October 13, 2015 Welcoming Comments Shalom Rabbi Sari Laufer Hartman Lecture Series

Good evening, and welcome, to Congregation Rodeph Sholom, and to the first lecture of the Manhattan Community Collaborative. My name is Rabbi Sari Laufer, I am an Associate Rabbi here at Congregation Rodeph Sholom. I am not the first rabbi, and I will not be the last, to quote Yehuda HaLevi’s poem from a bimah; I am probably not the only one who will do so this week in particular. He wrote, of course, Libi b’mizrach—my heart is in the East, and I am in the utmost West. And tonight, as we sit here on the Upper West Side as violence once again rages in the streets of —and , and Ra’anana and Kiryat Ata—my heart, our hearts, are in the East as well, breaking in a new wave of pain and fear. And so, I want to begin with just a brief moment of silence. Yehi shalom b’helech, shalva b’armanotayich. And though we desperately wish it were otherwise, perhaps there is no better, no more important time, for us to be gathering for this conversation. For us to be gathering, across the religious, political, and Central Park spectrum. My colleague, Rabbi Sharon Brous, gave a beautiful sermon on Yom Kippur, entitled: A Plea to Stay in the Conversation. She said: This is for those who are tired of being told there is one way and one way only to show your love of or to address questions of Israeli and American national security. This is for those of you who watch the trends on your FB feed and read the paper with a growing dismay. With each community flare-up, you feel an increasing sense of alienation from the Jewish conversation1. I offered a similar invitation to my community, inviting them to participate in the Manhattan Community Collaborative. Writing to many with whom I have studied over the years, I said: Over the years, we have had a chance to engage in many conversations about Israel, whether on a bus through the land itself, or within the framework of our classes and celebrations. This year, I want to invite you in to a conversation that I think will be remarkable—thought-provoking, challenging, different, and—I hope—a springboard to deeper and more open and honest discussions for us about Israel and our relationship with it. I believe that we are all here because we are ohavei tziyon, we are lovers of Zion, looking for a language and a framework and an invitation to understand what that means. And to do that, to create a language and a framework and a new understanding, we have to confront ideas that will challenge us, ideas that might cause us pain, ideas that will force us to hear different voices and hold competing truths and narratives. And I believe—I need to believe—that we will come away stronger for it, as individuals and as a Jewish community. And so, a couple of thank yous are in order—to the people and communities that are making this conversation possible. To the Shalom Hartman Institute and the Shalom Hartman Institute

1 http://www.ikar-la.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/YK-HOLDING-ON-FINAL.pdf of North America—thank you for your continued commitment to changing the conversation, for offering deep scholarship and deep humanity. To the UJA-Federation of New York, for your commitment to being a community convener, for supporting the institutions and the work of our Jewish community. To the Legacy Heritage Fund, for your support. And to the other synagogues and community centers who are making this program happen: B'nai Jeshurun Central Synagogue Congregation Ansche Chesed Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun Congregation Rodeph Sholom Congregation Shaare Zedek JCC Manhattan Kehilat Rayim Ahuvim Park Avenue Synagogue Romemu Society for the Advancement of Judaism Sutton Place Synagogue Temple Israel of the City of New York The Temple Emanu-El Skirball Center West End Synagogue

Today, we welcomed in a new month, the month of Cheshvan. Around the world, gathered in synagogues and worship spaces to offer and ask for blessings in this new month. And, though today we sit here in New York City, I wanted to offer the words spoken throughout לְחַיים טוֹב ים ּולְשָׁ לוֹם, ל שְ מּועוֹת טוֹבוֹת, וְל בְ ׂשוֹרוֹת טוֹבוֹת,—Israel, asking for a month of blessing of good and blessing, gladness and joy, life and peace, good tidings, and good news. Ken Yehi Ratzon—may it be so.

And now, it is my honor to welcome the CEO of UJA-Federation of New York, Eric S. Goldstein. Mr. Goldstein will introduce tonight’s speaker, and will moderate the question and answer period following Dr. Kurtzer’s remarks.