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Rabbi’s Message
Let me be the first to wish you a happy Chanukah. Chanukah with the candles, dreydles and latkes is often thought of as a time of pure joy. The back story of Chanukah is somewhat somber. It begins with a divided nation. Some Jews wanted to adapt to the Greek culture of their day. Others preached an uncompromising allegiance to the traditions of their ancestors. Each group fought for advantage. They could not present a united front, and the Greeks came close to putting a permanent end to Judaism. It was a confusing time, a civil war between Jews with a revolt against an empire going on at the same time. That Judaism prevailed was truly miraculous. This all brings to mind our elections and all of the disappointment, anger and fear they brought out. The task of today’s America is for people of different ideologies, philosophies and life styles to find a way to live together in peace. I am afraid that differences in approach and ideology can lead to strife or even civil war, as it did among our ancestors in the Chanukah story and as it has done in many places around the world. This Chanukah, let us remember that the way to fight the darkness is not to hit it with a stick, it is to light a light. Let us all think hard and try to discover the lights that we can kindle which will dispel the darkness and light up the world. Chang Urim Sameach. A happy festival of lights. Rabbi Gerald Sussman
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Rabbi’s Message
Dear friends, We should be very proud of our Temple. Our holiday services were outstanding. The choir and Chazzan were the equal of anything you would hear in the New York area, and I am told that the sermons weren’t bad either. Our Sukkot services and the luncheon in the Sukkah were a delight, and those of us who were present on Simchat Torah enjoyed the Hakafot and the general merriment. We are a small Temple located in Port Richmond but when we are at our best we are truly in the big leagues. . Sometimes I hear people describe Temple Emanu-El as a family and that makes me really proud. I think, however, that like all families we could be an even stronger one. A Temple member recently remarked that everyone is very friendly when you see them but they don’t always keep you in mind when they don’t. What this means is that we should keep our eyes open. If someone who usually attends is not there do we make a phone call to find out why? If we notice someone who may have difficulty coming to services or events do we offer to take them with us? Most people will not ask us out of pride or perhaps not wanting to be a burden. It is up to us to take the initiative and offer our assistance. Even if our offer is refused it will be deeply appreciated. Many of us see each other primarily at services and Temple events. I want to suggest that we try to become closer to each other. Perhaps we may want to invite a Temple member over for dinner or a cup of coffee, and by doing this turn an acquaintance into a friend. Our age group, economic status or level of religiosity shouldn’t matter We live in a time when more and more people are alone and the social fabric that keeps society together is fraying. We therefore need each other all the more. I like to finish with a quote that was popular many years ago. Though it is often considered trite it still says a lot. “The family that prays together stays together”. Let us not only pray together let us stay together and try to be family to each other. Rabbi Gerald Sussman Rabbi’s Message
Dear friends, We are all very busy preparing for the holiday season. There is food to buy, meals to plan some of us are preparing to be hosts or guests. It is customary to buy new clothing and to spruce up our homes At the synagogue we are also very busy. The Cantor and the choir are practicing. I am busy with writing sermons. We are also thinking about building the Sukkah obtaining Esrogim and Lulavim and the celebration of Simchat Torah. While all of these preparations are important we sometimes forget the main point which is to prepare ourselves. The inner work is often more difficult than the outer work. Our spiritual lives as Jews have two aspects. The first one involves actions such as attending the synagogue, reciting the prayers, listening to the Shofar, spending time in the Sukkah and dancing with the Torah. The inner work requires reflecting on the meaning of the ritual actions and trying to internalize the message of the holiday. The Tishrei holidays have two different but related themes. Rosh Hashanah deals with personal change forgiving and seeking forgiveness and Sukkot and Simchat Torah are about joy and gratefulness. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur ask us to look into our lives and make changes. It is quite difficult for most of us to do. If we make a serious effort to make even one realistic change we have accomplished a lot. It involves lowering our defenses and not only trying to find our shortcomings but trying to discover the meaning of our lives. Sukkot and Simchat Torah ask us to find what we have to be grateful for and to be joyful about those very things. It is in contrast to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in that it asks us to concentrate on the positive and be fully conscious of all that is good and right in our lives and all of the blessings that even the most troubled of us has received. This holiday season let us celebrate with all of the rituals and customs but let us also prepare and experience the inward part of the holidays and thus be part of the personal journey and mood poem that is the Jewish Spiritual path. May we be blessed with sweet healthy and successful and peaceful year in in which we use the lessons of our tradition to live better lives. Rabbi Gerald Sussman Rabbi’s Message
Dear friends, One of my favorite stories goes back to the late 1700’s when the first Lubavitcher Rebbe was imprisoned on a false charge. His jailer wanted discuss the Bible with the scholarly Rabbi and asked him why it was that G-d asked Adam “Where are you?”, when Adam hid in the garden after eating the forbidden apple. “Didn’t G-d know where Adam was?” asked the jailer. The Rebbe then turned to the jailer and said “And you? You are 50 years old and where are you?” The jailer shuddered, his whole life flashed before his eyes. From then on, he was a changed person. He stopped being a jailer and his life took an entirely different direction. This year, the High Holidays fall later than usual on the secular calendar which gives us a lot more time to prepare for the Holidays. Traditionally the month of Elul is one for spiritual preparation. We are asked to examine our deeds and see where we have fallen short and where we need to make changes. We must ask ourselves the question of “where are you?” Where are we on life’s journey? What opportunities do we still have for building the life we desire? Are we at the phase where our focus is building a family and career and looking forward to a long and fruitful future? Are we further along on life’s journey when our focus is on the legacy we leave behind or perhaps repairing the mistakes we have made? The second question we ought to be asking ourselves is “who are we?” What kind of person are we really? What are our faults and our strengths Do we like who we have become? Are we who we wanted to become when we began life’s journey as adults? What changes do we want to make so that our real selves will more resemble our idealized selves? What practical steps should we take to accomplish those changes? Beginning with the month of Elul, we are asked to work on ourselves to try to move towards being who we can and would like to be In around two months, we will be electing a new President. Many of us are focused on politics. This is, however, the time when we should be asking the same questions about our nation that we ask about ourselves as individuals. Where are we and who are we? How do we move towards making our nation healthier, stronger, kinder and more just? I would like to end with another little story. A Rabbi was walking through a Shtetl late one night and saw a light on in the shoemaker’s shop. He went in and saw the shoemaker repairing shoes by the light of a candle. He asked the shoemaker why he was working so late night and the shoemaker answered “as long as the candle burns I can still do some repairing. The Rabbi then responded “As long as the candle of life still burns we can all do some repairing” Let me be the first to wish you a Shanah Tovah a sweet new year, Rabbi Gerald Sussman Rabbi’s Message
Dear friends, The Rebbetzin and I have been involved with a new and historic development which will have a profound impact on the Jewish people. All over the world, particularly in Latin America, Asia and Africa, there is a small but growing movement toward Judaism that will in the future grow to have great impact on the Jewish people. The groups are very varied. They include the descendants of the victims of the Spanish Inquisition who want to return to their original faith; groups which feel they are descendants of the Lost Tribes of Israel; and those who have come to the conclusion that Judaism is the true faith which mandates a life affirming and beautiful way of life. I think these communities have a great lesson for us. If people all around the world sense the greatness of Judaism and want more than anything else to embrace the Jewish way of life, it must offer something profound and beautiful. The Rebbetzin and I have just returned from a visit to Madagascar where a large group converted to Judaism. I was surprised at the depth of their knowledge, mostly obtained by way of the internet, and their commitment to keeping kosher and observing the Sabbath and other Jewish practices. Sometimes we need outsiders to point out to us the richness of what we already have and the greatness of the gift of Judaism that our parents and grandparents have bequeathed to us. These communities teach us that being a Jew is not something trivial or unimportant. Soon we will be celebrating Shavuot the festival of the giving of the Torah. We are privileged to have received that gift. In a world where the prevalent secular way of life has not always produced the best results, let us give Torah Judaism and the Jewish way of life the importance it deserves Have a great summer, Rabbi Sussman. Rabbi’s Message
Dear friends, Israel has become more controversial than it has been in many decades. One hears a lot of unfavorable comments about Israel from many quarters. Some of us may feel that much of the criticism of Israel is old-fashioned anti-Semitism. One wonders about those whose criticism is solely limited to Israel, as if Israel was one of the most oppressive places in the world. One wonders, for example, why those talking about settlements say nothing about the massive settlements of ethnic Chinese in Tibet and to destroy Tibetan culture, resulting not in terrorism but in self-immolation as a form of protest. One wonders why much of the world feels the Palestinians are entitled to a state of their own but not the Kurds. Could this unevenness be anti-Semitism? There are widespread reports that young American Jews are less supportive of Israel than their elders because of Israeli policies. The main reason I think lies elsewhere. Because of the State of Israel, Jews are no longer a people of powerless victims, as we often were in pre Israel days. Those whose lives have been lived, with all of the benefits that the State of Israel's existence brought, no longer deeply feel the problems that Israel's existence put an end to; they don't realize that the lives they lead would be quite different if Israel had not come into existence. There are those who say that we have a right or even a duty to criticize Israel's policies. That may indeed be true, but we must not lend our support to those whose real aim is not to get Israel to change her policies, but to see Israel disappear. This May, we will celebrate the 68th anniversary of the founding of Israel. Let us be proud of what Israel has accomplished, proud of its existence and unafraid of those who threaten it. Rabbi Sussman Rabbi’s Message
Dear friends, Preparing for Passover is not easy. I have heard it said that for women who take care of their homes and families Passover is the festival of slavery, rather than that of liberation. There is Passover shopping, cooking, and making sure that our homes are kosher for Passover. For many of us, there is the changing of dishes and kashering some of our utensils. Passover is a lot of work, yet there is something glorious when we sit down at our Seder tables, whether we are a host or a guest. Somehow all of the work and the preparation adds to the meaning of the holiday, our appreciation of it and the joy we feel. I am reminded of the Hebrew proverb "l'fum tzarah agra" “according to the difficulty of the task so is the reward." In the digital age, our attention spans have shortened. We are quick to look up a subject on Wikipedia and slow to read a lengthy book or article which will give us in depth understanding. We have lost patience for long term processes that take years or even generations to reach their fruition. We feel frustrated when we can't find instant solutions to even the most complex of issues; Passover tells us that something worthwhile demands work, preparation and planning over time. Jewish life can be viewed through the same prism. It's not easy and doesn't yield instant rewards. Rather the values instilled through our faith and our way of life can be deeply satisfying and give us the strength and prospective which helps us find our way in the world. Being part of the Jewish people is often difficult. In the short term we sometimes wonder why the effort. Yet, by being part of the Jewish people we become part of the process of an unfolding destiny which began in the most ancient times, continues to make an impact on the world and will help shape humanity in the distant future. Thus our Jewishness and our Jewish observance helps take us away from realm of instant gratification and brings us the realm of deep and lasting satisfaction. Once again. I want to wish all of you a wonderful Passover. I hope to see you at services and I'd also like to mention that if you would like to go to Seder but don't have one to go to, please get in touch with me. Gut Yontif, Chag Sameach, Rabbi Sussman Rabbi’s Message
Dear friends, The problems and issues facing the Jewish people and the Jewish faith have grown both more serious and more complex. We live in a world where Israel is increasingly defamed. This de-legitimization is most accurately seen as a preface to moves for its dissolution or destruction. The world is beset by murderous terrorism of a kind we thought belonged to barbaric ages past. People, who seem to be of goodwill, hyper-focus on any act on the part of Israel that can be seen in a negative light, while completely ignoring genuine crimes against humanity conducted with regularity by great powers such as China. Many of us feel that the anti-Semitism of the past is making a comeback. Judaism is also deeply affected by the increasing secularization of society where a great many people see religion as a negative force, blaming all expressions of faith for the aberrations of a few who claim to represent faith. Unfortunately many Jews have become proponents of these views. The extreme emphases on individualism of the last few years discourages people from involving themselves in community which is the ground on which Judaism thrives. It is this gloomy picture that the festival of Purim addresses. In the story of Purim the Jewish people were faced with genocide. However, a most unlikely confluence of events lead to the reversal of the expected outcome. The message of Purim is that G-d watches over us as a people and a faith, miracles happen and we go on with our mission. The message is that we must have confidence in the future of our people and our faith. The message is that if we do our part, there will be, to quote the Megillah, “Light and joy, celebration and gladness for the Jewish people” As it was in ancient Persia, so may it be for us. Rabbi Sussman Rabbi’s Message
Dear friends, Sometimes it is the person who is unfamiliar with Judaism that has the clearest picture of Jewish life, while those of us who are in the middle of it don’t see the forest for the trees. A Gentile friend of mine who attended the Synagogue from time to time once remarked that, to be a Jew, you have to know an awful lot. She pointed out that knowing when to sit or stand or knowing when to say Amen required a greater knowledge base than was necessary for her when she had been an Evangelical. The most basic rules of Holiday observances or Kashrut are quite complex. Knowledge of the Hebrew language is a considerable help to living a Jewish life. Knowing about Judaism is also helped by a thorough knowledge of history and literature. It is no wonder that study is one the pillars of Jewish existence. I have devoted a good part of my life to Jewish study and I feel I have barely scratched the surface. Acquiring knowledge of Judaism is not always readily available or accessible. Our Synagogue as most, however, provides an array of Jewish learning experiences. On Friday mornings, we have breakfast and the study of a Jewish text. Some of our educational programs are held on Shabbat morning after Kiddush when there is a ready audience. If you want to learn or at least brush up on your Yiddish, the monthly Yiddish round table gives you the opportunity; we are now in the middle of our series on the great philosopher, Maimonides. On Wednesday, March 17 at 8PM, we are beginning the Hebrew crash course. Men’s Club breakfasts provide us with interesting speakers as do many Sisterhood events. Just last week, we shared Hassidic stories at a Havdalah get together at my home. Our choir provides the opportunity to learn Jewish music and just coming to Shabbat services allows one to be familiar with the weekly Torah readings. Our Temple provides us with a host of opportunities to grow our knowledge of Judaism and to deepen our understanding of who we are as Jews. I hope that many of you will take advantage of at least some of these opportunities. Rabbi Sussman Rabbi’s Message
Dear friends, “May the old year and its curses come to an end; May the New Year and its blessings begin” reads one of poems that Sephardic Jews recite on Rosh Hashanah. As we begin 2016, these words come to mind. We are for the most part glad to see 2015 go. It was a year marked by terrible violence particularly the rise of ISIS. Not since the period of the Holocaust, has the world seen such brutality openly and often proudly displayed. People such as the Yazidi and Christian minorities have been treated in a genocidal manner. The world community has been unable or perhaps unwilling to stop the bloodshed. We have seen terror not only on the streets of Jerusalem but on the streets of Paris and San Bernardino. The future of not only the Middle East but of the entire world is in doubt. Within our own country, there is also a sense of unease and disquiet. Some of this is focused around the upcoming presidential elections. Much of it, however, is deeper and has to do with deep social change and our difficulty adjusting to new realities and ideas. It is a period where we have to work hard just to keep our balance. I am reminded of the famous line from the Broadway play we are all familiar with: “Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof” There is not much that we can do about the world situation, though perhaps there are small steps we can take, What we can do is what Jews have always done in difficult times: strengthen ourselves through involvement in our community and study of the Torah and keeping our traditions. Our synagogue can be the place where we gather the strength and the spiritual resources to cope with the world around us. May our prayers be heard and 2016 become a year of blessing, Rabbi Sussman |
