xsrpvThe Orchard ® ® ® ® ® ® Published by The Jewish Federations of North America Rabbinic Cabinet FALL 2011 - ELUL 5771 YOUR INVITATION TO PERFORM ONE MORE ACT OF KINDNESS BEFORE THE HIGH HOLY DAYS. This Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we’re not to help families get back on their feet. And it’ll asking you to make a resolution for next year, pay for other things you can’t put a price on. we’re asking you to do something meaningful Like connecting every generation to Israel and right now. Your donation will help pay for inspiring a lifelong passion for Jewish living. food, medicine and employment counseling Do a world of good. Make a world of difference. ® JewishFederations.org jfederations @jfederations Thexsrpv Orchard Chair A Prayer For Gilad Shalit’s Release ...............................................................................4 Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt The Jewish Federations of North America Rabbinic Cabinet ................................5 Vice Chairs From the JFNA Chair of the Board and President ...................................................6 Rabbi Les Bronstein Kathy Manning and Jerry Silverman Rabbi Fred Klein New Year’s Greeting from the Director of the Rabbinic Cabinet ........................7 Rabbi Larry Kotok Rabbi Gerald I. Weider Rabbi Steven Lindeman A Rosh Hashana Greeting .................................................................................................8 Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt President Rabbi Steven Foster High Holy Day Thoughts and Sermonic Contributions ............................................9 Honorary Chair Feeling Right At Home In Schul..............................................................................9 Rabbi Matthew H. Simon Rabbi Uri Topolosky Kol Nidre Sermon, How To Apologize ............................................................. 11 Director Rabbi Francine Roston JFNA Rabbinic Cabinet Rabbi Gerald I. Weider The Torah Of Chocolate Chip Cookies .............................................................. 14 Fred Guttman JFNA Chair of the Board Living More Than A Normal Life: Yom Kippur Morning .......................... 17 Kathy Manning Rabbi Mark Dov Shapiro JFNA Chair of the A New Approach To Rosh Hashanah .............................................................. 20 Executive Committee Rabbi Paul David Kerbel Michael Gelman Three Cheers For The Tradition Of Pluralism ............................................... 21 Rabbi Allen S. Maller JFNA President and CEO Tzedekah Goreret Tzedekah: Inspiration To Give Mindfully .................. 23 Jerry Silverman Rabbi Francine Roston Reflections On The Shofar ................................................................................... 26 ® Rabbi David J. Zucker, PhD What We Can Learn From Seal Team 6 ...........................................................27 ® Rabbi Wayne Allen Kol Nidre - The New Anti-Semitism - Anti-Zionism ..................................... 28 ® Rabbi Laurence A. Kotok The Orchard Remember Not To Fear ........................................................................................ 32 published by The Jewish Federations of ® Rabbi Anthony Fratello North America Rabbinic Cabinet Rosh Hashanah ....................................................................................................... 34 25 Broadway, Suite 1700 Rabbi Michael Zedek ® New York, NY 10004 Encountering Elijah ..................................................................................................37 Email: [email protected] Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt ® Spring 2011 - Nisan 5771 Chomer Lidrush ....................................................................................................... 39 Rabbi Vernon Kurtz Searching For The Right Path ............................................................................. 40 Published in cooperation with Rabbi Morley T. Feinstein the rabbinic cabinets of local There Is No Such Thing As Kosher Spam ....................................................... 42 Jewish federations Rabbi Erik Polokoff Joint Distribution Committee: Making Israel A Start-Up Nation ....................... 45 Jewish Agency For Israel ................................................................................................. 48 The Orchard Fall 2011 3 The Orchard Fall 2011 4 THE JEWISH FEDERATIONS OF NORTH AMERICA RABBINIC CABINET The mission of the JFNA Rabbinic Cabinet SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES is to unite rabbis of all ideologies in the work of 1. Raise the level of knowledge about JFNA in the kiyum ha’umah, Jewish continuity, and tzedakah, rabbinate and community. acquaint and involve the North American rab- 2. Stimulate and support rabbinic participation in, and relationships with, JFNA and local Federations. binate with the goals and activities of JFNA, and bring the talents, resources, and perspectives of the 3. Assist with and participate in The Federation Annual Campaign by enlarging the scope and intensity of rabbinate to JFNA and the Federation movement. synagogue involvement. 4. Upgrade rabbinic giving and increase rabbinic The cabinet serves as the rabbinic arm of JFNA, solicitations. the major agency of North American Jewry for 5. Strengthen the rabbinic, congregational, community, agency and Federation partnership. tzedakah. It promotes the unity of the Jewish people in its efforts to support the needs of Jews 6. Engage the next generation of rabbis. everywhere by including rabbis from every 7. Continue education movement in North American Jewish life. 8. Develop programs and educational materials about Israel, the Jewish tradition and Jewish peoplehood/ community. The Rabbinic Cabinet further seeks to inform 9. Serve as teachers and spiritual resources to the colleagues about the most current developments leadership and constituencies of JFNA, local in Jewish life, the needs of our people, and the federations and the Jewish community. techniques for effective utilization of rabbinic leadership within local communities. In addition, STANDARDS FOR MEMBERSHIP the Rabbinic Cabinet endeavors to apprise the Members of the Rabbinic Cabinet should: lay leadership of the concerns of the rabbinate, 1. Be involved in local Federation and campaign infuse Jewish values and content into the work of activities, support federation work and engage local federations, and serve Israel and the Jewish synagogues in the community campaign. people with rabbinical involvement and support. 2. Pledge a minimum of $1000. Rabbis who were ordained less than five years ago should pledge at least $500. 3. Participate in JFNA missions. 4. Attend the Annual Meeting of the Rabbinic Cabinet and/or regional conferences and special meetings. The Orchard Fall 2011 5 FROM THE JEWISH FEDERATIONS OF NORTH AMERICA CHAIR OF THE BOARD AND PRESIDENT HIGH HOLY DAY GREETINGS. This Rosh Hashanah, as we enter this period of self-reflection, may we gain the strength to continue focusing outward, beyond ourselves. May we find ways to do even more to help Jews in need the world over, to ensure that they, too, will be inscribed in the book of life. We have so much to contemplate. Over the past year, The Jewish Federations of North America and our global partners, including the Jewish Agency and JDC, reached out to so many Jews at home, in Israel and in more than 60 nations from the former Soviet Union to Ethiopia . This past year, Jewish Federations helped ease the impact of the Carmel Forest fires–the worst in Israel’s history–helping victims and their families emerge from the devastation and begin anew. Throughout the year, Jewish Federations continued to help Israelis cope with unceasing rocket and terror attacks. On the world stage, Jewish Federations, association with the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, moved to help safeguard Israel with the creation of the Israel Action Network, to bring the power of our movement to bear on countering the escalating assault on Israel ’s very legitimacy. Our efforts extended across the Jewish world. Jewish Federations launched the “Completing the Journey” initiative to help close a remarkable chapter in the history of our people and our movement–the Ethiopian aliyah. Recently, a Jewish Federations mission to Ethiopia and Israel witnessed the dramatic arrival of more than 100 Ethiopian immigrants, with 60 participants from 25 communities on hand to help close the chapter we began writing in the 1980s and 1990s with Operations Moses and Solomon. We also remain focused on writing the chapters of our collective story for generations to come. In the former Soviet Union and in Eastern Europe , we helped young Jews rekindle the flame of Jewish identity with summer camps, JCCs and more. In North America and around the world, we sent thousands of young people to take part in the incredible story of the Jewish State through Birthright Israel and Israel experience programs. At home, we continue to help many families deal with enduring economic challenges through employment services and training programs; we helped communities improve defensive measures against new threats, through the Secure Community Network and through Department of Homeland Security grants, and we came to the aid of victims of life-altering disaster in places like Joplin, Missouri . As we look ahead to next year, may we be enabled to do even more to help our Jewish family worldwide, for a sweet New Year and for many years to come. L’Shana Tova Tikatevu Kathy Manning Jerry Silverman Chair of the Board President & CEO The Orchard Fall 2011 6 New Year’S Greetings from the Director