Join Us For... a Joyous Celebration the Installation of Rabbi Paul D
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AND STILL GROWING 65 STRONG Temple Beth Sholom 401 Roslyn Road, Roslyn Heights, NY • www.tbsroslyn.org • 516-621-2288 November/December 2015 • Cheshvan/Kislev/Tevet 5776 Join us for... A Joyous Celebration The installation of Rabbi Paul D. Kerbel as our Associate Rabbi A warm welcome to our new TBS members Friday evening, December 11 Kabbalat Shabbat and Chanukah Dinner Including a special opening of our newest museum exhibit "Light - אור" FROM THE RABBI’S DESK By Rabbi Alan B. Lucas Some thoughts: On Miracles and Hope On Light and Darkness n Friday December 11, begins walking straight into the sea – and when the water 2015 we will have a is literally about to drown him, almost over his head, then O wonderful celebration God acts, splits the sea and the children of Israel pass at TBS. We will begin with through safely on dry land. God is inspired by Nachshon’s Shabbat Services and then join in a wonderful Hanukkah faith. God is moved by our belief in the possibility of hope. dinner. We will inaugurate a new exhibit at our museum No matter where we look in our contemporary world and welcome our new members to the shul. And finally, we there seems to be a malaise – a cynicism, a negativity. The will formally install Rabbi Paul Kerbel as our new Associate economy is not getting better as quickly or as dramatically Rabbi. It will be a wonderful evening of celebration and I as we think it should. Our political system seems hopelessly hope you will plan on joining us. broken – gridlock is the term most often used to describe Some time ago I gave a sermon on what I called, “the real Washington. The Middle East is in flames and the Arab miracle of Hanukkah.” My spring has turned into a cold and hopeless winter with little "The more traditional contention was that the hope for progress. School shootings and random acts of “real” Hanukkah miracle gun violence have become a regular part of our society and Jewish notion of was not that the oil, which there seems to be nothing we can do about it. All of these miracles is that we was only enough to last one realities of our contemporary world seem to highlight our act and God reacts. day – lasted for eight days, hopelessness and our helplessness. God responds to the but that the Maccabees lit But then comes Hanukkah. At the darkest time of the limitless ability of the menorah at all. Think year, we Jews kindle lights to bring brightness into the about it – they only had world. Hanukkah today like the original Hanukkah so long human optimism and enough oil for one day – it ago invites us to respond by taking one step in the right hope. God does not would take at least a week direction and leaving the rest to God. to produce a new supply – inspire us – we inspire so why bother to light the We at Temple Beth Sholom are dedicated to the proposition God." little bit that they had? Why that our synagogue does not represent a solution to all __ not just wait? of the world's problems but that it is a step in the right Rabbi Alan B. Lucas direction. We welcome new members, we celebrate the It was rather a useless creativity of our people in our museum, we celebrate a new gesture. They were confronted with two choices – wait a rabbi and teacher, we worship together and eat together week until they had renewed their supplies of consecrated and join together in the hope that once again our optimism oil – or light the supply they had – which would burn out will inspire God to bring a miracle in our day as well. after one day and then wait for a week in darkness for the new supplies to arrive. Given the choice wouldn’t the The choice is ours whether to be paralyzed by fear – or to sensible choice have been just to wait until they could do kindle one little light and enable the miracle to happen. it right? The miracle of Hanukkah is not that God was able to make Yet, they did not wait – and because they did not wait – we oil last for days beyond when it should – that is child’s play celebrate Hanukkah. But, it does kind of make you wonder for God. No the miracle of Hanukkah is that God created as to what was the real Hanukkah miracle? us, people who have the capacity to dream and to hope – to believe in each other and in God and to use the power The general notion we have about miracles is wrong. We of that belief to forge a better world. tend to see them as moments when we are passive and God is active and we just stand idly by as we witness the On Sunday evening December 6, we will once again light limitless power of God. The more traditional Jewish notion the first candle for our celebration of Hanukkah. On Friday of miracles is that we act and God reacts. God responds evening December 11 – the 6th night of Hanukah we to the limitless ability of human optimism and hope. God will join for an evening of celebration and welcome and does not inspire us – we inspire God. celebrate the possibility of miracles in a world that still needs them to happen. Think of the miracle of the Red Sea. Most of us imagine the people standing around waiting as God does all the hard Hanukkah is about bringing light into a dark world. We work. But the midrash describes a very different scene. In believe in a God who can do that. And God believes in us, the midrash - -at first the people are indeed just standing who expects us to do the same. For thousands of years we around with the sea before them and Pharaoh’s troops have drawn our inspiration from God. We need a miracle closing in fast. But then Nachshon ben Aminadav acts – he to make things better – God is waiting for us to respond! Temple Beth Sholom 2 FROM THE DESK OF RABBI KERBEL By Rabbi Paul David Kerbel “November is the Month to Show Gratitude” t is just October 2. The games and the Macy’s Parade, amidst the noises of busy weather is still warm but kitchens and family games, let us reflect on the many Ithe mornings have begun blessings in our lives. Let us reflect on our family, nuclear to be a little cooler. Pumpkins and extended, our friends, synagogue and community. Let and costumes dot the markets and stores. The playoffs have us think about how fortunate we are to live in the United begun and college and professional football are in the first States of America and the power we have to help save and halves of their seasons. transform the world. By the time your receive this, it will be cooler, Christmas Let us think about what we can do to make a difference. decorations and displays will figure prominently and some To touch lives in need of support. To reach out a hand of of us will think back to the warm summer days and count the support, encouragement, friendship. To help conquer months until warm weather returns to New York. hunger and homelessness. To bring hope to those who One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving. It is a teeter on the fringes of society. quintessentially Jewish holiday as the Pilgrims based A commentator once said, “one moment of thinking of Thanksgiving on the words of our our blessings will require an hour Torah as the early colonists thanked of thanking.” Let’s at least take a God for the summer harvest now "So on Thanksgiving week, few moments to think and thank, to concluded shadowing the words of amidst the sounds of football realize how blessed and fortunate our Torah as our ancestors celebrated games and the Macy’s Parade, we are to celebrate a holiday that Sukkot, Passover, and Shavuot and amidst the noises of busy brings out the best of what it means offered thanks and sacrifices for each to be a Jew and an American. of the seasonal harvests. kitchens and family games, As we celebrate Hanukkah, may Thanksgiving brings to mind let us reflect on the many the light of the Hanukkah candles different customs for each of us. blessings in our lives. Let us inspire us to rededicate ourselves to Some families always travel to reflect on our family, nuclear our traditions, to the welfare of the other relatives. Some are always at and extended, our friends, Jewish people and to protect and home. Some celebrate with family defend the State of Israel. The role of and some with friends. Some treat synagogue and community..." the Jewish people is to bring light to Thanksgiving as a time to cruise or a world filled with evil and darkness. __ Rabbi Paul David Kerbel take a vacation on a Caribbean island Hanukkah is a symbol of tenacity and barely acknowledging the meaning perseverance, of the search to bring of the holiday. blessing and ‘be a blessing’ on behalf of our people. May One thing is clear though. Thanksgiving is a wonderful the lights of the Menorah be a symbol of all that is good opportunity to teach our children core values of life: gratitude, and true in our religion and people. And let us add an extra sharing and thankfulness.