Dear Friends,

In our Torah portion this week, we are presented with two biblical characters who represent archetypes of moral courage. Joshua and Caleb are two spies among a company of twelve who have the faith and the inner strength to stand up and speak out with a minority opinion.

As our Torah recounts, twelve messengers are sent by Moses to scout out the Land of Israel. All but Joshua and Caleb report the following, “The country that we traversed and scouted is one that devours its settlers. All the people that we saw in it are men of great size–and we looked like grasshoppers to ourselves, and so we must have looked to them” (Numbers 13:32).

In contrast to the ten naysayers, Joshua & Caleb return with messages of hope for the future. They say, “Let us by all means go up, and we shall gain possession of [the land], for we shall surely overcome [our adversaries]” (Numbers 13:30).

The juxtaposition of these two reports is as familiar to us today as it was in ancient times. In most situations where major decisions must be made, there is usually a majority and a minority report. The fact that the Torah celebrates the minority report through Joshua and Caleb invites us to consider moments in time when we too are challenged to defend a minority point of view.

In our world today, there are many moral causes which can seem far too gigantic for us to confront. Does this mean we should shy away? Absolutely not. We need to have the faith and moral grounding of Joshua and Caleb, and try (in whatever ways we can) to confront these giants head on.

L’Shalom-Steve

Dear Friends,

Today, I had the unique and sacred responsibility of bringing a pair of newborn twin girls into the covenant of Israel. It was a truly joyous moment, but as I engaged in this ancient ritual at the mikvah, I paused in a moment of existential bewilderment.

In what way was my role in this confluence of relationships “making” these two baby girls Jewish?

Before I answer my own question, allow me to share the circumstances. These two beautiful babies were born here in Houston to a non-Jewish surrogate mother. The parents, who are two gay men from Israel, requested my services so that these two babies would be “officially” Jewish before they returned to Israel to be raised in a Jewish household.

On so many levels, these two babies were already 100% Jewish. Even though the womb from which they emerged was not of a Jewish mother, everything from the point of their births forward would be Jewish. Their fathers were Jewish. They were going to live in Israel. They would speak Hebrew. They would know all the blessings. Nothing in their lives was anything but Jewish, and yet, in the minds of these two fathers, immersion in the mikvah with a rabbi was a necessary step.

Why? The answer is that this ritual was for the fathers, not for the babies.

Sometimes we do rituals to remind ourselves of our commitments to our faith. In this case, immersing their newborn daughters in the mikvah was a means to affirm who the fathers were and what they believed.

So too it is with all of us. Rituals serve many purposes in our lives. They help us mark sacred occasions; they enable us to connect to our faith; they bond us together as a community; and YES, they even make us Jewish!

L’Shalom-Steve

Dear Friends,

The school shooting in Santa Fe this past week has brought the realities of a tragic and terrifying national issue to our doorstep. While there may be policies which need to be debated and cultural practices that need to be addressed, now is the time to come together as a community.

This weekend, congregations of all denominations and faiths are standing in solidarity with the people of Santa Fe. Churches, temples, mosques and synagogues throughout the city of Houston will be participating in a very special program sponsored by Gallery Furniture and Interfaith Ministries called, “Banners for Santa Fe”.

For this massive interfaith effort, Gallery Furniture has created huge, high quality banners (10 feet by 10 feet) which will be the templates for our thoughts, prayers and expressions of compassion, encouragement and hope. These banners will be shared with the Santa Fe community at appropriate times over the next several months.

Join us on Friday night to participate in this service of solidarity.

These supportive efforts are only a beginning as we seek to extend love and support to a community in need of healing. As we venture forward, our hope is to generate a multi-faith environment of collaboration and cooperation which can soon openly and honestly address issues surrounding gun violence, public safety and mental health issues in America today.

L’Shalom-Steve

Dear Friends,

This weekend, Jews around the world will be celebrating the Festival of Shavuot, which is also known as the Festival of the Giving of the Torah. According to the Torah, it took precisely 49 days, or seven weeks, for the ancient Israelites to travel from Egypt to the foot of Mount Sinai. Our celebration each year follows the Torah’s commandment: “And you shall proclaim that day (the 50th day) to be a holy convocation!” (Leviticus 23:21).The name Shavuot, “Weeks”, symbolizes the completion of this seven-week journey.

Among the many observances associated with this holiday is the ceremony of Confirmation. Through this beautiful service, the community comes together to celebrate the transmission of Torah to the next generation as our high school students publically affirm their faith and their commitments to our heritage.

Please join us this Friday night, May 18, as each of our confirmation students embrace the scroll and receive a personal blessing in front of the ark. Through this powerful ritual, our entire community dramatically re-enacts the receiving of Torah in a very special way.

In the spirit of Shavuot, I encourage all of us to set aside some sacred time for Torah. We might explore a Jewish concept on the internet, read a passage from the Bible or even take a walk outside and find inspiration through God’s works of creation. Some congregations in Houston offer Torah study sessions called Leil Tikun Shavuot. These all night sessions will begin Saturday evening and continue through sun rise. They are open all who may be interested, so you might consider attending a night of learning.

Whatever path you might choose to take, spend some time this weekend considering the glorious truths that are reveled to us every day. Spend time with family; spend time in nature; and most of all, spend time considering your place in the ever-unfolding story of our faith and heritage.

L’Shalom-Steve

Dear Friends,

We just concluded a portion of the Torah which permits an early glimpse of how the Bible attempts to shape the sacred nature of our lives by setting celebrations and events along the course of a calendar year. In this Torah portion, we are presented with a very rudimentary version of the Jewish calendar we use today. This simplified calendar includes: the weekly Sabbath, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, and the three Harvest Festivals (Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot).

It is interesting to note that each sacred observance involves some kind of sacrifice. On the Sabbath, we sacrifice work. During the festivals, we sacrifice the harvest and on Yom Kippur, we sacrifice consumption of any kind. These sacrifices help make time sacred and holy. They bond us as a people and enable us to express our appreciation for all we have.

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, and while it may not be in the Bible, the day is sacred to mothers, fathers and children alike. It is a day set aside to express our gratitude for the daily sacrifices of our mothers and a way for us to elevate the sacred nature of motherhood.

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms. May this be a day filled with the blessings of love, joy and gratitude.

L’Shalom-Steve

Dear Friends,

Tomorrow is Lag BaOmer, a holiday marking the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer. This relatively obscure observance in Reform Jewish circles is a fun-filled day in the middle of a ritual period of counting called “The Counting of the Omer”. This ancient custom is based on the commandment:

“From the day after the Sabbath, the day that you bring the sheaf of wave-offing, you shall count off 7 full weeks.” Leviticus 23:15

This biblical mandate to “count the Omer” implores us to count our days for seven weeks from Passover to Shavuot. For generations, these days of counting have come to represent ways of counting our blessings.

This week we will be counting our blessings as a congregation in two very special ways. Please join us for each of these events:

Teacher Appreciation Shabbat: Friday night, May 4:

This Friday night, we will be honoring our teachers with a special Shabbat service. Please join us for a wonderful fajita dinner followed by a celebration of our teachers as we express our gratitude for all they do.

Pancake Breakfast and Annual Meeting: Sunday, May 6:

This coming Sunday, we will gather to set our sights on next year. Please join us as we look back on the blessings of the past year and plan for many more blessing in the year to come. We need your voice and your input.

WHAT        HCRJ Annual Meeting
WHEN        Sunday morning, May 6
TIME           9:00 am – 10:00 am – Pancake Breakfast and Registration
10:00 am – Meeting

On this Lag BaOmer, let us consider the blessings that fill our lives with meaning and value. May this day of counting help us remember to count our days and enjoy them to their fullest.

L’Shalom-Steve

Dear Friends,

What a glorious week it has been! Houston weather can be rather temperamental, but this is one of those weeks that invites us to embrace the beauty and grandeur of nature. Spring is in the air (as all of our allergies are telling us), and the world of creation is singing a song of glory. In some ways, it is as if nature is telling us to count our blessings or take an inventory of the goodness that surrounds us.

This kind of spring inventory is a long standing Jewish tradition as Jews around the world are currently observing a sacred period called, “the Counting of the Omer.” This observance is based on the biblical mandate to count bundles of grain (the omer) every day for 7 weeks from the second day of Passover through the festival of Shavuot.

Today, this ritual counting has more to do with cultivating the human spirit than it does with cultivating the land. One modern interpretation of the Counting of the Omer suggests that this ancient ritual encourages us to count our blessings and make each and every day of our lives count.

If you have already done so this week, take a walk or sip a cup of coffee outside. We all know that this gorgeous weather will soon give way to ceaseless heat and humidity. Let us find a little time to take it all in, and as we do, we need to be counting our blessings every day.

Dear Friends,

Tomorrow is Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) and in the spirit of solidarity with Jews all over the world, we honor and celebrate the centrality of the Jewish State in the life-blood of Jewish history, heritage, culture and spiritual sustenance. As a modern political entity, Israel is only 70 years old, but in this short period of time, Israel has become one of the most successful centers for technology, industry, medicine, agriculture and science in the entire world. It is also the only democracy and one of the only dependable allies of the US in the entire Middle East.

Indeed, we can take great pride in the fact that Israel has established herself as one of the most democratic, forward thinking nations in the world, and it is my prayer that our relationship with the land and the people of Israel will continue to grow stronger through the years. If you are interested in celebrating Israel’s 70th birthday with the community, here are two special programs to consider:

HCRJ Shabbat Service and Yom HaAtzmaut Celebration
Friday, April 20 at Houston Congregation for Reform JudaismJoin us for a special Shabbat Service featuring music and meditations honoring Israel at 70. Students from our religious school have prepared songs, dances and special foods for this festive Shabbat experience.

Houston Celebrates Israel
Thursday, April 19, 4:30-8:00 pm at Merfish Teen Center 9000 S Rice Ave

Come and celebrate 70 years of Israel! This community-wide celebration will have fun for all ages. The event is sponsored by the ERJCC, Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, and the Israeli-American Council Houston. More details can be found here.

Happy Yom HaAtzmaut!

L’Shalom-Steve

Dear Friends,

Passover may be over, but its primary message about freedom lingers freshly in all of our hearts. Through the rituals of the Seder and the words of the haggadah we collectively embrace an unwavering commitment to the idea:

“Until all are free, none are free.”

This message is of particular importance as we witness the ongoing oppression of the Rohingya people of Myanmar (formally Burma). According to Amnesty International, the Rohingya are among the most persecuted minorities in the world. Although they have lived in Myanmar for centuries, they are reviled as “outsiders” by the government and denied freedom of movement within the country they call home.

Who are the Rohingya people and what is their story? These questions will be addressed in detail at a special Sabbath service this Friday night, as HCRJ joins congregations around the world with a unified response to this humanitarian crisis.

L’Shalom-Steve