Message from the Rabbi
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rabbistudy to templeisraelnyc period org
The Synagogue - Reaching Within...Reaching Up
“Look, Rabbi, I appreciate the importance of religion, but I just don’t believe in organized religion,” to which the rabbi replied, “Then you’ll love our synagogue. It’s totally disorganized.”
So a colleague of mine who tried to persuade a person to join his congregation was told. We have surely all heard people say that “religion” is either too expensive, not for them or simply expendable. Yet, the same people would never say, “I believe in medicine, but I don’t believe in medical schools or hospitals.” Nor would they say, “I believe in law and justice, but I just don’t believe in law schools, courts and police.” Nor, “I believe in art and beauty, but not in art schools and museums.”
“Let them build me a sanctuary so that I may dwell among them” so Torah teaches us after our ancestors left Egypt. This was the first effort to “organize” our people and our religion. For over 3,000 years now, our people have been builders of sanctuaries…and other faith traditions have done likewise. It is the home of the Torah which is the motor that drives Jewish life.
What purpose do our sanctuaries and our “disorganized” synagogues serve? The synagogue creates the ideal Jewish setting for worship. Here we have the opportunity and privilege to reflect and seek that which is noblest within ourselves as we attempt to search for God. In a noisy, frightening, aimless and even violent world it enables us to pause periodically to listen to the “still, small voice of the spirit within.” Join us for Shabbat and holidays at Temple Israel where you can find sanctuary and heal your heart, open your mind and gently nurture your soul.
The synagogue provides us with a place for community, for young and old, for spiritual seekers and for rationalists, for secularists and for serious Jews, for Zionists , lovers of Israel, and for globalists, for political animals and for cultural junkies, for Jews and for those who live with us and amongst us. It is the ultimate, recognized address of the Jewish community for Jew and non-Jew alike. It is a place for meaningful, and even sometimes, profound connections.
The synagogue effectively transmits the teachings of the sages and the visions of the prophets, the poetry of the psalmist and the prayers of the kabbalists. “Turn the Torah, again and again, for everything you want to know is found within.” (Pirke Avot: 2:25) Torah is the totality of Jewish learning and living. It is the experience of Abraham, the legislation of Moses, the visions of the Prophets, the commentary of the prophets, the insight of the mystics. It is the questions we ask and the answers we receive. Torah is our Jewish travel guide throughout the year! The Torah is the narrative to the Jewish people, as well as a lifelong pursuit. The Torah is never ending.
The synagogue is the strongest force for Jewish continuity — now, as it has been across the centuries. Through the seasons of the years and the life cycle of those who sit among us, it continues to creatively nourish our will to survive with purpose and hope, as well as to provide celebratory joy in living vibrant Jewish lives. It is the place where the old can be made new and the new can be made holy!
The synagogue raises to the loftiest significance the great milestones from birth to death by clothing each one of us in the warmth of sacred words and hallowed rituals. The synagogue gives us direction, comforts us and inspires us with courage when we face life’s challenges and storms. No matter where our life’s journey takes us, it provides community with which we can share such precious occasions and life-affirming moments.
The synagogue nurtures a caring community for Jews and those who live among us who take Jewish living and values seriously by helping us to see the world through Jewish eyes and providing us with guidance, comfort and inspiration. Through community and caring, Judaism is kept alive and we are enriched, no matter what our own background.
The synagogue is a health insurance plan. Skeptics and cynics note, about a decade ago, the Center for Corporate Health reported, “Research shows that just being a member of a … church or synagogue drastically cuts the risk of early death. It protects against heart disease even in the persons with high blood pressure or other risk factors.” Know that I wish each and every one of you good health ....
As your rabbi, I want to share with you our memories, our prayers and our hopes. I want you to be a member of a synagogue, in the City and wherever else you may live, now or in the future. Remember, your health and the health of the Jewish people depends upon your commitment.
Here at Temple Israel, we want to share our passions, our dedication and commitment with you, your family and your friends. We really hope that you will come to understand that we want you and need you to be with us as we, like those who came before us for thousands of years, seek to travel towards a Promised Land. We are covenanted partners on an amazing journey that is simultaneously mundane and sacred. Be assured that we are ready to help you along your own journey to find meaning and perspective. Whether young or old, seasoned or novice, seeker or scholar, we are a warm, inclusive, pluralistic and caring community. Here is a home for you and your spirit, helping you reach within and reach up.
May the beauty and warmth of this season bless you. May we share in our searching and our blessings with one another for many seasons to come. Ultimately, the synagogue can help us - as individuals alone and a community together, a family of families - keep alive and articulate our most important values and our most treasured memories, our most fervent prayers and our most cherished hopes. As we reach out to you, we look forward to greeting you and sharing in your journey, as we all strive to reach up...
Rabbi David J. Gelfand
