LBCAlum Adar 1 5776/February 2016 Leo Baeck College LBC Alum February 2016/Adar 1 5776
Welcome to LBCAlum
Welcome to the first LBCAlum of 2016. Huge thanks to Nicole Taub, who worked on LBCAlum from the start but who has now moved on, and my gra tude to Rhona Lesner who has stepped in to help me with this issue. The mix of ar cles this me is somewhat eclec c and I hope you find them interes ng. Please think about contribu ng something of your own to a future issue; let us know if you’ve been reading a par cularly compelling book, and especially if there is any item of Personalia that you would like to share. Contribu ons should be sent to [email protected] Rabbi Dr Charles Middleburgh, Dean
Inside this issue: Pages
WOMEN RABBIS IN THE PULPIT 2-3 RABBI ELLI TIKVAH SARAH WITH RABBI DR BARBARA BORTS
CONTRIBUTIONS OF PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM IN AUSTRALIA 3-4 RABBI FRED MORGAN
GOD IS IN A COFFEE CUP 5-6 RABBI PAULINE BEBE
THOUGHTS ON SPIRITUALITY AND HOSPICE CARE 6-7 RABBI DR CHAIM JOSEPH WENDER
A RABBI GOES TO AUSCHWITZ 7-11 RABBI WALTER ROTHSCHILD
EUROPEAN JUDAISM 11
WORDS FROM THE PAST 12 RABBI JOHN RAYNER z”l
ERNST LEITZ OF WETZLAR: HELPING THE PERSECUTED 13-14 RABBI FRANK DABBA SMITH
PERSONALIA 15
“I’VE BEEN READING THIS BOOK…..” 15
LBCAlum Adar 1 5776/February 2016 1
LBCAlum Adar 1 5776/February 2016 Women Rabbis in the Pulpit. A Collection of Sermons Edited by Rabbi Dr Barbara Borts and Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah
that they wanted to contribute and explain why they chose that par cular one. The reasons are interes ng and varied, as are the sermons. The sermons collected were delivered on a variety of different occasions, several on Shabbat , some on Contributors to Women Rabbis in the Pulpit fes vals, and the greatest at the book launch number during the yamim nora’im , the Women Rabbis in the Pulpit - A collec on ‘awed days’. The authors employ Biblical of sermons was launched at Leo Baeck and rabbinic sources, yes, but also poetry, College on 7 December 2015 in prose, newspaper ar cles, web pages, and celebra on of Rabbi Dr Jackie Tabick, the popular music, among other things, first woman rabbi to be ordained by the demonstra ng how to fuse Jewish teaching college. The event, hosted by LBC with the other materials that are important Principal, Rabbi Dr Deborah Kahn-Harris, in the lives of their congrega ons. The a racted a large audience, and included sermons also display a wide variety of styles many of the 46 women rabbis who and approaches - scholarly, didac c, poe c, contributed sermons to the book. spiritual, personal - expressing a variety of individual rabbinic voices. Celebra ng the The impetus for Women Rabbis in the women’s rabbinate, the sermons Pulpit came from a (personal) challenge demonstrate a plurality of perspec ves and to Barbara at Bet Debora Jewish Feminist experiences. Conference, which was held in England in April 2015. When discussing what else we The themes explored are equally diverse. To could do to further the study of women reflect this diversity, we decided to arrange in the rabbinate, one of the delegates the sermons thema cally under headings, suggested that Barbara could, among and chose the following: Living a Jewish other things, publish a collec on of her Life; Being Human; God and Spirituality; sermons. Responses and Responsibility to the World; Feminism and Gender; Life and Loss. However, since 2015 marked the 80 th anniversary of the ordina on of the first Sadly, two of the 55 women ordained since woman Rabbi, Regina Jonas, in Germany 1975 are no longer alive. The book on 27 December 1935, and the 40 th of the concludes with tributes to Sheila Shulman, ordina on of Jackie Tabick, the first post- z”l , and Erlene Wahlhaus, z”l , who received war female rabbi in Europe, Barbara s’mikhah in 1989 and 1999, respec vely. thought the more immediate priority was Women in the rabbinate have made a to produce a publica on to celebrate difference. It is in hearing the prayers of our these important anniversaries. What tradi on being led by women rabbis that be er way to do this than by collec ng changes such as non-gendered language sermons from as many colleagues as and the inclusion of women’s poems, possible and so create a testament to prayers and songs are slowly becoming the women’s involvement in the ‘pulpit.’ norm in progressive communi es. It is Barbara approached Elli and the project because of women rabbis’ embodied took off. experiences as women that various hitherto We asked women to choose the sermon
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LBCAlum Adar 1 5776/February 2016 unacknowledged life cycle and life events need these insights and ini a ves in order for have been commemorated or celebrated. It is Judaism to thrive and remain true to its through women’s scholarship that texts have mission in the world. In saying this, I am not been re-examined and read in the light of the sugges ng that all Jews should affiliate to full partnership of women in Jewish life. Progressive synagogues or iden fy with Progressive forms of Judaism. On the As each year passes, women rabbis contrary, I believe that diversity is central to throughout the Jewish world are, together, the Divine purpose, within Judaism as well as extending the great project of transforming beyond it. Like Rabbi Sacks, I feel that Judaism into an inclusive inheritance. With sameness can only be brought about through the publica on of Women Rabbis In the a totalitarian form of authority, and that is Pulpit: A Collec on of Sermons, to mark the not a good thing. But unlike Rabbi Sacks, I 40 th anniversary of the ordina on of Jackie hold that it is important to acknowledge what Tabick, the first woman Rabbi in Britain and is good in other expressions of Judaism, even Europe, and the 80 th anniversary of the those with which we do not agree. This is the ordina on of Regina Jonas, the first woman way to achieve the “dignity of difference” Rabbi in history, another milestone has been that is the leitmo v of Rabbi Sacks’s book. reached. Progressive Judaism has made significant Contributions of Progressive Judaism in contribu ons to Judaism in many crucial Australia areas. I am going to concentrate on two of Rabbi Fred Morgan them in this ar cle. The first of these is women’s rights. Sensi vity towards women’s
roles came about as an aspect of a more Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, in his book The Dignity general awareness of human rights that of Difference , makes a superb case for began a er the First World War but really learning to live with diversity as the ul mate developed a er the Second World War in purpose of the Divine crea on. He applies America and other liberal democra c this argument to the plurality of religions but socie es, including Australia. As a result of he stops short of applying it to the mul ple this growing awareness, educa on for girls expressions of faith within Judaism itself. leading to a bat mitzvah ceremony in parallel Rabbi Sacks speaks as a liberal when it comes with the tradi onal prac ce of bar mitzvah to “inter-religious” understanding but his was introduced in the non-Orthodox liberal a tude fails when it comes to “intra- movements. Women took on lay leadership religious” understanding. roles in synagogues. In the 1970s the major As a Progressive Jew I celebrate the plurality I non-Orthodox rabbinical seminaries began find within Judaism. This is my personal ordaining women as