Dear Friends,

Tomorrow is Lag BaOmer, and while it is not a biblical holiday, it is marginally connected to Biblical values. The observance of Lag BaOmer falls within the span of a biblically mandated period called the “Counting of the Omer”.  In this week’s Torah portion, we are commanded:

“From the day after the Sabbath, the day that you bring the sheaf of wave-offing, you shall count off 7 full weeks.”

This biblical mandate instructs us to count seven complete weeks from the first day Passover to the festival of Shavuot. These 49 days symbolically link our liberation from Egypt to our receiving of Torah at Mount Sinai. By elevating the themes of freedom and revelation, out tradition provides us with a powerful, daily reminder to count our blessings.

Here’s where Lag BaOmer fits in!

Lag BaOmer is the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, and while there are many explanations associated with the celebrations that take place on the 33rd day, the most popular explanation is connected to the lifting of a plague.

During COVID, this holiday has taken on new meaning. COVID may not be gone, but we have experienced a sense of its lifting, and this is something worthy of celebration. So, tomorrow take a moment to embrace the joy of life. Spend some time in nature, pause to count your blessings, and find a way to make the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer (Lag BaOmer) a day to remember!

Happy Lag BaOmer!

Steve

HCRJ Annual Meeting – Sunday, May 15

 

Dear Friends,

At our Passover seders, Jews around the world gathered around holiday tables and shared universal expressions of hope and peace. We ate bitter herbs to recall the bitterness of slavery; we sang songs to inspire us to action; and as we continue to eat matzah this week, we remind ourselves of our obligations to the oppressed and downtrodden.

This year’s celebration of Passover unfolds against the backdrop of suffering. Russia’s attack on Ukraine is unconscionable, and the horrors befalling the Ukrainian people generate fear, anger, pain, and confusion across the globe.  Most of us feel helpless. Most us long to help, but how?

Here are a few steps you can take to support the Ukrainian people.

Learn: Join us tonight for a special program featuring the governments of France, Poland and Ukraine. This event by the AJC’s Community of Conscience will be a conversation addressing the situation on the ground in Ukraine, the refugee crisis and the EU. The program is at HCRJ and begins at 7pm.

Act: The crisis in Ukraine has devastated the nation and its people. DAAR Charitable Foundation is among the many organizations providing humanitarian aid. This organization, which is run by an HCRJ family, has a 20-year history of charitable work in Ukraine. DAAR is actively sending shipments of medical supplies, medicines, water treatment devices, food and other badly needed items to the people of Ukraine. The focus of this charity is to provide aide directly to those Ukrainians remaining in the country. For information about DAAR and how to help contact: standwithukrainefund.org.

Love: Many of the Ukrainians we know and love have family members who remain in harm’s way. Extending love and prayers to those who are constantly living with fear and concern is a mitzvah. We may not be able to solve the issues at hand, but we can certainly extend our hands with love. Pick up the phone; send a text; and let a little love generate a lot a comfort this time of duress.

As these final days of Passover unfold, let us seek ways to actively live out the teaching from the Haggadah: “Until all are free, none are free.”  

L’Shalom,
Steve

Dear Friends,

For countless generations the Passover Seder has provided us with an ongoing reminder of our responsibility to work for freedom and justice in the world. By retelling the story of the Israelite journey from slavery to freedom, we seek to stir within our souls a collective desire to pave a path for the redemption of all.

Our Passover observances begin with our Seder meals on Friday night. May the Seders we have with family and friends inspire us to build bridges of hope in a broken world and may the matzah we eat help us gain a sense of empathy for the needs of those around us every day.

If you wish to stream the HCRJ seder from home, please click here. Our seder begins on Friday night at 6pm.

Happy Passover!

Steve

Dear Friends,

In our Torah portion this week, which comes from the Book of Leviticus, we are provided with a glimpse of how our ancestors viewed illness as well as wellness.  In these chapters we find detailed information concerning the priestly rituals proscribed for the healing and purification of those afflicted with a wide variety of ailments. As disturbing as the Torah’s descriptions of these priestly practices may be, there is no doubt that our ancestors understood ritual to be inextricably linked to the process of healing.

In truth, illness can be a lonely experience. Sickness can isolate us from the world of human contact for prolonged periods of time, and this can be very depressing. Over the past two years, COVID-19 has brought many of us face to face with this reality.

If we have learned anything over the course of this pandemic, it is that human beings are social animals. We need contact with others to maintain our mental health.  We need to know people care about us – we need to feel loved.

We have also learned that a simple visit from a friend or a call from the rabbi can bring great comfort and aid in the healing process. Thankfully, our pastoral practices today are much different from those we find in the Book of Leviticus, but the tradition of linking physical healing to ritual practice continues to remain central to who we are as a faith.

May all that we do at HCRJ help us bring healing, strength, comfort, and peace to all who need it in our community and in the world around us.

L’Shalom,
Steve

Dear Friends,

Springtime is a time for rebirth and renewal. Trees emerge from leafless winters spreading canopies of pastel green for all to enjoy. Flowers pave our neighborhoods with vibrant colors, and birds herald the season with a cacophony of joyous melodies.

As nature harkens the earth’s annual restoration, so too does faith.

At this time of year, most religions have mechanisms to celebrate and elevate the renewal of spirit that arrives in the springtime. This year, in particular, Passover, Easter and Ramadan fall at the same time, providing us with a wonderful opportunity to learn and celebrate together.

Join us on Thursday night, April 7th at 7pm, as we gather with our Christian and Muslim brothers and sisters to explore themes and rituals around renewal in the Abrahamic traditions. Please RSVP to Justin at justin@hcrj.org and experience a collective sense of renewal in a very sacred way.

L’Shalom,

Steve

Dear Friends,

In the Torah portion we read on this Sabbath, two sons of Aaron (Nadab and Abihu), take it upon themselves to present their own personal offerings to God.  Each of them offers a fire pan to God as kind of sacrifice. God’s response is shocking. God rejects their sacrifices and zaps them on the spot.

The premise of this ancient story seems to suggest that innovations and new ways of doing things are not always welcome. The truth is that human beings are creatures of habit.  We like what we know, and we know what we like.  Therefore, changes in rituals and customs (like the strange fires of Nadab and Abihu) are often met with resistance.

This past year, as we have slowly returned to in-person worship, I have heard plenty of comments regarding some of the melodies we have been singing and rituals we have been performing. As if we are presenting a modern form of “strange fire,” some folks have asked:

When did we start doing THAT?
What happened to my favorite melody of (insert prayer here)?
Why don’t we do THIS anymore?

In truth, worship at HCRJ continues to be led in much the same way as it has been in the past. Most of our melodies are the same, and most of our practices have not changed. That said, we have consciously expanded our repertoire of song and ritual to meet the spiritual needs of a broader number of participants.

For those who may not attend services regularly, the result can be a bit jarring, especially if you come on a week that does not include your favorite melodies. When this happens, the worship experience can feel a bit like the “strange fire” of Nadab and Abihu.

HCRJ is committed to working toward a day when every melody we use stirs the soul and every ritual we offer warms the heart. This takes time, patience and an open mind. As we work together to shape our communal worship, I promise to be very conscious of the pitfalls of the “strange fire” we find in our Torah portion this week.

L’Shalom,
Steve