6800 35th Ave NE Ruach Seattle, WA 98115 Congregation Beth Shalom 206.524.0075 September 2017 • Elul 5777-Tishrei 5778 Volume 50, Issue 1 MESSAGE FROM RABBI BORODIN A Yom Kippur Challenge Amram Gaon, then 22 with Maimonides in the 12th century, to 36 sins in the Machzor Vitry (only slightly later than Judaism is based on a few foundational principles. One of Maimonides), to our 44 line version found in our machzorim these is that there is a difference between right and wrong, today. Its current form is an acrostic, hoping to suggest the and we as humans can learn and discern between them. A extensive breadth in which we have sinned and erred, both second principle is that, as human beings, we are both through omission and commission. This formula is intended imperfect and we can improve and make some correction for to inspire us and assist us on the process of self-reflection past errors. And a third is about the importance of regularly and confession. It is not supposed to be a substitute of our examining our character and admitting our wrongs as part own process and directly asking for forgiveness from the of a program of self-improvement. people we have hurt. This self-reflection exercise is intended to be daily with a I find reciting the al chet prayer powerful - perhaps because more in depth examination connected to the high holidays, of the physical aspect of beating our hearts, and through our and Yom Kippur in particular. To help with this process, communal singing of part of it. I appreciate being able to over the centuries we have created liturgy to help us with hide in the group aspect, as we confess our sins in the this task. However, it was never intended to be a substitute plural. Each year as I read the list, I also feel the list in for true self-examination and confession but as a source of some ways is a cop-out - a way of getting me out of the motivation and operationalizing. This liturgy took the place hard work of coming up with my own list of what I have of placing our sins on the goat we sent off to the wilderness done wrong. And while there are some parts of the during the time of the sacrifices. Now, we offer our words traditional al chet prayer for which I am guilty, there are instead, attributing to them the same power through other ways I have gone astray which are missing from the appreciating the power of words to create and destroy. traditional list. One of the forms this takes is the vidui prayer which begins So this High Holidays I have a challenge for myself and a with the words al chet sh’chatanu, for the sins we have challenge for all of you. In addition to our traditional al committed that we recite ten times over the course of Yom chet, I am hoping as a community we will write a Kippur. The oldest version we have of the al chet prayer is contemporary al chet together which we will have as an from the 9th century and was comprised of 6 sins we addition this Yom Kippur. I encourage you to email me confessed (and in some Sefardic traditions, they still use this privately or feel free to respond more publicly to my post on same original list of six). In different communities the al chet prayer expanded to 12 sins in the 9th century with Rav (Continued on page 2) INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Pre-High Holiday Adult Education Updates R1-5 Youth Updates R6 Averting the Severity of the Decree Food & Friends for Body & Soul R7-8 with Beth Huppin CBS @ 50 R9-10 Tuesday, September 5, Shomrei Atid R11 9:30-10:45am Adult Education R12-14 No Charge Prospective Member Open House R15 HIGH HOLIDAY PACKET HH1-8 And more on page R14. Anniversaries, and Birthdays R16 B’nai Mitzvah R17 Events in Members Lives R17-18 The High Holiday pullout is in the Contributions R18-19 center of this issue of the Ruach! Service Schedules and Calendars R20-22 Tzedakah Form R23 Rabbi’s Message continued (Continued from page 1) Al chet sh’hatanu lefanecha, for the sin which I have sinned before you for being quick to forgive myself the Beth Shalom Facebook page with your personal and slow to forgive others. confessions and I will without attribution weave the May we this Yom Kippur have the strength to truly responses I receive into a new communal al chet. undergo the process of self-evaluation, confess, and be I will begin the process with some of my own confessions able to improve our character. of where I have been wrong or missed the mark. Shanah Tovah Tikateivu - Wishing all of you and your I encourage you to challenge yourself to come up with loved ones a happy and healthy new year your own list and please share those that you are comfortable sharing. Here is a start to my own personal process (as I have many more to add to this list): Al chet sh’hatanu lefanecha, for the sin which I have sinned before you for assuming, jumping to conclusions rather than listening with curiosity. Al chet sh’hatanu lefanecha, for the sin which I have sinned before you by multi-tasking rather than giving you the fullness of my attention that you deserve. The Seattle Limbe Sewing Circle at Beth Shalom is taking a break for the Holidays We are back on Wednesday, 10/18 from 6:00-9:00 pm in the Social Hall - Light dinner provided Help Girls Stay in School! We are a multi-cultural, multi-faith community with a two-part goal: to create feminine hygiene kits (using a Days For Girls template) for girls in Cameroon, Africa and to build cross-cultural community here in Seattle. Any questions, email the Beth Shalom office and we'll put you in touch with Wendy Katz, our project organizer . CBS 2017-2018 Board of Directors President Vice-President Religious School Committee Joani Diskin Saran Michael Madwed Jennifer Cohen Chair Keith Eaton Joshua Newman Debra Gussin President Elect Treasurer Beth Hartell Norbert Sorg Scott Cohen Members at Large: Dov Pinker Erin Benzikry Scott Starr Past President Secretary Carolyn Bernhard David Tarshes Andrew Cohen Rochelle Roseman Craig Chosiad Aharon tenBroek Marc Cohen Deadlines: Rabbi Jill Borodin Marjie Cogan Emma Shusterman [email protected] Bookkeeper Communications Coordinator [email protected] Articles / Announcements [email protected] Rabbi Paula Rose are due in synagogue office [email protected] Heidi Piel Louis Friedkin Comptroller Lifecycle Coordinator by the 10th of each month Carol Benedick [email protected] for the following month’s Executive Director Rimma Lobas [email protected] Shira Orzech Service Assistant newsletter. B’nai Mitzvah Coordinator Rachel Wachtel Carlos DelCid Education & Youth Director Lauren Fellows Building Mantainance 206-524-0075 CBS phone [email protected] Front Office Coordinator Luis Martinez 206-525-5095 CBS fax [email protected] Maekele Gebremeskel Leah Lemchen [email protected] Director of Early Childhood Center Tamara Fernandez Custodial Attendant [email protected] Asst to the Director of the ECC Synagogue office address: 6800 - 35th Ave NE • Seattle, WA 98115 • website: www.bethshalomseattle.org R2 President’s Message So, we bought a house. In less than one week – really in In the interim, about a week later, now three weeks after five days – we went from “wouldn’t it be nice to someday the injury, she self-referred to one of our orthopedic own all of the houses north of our synagogue” to “we now specialists who thought she might have a different are in a position to own the missing piece and thus all of diagnosis, based upon his exam. He ordered an MRI, and the houses”. Five days of effort that were a concrete indeed, he was correct. Her new diagnosis necessitates expression of dedication and love for a concept, really, the surgical fixing, and this was arranged. She was on my concept that this religious community is worth preserving schedule yesterday for a pre-surgical visit. and even growing into the future and that it is up to us, right here, right now, to do what we can to make that so. I had written her a message after the proper diagnosis was And sure enough, there was an outpouring of generosity clear, apologizing for my incorrectness and for the delay in from many in the community that allowed this to happen. finding out what was really wrong. I assumed that we would have a brief discussion of this at our visit yesterday, How fitting it is that this whirlwind week occurred this year shrug it off sheepishly, and move forward. of all years. That is because this year is a sustained celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the synagogue. In How wrong I was. In fact, she started off the visit by its founding, many such weeks presented themselves to telling me that she was initially considering never seeing the small and spirited congregation and its leaders. me again, but that she decided in the end to come see me Certainly, the founders of Congregation Beth Shalom were to let me know how she really felt. She was not really motivated by the dual ideals of creating a community for angry about the delay – sometimes diagnosis is difficult, themselves that would suit their needs at the time and a she knew. She was, however, angry at me for not community that would thrive in the future for their children listening to her, being condescending and not seeming to and other future members.