From Rabbi Debra Kassoff
January 24, 2008
As I write this, a deep winter freeze grips our community, and my mind wanders to warmer times and places. Though spring seems a world away right now, the Jewish calendar reminds us that in a place not far from our hearts, in the land of Israel, sap is rising, the earliest flowers are blooming, and the earth is preparing itself for a new season of rebirth. Tu Bishevat is past, and Purim and Pesach will be here before we know it.
The every-day miracle of the changing seasons seems all the more amazing when I reflect that this will be the 60th springtime since Israel’s independence as a modern Jewish state. Talking recently with a congregant around my age about the approaching anniversary, we marveled at how clearly we could remember celebrating Israel’s 30th anniversary when we were children in religious school. I am certain that many of you have similarly strong associations with other milestones in Israel’s growth as a nation, all the more so those who recall the day of its birth. It’s amazing how quickly time passes, and amazing, too, how young Israel is, still—a nation younger than a single human lifespan!
At Temple Emanu-El, we are participating in the year-long celebration of this historic moment in a number of ways. Our family education programs for K through five are dedicated to learning about the land of Israel, past and present. This month third grade families will be gathering on February 10th for a morning of Israeli music, food, facts, and fun with a giant map of Israel.
Along with the rest of the Jewish North Shore, we are participating in the ongoing Israel@60 celebration, which includes a monthly film series, Maccabi Games, and a huge Yom Ha’Atzma’ut (Israeli Independence Day) Party on Sunday, May 4th beginning at 2pm. I hope you’ll put the May 4th event on your calendar, and go to http://www.jewishnorthshore.org/ for a link to more information about Israel@60. If you’re interested in becoming more involved, contact me or Nanette Fridman, the Israel@60 committee chair, at northshoreisrael@yahoo.com.
After my January column about the Hebrew language, I heard from a Temple family that is planning a trip to Israel later in 2008 and wants to learn some conversational Hebrew before they go. What better way to connect with Israel (in addition to traveling there) than by learning its language? If you are interested in seeing a conversational Hebrew class offered at Temple Emanu-El in the coming months, please be in touch.
Want to travel to Israel yourself? Stay tuned—a Temple Emanu-El family trip to Israel is in the works for late 2008, and in the meantime a free 10 day URJ Birthright trip for 18 to 26-year-olds is taking applications for spring and summer 2008. Visit www.rjbirthright.org for more information!
Finally, consider an opportunity to become an advocate for Israeli-Palestinian peace: Temple Emanu-El members Jennifer Honig & Chris Muntiu invite members of the North Shore Jewish Community to a Sunday afternoon gathering to learn about the peace advocacy group Brit Tzedek v’Shalom: the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace.* Jennifer and Chris will host the meeting in their Swampscott home on February 10, 2008 from 3 to 5 p.m. Sweets and conversation provided! For more information or to RSVP, please call Jennifer or Chris at home at (781) 593-7140. You can read more about Brit Tzedek at http://www.btvshalom.org/.
With so many opportunities to reflect on and celebrate our people’s connection to Israel—the place, the people, its history, its beauty, and its power to inspire spiritual and political passion, it will be spring before you know it. I hope you will all find an opportunity to join in the learning and the fun.
*The mission of Brit Tzedek is to educate and mobilize American Jews in support of a negotiated two-state resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In four years, Brit Tzedek has grown to more than 34,000 supporters in over 30 chapters, with offices in Chicago, New York and Washington, DC.
