Dear Friends –

A Christian friend of mine recently shared the following quote with me as a way of articulating a modern way to consider the theology of the Christmas season and the joyous anticipation of God’s coming into the world through the birth of Jesus.

We are all meant to be mothers of God, for God is always needing to be born. ~ Meister Eckhart

From a much broader perspective, this quote from Meister Eckhart rings true for people of all faiths.  God is metaphorically “born” for each of us every time we come to understand God in a new way.  For Christians this process is through Jesus; for Muslims it is through the teachings of Mohamed; for Buddhists it is through the path of the Buddha.

While God is eternally present, our awareness of God’s presence is something that changes all the time.  Spiritual renewal and discovery happens through our own revelatory moments throughout our lives.  When considered from this perspective, God is “born anew” all the time.

One way to consider the “birthing of God” in our lives which is so central to the spirit of this season involves the Jewish concept of Tikun Olam.  Through Tikun Olam (repairing the world) we strive to renew our awareness of God in the world through our actions. In response to poverty, hunger, homelessness and other issues, which cause fissures in the wholeness of the world, Tikun Olam is a Jewish value which drives us to bring God into our lives through the works of our hands. Thus, in the face of all that is strained and unjust in the world today, we have the opportunity to birth acts of love, grace, and kindness into the world every day.

In the spirit of Tikun Olam and the spirit of this season, we have two wonderful Mitzvah Projects for you to consider in the coming weeks.

2^nd Annual Jewish/Muslim Christmas: Last year we gathered at HCRJ.  This year we will gather at a mosque.  Join us for our 2^nd Annual Jewish/Muslim Christmas Program.

During our brief time together we will discuss the challenges of being a minority faith in the broader context of American society.  More details may be found below.  Please RSVP by responding to this email.

Christmas Day at Turning Point Center: This year will be our 7^th annual Christmas Day Lunch Program with the Turning Point Center.  We will gather in the spirit of giving as we serve Christmas lunch and sing Christmas Carols to the residents.  More details may be found below.

Community Service Hours are available to all high school students who attend either of these programs.

Every situation that calls on us to repair the broken world in which we live represents a sacred opportunity for spiritual growth and theological maturation. May our coming together for these and other projects during this season in which our Christian neighbors celebrate the birth of God in their lives provide us with a means through which we too can experience a sense of God born anew.

L’Shalom — Steve

Dear Friends –

 Our unanimous vote to move forward with the construction of our new building on Sunday morning marks a new and extremely exciting chapter in the unfolding history of Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism.  When our founding members established this unique congregation in 1957, they could only have dreamed that one day HCRJ would blossom into the thriving community it has now become.  We are the realization of that dream and the continuation of a Houston based congregation rooted in the tenets of Classical Reform Judaism and committed to fostering a love of learning and a commitment to justice, tolerance and understanding. 

 Throughout the past 54 years, we have continued to build upon the vision of our founders.  In 1973, HCRJ expanded its facility by adding our current sanctuary and social hall, and now we are ready to expand once again.  This endeavor is monumental, and your participation in this effort has been and continues to be central to our ability to live in accordance with the words of our sages:

 “Hayashan Yitchadesh, v’ha-chadash titkadesh”

  May the old be made new and the new be made Holy

 Together we are constructing something that will radically expand our capacity to celebrate, learn and realize the tenets of faith.  As we witness the construction that will be unfolding over the course of the next 10 months, may each of us be filled with a sense of a sacred mission for us and the generations to come. 

Thank you – Steve

Dear Friends,

In this week’s Torah portion, we read the story of the Tower of Babel.  This ancient tale may be understood as a story about the arrogance of a people set on building a tower in the spirit of self-aggrandizement.  They said to one another:  “Come let us make bricks and burn them hard — and let us build a tower with its top in the sky, to make a name for ourselves.”  (Gen. 11:3-4)

As we know from this infamous story, God was so displeased with such egotistical frivolity that God destroyed the tower and scattered the people of Babel all over the face of the earth.  Though set in mythic antiquity, the story of the Tower of Babel is a timeless lesson which is as true today as it ever was.

Building towers of folly, engaging in the aggrandizement of the self, and allowing illusions of grandeur to be our modus operandi can lead us in the building of Babels of our own.  Therefore, it is important to have a well articulated mission before erecting any new edifices in our lives.

At Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism, we have spent the past 2 year weaving a well articulated mission into our plans for a new building.  As I write these words, it is a joy to be able to share with you that the dreaming part of our development is now complete, and we are almost ready to break ground. 

But before we can move forward with the building, we need the approval of our membership.

Please join us on Sunday Morning November 6, 2011 for a special congregational meeting.  At this meeting you will have the opportunity to learn about the final plans for the expansion of our facility.  Most importantly, your presence is needed to establish a quorum so the vote we will be taking that day can be kosher according to the by-laws of the congregation. 

Registration for this important meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. and will be accompanied by a nice breakfast.  The meeting will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m.

In stark contrast to the Tower of Babel, the buildings we construct for worship, study and service represent our best attempt to weave sanctity and holiness into the fabric of our lives.  Our sanctuaries and synagogues serve to nurture humility and humanity, not arrogance and folly. 

As we set out to expand our facilities at HCRJ, our work is both practical and sacred at the same time.  Our expansion will indeed increase our capacity to serve.  New classrooms and social spaces will enable us to broaden our abilities to celebrate and educate.  Yet, like in ages past, our new building holds the promise of something greater.  For woven into the fabric of what we are creating together is a kind of sermon in stone as our mission is part of our masonry. 

 Please mark November 6^th on your calendar and make every effort to be here that morning to add your voice to the quorum we need to move forward.

L’Shalom – Steve

Dear Friends –

 The Talmud equates saving a life to saving the world because every life is sacred and holds the capacity to make a difference in the world in which we live.  One of the easiest ways to fulfill this ethical teaching is to give blood.

 On Sunday, September 18, Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism will be hosting a Blood Drive at the temple. What makes this drive unique and extremely special is that this beautiful mitzvah is being coordinated by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.  This effort is part of a nation-wide campaign by the American Muslim community which seeks to collect 10,000 units of blood in remembrance of 9/11 and in honor the lives of those who were murdered through acts of terror ten years ago.  

Please join HCRJ as we join our Muslim brothers and sisters in their Muslims for Life Blood Drive Campaign on September 18^th from 9:00am to 1:30pm

 Muslims for Life is working with several interfaith groups in Houston and across the country to raise awareness about the importance of religious tolerance and peaceful relationships in our community. Each blood donation saves 3 lives, so please come out on Sunday, September 18th from 9:00am—1:30pm to donate blood. All collections benefit the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center.

 If you are interested in participating, please send an email to hcrj@hcrj.org and let us know what time slot you would like to fill.  If you have any questions or would prefer to register over the phone, please contact Melissa in the temple office at 713-782-4162.

 Thank you for supporting this very important mitzvah project.  Let’s show the world how Jews and Muslim can work together to make a difference.

 L’shalom – Steve

Dear Friends –

 Yesterday Jews around the world observed a solemn Jewish holiday called Tishah B’Av. According to our tradition, it was on the 9^th of Av that both the First and Second Temples were destroyed – first by the Babylonians in 586 BCE and then by the Romans in the year 70 CE.  Jewish tradition further teaches that throughout our history many of the worst atrocities against the Jews fell on Tishah B’Av. 

 In remembrance of these catastrophes many Jews observe a day-long fast and read from the book of Lamentations, a scroll in which the author bewails the destruction of the First Temple and the exile of the Jews from Jerusalem. 

 From a Reform Jewish perspective, the observance of this holiday presents us with a bit of a conundrum.  On the one hand, the holiday provides us with an opportunity to remember our history.  Through the observance of a fast, we can collectively memorialize the tragic events of our past.  Through the recitation of the Book of Lamentations, we are provided with a powerful text to explore our beliefs and our ancient heritage.

 On the other hand, the destruction of the Temple represents a break from a form of Judaism none of us would ever hope to observe.  With the destruction of the Temple came the end of animal sacrifices and the cultic rituals surrounding the priesthood.  With the destruction of the Temple came the beginnings of the Judaism we practice today.  From this perspective, the observance of a day of mourning seems out of place.

 For this reason, most Reform Jews are unfamiliar with the rites and rituals of this solemn holiday.  Yet, Tisha B’av is a holiday worthy of our attention and consideration.

 On Friday night, I will be weaving some of the themes of Tisha B’av into our Sabbath observance.  Some of the music will be of a contemplative nature, and the sermon will address this ancient holiday in more depth. 

 Whether or not you may choose to mark this traditionally solemn observance in a formal way with the community, taking time to remember the tragedies of the past can be a powerful way to see and understand the complexities of daily life from a broader perspective.

 L’Shalom — Steve

Dear Friends,

 In the August Bulletin, my front page article addressed the broader context of ceremonies celebrating becoming a bar or bat mitzvah. Traditionally, this life cycle event is celebrated at the age of 13, when our children begin to mature physically, mentally and socially.  Thus, in traditional communities, from the age of 13 onward one becomes responsible for doing the commandments.

 Not everyone is ready or able to celebrate this religious responsibility at the age of 13.  In fact, many adults in our community, especially women, never had the opportunity to study and prepare for a bar or bat mitvah ceremony in their youth, and in their adult years they experience a newfound interest in this kind of spiritual preparation. 

 In the past six years, HCRJ has had 3 Adult B’nai Mitzvah classes, and through this program, which strives to develop prayer and Torah skills within our adult population, 10 adults have celebrated their becoming an adult bar/bat mitzvah.  These bold individuals are role models for our youth as they demonstrate that Jewish learning is a life-long endeavor.  Additionally, they have become wonderful spiritual resources for the temple. Some have become Hebrew teachers, and many have led services in my absence. 

 A new Adult B’nai Mitzvah course will be forming this month. 

If you are interested, please contact me at rabbigross@hcrj.org. 

A time and day for weekly classes will be set according to the class needs.

 Whether one is 13 or 63, the bar/bat mitzvah ceremony represents an extremely important entry point into Jewish learning and Jewish life.  Without this sacred rite, few would try push themselves to learn to read Hebrew.  Few would learn the prayers.  Few would take it upon themselves to embrace Torah in a very personal way. 

 It is my hope that young or old this ancient rite will continue to help shape the value of torah in each of our lives. 

 L’Shalom – Steve

Dear Friends,

 Throughout the Psalms we find passages which reflect that that God’s presence may be experienced in nature.  In Psalm 121 the psalmist finds God in the mountains:

 I lift up mine eyes to the mountains.

From whence cometh my help?

My help cometh from the Lord.

Maker of heaven and earth.

 Passages like these are central to the theology of the Psalms, and as our family has explored the glorious Rockies in Colorado and the majestic peaks of the Grand Tetons, I cannot fathom more Godly settings.  Our journey so far has reminded us that wisdom and inspiration may be gleaned everywhere one may choose to look. 

 Certainly, the study of Torah and the participation in worship services are frameworks that we all consider spiritual, but this is only one way to commune with the divine.  In many ways the following quote from a popular tee shirt that is sold in every chachkie shop we see says it all:

 I’d rather be fishing and thinking about God than in church thinking about fishing.

 Of course, I strongly believe that there is time for both.  In fact I think they go hand in hand.  The more time we spend together engaged in worship and the study of torah, the more likely we are to open our eyes to see the world like the psalmist.

 Humid Houston may not be as inspiring as the snow capped peaks of the Colorado and Wyoming, but finding a spiritual connection with the world around us is available to all who open their eyes to the possibility.

 L’shalom – Steve

Dear Friends –

 Have you ever fed a giraffe by hand?

 Until yesterday, I had never done such a thing, nor did I ever think that I would have such an opportunity.  The experience is far gentler than you could ever imagine, as it is nearly impossible to consider that one of the earth’s largest creatures could be as docile as a very large dog.

 The head of the giraffe is about the size of coffee table, and its eyes are the size of baseballs.  In an almost flirtatious way, this crowned giant bats its eyelashes and directs its enormous nose, which strongly resembles that of a camel, in the direction of eager little hands holding pieces of lettuce.

 At first the interaction is a bit scary, after all such an enormous head is bound to have enormous teeth within, but this feeling of fear is quickly replaced with laughter as this gentle giant extends a snakelike tongue.  A giraffe can extend its tongue over 3 feet in any direction.  This is ideal for pulling leaves off of the high braches of trees.  It is also ideal for grabbing lettuce from timid, giggling tourists.

 As we extended our pieces of lettuce to our new found friends, they literally lapped up the leaves with their tongues like a big dog would lick your hand.  I cannot remember experiencing such a simple, yet so delightful surprise for our entire family.  It is an experience that none of us will soon forget.

 I hope that the dog days of summer are bringing each of you opportunities to see and experience the world in new and exciting ways as well.

 L’Shalom,

Steve

Dear Friends,

 We have two very important events taking place this weekend, each of which celebrate one of the primary functions of congregational life, learning. 

 The first of these two special services will take place on Friday night at our Confirmation Service.  During this service the 8^th and 9^th graders of our religious school will lead us in a worship experience that they created over the course of the year.  This special service, which also stands as our congregational observance of the Festival of Shavuot, celebrates our receiving of Torah on Mount Sinai.

 The students being confirmed this year include: Lindsey Asarch, Ellie Hurwitz, Hazel Sharpe and Max Sternberg, our ninth graders who have spent the past 2 years together exploring their values and beliefs.

 A second group of students will be celebrating their achievements on Saturday morning at 10:30 am.  This group has also been studying for two years, and the culmination of their work as an Adult B’nai mitzvah class will take place as they lead us in worship and read from the Torah.  This class consists of Cindy Lipshutz, Melvyn Douglas and Marilyn & Howard Fireman.

 In Judaism, learning is considered to be a life-long endeavor.  As we age, each of us comes to understand the teachings of our faith through the lens of ever broadening life experiences.  Thus, through each of these special services we celebrate and honor this eternal value of learning within our faith.

 We hope you will be able to join us for each of these joyous events.

 L’shalom — Steve

Dear Friends –

On Sunday night, we all received the announcement that Osama bin Laden had been killed by US forces.  With his death came the end of a decade long hunt for a man whose maniacal teachings and perverse interpretations of Islam generated a movement centered on terror, hatred and violence.  While the world can celebrate being rid of this perpetrator of murder and terror, we know that such evil continues to exist in many forms and through countless misguided souls. 

Sunday night also marked the Jewish observation of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day).  As Jews, we know all too well, that the atrocities of the past must not be forgotten.  Our observance of Yom HaShoah each year serves to help us remember that our losses cannot be in vain.  As we collectively remember the atrocities of our past, we open our eyes and our hearts in an effort to learn and grow from the pains of oppression.  We recognize that even though we have been the victims of hatred, intolerance, violence and ruthless persecution, we must seek ways to prevent the repetition of such evils in our society today. 

This is the mindset at the heart of the Jewish observation of Yom HaShaoh, and it is this same mindset that must be used as we consider this significant victory we have claimed in the name of goodness and justice this week.  We may have cut the head off of a venomous snake, but its venom is everywhere. 

It is up to each of us to live in such a way as to stem the tide of hatred and injustice every day of our lives in every situation we encounter.  This week in particular we have been presented with a double reminder that the human capacity for hate must be countered by the human capacity for love.

L’shalom – Steve