone in the retail sector to work First Monday, Special Issue No. 7, “Command In the past decade or so, however, promi- and emphasized instead something less tangible: Lines: The Emergence of Governance in Global nent secular Israeli intellectuals have begun the bustling, humming feel of a street open for Hyperspace,” 2006.) expressing the same thought as Ahad Ha’am. business, which, he said, had the power to How would we go about this? “We will These non-Haredi Sabbatarians want to protect destroy “a cultural asset of importance: a release need to cultivate unhurried activities and quiet the Sabbath from consumerism and save it for from the daily grind, a preserve of mental peace, places, sanctuaries in time and space for reflec- not only rest, but also for unifying the Israeli an opportunity for self-disposition.” Warren and tion and contemplation,” he says. Which sanc- public. For, in theory at least, the Sabbath is a Frankfurter maintained that the Protestant Sun- tuary in time does he have in mind? The profoundly political institution, in that it day had evolved into a secular day of recupera- Sabbath, of course. “I by no means want to makes time for people to gather and partake in tion, a public good that promoted the health of argue for the broad-scale adoption of tradi- the discussions that lead to collective activity. the American people and the orderliness of its tional Sabbath practices ... by the larger popu- Throughout the 19th and much of the 20th society. Therefore, they ruled, blue laws did not lation,” he says. What does he want to argue Century, American debated the merits violate the First Amendment’s stricture against for? He is loath to say: “I could speak to the of the Sabbath with a similar passion, and many the establishment of religion. ways I myself am experimenting with such of their arguments had as strong a political flavor As for the day of rest falling on Sunday, ideas at home and in the workplace, but effec- as Ahad Ha’am’s. The civic (as opposed to theo- Frankfurter — who was Jewish — pointed out tive change will most importantly come logical) discussion turned on the question of that to share a day of rest, you had to pick through collective reflection, experimentation, whether there was anything about Sunday that one, and it might as well be the one that most and action: local communities creating sanctu- warranted preservation once the old Puritan rigor people already observed. The secular Sunday aries that fit their particular circumstances.” had lost its appeal. The answer was that the was implicitly a national holiday. One day a But his hesitation to commit himself seems American Sunday had become indispensable to week — it is worth remembering — the coun- a little misplaced, because the Sabbath already the task of fostering America’s exceptional quali- try honored life beyond duty and the impera- exists, and, as Frankfurter might have said, ties — its egalitarianism and pluralism. tives of the marketplace. For 24 hours, presents itself as the obvious answer. The Sab- In a famous 1872 speech pleading for the Americans stayed home and ate huge family bath has a claim on us in that it comes to us opening of libraries and for public transporta- dinners, or went to church, or set off on after- out of the past — out of the bodies of our tion on Sundays, the minister and abolitionist noon drives. And they not only did these mothers and fathers, out of the churches and Henry Ward Beecher argued that only the liber- things with members of their inner circle; they synagogues on our streets, out of our own alization of the Sabbath would conserve its did them with the knowledge that everyone dreams — to train us to pay attention to it. character as “a day peculiarly American” in its else was doing them, too. That gave them per- And why do we need to be trained? Permit this serendipitous neighborliness, family-minded mission not to work, along with the rest of the quasi-secular Jew to quote a . Consider “household love,” moral uplift and “poetic ele- nation. They had fewer choices, but it has now the mystery surrounding God’s first Sabbath. ment.” (Henry Ward Beecher, “Libraries and become evident, in retrospect, that buried Why did God stop, anyway? In the 18th Cen- Public Reading Rooms: Should They Be Opened inside that lack of choice was a certain free- tury, Rabbi of Vilna (the ) on Sunday?” Cambridge, Mass., J. Ford, 1872). dom, because trailing behind the inexhaustible ventured this explanation: God stopped to In 1906, an Episcopalian minister in Boston options for leisure we enjoy today is the real- show us that what we create becomes mean- claimed, portentously, that Sunday had given ization that we’re not doing everything we ingful only once we stop creating it and start the American character its “moral earnestness ... could be doing. remembering why it was worth creating in the Not too long ago, David Levy, a professor first place. (Or — as Gaon didn’t say — why it Judith Shulevitz is an editor and columnist at The New at the Information School at the University of wasn’t worth creating, why it isn’t up to snuff Republic. Before that, she was the founding culture edi- Washington, updated Frankfurter’s secular Sab- and should be created anew. After all, God, tor of Slate and the editor of Lingua Franca. She has batarianism for the networked age by calling contemplating his first creation, decided to been a columnist for The New York Times Book for a new “informational environmentalism.” destroy it in a flood.) We could let the world Review, Slate, and New York Magazine. Her book, He says we need to fight to save ourselves from wind us up and set us to working, like dolls The Sabbath World: Glimpses of a Different Order the “pollutants” of communications overload: that go until they fall over because they have of Time (Random House, 2010), was a New York Times the overabundance of information that turns no way of stopping. But that would make us Notable Book, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award, and winner of The American Library Associa- us into triagers and managers, rather than less than human. We have to remember to stop ■ tion’s 2011 Sophie Brody Medal for . readers; the proliferation of bad or useless or because we have to stop to remember.

SUMMER 2013 13 INSHABBAT THE PUBLIC SPHERE by RABBI DAVID GEDZELMAN

ecently, my wife and I invited a Shabbat dinner with parents of students at the possibility of transcendence in one’s young African-American Chris- one of their homes only to be rebuffed by life appeals to those living in a culture and Rtian family who live in our the rabbi, who informed me that it was a society that can drain such possibilities building in Harlem over for a Shabbat violation of Temple policy to organize any away. If the Shabbat dinner is somewhat dinner. We went to some length to explain event that would compete with Friday in the public sphere, does the general cul- in advance what, exactly, a Shabbat dinner night services. In the past 30 years, how- ture’s familiarity with Shabbat end with entails: the food, the blessings, the learn- ever, a growing number of synagogues dinner, or might that dinner experience ing, the celebration. Before we’d finished have become open to supporting an array inspire an appreciation for the overall the explanation, our neighbors assured us of activities inside and outside the syna- spiritual discipline of what the Jewish that they’d enjoyed many Shabbat dinners gogue building that can now happen even Sabbath represents in all? at Hillel during their years at Yale as well when the rabbi preaches his or her weekly In the end, many Jewish Americans as in friends’ homes after college, and sermon. will find it easier to appreciate the spiri- knew all about it. More and more young Jewish adults tual wisdom of the Jewish Sabbath if they So it is in America today. In the early and families find this special time of per- see that their non-Jewish peers, friends, 21st Century, Shabbat seems to be in the sonal connection, spiritual elevation and co-workers and family members see its public sphere. And more than any other physical enjoyment a most welcome anti- value as well. This doesn’t mean that for aspect of Shabbat ritual and celebration, dote to the never-ending demands of Jews to find the rhythm of some kind of the Friday night Shabbat dinner has work and the relentless pace of life in our regular Shabbat practice compelling, the attained greater cultural familiarity now contemporary world. Young people with- non-Jews in their lives need to be Sabbath than at any other time. This is true of out formal affiliation to synagogues and observers. It means that the more the gen- non-Jews of a certain educational back- other Jewish institutions are invited to the eral culture affirms and applauds the vir- ground and socio-economic status, but it homes of friends for Shabbat dinners and tues of what Shabbat can mean, the less is also true of Jews. I would venture to say invite friends over for the same. The uncomfortable Jews will be with trying it that the average American Jew who came mainstream media makes references to on. For that reason, educational programs, of age (early twenties) in the late 1990s or Shabbat dinners without explanation, institutional incentives and community mid 2000s had far more familiarity as making clear the assumption that they are campaigns that work to make Shabbat a teens and young adults with Shabbat familiar in the general culture. habit in the lives of would experiences, especially the Shabbat din- The question is whether we can capi- be mistaken to make such endeavors ner, than my peers who went to college talize on this cultural familiarity in order parochial and exclusive. beginning in the mid to late 1970s, when to champion and teach the values implicit In the Torah, only one particular prac- I believe Jewish connection and identity in Shabbat from which American Jews tice or observance is called, in and of bottomed out in America. and perhaps the general culture can bene- itself, an Eternal Covenant. The centrality Outside of what was then a small fit. The idea that time can be experienced of the Sabbath to the whole system of Orthodox community, the elite Havurah not as fleeting but as full, not as limited Jewish spiritual wisdom and practice movement and very committed members but as temporarily infinite on a weekly moves us to understand that the very of the Conservative movement, the home basis, can speak to a culture in which ethos of the Jewish people balances the ritual of the Friday night Shabbat dinner one’s work is never finished, in which tension between acting in the world and was virtually unknown to the masses of there is always one more email to write, viewing it as complete, between working assimilating American Jews in the 1960s one more issue to deal with. A world in towards improving the world and know- and 70s. In fact, by the 1950s, liberal syn- which one is never complete and always ing that Creation is awesome and majestic agogues had created a structure of Jewish in need of improvement sorely needs the just as it is. The Friday night Kiddush over communal life centered on late Friday sense of wholeness and perfection that wine tells us that Shabbat is both a night services that precluded inspired Fri- can come from a commitment to regard remembrance of the reality of Creation day night dinners at home for those com- one’s work as done and complete every and a monument to our moving from mitted to the life of the synagogue. I Friday evening, no matter what is left to slavery to freedom. Shabbat inspires us to remember when I was teaching eighth do, and from a spiritual discipline that profoundly appreciate that the static and grade Sunday school in a liberal congrega- puts one in an altogether different relation the dynamic, the unchanging and the tion in the early 1980s, I was organizing a of action to the created world. There are changing, can be experienced as one in reasons why sitting down with family and transcendent moments that we can share Rabbi David Gedzelman is Executive Vice President of friends as darkness falls after a week of together. The Jews have something that The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life. work, to lift a glass of wine and invoke everyone else needs. Let’s not be greedy. ■

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