Kurzkommentar zum Wochenabschnitt Yitro  (Exodus 18:1-20:23)

So leicht übersehen wir einen Lehr-Edelstein, der unscheinbar hinter den Zehn Weisungen schlummert, aber unser Leben verändern kann: „Und wenn du Mir einen Altar aus Steinen machst, sollst du ihn nicht aus behauenen Steinen bauen; denn wenn du dein Werkzeug darauf erhebst, verunreinigst du sie.“ (Exodus 20:22)

 Gott will uns genau so, wie wir sind.

Wir haben alle das Potential Steine im Altar Gottes zu sein, und wir können alle in anderen das selbst Potential entdecken. Aber oft wollen wir andere potentielle Altar-Steine behauen, damit sie unseren Vorstellungen entsprechen.

Gott lädt alle ein am Altar Gottes zu beten, ganz gleich ob wir Juden, Christen, Muslime, Hindus sind, eine andere Religion haben oder gar keine. Es spielt keine Rolle, ob wir homo-, hetero- oder transsexuell sind.

Um in den Altar Gottes zu passen, brauchen wir nur eine Eigenschaft: Den starken Wunsch, die Fähigkeiten, mit denen der EwigEine uns gesegnet, hat zu gebrauchen, die Welt zu einem besseren Ort zu machen.

Eines der wertvollsten Geschenke, die mir meine Mutter als Kind gemacht hat, war eine Schallplatte mit dem Titel „Kleine Lieder über große Themen“. Eines meiner Lieblingslieder beginnt so: „Ich bin stolz, ich zu sein. Aber ich sehe auch, dass du genauso stolz bist, du zu sein. Das ist einfach menschlich. Warum also sollte ich dich hassen, weil du so menschlich bist, wie ich. Wir wollen geben, was wir geben, wenn wir leben und leben lassen. Wir werden miteinander längs kommen, wenn wir es versuchen…“

Die Idee, dass Gott will, dass wir Menschen so akzeptieren, wie sie sind, ist leicht zu übersehen hinter den Zehn Weisungen, aber sie ist so wichtig zu lernen, wie alles andere, was wir jemals zu lernen haben.

Translation: with thanks to Pastor Ursula Sieg

Don’t Stand By: EIFA Holocaust Memorial Event
Thursday 28 January, 7pm,
FFirhillHigh School
This event is sold out – to be placed on the waiting list please email info@eifa.org.uk
Edinburgh Inter Faith Association and Firrhill High School HMD Committee are delighted to invite you to an evening of remembrance for the victims of holocaust and genocide the world over.

The programme will include testimonies from Zigi Shipper, who survived the Lodz ghetto and Auschwitz-Birkenau camp; human rights advocate Mukesh Kapila who has worked with survivors of the genocides in Rwanda and Darfur; and prayers led by Rabbi Stephen Fuchs.

The event programme will start at 7pm, arrive early for a guided tour of the Anne Frank exhibition.
There will also be music, poetry, candle-lighting by pupils of the school and a break for some refreshments. Bring along a pair of shoes you no longer need to add to an installation, these will be donated to Oxfam after the event.
The address of the school is 9 Oxgangs Road N., Edinburgh, EH14 1DP: MAP
This is a free event, generously supported by the Claremont Trust.
This event is sold out – to be placed on the waiting list please email info@eifa.org.uk
Find out more with the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and The Holocaust Education Trust
JSoc Holocaust Memorial Erev Shabbat,
an Intercommunal Service, Meal and Talk
Friday 29 January, 7pm,
at the Chaplaincy Centre

Queen Margaret University and the University of Edinburgh welcome Rabbi Stephen Fuchs,
former President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism
and author of What’s In It for Me? Finding Ourselves in Biblical Narratives
to our JSoc Holocaust Memorial Erev Shabbat, an intercommunal service and talk in association with the Chaplaincy. Pot luck bring a veggie dish for a buffet between the service and the talk.

Holocaust Memorial Shabbat Morning Service,
Saturday 30 January, 11am,
Sukkat Shalom (Liberal Shul)

For those of you who can’t make Friday evening – or who want more of Rabbi Fuchs – the Rabbi will be leading Sukkat Shalom’s Shabbat morning service at the Columcille Centre, 2 Newbattle Terrace, EH10 4RT. The service will be followed by Kiddush and a presentation from the Rabbi.

Holocaust Memorial Interfaith Service,
Sunday 31 January, 11.30am,
St Giles Cathedral

Join Rev Calum I MacLeod and Rabbi Stephen Fuchs for what promises to be a beautiful interfaith event, with the accompaniment of St Giles Cathedral Choir.

Edinburgh Jewish Literary Society
Double Bill with Buffet,
Sunday 31 January, 5.30pm,
Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation (Orthodox Shul)

At 5.30pm, Rabbi Stephen Fuchs will speak about his new book What’s in it for Me: Finding Ourselves in Biblical Narratives

The world is rapidly dividing between those who take biblical narratives as the literal word of God—claiming that they are historically and scientifically true—and those who dismiss those narratives as quaint or even foolish fairy tales. There is however a sacred middle ground that What’s in It For Me? Finding Ourselves in Biblical Narratives invites the reader to discover. The “truth” of these stories has nothing to do with “Did this really happen?” Their truth emerges in the valuable lessons these stories can teach all of us. There will be a book signing after the talk.

A buffet will be provided between 7pm and 8pm
At 8pm, Phil Alexander will give a musically illustrated talk entitled My Lover, My Murderer’s Daughter: Berlin and the politics of klezmer music.

Over the last twenty-five years, Berlin has played host to Europe’s most dynamic klezmer and Yiddish music scene. These days, the city’s scene attracts a vibrant blend of musicians from around the world, part of a complex and international conversation which takes in rupture and renewal, tradition and innovation, history and modernity. The talk will explore this ongoing journey of Berlin klezmer and the challenges of making the traditional strains of Jewish folk music relevant to a twenty-first century capital city.

Phil Alexander is currently completing his PhD at SOAS, University of London, focusing on contemporary klezmer and Yiddish music in Berlin. As a musician he is the driving force behind Edinburgh-based Moishe’s Bagel, and a long-term musical partner of Eliza Carthy, Salsa Celtica and Mr McFall’s Chamber.

Free for EJLS members, £5 non-members for the whole evening and £3 for non-members who attend only one session.

There are also numerous external events and opportunities – fancy a summer in Ghana with Tzedek? Or the March of the Living in Poland – heavily subsidised by UJS? Or the UJS Liberation Conference? See last week’s email for more details, or click on the links.
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Quick Comment Parashat Yitro (Exodus 18:1-20:23)

 

It is easy to overlook a gem of a lesson that lurks unobtrusively behind the Ten Commandments, but it is a lesson that can change our lives.

“And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of cut stones; for if you lift up your tool upon it, you have polluted it.” (Exodus 20:22)

God loves us just as we are

We all have the potential to be stones in God’s altar and we all have the potential to see in others the same potential.

But too often we want to cut those other potential stones to fit our expectations of how they should be.

God welcomes all to worship at the Divine altar whether we are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, another religion or no religion at all. It does not matter if we are gay, straight or transgender.

To be part of God’s altar we need just one characteristic: a desire to use the talents with which the Eternal One has blessed us to make the world a better place.

One of the most precious gifts my mother gave me as a child was a phonograph record called, “Little Songs on Big Subjects.” One of my favorites begins, “I’m proud to be me, but I also see, you’re just as proud to be you. It’s just human nature so why should I hate you for being as human as I. We’ll give as we give if we live and let live, and we’ll both get along if we try …”

The idea that God wants us to accept people as they are is easy to overlook behind the Ten Commandments, but it is as important as any lesson we can ever learn.

Kurzkommentar zum Wochenabschnitt Beshalach, Exodus 13:17 – 17:16

Im Tora-Abschnitt dieser Woche spaltet Gott das Meer, so dass die Israeliten es auf trockenem Boden passieren können, aber ihre Verfolger, die Ägypter, sind darin unter gegangen. (Exodus 14:22-28).

Dieser Bericht unserer Befreiung ist grundlegend für unsere spirituelle Reise. Aber Gott befreite uns, darauf besteht die Tora, mit der Anforderung, dass wir zur Befreiung aller, die unter politischer und wirtschaftlicher Unterdrückung leiden, beitragen.

Heute wird das Wasser nicht einige ertränken und andere verschonen: Vor langer Zeit legte ein König einen Untertanen unbarmherzig hohe Steuern auf. Wenn sie sich beschwerten, verspottete sie der König, indem er sagte: „Das ist nicht mein Problem! Das ist euer Problem!“ Eines Tages meldete sich ein alter Mann beim König. „Bitte, klag nicht über die Steuern“, sagte der Herrscher, „das ist nicht mein Problem. Das ist euer Problem!“ „Nein, eure Majestät“, antwortet der Mann, „ich komme, um Euch zu einem Boots-Ausflug einzuladen.“ Überrascht stimmte der König zu. Nachdem der Mann in die Mitte des Sees gerudert war, begann er in den Boden des Bootes ein Loch zu schnitzen. „Halt!“, rief der König, „ich werde untergehen!“ „Das ist nicht mein Problem“, antwortete der Mann. Ich mache das Loch doch nur unter meinem eigenen Sitz.“ „Ich verstehe“, sagte der König, „ich habe meine Lektion gelernt.“ Sie ruderten zurück an Land und der König verfügte angemessenere Steuern. (Nach Va-yikrah Rabbah 4:6)

Dieser alte Midrasch erinnert uns, das wir alle Passagiere auf dem einem Boot sind, das wir Erde nennen. Da gibt es kein „Loch nur unter meinem Sitz“. Heute ist die Welt sehr klein geworden. Wir werden entweder Wege finden, um in Frieden zusammen zu leben, unsere wertvolle Umwelt zu schützen, die Hungernden zu ernähren und allen Kindern Gottes Wärme und Schutz zur Verfügung zu stellen, oder ein gewaltiger Wirbel wird und alle mitreißen.

Translation: with thanks to Pastor Ursula Sieg

I now shop at CVS not Walgreens. Walgreens’ is closer, and they don’t make mistakes with my prescriptions as CVS sometimes does. Walgreens’ parking is free and convenient. CVS has a pay lot and is a pain in the ass.

But Walgreens sells cigarettes, and CVS courageously has opted not to. I support that decision.

Why?

At last count cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 premature deaths in the United States each year—about 1 in every 5 U.S. deaths—and an additional 16 million people suffer with a serious illness caused by smoking. I prefer not to patronize a pharmacy that sells such a lethal drug.

The Price of Principle!

I used to shop at Whole Foods. I have spent thousands of dollars there over the years. I love the abundance of organic and healthy products. Yes they are rightly called, “Whole Paycheck,” but it was worth it to me.

There are two very convenient Whole Foods store near my home, and it was very convenient. I don’t shop there anymore.

Why?

The CEO John Mackey is an active supporter of so-called spiritual guru Marc Gafni. Gafni has a long rap sheet as a sexual predator. Some of his activity is criminal because it involved underage girls. He should be in jail, not giving lectures to anyone about anything.

I cannot support a store that has as its head a person who so actively supports a sexual predator. Mackey says, it’s his private decision, and it has nothing to do with the company.

No Mr. Mackey it’s not. You are the company.

But if you claim it is a private decision, then how I spend my food dollars is my private decision too.

Fortunately thousands agree with me that it does. And have signed petition asking Mr. Mackey to disassociate completely from Gafni. I hope Mr. Mackey and Whole Foods get the message. I would like to shop there again when and if they do.

For now, I am getting used to shopping elsewhere.

The price of principle!

I don’t pretend that my decisions will hurt either Walgreen’s or Whole Foods. But what we do with our dollars makes us either part of the problem or part of the solution. I prefer to be part of the solution even if it is inconvenient.

The price of principle! It’s worth it!

(Quick Comment, Parashat Beshalach, Exodus 13:17 – 17:16)

In this week’s Torah portion, God splits the sea allowing the Israelites to pass through on dry ground, and then drowns the Egyptians who charge after them (Exodus 14:22-28).

This account of our deliverance is vital to our spiritual journey, but God freed us, the Torah insists, with the demand that we help liberate all who suffer political or economic oppression.

Today’s waters will not drown some while sparing others.

Long ago, a king imposed harsh taxes on his subjects.

When they complained, the King scorned them, saying, “That’s not my problem! That’s your problem.”

One day an old man approached the king.

“Please don’t complain about the taxes,” the ruler said. That’s not my problem! That’s your problem.”

“No, your highness,’ the man answered. “I came to invite you for a ride in my boat.”

Surprised, the king agreed.

After rowing out to the middle of the lake, the man began to chip a hole in the bottom of the boat.

“Stop” cried the King. “I’ll drown.”

“That’s not my problem,” the man answered. “That’s your problem. I am just making the hole under my own seat.”

“I understand now,” said the king.” I have learned my lesson. They rowed back to shore, and the king levied fairer taxes. (Adapted from Va-yikrah Rabbah 4:6)

This ancient Midrash reminds us that we are all passengers on this boat we call earth. There is no such thing as, “a hole only under my own seat.”

Today, the world has become very small. We will either find ways to live together in peace, to protect our precious environment, feed the hungry and provide warmth and shelter for all of God’s children, or the swirling maelstrom will engulf us all.

 

With all my heart I believe God chooses specific individuals for specific tasks.

I believe God chose Abraham to begin the journey that created the Jewish people. I believe God chose Moses to lead us out of Egypt. I believe God chose William Harvey to teach humanity about the circulation of blood, and I believe God chose the Wright brothers to inaugurate the era of aviation.   I believe God chose Abraham Lincoln to end slavery in this country, and I believe God chose Martin Luther King to make the dream of racial equality more of a reality in our society.

If individuals can have destinies, why not peoples as a whole?

Just as God chooses individuals for certain tasks, so too does God choose peoples Milton R. Konvitz, the late Professor of Labor Relations at Cornell, noted in his famous essay, Many are Called And Many are Chosen,:  God chose the ancient Greeks to bring the world an unprecedented sense of beauty, and God chose the Romans to teach the world new ideas about order.

God chose us Jews too.

God chose us, as Thomas Cahill teaches in his best selling book of several years ago Gifts of the Jews, to give the world a sense of the sanctity of time. Before we came along, Cahill notes, people perceived life as a series of repeating cyclical events.

“The Jews were the first people to break out of this circle, to find a new way of thinking and experiencing, a new way of understanding and feeling the world…” Cahill’s book affirms the concept of chosenness. It invites us to take pride in the role our people play in history. It is good that a gentile wrote the book because it might seem too prideful if one of us had.

Nearly three thousand years ago the Prophet Amos taught that we are not better than others and proclaimed: “I have known you uniquely among the peoples of the earth. Therefore I will hold you accountable for every one of your transgressions (Amos 3:2)”

To be chosen does not mean we consider ourselves better than anyone else. It means to see ourselves chosen to repair our broken world.  

Still, many Jews, both famous and ordinary, shy away from the concept of chosenness because they fear anti-Semitic reactions. Do we really think we will mollify anti-Semites by disavowing our destiny as a people?

Let’s get over that.

Anti-Semitism is the responsibility of anti Semites, not us.   Abandoning the idea that God has chosen us for the task of bringing the ideals based on Torah to the world will not stop either anti-Semites or anti-Semitism.

Jews do not hold exclusive rights to acts of goodness. God revealed Torah to us, the Midrash teaches, in the desert, so we would know that its ideals are open to everyone who wishes to embrace them. They are not the exclusive property of any one faith or people.

Still, Judaism has done much to civilize this world. It is no accident that Jews who represent less than ½ of one per cent of the worlds’ population have won more than 30% of the world’s Nobel Prizes.

No it is not an accident. It is the product of a religious and cultural system that has stressed learning and literacy as ways of serving God. It is the product of a religious and cultural system, which teaches us, “Lo Toochal l’iheetalaym. You must not remain indifferent (Deuteronomy 22:3)” to the suffering of another even if the other is our enemy. It is the product of a religious system that calls on us to be “L’or Goyim, a light to the nations( Isaiah 49:6)”.

Look at the violence that stalks our schools, our cities and our towns. Is it really time for us to turn away from a way of life that has done so much for humanity over the centuries? Is it time to be less particular in our Jewish practices and studies? Should we trade Jewish worship and practice for a generalized civil religion, which says, “just be a good person?”

I hope not.

Chosenness does not mean privilege, and chosenness does not mean exclusiveness. Still, there are people who want no part of it.   We have often been the targets of enemies, and many have looked at our history and our suffering and said with Tevye the Dairyman, “God if this is what it means to be chosen, please, choose someone else.”

Chosenness is a choice, a challenge and an achievement.

Choosing to be chosen is to believe that God cares deeply about the choices we make. I pray we continue to choose—as individuals and as a people  to bring the ideals of Torah to the constant attention of the world.

Kurzkommentar zum Wochenabschnitt Bo    (Exodus 10,1-13,16)

Im Tora-Abschnitt für diese Woche erreicht Gottes Krieg gegen Ägypten seinen schrecklichen Höhepunkt mit dem Tod des erstgeborenen Sohnes der Ägypter (Exodus 12,29).

Die Geschichte zwingt uns die Frage auf: Was ist mit dem Kollateralschaden? Was ist mit dem Leid der Unschuldigen?

Jedes Jahr feiern mehr Juden die Befreiung aus Ägypten als an jedem anderen religiösen Ereignis im Laufe des Jahres teilnehmen. Einer der wichtigsten Momente ist es, wenn wir zehnmal den Finger in den Wein tauchen und den Teller mit den Tropfen beflecken.

Wein steht im Judentum für Freude (Niemals für Blut!). Indem wir einige Tropfen Wein entnehmen, verringern wir bewusst die Freude und bedenken und betrauern das furchtbare Leid der Ägypter.

Als Israel in 2008, 2012 und 2014 die terroristischen Aufstände in Gaza abwehrte, wurden seine Aktionen von bedeutenden Stimmen in Frage gestellt. Das waren nicht nur Antisemiten, die Israel gerne von der Landkarte verschwinden sehen würden. Es waren und sind auch nachdenkliche Stimmen – sowohl in Israel wie außerhalb -, die den Staat Israel lieben und unterstützen, die die große Zahl unschuldiger Menschen, insbesondere Kinder, anprangerten, die durch Israels Hand litten oder starben.

Wir dürfen für die Schreie unserer Feinde nicht taub sein.

Für eine zivilisiertes Volk müssen Selbstverteidigung und das Trachten nach Frieden immer untrennbar verbunden sein. Mag diese Wahrheit uns antreiben, unermüdlich für den Tag zu arbeiten, wenn „von Gewalt nichts mehr zu hören ist in unserem Land“ (Jesaiah 60,18)!

Wenn wir unsere Befreiung aus Ägypten in alten Tagen und unser Überleben als Nation heute feiern, sollten wir nie vergessen: Die Tränen unserer Feinde beflecken unsere Seelen und Gott macht uns für sie verantwortlich.

Mögen die Tränen all der Kinder Gottes das Lösemittel sein, das sehr bald Hass und Krieg auflöst!

 

Translation: With thanks to Pastor Ursula Sieg