Rabbi Rebecca Richman: a Re-Introduction
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Volume 26, Issue No. 6 Tamuz 5779 / July 2019 Rabbi Rebecca Richman: A Re-Introduction Two years ago, I sang at a Kol Zimrah country bicycle tour of the United States. (I first met Rabbi Zeff service with Nina Peskin and Rabbi in Haifa while he was on sabbatical.) Josh is a graduate student Zeff to conclude my internship as at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his Masters Student Rabbi at Germantown Jewish Degree in City and Regional Planning, and is pursuing his PhD in Centre. I remember a feeling of Urban Planning. sweetness as I sang and as I taught that night. My internship challenged This past December, Josh and I welcomed sweet Netta Nissim me in the best of ways, pushing me toward strength in davening into our lives. We are sleep-deprived but blissed out and in awe (prayer) leadership, presence in pastoral care, creativity with of this amazing new life. Netta will be starting at ECP this teaching, and confidence in my learning. I had hoped to return summer and continuing in the fall. We are beyond excited to to GJC again, but I never imagined I would be so blessed to become part of the ECP community. return as clergy. In mid-July, I will begin my half-time position as Assistant Rabbi As I write this piece, I am just one week away from being and Beit Midrash Director. It has been a joy to envision and build ordained as a rabbi. As I reflect on my four years of rabbinical my dream job. I will be sharing morning minyan and Shabbat school, I know that my journey toward ordination began long service leadership with Rabbi Zeff, helping to lead High Holiday before I started officially training. I grew up in Bethesda, MD, at services and programming, offering pastoral support, working Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation and as a camper, with b’nai mitzvah students, scrolling Torahs, and supporting counselor, and staff member at Camp Havaya. I owe so much of the Chesed Committee. I will also build a beit midrash, a house my formation to my home and camp communities, both of of learning, for our community. which taught me that Judaism is meant to be thriving, spiritually-activated, and life-affirming. We’re going to call this new beit midrash “Koleinu Beit Midrash,” or “Koleinu” for short. Koleinu means “our voice,” and it I was blessed to study at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical represents the main mission of this communal learning space— College (RRC), where my learning was rooted in a civilizational we will create learning community that honors voices approach to Judaism and excellence in practical rabbinics. At traditionally left out of the beit midrash and that also integrates RRC, I had the freedom to design much of my own learning. different modalities of learning. We will have “traditional” text While in school, I trained to become a soferet (scribe), Hebrew study and creative learning, beginner classes and advanced- calligrapher, mashgichah (kashrut supervisor), and mikveh level shiurim (lessons). We will have programs that are open to shomeret (guide). I spent time learning at Hadar, Pardes, the all and gatherings that are geared toward specific communities Conservative Yeshiva, SVARA, and the Jewish Studio Project. In (queer community, people who are retired, parents, etc.). My addition to my internship at GJC, I worked as a rabbinic intern at hope is that Koleinu will be a space and community for learners Brandeis University, completed a unit of Clinical Pastoral of all backgrounds and skill levels to take a deep dive into text- Education at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and based Jewish learning. If there are specific skills you want to participated in T’ruah’s Year-in-Israel Fellowship. I was also the build, topics or texts you want to learn, or ways of learning that recipient of three Auerbach grants from RRC, which enabled me excite you, please reach out so that I can help make this learning to explore Jewish storytelling and beit midrash learning. I have happen. been deeply privileged to be part of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship, which has allowed me to connect and learn with Thank you so much for all the ways you have already welcomed incredible emerging Jewish leaders. me into community. I am deeply honored to become one of your rabbis, and I so look forward to the journey together. My partner Josh and I moved to Philadelphia in 2015 after studying Hebrew in Haifa for five months and after a cross- SHABBAT & HOLIDAYS MAZAL TOV! IN CELEBRATION OF... July 5 & 6 • Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday night service) Lillian Kunz, daughter of Kenneth and Sarit Kunz, • Saturday services as Usual on becoming Bat Mitzvah July 12 & 13 Joel Fish, on his 65th birthday • Shabbat Together (Friday night service) • Saturday services as Usual Ezra Stern, son of Richard Stern and Mindy Brown, on becoming Bar Mitzvah • Family Retreat Potluck Picnic Dayle Friedman, on receiving the Award for Outstanding July 19 & 20 Service from Neshama: National Association of Jewish • Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday night service) Chaplains • Charry Service: Mazal tov to Jacob Laigaie, son of Brenda Laigaie z'l" & David Laigaie, on becoming Bar Norman and Leah Schwartz, on the birth of their great- Mitzvah grandson, Yonatan Schwartz, son of Sara & Shlomo Zalman Schwartz and grandson of Tanya and Raphael Schwartz of July 26 & 27 Telz-Stone, Israel • Shabbat in the Neighborhood (Friday night service) • Saturday services as Usual Aryeh Friedman, on his special birthday August 2 (Rosh Hodesh Av) & 3 Sara Engel, on receiving her Masters in Jewish Studies from Gratz College • Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday night service) • Saturday services as Usual Rabbi Rebecca Richman, on graduating from RRC August 9 & 10 (Erev Tish’ah b’Av) Rabbi Micah Weiss, son-in-law of Betsy and Rabbi David • Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday night service) Teutsch, on graduating from RRC • Saturday services as Usual Rabbi Ari Witkin, on graduating from RRC • Family Retreat Potluck Picnic • Erev Tish’ah b’Av Program & Service Betsy and Rabbi David Teutsch, on the birth of their grandsons, Eyal Or and Nadav Lev, sons of Nomi Teutsch August 11 (Tish’ah b’Av) and Micah Weiss • Tish’ah b’Av morning service • Tish’ah b’Av Minha Tamar Jacobson, who read Torah for the first time Dena Lake, who read Torah for the first time August 16 (Tu b’Av) & 17 • Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday night service) Sandy Meyer, who read Torah for the first time • Saturday services as Usual August 23 & 24 IN MEMORIAM • Shabbat Together (Friday night service) • Saturday services as Usual Debbie Roach, sister of Wendy Weingarten Larry Garber, brother of Marcy Fish August 30 & 31 (Rosh Hodesh Elul) • Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday night service) Ronald Stone, brother of Sandy Meyers • Charry Service: Mazal tov to Hadassah Weinmartin, daughter of Rabbi Nathan Martin & Abby Weinberg, Enid Videlock, mother of Erik Videlock on becoming Bat Mitzvah Carol Ann Blumenthal Klotz, mother of Rabbi Myriam Klotz, mother-in-law of Rabbi Margot Stein, grandmother of Raffi 2 www.facebook.com/germantownjewishcentre/ THE PRESIDENT’S COLUMN by Denise S. Wolf Confronting our mortality is This option may not appeal to everyone. Yet, for many, GJC has uncomfortable. Planning for our own played such a central role in our daily lives, and is where many of death can be awkward, even terrifying. our life cycle events (baby namings, B’nai Mitzvah, educational But, as we all know, we need to have milestones, weddings) have taken place, and, as such, it provides that sacred conversation, regardless of the warmth, familiarity and sanctity that we desire when we face age, with ourselves, our loved ones, the end of life. In Patty’s words, having funeral services at GJC our Rabbi, and, perhaps even a lawyer “further deepens connections to the larger GJC family and or financial advisor. We need to think provides comfort in an already known setting.” about end-of-life matters—desired legacy, living wills, advanced As you and your family have these difficult conversations, GJC can directives, funerals, burials, and estate support you. Rabbi Zeff is available for counseling and advice distribution. We need to talk about about planning for what is inevitable, having conversations with dying. your family members and friends, and ensuring that your wishes will be carried out. He can also help guide you to resources for Judaism and our Germantown Jewish Centre community do not creating an “ethical will” that can allow you to transmit your shy away from these conversations. While we often celebrate life values and what is most important to you to the generations that with cheers of L’hayim (To life!) as we lift a glass of wine, the Days follow. Please do not hesitate to be in touch with him to have of Awe will soon be upon us. On our holiest day of Yom Kippur, we these conversations in a confidential, compassionate setting. symbolically face death. Many of us wear a Kittel (a white garment traditionally used to clothe the dead), we fast, we recite the Vidui In thinking about what legacy you would like to leave on this (confession) as we do before death, and, according to our prayers, earth, we would ask you to keep in mind the powerful ways you it is determined “who will live and who will die.” During holidays, can affect the Jewish future at GJC through planned giving. If you we recite the words of Yizkor, and at Shabbat and weekday are passionate about the synagogue and making sure that our services, mourners recite the Mourner’s Kaddish, reminding us of values endure, please consider making a gift through a bequest the deaths in our personal and communal lives.