youth programs - Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism

March 18, 2015 (Mosque Fire)

On February 13, a homeless man named, Darryl Ferguson, turned himself over to authorities for causing a fire that burned down the Quba Islamic Institute in Southeast Houston. The fire consumed a 3,000-square-foot building used by the Muslim community for worship and education. In response to this tragic event, two remarkable events transpired.

The first was a gathering of clergy from all over the Houston area. I was among the rabbis, ministers, imams and communities leaders standing in solidarity with the Muslim community which had lost its center for prayer and learning. At this gathering, prayers and expressions of unity were expressed.

The second remarkable element of this gathering of faith was witnessed in the response given by Imam Zahid Abdullah, the imam of this Islmaic center who called the District Attorney and asked that no charges be filed the homeless man who started the fire. This act of love has moved me as it moved everyone in the building.

In a world which is tormented by anger, vengeance and hostility, this remarkable public act of forgiveness represents one of the most gracious acts I have ever witnessed, and it comes at a time when the greater Muslim community is subjected to ongoing accusations regarding the nature of their faith. Thankfully, the press coverage has been favorable to the community. http://www.chron.com/opinion/outlook/article/Zahid-Amid-fear-and-hatred-forgiveness-alights-6107584.php

Now we have an opportunity to perform an act of kindness as a community. The destruction caused over $200,000 in damage and the building, sadly, was not insured. The Quba Institute is a new organization with limited resources and this fire was a devastating blow.

Please consider joining a city-wide effort to help this community back on its feet. The amount of money needed to rebuild, when we all give together, is a small part of our individual resources; it is not the case for the sixty or so members of this new house of worship, prayer and study.

In the words of Elliot Gershenson, Executive Director of Interfaith Ministries, “When our friends at Quba have the funds to rebuild, we will all come together and show the goodwill that exists in our great city. We can stand together and proclaim that forgiveness, respect and peace are our highest aspirations. This is an opportunity for all of us, from our own faith traditions, to put action behind our words, not just talk the talk.”

If you wish to contribute a financial gift towards this rebuilding effort, the Quba Islamic Institute has set up a safe PayPal Account to collect these funds. Here is the link for your donation http://www.qubahouston.org/qii/?p=600. You can also mail your gift to Quba Islamic Institute located at 730 FM 1959, Houston, TX 77034.

Thank you for considering being part of this effort to bring communities of faith together in acts of loving kindness.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Steven M. Gross

March 11, 2015 (Idols vs. Tabernacle)

In last week’s Torah portion, the Israelites gathered to build the golden calf. They pulled together their resources and built an idol for worship. This week the Torah recounts the completion of the building of the tabernacle. This too involved the collection of precious resources for the purpose of worship. On the surface, these two gatherings seem almost identical.

How is it that the construction of one kind of center for prayer is considered holy work while another is considered idolatry?

With the construction of the Tabernacle, each individual act is understood to be selfless and voluntary. All gifts were to be from those whose hearts so moved them. Additionally, the Tabernacle was constructed as a dwelling place of the Eternal God in response to God’s commandment:

“Build me a sanctuary so I may dwell among you.”

THUS, the offerings, craftsmanship and efforts that went into the building of the Tabernacle were done with the sacred purpose of bringing the people together in the service of God.

In contrast, the construction of the golden calf was a rebellion. The assembly was an uprising against God, rooted in angst, fear and mistrust. Those who participated in the assembly around the golden calf represented an assembly of “takers” not “givers,” and herein lies a concrete distinction that applies to our lives today.

When our actions become motivated by an inner desire to consume, and take, and fulfill ourselves alone,

When our religious quest is self-serving,

When worship and ritual practices are only acts of taking and never acts of giving,

And when our sense of obligation is defined solely by a search to satisfy and fulfill ourselves,

Such actions could be considered as idolatrous. They lead us astray, and it is easy to lose sight of the sacred obligation to “give”.

In today’s world (as it was for our ancestors), it can be very easy to find comforts in idolatrous assemblies. We often set up idols rooted in folly. We worship wealth, power and prestige. We covet things we do not have. We become possessive for things that have only temporary value.

Judaisms response to such folly is symbolically embodied in the tabernacle. For when our rituals and actions are driven by a sense of obligation to improving the world around us and when the nature of our assemblies are for the service of others and not ourselves, our gatherings attain a sacred nature. This is the purpose of the Tabernacle for our ancestors in the wilderness as well as our sacred gatherings today.

L’Shalom–Steve

March 4, 2015

Tonight is Purim, and Jews around the world will be reading the Book of Esther and celebrating in a wide variety of ways. At HCRJ, our custom is to celebrate Purim on the Sabbath closest to the holiday (see details below).

To increase your joy around this fun-filled holiday, consider the following:

1. Attend one of the many congregations observing Purim tonight.

2. Learn more about the history and customs of Purim by clicking here.

Happy Purim! We look forward to seeing you on Friday night.

L’Shalom–Steve

From Russia With Love

My father’s side of the family is from Russia. As a child, I loved hearing stories of how my Pappa Shel left home in his late teens with hopes of finding new opportunities and a better life for his family. His search took him first to Palestine and then to the United States of America. He then returned to Russia to bring his family to the Americas. Some settled with him in the United States, while his brothers settled in Argentina.

My grandfather’s story is the story that so many American Jews share. It is the classic immigrant story which defines our Jewish American heritage, and when we look back at the long history of our ancestral roots, it is extremely helpful in enabling us to understand the Judaism we practice today.

The Jewish presence in the European part of Russia can be traced back to the seventh century CE. As a result of our long presence in that region a culture and a community unlike any in the history of our faith evolved amidst extremely stressful circumstances. For centuries we were the victims of some of the worst atrocities in our history, and yet, perhaps out of necessity, some of the most lasting institutions of our heritage emerged from the shtetls of this region (referred to as the Pale).

At the turn of the twentieth century, over forty percent of the world’s Jews lived within the Russian Empire, almost all in the Pale of Settlement. From the Baltic to the Black Sea, the Jews of the Pale created a distinctive way of life. They had their own language, Yiddish. They had their own systems of governance, rooted in the laws of the Torah. They were also afforded a significant amount of autonomy, as long as they remained within their closed communities called shtetls.

Jewish life in the shtetls of the Pale of Settlement was hard and poverty-stricken, but the laws of the Torah dictated a sense of communal responsibility. Tzedakah (Jewsih charity) was at the heart of a very sophisticated welfare system which sought to meet the needs of the population. Various organizations supplied clothing, food and supplies to ensure that no family, however poor they may have been, lived in squander.

One of the most enduring institutions to emerge from the shtetl was the modern yeshiva system. Until the beginning of the 19th century, each town supported its own advanced students who learned in the local synagogue with the rabbinical head of the community. These learning communities continue today and operate virtually unchanged in parts of New York, Jerusalem and other large cities around the world.

Jewish life in the Pale of Settlement was immortalized through the writings of Yiddish authors such as Sholom Aleichem, whose stories of Tevye of Anatevka formed the basis of Fiddler on the Roof. Because of the harsh conditions of day-to-day life in the Pale, some 2 million Jews emigrated from there between 1881 and 1914, mainly to the United States. Among them was my grandfather.

With them came a rich cultural heritage and a deep love of Judaism. The music and the food of the Jews of Russia and the Pale Settlement will be the focus of our March Got Shabbat.

February 25, 2015 (Purim Festivities)

Of all the holidays in the Jewish calendar year, Purim is the only one which might be considered irreverent. Such irreverence is rooted in the fact that Purim is found in the Book of Esther, which does not contain a single reference to God. Subsequently, Purim has become known for mischief-making and fun. It is a time to joke and be jolly, and it is in this spirit of this face that the entire month of Adar (the Hebrew month in which we celebrate Purim) has been designated a time of joy and gladness.

In the spirit of the Hebrew month of Adar, add a little joy to your life by joining us at HCRJ for the following events:

1. Sunday March 1: Join us for the First Annual Purim Carnival during religious school.

2. Friday night March 6: Join us for a Congregational Megilla Reading.

3. See the annual Purim joke below:

A man walks into a bar, drinks a couple of beers, and prepares to leave. The bartender tells him he owes $8.

“But I already paid you. Don’t you remember?” says the customer.

“OK,” says the bartender, “if you say you paid, then I suppose you did.”

The man goes outside and tells the first person he sees that the bartender can’t keep track of whether his customers have paid or not. The second man rushes in, orders a couple beers, and later pulls the same stunt.

The barkeep replies, “OK, if you say you paid, then I suppose you did.”

The customer goes outside and tells a friend how to get free drinks. The third man hurries into the bar and begins to drink highballs.

The bartender leans over and says, “You know, a funny thing happened tonight. Two men were drinking beer, neither paid, and both claimed they had. The next guy who tries that stunt is going to get punched in the — ”

The man interrupts, “Don’t bother me with your troubles, bartender. Just give me my change and I’ll be on my way.”

May your month of Adar be filled with joy and gladness!

L’Shalom–Steve

February 18, 2015 (Presidents Shabbat)

This past weekend we enjoyed a holiday honoring past presidents of the United States of America. This coming weekend we will be honoring the past presidents and current leadership of Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism with a special service and beautiful oneg.

Since our inception as a congregation, Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism has taken great pride in the fact that we have a very active and committed lay leadership. Our sense of community is rooted in an ongoing determination to work, learn and grow together, and with each new chapter of our unfolding history, our congregational presidents and board members have played an instrumental role in enabling us to meet the challenges of the day.

Through this special Sabbath Service in their honor, we will recognize the HCRJ presidents past and present. Through a number of rituals designed to reminisce and celebrate, we will look back at some of the leadership decisions which helped shaped our past as we begin to formulate our visions for the future.

Please join us Friday night, February 20 for a wonderful Sabbath of celebration.

L’Shalom–Steve

February 11, 2015 (Love is in the Air)

Love is in the air!

We can smell it as soon as we enter our local pharmacy and grocery stores as wafts of flowers and chocolate stimulate our senses in an attempt to remind us that Valentine’s Day is near. Pink and red cards and heart shaped boxes greet us everywhere we go, and it is difficult to escape the social pressures that this Hallmark holiday places on friends and lovers every year.

Valentine’s Day is one of those uniquely American celebrations like Thanksgiving and Halloween. It does not belong to Christianity, Judaism or any other faith. If it belongs to anyone, it belongs to the card makers, the florists and the chocolatiers of the world.

While Valentine’s Day may not be a religious holiday, its primary focus is something all religions promote as the expression of love, romantic or otherwise, is central to every faith. Love is the seat of goodness, kindness, compassion and understanding. Love is the emotion that drives empathy and caring, and it is an emotion that each of us tries to nurture throughout our lives.

Love keeps us grounded. Love keeps God at the forefront of our actions. Love opens the heart to the possibilities of healing and growing and learning, even from the discords and conflicts of life. Indeed, LOVE is a value deeply rooted in each of our traditions just as it is hardwired into the human soul.

Every faith seeks to nurture this divinely given attribute, and yet – despite our boundless efforts to cultivate love – our world continues to be plagued by hatred, mistrust, anger and violence. A celebration of love may be exactly what we all need.

So. . . Even though it may not be a Jewish holiday, this year we have a speical opportunity to add a little Shabbat to our Valentine’s Day or a little love to our Shabbat. Whichever way you may choose to observe it, may this coming Shabbat be filled with the love and joy that comes with friendship and romance.

L’Shalom–Steve

February 4, 2015 (ReelAbilities)

You did not have to be a football fan to enjoy the Super Bowl on Sunday night. Not only was it an extremely exciting game with an electrifying half-time show, but this year had a large number of very well done commercials, which, if you are like my wife Beckye, is the primary purpose of watching the game in the first place.

I, too, am a huge fan of Super Bowl commercials. This year I was struck by the fact that there were quite a few companies that placed people with disabilities front and center in their messages, and this is something that we should take note of as a society.

For centuries, people with physical and mental disabilities were literally sidelined by society. Stigmatization and lack of accessibility made it difficult (if not impossible) for those with physical and/or mental challenges to participate in the simplest of public activities. As public awareness has evolved, things have started to change, and the Super Bowl commercials which were watched by billions of people all over the world represent an extremely positive trend.

In the coming weeks, the Jewish Family Service’s Alexander Institute for Inclusion is holding its annual Disabilities Film Festival called ReelAbilities. ReelAbilities is a city-wide film and arts festival which uses the arts to promote inclusion and celebrate the lives, stories and artwork of individuals with disabilities. This amazing festival will be taking place February 8 – 12.

Take some time and see one of these amazing films as the City of Houston strives to focus on abilities and increase our awareness of ways to promote inclusion for all. For more information and a calendar of events click here.

L’Shalom–Steve

Memory and Meaning

One of my earliest childhood memories took place when I was a toddler. I could not have been much older than two or three years old. Oddly, the memory is not of a specific event or something I saw or heard. My earliest childhood memory is of a smell, which to this day is enshrined in the olfactory receptors of my nose.

Every time I smell broiled lamb chops I am transported to my grandmother’s kitchen. The memory is intense, and yet, I have no specific recollection whatsoever of what the kitchen looked like or any visual associations that would usually accompany a memory. It is a pure gut feeling connecting me with something emotionally pleasing from my past.

We all have memories that we hold near and dear to our hearts. Some events may seem more significant than others, but all of our experiences somehow find their way into a grand associative reservoir within our brains and ultimately shape our lives and influence the ways in which we see and understand the world.

Most of the time, the significance of an experience seems inconsequential the moment it is happening. Time, however, provides a broader context for our experiences, and it is often in retrospect that our experiences gain relevance and meaning.

It is for this reason that memorial services have become so central to so many of the holidays we celebrate. We are most familiar with the Yizkor service which takes place on Yom Kippur afternoon, but this is just one of the many memorial services that traditionally occur throughout the Jewish calendar year. The festivals of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot also have memorial services as we designate time to honor the memories of our loved ones when we miss them most. See page 5 for information about a very special memorial services being offered later this month in memory of Brad Gaber. Brad Gaber was the designer and artist who redesigned our bima, including the ark, the lectern and the furnishings. He also designed the fused glass donors’ wall which welcomes all who enter our building with beauty and light.

Another way we strive to honor our loved ones is through our continued support of the values they held and the organizations, programs and institutions that helped to translate those values into everyday life. It is for this reason that HCRJ will soon be launching a number of ways to honor our loved ones through memorial plaques. These plaques will be set into the beautiful memorial boards which are adjacent to our magnificent donor wall in the Oppenheimer Foyer.

If you are interested in memorializing a loved one in this way, please let us know by sending an email to hcrj@hcrj.org. More information regarding our new memorial wall will be forthcoming, but we would like to begin to have a general sense regarding interest and need.

In addition to memorializing loved ones after they have passed away, we, the living, can give the gift of memories to those we love while we are alive. This is, perhaps, the most sacred gift we can leave behind.

It is for this reason that HCRJ has launched our first legacy writing class. This class, which is being offered through our new Senior Chai Programming, is being taught by Donna Siegel (a gifted writer and memoir composer) who is volunteering her time to help others document their lives and clearly articulate the legacies they wish to leave for loved ones to cherish. The course has been wildly successful, and we plan to offer more in the future.

Whether it is through a memoir, a letter, a plaque, a service or even a special smell, the memories we share and those we leave behind have meaning and value. They serve to create sacred components in the fabric of our lives.

January 14, 2015 (MLK Day)

Please join us this Friday night as we welcome Martin Cominsky to the pulpit for a special presentation in honor of the MLK holiday weekend.

Martin Cominsky is the Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League. He is an inspiring speaker and a dear friend to HCRJ. In the spirit of the MLK weekend, Martin Cominsky will address ways we can continue to partner in our ongoing efforts in building a communities of respect.

As Jews, we have long recognized that it is our moral responsibility to stand up against injustice, hatred and intolerance in society. Using the teachings from the Torah and the Prophets, we find inspiration as we seek to navigate injustice in every generation. Messages of social justice are replete in Bible, and the following teachings are just a few of many passages that challenge us to understand the world through a lens of righteousness and truth.

Thou shalt not stand by idly by the blood of thy neighbor.
– Leviticus 19:16

If your brother becomes poor,…uphold him.
– Leviticus 25:35

Justice, justice you shall pursue.
– Deuteronomy 16:20

Happy is the just man, for he shall fare well;
He shall eat the fruit of his works.
Woe to the wicked man, for he shall fare ill;
As his hands have dealt, so shall it be done to him.
– Isaiah 3:10-11

This weekend our nation will pay tribute to the memory of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who, through his words and actions, brought these biblical teachings to life. Guided by that which he knew to be right Dr. King set in motion a series of events that would eventually change our world for the better.

During his short life the Reverend could only dream of a time when the injustices that surrounded him would give way to a world that cared about the plight of his people and where the laws of the land protected the freedoms and the rights of all peoples regardless of the color of one’s skin, the beliefs of one’s heart or the origins of one’s heritage. He preached passionately about a time when justice and mercy would come to supplant intolerance and indifference.

We share Dr. King’s dream today, and seek to honor his message and his legacy on Friday night with a service reflecting our ongoing desire to eradicate barriers perpetuated hatred and prejudice in society. It is our hope that as we remember him, we will find a renewed sense of courage and strength to fight for what is right in every generation.

L’Shalom–Steve

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