Dear Friends,

This weekend is Fourth of July Weekend. Each year, we set aside a three day holiday around July 4th to celebrate our nation’s independence. As fireworks fill the skies, we stare into the heavens – united in our pride regardless of creed or heritage.

This sense of American pride is beautifully captured in our Sabbath prayer book. The words are powerful reminders of our hopes and dreams as a nation, and I believe that they embody the spirit of Independence Day.

God, who has made us one nation out of many peoples, amid our diversities of race and tradition, unite us in a common love of freedom and in a high ambition for our national life.

Continue in us the pioneering spirit which led our ancestors across the estranging sea and upheld them in the wilderness.

Deepen in the people of this land a devotion to the common good, so that we may open new doors of hope to the neglected and the oppressed. . .

Help us establish this land in righteousness. . . (Union Prayer Book p. 121).

These words remind us that we live in a country where diversity is celebrated and ingenuity of thought and belief are part of the fabric of our national identity.

Indeed, each year we have a great deal to celebrate, and through our fireworks and picnics, we certainly do our share of rejoicing. However, if we fail to remember what the fireworks are all about; if we fail to appreciate the liberties we have been afforded and fail to defend the liberties of others, the Fourth of July will be just another day.

May the words of this prayer and the joys we plan to share with family and friends this weekend help us remember that we must constantly stand up for the core values of our nation so that in every generation liberty and freedom, diversity and independence will be guaranteed to all.

L’Shalom-Steve

Dear Friends,

Sunday was Father’s Day, and I hope that everyone had a wonderful day celebrating fatherhood and the joys that come with it. I know I did. As a father, few things are more satisfying than knowing that your children are growing up, and as my children range in age from 8 to 21 years, I feel blessed to be able to join my children as they journey the path from childhood to maturity.

Father’s Day (as well as Mother’s Day) serve to remind us of the fact that this lifelong journey is one of the greatest joys a parent can behold. These special days help us appreciate the sacred nature of this relationship we have with our children.

It was not until this year, however, that I considered what these days represent when our parents pass away. Having lost my father a little over a year ago, Father’s Day has taken on an additional level of meaning. While in the past, I always had my dad to call; I always had a card to send; and I always looked forward to receiving a card from him regarding the blessings shared between a father and son; this year was different. This year served as a kind of fatherhood memorial day. This year, I took note of the love I miss, the goofiness I miss, the kindness I miss receiving from the man who shaped the person I am today.

I can only pray that I am doing the same for my children, and that after the brunches are consumed and the cards are read – the lingering legacy of Father’s Day for my children and for all who observe this special day will be the memories of the dad’s we have. These memories endure as part of the fabric of our lives and remain with us as a blessing that spans the generations.

L’Shalom-Steve

On Monday morning, we awoke to the deadliest mass-shooting in US history. All week long, we have received responses (much like the one I am crafting now), all of which express anger, horror and sadness. Now, it is Wednesday, and time has offered us a clearer understanding of how the nation is responding to this tragic, murderous rampage.

Rallies are assembling throughout the country and around the world (Houston gatherings are listed below) as expressions of support for the LGBTQ community. These gatherings remind us that we are all vulnerable to crimes like this as long as there is a festering hatred simmering beneath the surface of society. This hatred, combined with access to munitions that should only be available to the military and law enforcement, is a combination that only leads to repeated disasters on a grand scale.

What can we do?

We need to counter this hatred with love. We need to stand in solidarity with all communities of faith as we express support for the LGBT community. We need to be diligent in our efforts to counter forces of hated and prejudice wherever and however we can. We need to resist the temptation to point to this horrific act of an evil soul as a reflection of the values of Islam. And finally, we need to begin to have a reasoned national conversation on how we can maximize the protections afforded to us by The Second Amendment while seeking ways to minimize access to military munitions of this kind.

This is yet another wake up call for our communities to consider ways to address an ever changing landscape of escalating hatreds and very real concerns regarding our daily safety. Regardless of our political leanings, there are two things that need to take place in order for real change to begin. We need to begin listening to each other and we need to stand up for each other.

A list of community-wide events to show support of the LGBT community can be found below.  Additionally, on Friday night at our Shabbat Services we will include special blessings and meditations which promote the sanctity of life, the value of human diversity and the importance to stand up for dignity of all people regardless of sexual orientation, faith or family of origin.

Houston Candlelight Vigil:   Wednesday, June 15, 7:30pm
Houston City Hall, 901 Bagby, Houston, TX  77002

Join Mayor Turner, city officials, and religious leaders, including Rabbi Samuel Karff, Rabbi David Rosen, and Cantor Daniel Mutlu at a candlelight vigil in remembrance of the victims of the Orlando attack.

HCRJ Solidarity Shabbat:  Friday, June 17, 7:15pm

Friday night at our Shabbat Services we will include special blessings and meditations which promote the sanctity of life, the value of human diversity and the importance to stand up for dignity of all people regardless of sexual orientation, faith or family of origin.

Keshet Pride Shabbat:  Friday, June 24, 6:00pm

Welcome Shabbat at Congregation Beth Yeshurun and join us for our first annual Pride Shabbat Dinner afterward (7:45pm). RSVP required for dinner: $20 per adult & $10 per child or fulltime student. RSVP to www.keshethouston.org

Houston Pride Parade:  Saturday, June 25, 8:00pm

Come downtown and march with us in the Houston Pride Parade. Come show your solidarity with the LGBT community. We’ll be marching with klezmer musicians from the Lanier Middle School Klezmer Band and the Mazel Tov Kocktail Hour of Austin. We will make Havdallah before marching. Go to www.keshethouston.org for all the details.

L’Shalom–Steve

Dear Friends,

Dear Melissa,

This week’s Torah portion is concerned with the consequences connected to following God’s commandments. According to the Torah, those who faithfully follow the commandments will be rewarded, while those who stray will be punished. While many Jews today may find this formula concerning reward and punishment problematic, it would be foolish to deny the fact that every human action results in some kind of consequence.

Human relationships with each other and the world at large are dependent on how we choose to act. Regardless of how we may understand the commandments or how we understand God, maintaining human accountability for and sensitivity to the world around us is central to living ethical lives. When we act in ways which tend to the needs of the world, blessings are always in abundance. Certainly, bad things happen to good people – but it is important to remember that the good things that were done by good people brought blessings into the world. In contrast, curses arise when we fail to remain accountable for our behaviors and when we neglect the needs of others.

Our faith implores us to see the world through this lens by defining the partnership between humanity and God in terms of reward and punishment. We may not understand this formula in the same way that it is described in the Torah, but blessings and curses are, in part, the result of whether or not we chose to reach out to or turn our backs on each other, the world and the values of our faith.

L’Shalom–Steve

Dear Friends,

The ceremony of Confirmation as a Jewish life-cycle event has its roots in Reform Judaism. The ritual of Confirmation was introduced in 1810 when the Reform Movement in Germany adopted the concept as a means to broaden the scope of Jewish learning beyond the bar mitzvah (bat mitzvah did not exist at that time). Some congregations added this ritual as a post-bar mitzvah program, while others used it as a substitute. Either way, the ritual was introduced to provide deeper and more meaningful connections to the Jewish faith and heritage.

By the late 1800’s, Confirmation services were including girls as well as boys, which was a radical idea for its time. This egalitarian ritual not only reflected the value of gender equality within the Reform Movement, but it became ritual springboard for longer and stronger bonds for all teens within the Jewish community.

Today, Confirmation continues to provide our teens with opportunities to study and grow within their faith. In contrast to the bar / bat mitzvah ceremony, which is focused on an individual’s relationship with God and Torah, Confirmation offers students an opportunity to define and confirm their identities within the context of the broader Jewish community.

Join us this Friday night as HCRJ confirms its largest Confirmation Class in history. We are very proud of our students and pray they will continue to bless us in the years to come as teachers in our religious school.

L’Shalom–Steve

Dear Friends,

Last week, the Jewish community celebrated the 68th anniversary of the establishment of the modern state of Israel. In this short period of time, Israel has become a global center for technology, industry, medicine, agriculture and science. It is also the only democracy and one of the only dependable allies of the US in the
entire Middle East. Yet, despite its centrality to global economics; despite its strategic importance for the United States; despite its spiritual and historical centrality to the Jewish people throughout history – a major sense of apathy is growing within the Jewish community.

This Friday night, HCRJ will join 15 congregations throughout the City of Houston in A Shabbat of Unity. Each congregation will honor Israel and its 68 years in its own special way. Through this observance we hope to elevate and celebrate our unified and unwavering bond with the people and the land of Israel.

At HCRJ, the sermon will address some of challenges to maintaining the sacred balance of being a democracy and a Jewish State at the same time. Our worship services will also include special music and meditations. An Israeli oneg will follow.

L’Shalom–Steve

One of the greatest aspects of being part of a small congregation is the fact that every idea has merit and every voice has a say. At HCRJ, we take great pride in the fact that a majority of our most successful programs have emerged from the passions of our membership. This only happens when we are able to meet on a regular basis and assess the direction of our congregation together.

This coming Sunday, we will gather together, once again, as we set our sights on next year. This year, we are adding some strong community building elements to our Annual Meeting programming. Please join us…

WHAT      HCRJ Annual Meeting
WHEN     Sunday morning, May 15
TIME       9:00 – 10:00 am – Pancake Breakfast &
Photo Legacy Program
10:00 am – Meeting

We need your voice and your input as we will look ahead to the challenges and opportunities we anticipate in the coming year.

We need a quorum to make our decisions Kosher, so please be here to be a part of the vote.

Thank you all for a truly amazing year and for the privilege of being your Rabbi.

L’Shalom–Steve

Dear Friends,

Tomorrow Jews around the world will observe, Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. This annual day of remembrance designates sacred time devoted to recalling the horrors of the past as a means to shape the present and the future.

We must never forget that the atrocities of the Nazis demanded a complicit society. We must never forget that the horrors of the Holocaust were rooted in fear, intolerance and hate. The slogan, “Never Again,” can only be realized if the entire world is committed to overcoming the voices which perpetuate and promulgate hateful rhetoric in society at large.

This Friday night, we will set aside sacred time at the HCRJ Family Services to remember and reflect. This year our remembrance will be shaped by the voices of our children, who have composed prayers and poems in response to what they have learned about the Holocaust in religious school. As our children represent the future, may their words give us a sense of hope that slogan, “Never Again,” can be a reality rooted in a more tolerant tomorrow.

L’Shalom–Steve