tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39459957896198495582024-03-13T03:38:13.587-07:00Rhoda Harrison's BlogA venue for posting sermons and musings... Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-85874111301570693252022-08-02T08:43:00.007-07:002022-08-02T08:47:19.042-07:00Shabbat Be’ha-a-lot’cha: Our Journey Forward, delivered at M'kor Shalom on June 16, 2022<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;"> According to Oliver Sacks, neurologist and
author of a book on the impact of music on the mind titled <u>Musicophilia</u>,
music demands more of the brain, in terms of cognitive function, than ordinary
language. Thus explains the retention of musical memory despite other memory
loss when various parts of the brain are damaged - this occurs apparently
because music requires so many different parts of the brain to engage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put simply, music activates our mind as well
as our hearts. It literally, according to Sacks, leaves a physical mark on the
brain -- a tangible imprint on memory. Perhaps this is why Jewish tradition
calls on us to not just read Torah, but to chant it, so it is imprinted on our
minds and souls </span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">This week’s portion opens: </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Chant opening verse of Beha’alotcha...</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 178%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">As I
shared in my M’kor Mail message, we couldn’t be in better place in our Torah
cycle than this week’s Torah portion, Be’ha-alot’cha! Not only does this
portion outline the mechanics, the how-to of the journey through the desert to
the Promised Land, but the manner in which we are to chant certain pairs of
verses when we read this portion aloud is telling of all the myriad of feelings
many are experiencing in these last weeks in our building situated here on
Evesham Road. Perhaps this chant can serve as an expression of the heart and
mind.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 178%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Instead
of chanting the text as per usual, a special melodic motif
is used for various couplets of this week’s portion<i>. </i>Recall the sound of our regular Shabbat chant, <i>repeat opening verse. </i>Now let's listen to our special melody used for the journeying: <i>chant example ...<br /></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 178%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Perhaps
this melody sounds a bit familiar – </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 178%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">This special
melody, unknown in origin, is referred to by scholars by a highly scientific
name, wait for it: the “wandering melody.” Yes, that is its official name in
the scholarly literature on the subject. It is named thus not because it is the
melody in a portion about journeys, but rather because the melody has wandered
through history along with us, passed down for generations via oral
transmission.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 178%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Why a special melody for these verses
in our Torah portion? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Abraham W. Binder,
the transcriber extraordinaire of cantillation says the “wandering melody’s”
function is to “add expressiveness and festivity to the text and occasion.”
(<u>Biblical Chant</u>, 65). I think it's about far more than celebration.
This special melody occurs in several other places:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-language: HE;"></span></p>
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">On the festival of Simchat Torah: this special “wandering”
motif is used to mark the conclusion of each day of creation (</span><span dir="RTL" face=""David",sans-serif" lang="HE" style="color: black; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ויהי ערב ויהי בקר יום אחד</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">); </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">musically marking the transition between each
day of creation<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span></li></ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">We mark the conclusion of the public reading or study of
each book of Torah, too, with this “wandering melody”: </span><span dir="RTL" face=""David",sans-serif" lang="HE" style="color: black; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">חזק חזק ונתחזק</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">, </span></li></ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">On Yom Kippur, this same “wandering melody” provides the
musical grounding of the traditional <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">viddui</i>,
the confessional, </span><span dir="RTL" face=""David",sans-serif" lang="HE" style="color: black; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"אשמנוּ,
בגדנו, גזלנו, דברנו דפי"</span><span lang="HE" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-language: HE;"> </span></li></ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Of course, The Shira - Song of the Sea employs this melodic excursion (<i>mi chamocha…)</i></span></li></ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">And finally, here the Book of Numbers, in <i>parashat
Beha-alot’cha</i>, this melody is used in order to highlight the Israelites’
journeys:: “</span><span dir="RTL" face=""David",sans-serif" lang="HE" style="color: black; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">וְעַל
צְבָא מַטֵּה בְּנֵי יִשָֹשְכָר נְתַנְאֵל בֶּן צוּעָר: וְעַל צְבָא מַטֵּה זְבוּלֻן
אֱלִיאָב בֶּן חֵלֹן"</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 178%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as they transition from a wandering, loosely
constructed band into a highly organized and cohesive society with a set
destination.</span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;"> What’s the common denominator of these events and occasions? Why are they
connected by a musical motif? And what can we, as we embark on our
journey, learn from it?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Each of these moments mark transition, and
save for the creation story – which marks the transitions between each day of
God’s creation, each moment marks human transition. This wandering melody draws
attention to the complexity of and transformative power of transitions whether
individual – through a process of <i>teshuvah</i> marked on Yom Kippur or communal - a
journey made from one place to another, a geographic and psychological
journey. The point of the journey in this week’s Torah portion is to take us to
a place of promise. Canaan, has been marketed as The Promised Land, a place of
both sustenance and sweetness. But the only way to get there is to come
together as community, commit to the future, and as our prayer book demands, to
march there together. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">It is too easy to view The Exodus from Egypt
as the symbol of the ultimate achievement of freedom, a moment frozen in time
that we celebrate each year with timbrel and song. The ancient wandering melodic
strain is used, however, both in The Shira sung at that moment after crossing
the Sea as well as here at the start of our journey towards a new place. This should
remind us that redemption isn’t a one-time event; redemption continually
requires transitions. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On this Torah is
clear, transition, journeying forward is necessary. We can’t stay put. Inertia
isn’t the way to a promising future. At the same time, transitions can be tough.
Perhaps that’s part of why a festive melody developed to help us through them.
Recall – even the Yom Kippur confessional is sung to this same motif used to
celebrate freedom from Egyptian bondage. This simple tune, Torah's ”wandering melody” reminds us of the joy inherent in making positive change even
when it’s difficult.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><i>Ken y'hi ratzon</i>. <br /></span></p>
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{margin-bottom:0in;}</style></p> Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-29944162543399480352021-05-05T17:47:00.029-07:002021-05-05T18:40:10.326-07:00In memory and in honor of my dear Baltimore sister, Cindy Silverman <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>My apologies in advance in case I offend you: shit-fuck. Go ahead, if you’re not
offended, and maybe even if you are, say it with me, “shit -fuck.” These are the
only words, Wayne told me, that Cindy could find during her horrible bouts of
pain. I think she’d understand our need to say them today. I’d like to imagine
that while Alma is scolding me for opening Cindy’s eulogy in this manner, Cindy
is chuckling.<div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Author and professor, Arnold Beisser shares an anecdote in his
book, <i>A Graceful Passage Notes on the Freedom to Live or Die</i>: When he was
a child, his father gave him a dime so that he could get an ice cream cone, a
double decker ice cream cone. He eagerly walked to the drug store, stepped up to
the soda-fountain counter and ordered: once scoop chocolate, one scoop
strawberry. He took his unstable treat, paid his dime, and walked out of the
store. As he was standing on the sidewalk outside the drugstore, just as he was
about to take his first lick of the ice cream, disaster struck. He tilted the
cone too far to one side, and the top scoop fell right onto the pavement. His
heart sank. What happened next, though, unsettled him more than the ice cream
spill. The owner of the store saw what happened and told the server to go out
and replace this boy’s ice cream cone. A display of kindness that would’ve been
right out of Cindy’s playbook. But, Arnold was puzzled by this small and simple
act of justice. He had duly received what he had paid for; it was no one’s fault
but his own that his ice cream spilled, and yet, he was rewarded with an
entirely new cone. The simple rules of justice dictated that he didn’t deserve a
replacement. His unsettledness stemmed from the realization that such “simple
rules of justice” often don’t work. If good things could happen without any
apparent or logical reason, then, so too, he realized could bad ones. We want to
believe in those neat packages of justice we are taught as children. If we do
what we are supposed to, then peace, prosperity, and certainly health will
follow. If only. </div><div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>The very fact we are gathered today – dressed in our whites and
florals in honor of Cindy’s beautiful spirit – to mourn her death and to provide
comfort and consolation to Wayne, Chelsea, and Hannah; the very fact that I am
standing here eulogizing my dear sister-in-law – my Baltimore sister and friend
- is stark and painful evidence that nature operates by its own rules and not
necessarily by our human constructs and expectations of justice.
Diagnosed with breast cancer 16 years ago, just before Chelsea’s Bat Mitzvah, and then, after having been deemed cancer free, to learn 5 years ago it had metastasized into
her bones, Cindy was certainly dealt a terribly unjust hand. There is no
changing that reality, and there is no satisfying explanation as to why this
would happen to such a wonderful, loving, positive, and just human being. It
simply isn’t fair. But there are choices to be made in the face of even the most
unfair and painful of circumstances. We can remain angry or unsettled, stewing
in a sea of negativity that leaves us frozen in place; or we can model Cindy’s
bravery and choose to remember what was good – and there was so much good in
Cindy’s life – and allow that goodness to motivate us to live according to her
example. <div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>May we learn from Cindy’s friendly, outgoing nature and ability to
fully accept people where they are; let’s learn from her tendency towards
striking up long conversations with compete strangers; may we learn from Cindy’s
love of and fierce loyalty to her family; let’s learn from Cindy’s ability to
savor the simple joys of living – a glass of wine or a cold beer, steamed crabs
with friends, enjoying the water and time spent relaxing on the beach; and
perhaps most of all, may we learn from Cindy’s ability to face her diagnosis and
prognosis with the incredible courage and fortitude she exhibited. Even in her
absence, Cindy can teach us how to live. If we allow her to do so, we keep a
piece of her embedded in our hearts, and we enable her legacy to endure. </div><div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Born on
January 1, 1959 to Harry and Helen, Cindy had three siblings: Jack, Donna, and
Dodji. Her parents divorced when she was very young, and her mom, who raised her
and with whom she was so close, died when she was only 16 years old. Yet, like
through her cancer journey, Cindy didn’t allow these early challenges to destroy
her generous spirit or her innate goodness. Her resilience and strength of
character were evident even then. Indeed, Cindy’s inherent goodness was one of
things that Wayne recognized in Cindy from their first moments together. </div><div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Wayne
and Cindy met at work in 1984. The story I always heard from Alma was that Cindy
was a godsend because she set Wayne straight and helped him settle onto a stable
path. The story I always heard from Cindy was that it was the other way around.
As Wayne admitted this week, it was probably a little of both. I think we can
all agree, however it worked, it was a perfect partnership. They just connected.
Beautifully. Married for over 30 years – since that beautiful day when they
decided together to do their own thing and get married while vacationing in
Hawaii. Together, Wayne and Cindy created a loving and nurturing home for their
daughters Chelsea and Hannah. Cindy’s world was built around her family – Wayne,
Chelsea, and Hannah you were her center. Her foundation. On Sunday, in
describing how Cindy took care of all of them, Hannah shared, “I always felt,
‘I’m so lucky she’s mine.’” Well, I can’t tell you how many times Cindy would
declare the identical sentiment about having Chelsea and Hannah being “hers” and
having Wayne by her side. Barb can testify, too. When the three of us would go
out for dinner, Cindy always beamed with pride and joy talking about her girls
especially. She felt like the lucky one. Even just weeks ago, despite starting
hospice, despite her pain, she proclaimed, “I’m so lucky.” I wonder if Cindy
recognized that her “luck” in this case was in large part a product of the
incredible love she put forth in the world. </div><div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Hannah, Chelsea, and Wayne all
remarked how Cindy took such good care of them. And, she did. She took care of
everything, but it wasn’t the tangible tasks that made such a difference. Sure,
she made great soup, hosted wonderful gatherings, always welcomed friends – both
hers and Wayne’s as well as their daughters’ into a beautifully prepared home,
and extended gracious hospitality to everyone (like the time Wayne walked into
the kitchen to find Cindy serving a fresh hot breakfast to some stranger named
Bobby). What made her family feel so taken care of, though, wasn’t how the eggs
were individually prepared, rather it was the way in which she made everyone
feel safe and loved. What made Cindy exceptional was her ability to be fully
present for you in the moment. Both Chelsea and Hannah remarked how Cindy had
the capacity within her to make them feel completely understood and so fully
loved. She was fully there – always until the very end. </div><div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Cindy didn’t come to the
decision to begin palliative care and enter hospice lightly. Every choice she
made was with Wayne, Chelsea, and Hannah in mind. She knew what was ahead and
worked to ease their transition – she even moved Wayne’s clothes into the bigger
closet in their room knowing she’d no longer need it and he might not do himself.
And, while her suffering was all too evident particularly during her last week,
it is clear that you brought her comfort as she prepared for the inevitable. You
brought a smile to her face even as she was facing the unknown. You made sure
she was surrounded by your loving presence as she made the transition from life
to death. </div><div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>A non-biblical, but still really old book most likely written between
the 6th and 1st centuries BCE known as The Wisdom of Solomon teaches that honor
does not come from old age or length of year, rather understanding and
compassion are the gray hair of humanity. A later (Rabbinic) tale elaborates: A
man tasked with cleaning the sanctuary after a wedding paused in his work to
look at the flowers that lay strewn on the bema. “What a waste!” he thought as
he looked at the lifeless flowers around him. “You call this a waste?!” One of
the flowers protested. “What is life anyway, yours or mine, but a means of being
present. My mission was to create some fragrance and beauty, and as I have
fulfilled it, my life has not in any way been a waste; rather, it has been full
and fulfilling.” The flower paused and then continued, “Flowers can be compared
to people. They live in deeds not in time. My glory may have been brief, but you
should have seen all the smiles I brought to people and all that I got to be a
part of.”
</div></div><div><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> Thank you, Cindy, for all the smiles, all the joy and love you have given and will continue to give through the blessing of memory.</span></span><br /></div> Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-37754661264113545682020-03-07T07:05:00.002-08:002020-03-07T07:05:15.751-08:00It's not Really about the Ironing, Delivered for Shabbat Zachor, Friday 3/6/2020<div class="paragraph" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun">As a woman born and raised in the latter half of the 20<sup>th</sup> century - in the midst of what is now known as the “2<sup>nd</sup> wave of modern American feminism,” I thought I stood at the shores of freedom. The opportunities, at least compared to what I knew about the generations who came before me, seemed limitless. </span><span class="eop"> </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun">A number of years ago, while researching this wave of modern American feminism that reached its zenith in the mid-60’s and early 70’s after being sparked by Kennedy’s Commission on the Status of Women and the publication of Betty Friedan’s <u>The Feminine Mystique</u>, I conducted a google search in an attempt to find resources that perhaps were missed in the standard academic databases, yet what I found (and far too easily) were numerous websites raising up hateful and hurtful challenges to the great strides that women and men have made in this country over the last half century. Now at first, I thought to dismiss this material outright as marginal and barely influential at most. But then a comment made by my daughter as her father and I were preparing to host our annual Passover seder caused me to rethink my initial dismissal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun">In preparation for our seder, I took out the table linens, left them on the dining room table, and then left for a leisurely and long bike ride. My first outdoor ride of the season. Upon returning, my then </span><span class="contextualspellingandgrammarerror">9-year old</span><span class="normaltextrun"> exclaimed – “come look mommy” as she walked me in to see the beautifully ironed cloths now neatly adorning the tables in our dining room. As her father was standing just feet away from us, I couldn’t resist commenting how great a deal this was – “Mommy takes out the linens and Daddy irons them.” To which my </span><span class="contextualspellingandgrammarerror">9-year old</span><span class="normaltextrun"> responded in an all-too serious and knowing tone, “yes – but that’s not right.” Surprised, I probed further – “what do you mean ‘that is not right?’” to which she replied, “<b>mommies are supposed to do the ironing</b>.” </span><span class="eop"> </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun">“<b>Mommies are supposed to do the ironing</b>” -- Such a comment from a child raised in a household where frankly neither parent did much ironing. More significantly, my children regularly saw their father doing household chores. Due to the nature of our work schedules (namely my working weekends and having a weekday off), our children <u>saw</u> their father doing these chores far more often than they actually saw me doing these same chores. So where did that ‘ironing’ comment come from? It certainly did not come from what was modeled in our home. And, it wasn’t really at all about the ironing. It was and is all about stereotypes and images which so many of us thought we had conquered, but which clearly impact us in a way far beyond our consciousness. So much for standing at the shores of freedom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun">This Shabbat is known as Shabbat Zachor. It is one of 4 special Sabbaths that are intended to prepare us for the holiday of Pesach (yes, pesach is just over 4 weeks away!). On Passover, our tradition calls us to draw into our collective consciousness the experience of journeying through the parted waters out of Egypt and into freedom. As Americans we value our freedom and consider elements of such freedom – such as </span><span class="contextualspellingandgrammarerror">justice</span><span class="normaltextrun">, liberty, and equality - as fundamental rights. But, I wonder, do we simply play lip service to these values? How often do we challenge ourselves to step through the mucky waters to work for the ongoing expression of these values? </span><span class="eop"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun">When it comes to equality between men and women, we have reason to be proud of our Reform heritage. As early as 1846, in a report to a Rabbinical conference held in Breslau, our leaders of that day proclaimed “</span><span class="spellingerror">it a</span><span class="normaltextrun"> sacred duty to express most emphatically the complete religious equality” of women. Again in 1885, the formulators of the Pittsburgh Platform stated that Reform Judaism would never reach its highest goals without giving equal voice to woman and man. In 1922, the faculty of the Hebrew Union College resolved and the CCAR affirmed that it could not “logically and consistently” deny the privilege of ordination to women. – 1922! That being said, however, practice did not follow its idealistic impulse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun">It took a progressive Rabbi in Germany (not America), a free thinker and one of the founders of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, the international Reform arm, to grant ordination for the first time to a woman. It was 1935. In 1930, after completing the Rabbinic program at Germany’s liberal Rabbinic seminary (the<i> Hochschule fur die </i></span><span class="spellingerror"><i>Wissenschaft</i></span><span class="normaltextrun"><i> des </i></span><span class="spellingerror"><i>Judentums</i></span><span class="normaltextrun">), Regina Jonas was denied the right of ordination. Despite the fact that academic and Rabbinic giants of her generation (including Leo Baeck, Julius Guttman, & </span><span class="spellingerror">Ismar</span><span class="normaltextrun"> Elbogen among others) all attested to her competence, she was denied ordination. </span><span class="contextualspellingandgrammarerror">Finally, in 1935,</span><span class="normaltextrun"> one of her teachers, Rabbi Max </span><span class="spellingerror">Dienneman</span><span class="normaltextrun">, in an act of defiance of the seminary’s decision, agreed to confer independent ordination upon her which allowed her to finally be able to function formally and officially as a Rabbi. She did so until her death at the hands of the Nazis in 1944. </span><span class="eop"> </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun">With such precedent, why did it take us Americans so long – why was it not until 1968 that a woman was formally welcomed onto the path towards seminary ordination here on American shores? Examples abound of women who were functioning as Rabbis in America long before they were acknowledged as such – women such as Paula Ackerman and Ray Frank; but </span><span class="contextualspellingandgrammarerror">once again</span><span class="normaltextrun"> the ideals of equality and justice that we hold so dear came long before the institution of practical change. </span><span class="eop"> </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun">Real change takes time, indeed. It takes as much patience as perseverance to enact change. Recall the Israelites who are about to journey through the Reed Sea are not the same individuals who will have the privilege of entering the promised land. The Biblical narrative acknowledges that a generation must pass to allow for changes in outlook, social mores, and behavior. These are vital changes that must occur in the community before the Israelites are able to understand what their freedom from bondage means and the <u>responsibility</u> such freedom entails. We are slowly learning how arduous the journey really is.</span><span class="eop"> </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun">Considering that women gained the right to vote in this country just a hundred years ago, great – indeed incredible – strides with regard to real equality have been made. If I was an adult during the years of my childhood, I wouldn’t have been able to obtain a credit card in my own name. And, I certainly would not have had the opportunity to stand on a bema in the capacity I do today to deliver a sermon such as this. My children have had and will continue to have opportunities that were not available to even my generation. Yet at the same time, the accepted images and stereotypes with which I was raised that I had hoped would not impact my children are still floating just beneath the surface of all the strides that have been made, and in a very real way limit our </span><span class="contextualspellingandgrammarerror">present-day</span><span class="normaltextrun"> redemption. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun">Images and stereotypes can and should function in a positive manner in society. We model some of our best behaviors on the images to which we are exposed; but when those stereotypes impinge on our choices – on our freedom to choose to be the best we are able to be, when they hold us in bondage, then we limit our ability to live up to the responsibility that redemption requires of us. </span><span class="eop"> </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun">As we mark celebrate Esther’s bravery and activism this Monday night, and as we prepare for Pesach in the weeks ahead, let us remain cognizant of our responsibility to ensure that the values and ideals of equality for which so many have worked throughout history are continually acted upon in our world.</span><span class="eop"> </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun"> </span><span class="eop"> </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-61869812958505854962019-12-03T08:44:00.000-08:002019-12-03T08:45:17.841-08:00Where's Isaac's List? Understanding Toldot - delivered Friday evening 11/29/2019 (Shabbat Toldot)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Parashat
Toldot. </span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: right;">
<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> וְאֵ֛לֶּה
תּֽוֹלְדֹ֥ת יִצְחָ֖ק בֶּן־אַבְרָהָ֑ם </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“These are the descendants of Isaac, son of Abraham” our portion
opens, b</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">ut
where are the descendants? Seriously. Where are they? The very next phrase is: “Isaac
was born to Abraham,” which despite the Rabbinic idea that nothing in Torah is
redundant is particularly redundant as Isaac was just identified as Abraham’s
son. The text immediately proceeds to “When Isaac was 40 years old he married
Rebecca,” and continues to focus on Rebecca and her pregnancy. So again, where
are Isaac’s descendants?<span style="color: black;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Arguably
after such a statement, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eileh toldot
Yitzchak - </i>These are the descendants of Isaac son of Abraham,” we should
expect a genealogical list of those who descend from Isaac especially as we
have that elsewhere. Just moments before, literally at the end of the previous
chapter of Torah, we have one for his brother, Ishmael. That paragraph opens
similarly, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eilet toldot Ishamael son of
Abraham,</i>” but it continues with the expected genealogical list.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 63.0pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">These are the names of
the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn
of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibdam, Mishsma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema,
Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons Ishmael and these are their
names, by their villages and by atheir encampments, twelve princes according to
their tribes. This is the length of the life Ishmael, on hundred thirty-seven
years; he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. (Genesis
24:13-17)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Where’s
Isaac’s list? Especially in Torah a book whose primary purpose is to tell the
story of the Israelite people, Isaac’s line not Ishmael’s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">One
possibility is that through the process of textual editing, Isaac’s short
genealogical list simply got cut out. Or, and in my opinion a far more
satisfying explanation is that this word “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Toldot</i>,”
that we translate as “descendants,” had a more nuanced meaning in its ancient
rendering, and one that is actually suggested by the use of this phrase “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eileh tolodot</i>” in the creation story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Genesis
chapter 2:4-5 reads:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: right;">
<span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">אֵ֣לֶּה תֽוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ
בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם ...</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 49.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">These are the “toldot”
of the heavens and the earth when they were created. In the day that Adonai God
made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth
and no herb of the field had yet sprung up - for Adonai God had not caused it
to rain upon the earth, and there was was no one to till the ground.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">While
literally the word Toldot translates to “generations” or “descendants,” here we
can see that understanding <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Toldot</i> as
“story” makes far more sense. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This is the
story of heaven and earth in their creation.</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Eileh toldot Yitzchak ben Avraham,</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
This is the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">story</b> of Isaac son of
Abraham. Translating <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Toldot</i> here as
“story” highlights that Isaac is more than a powerless placeholder in the chain
of tradition. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">His </i>story <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> important regardless of his progeny. He
is the central character.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Isaac’s
role in history easily gets overlooked. His voice is silenced in Torah. Even in
the episode of the Akeidah, when his father is taking him up to Mount Moriah
ostensibly to be sacrificed, Isaac is remarkably quiet. We are left to imagine
what he is thinking. Even Rabbinic Midrash – the commentary that gives us
stories such as Abraham smashing his father’s idols, or the one that imagines
Jacob pushing against his mother’s womb whenever she passed a place of study–
these post-biblical stories elaborate on Isaac’s father and children far more
than on Isaac himself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But,
Isaac’s story is vital, not only to his immediate family, but to the line of
the Israelite nation. Isaac is the patriarch who rebuilds and preserves,
re-digging his father’s wells that had been filled by the Phillistines, and
renaming them with the very names his father used. This effort is one of the
most important insights we have into Isaac’s character. He isn’t an outspoken innovator,
for sure, but he is a consolidator who ensures the continuity of legacy. He is
the quiet but resilient link between Abraham, the first Jew and Jacob, the
future namesake of the Israelite nation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Isaac
is so often painted as a weak unsuspecting victim. Not only in the Akeidah, but
later in this week’s portion, too, when it appears that his sons (with Rebecca’s
help) trick him out of his blessing for the first born. Perhaps, Isaac isn’t so
unsuspecting. An insightful midrash, asks us to imagine Isaac as knowing
exactly who his sons are by their choice of words during that famous incident
of trickery. He doesn’t need to see or feel them. He knows his children. It
doesn’t feel like Jacob, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ha-kol kol
Ya’akov</i> (Gen. 27:22). That voice? It’s the voice of Jacob. He recognizes him
not only by his vocal timbre but also by his immediate reference to God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Why,
then, doesn’t he speak up and put a stop to the game? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Perhaps
because Isaac understands his own story way more than we generally give him
credit for. He understands that his role is that of preserving this covenant
laid out by God, a God he knows Jacob recognizes and Esau ignores. Isn’t it
better for Isaac to let Esau believe he was tricked out of blessing than for
him to know it was never intended for him in the first place? That he wasn’t
God’s chosen one? A difficult question for any parent to answer. What would any
of us have done in that situation?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Eileh toldot Yitzchak</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">.
This is Isaac’s story; and, it’s one of strength. One that should inspire us to
look past the surface, past immediate assumptions, as we work to consider and
honor everyone’s story and their role in our ongoing history.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br /> Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-65108547406133325852019-09-22T11:02:00.001-07:002019-09-22T18:08:28.802-07:00When Loss Leaves a Gift (Remembering Jenni)<br>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Among my most vivid childhood memories are
two: the day my friend Jenni Harris died and the following Monday when while
sitting in homeroom just one chair behind her empty one (Harrison always
immediately followed Harris), her death was announced over the PA system to the
entire school. The death of a loved one hurts. Losing a close friend at such a
young age leaves a scar. If you’re lucky, the death of someone close can also
leave an unexpected gift.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Like our names, my and Jenni’s birthdays
were also back to back, in this case hers two days after mine. For her 15<sup>th</sup>
birthday, I made a personalized box for her to keep trinkets and bought a
silver butterfly necklace that I placed inside. On May 23, 1981, my mom drove
me to Jenni’s house so I could leave the box and necklace for her as a belated birthday
gift. It was one month to the day after her birthday. She had been at CHOP for
an extended stay, and I was eager for her to know her birthday hadn’t been
forgotten. Unfortunately, I was too late. That embroidered personalized box and
necklace sit in a box of childhood keepsakes that has traveled with me
throughout my life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">At first, I didn’t understand. When I
arrived at the Harris home, Jenni’s mom came to the door and tried to explain to
me that she was gone, yet I kept pressing with questions: <i>what do you mean
she’s gone?</i> <i>I know she’s at the hospital. I just want to leave this for
her? </i>Looking back, I realize this must have been just hours after Jenni
passed. As an adult, as a mom, my heart breaks for Mrs. Harris who in those raw
hours was faced with me trying to understand what she herself was just starting
to process.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Don’t get me wrong, I knew Jenni had Cystic
Fibrosis (CF). We all did. She talked about it openly. She told us she was
lucky because she was only supposed to live to be 7 or 8 years old. According
to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, today over 50% of those with CF are over 18.
Many live into their 20’s and 30’s, but Jenni was born in 1966. I visited her during
many of her hospital stays. I saw the bad moments. I watched her treatments
where they beat her sides while she had to inhale that icky mist to loosen the
phlegm. I saw her hooked up to the IV that sustained her. I witnessed her taking
it in stride as she got poked and prodded by nurses. So, yeah, I knew she was
sick. Really sick. I knew it was serious. What I didn’t fully comprehend was that
my funny, vibrant friend would actually die – let alone without warning. I
thought I’d at least see it coming.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Luckily, I have many memories of Jenni’s
life to offset the ones surrounding her death. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her beaming smile and her sense of humor are
foremost. Cystic Fibrosis may have ravaged her body, but it didn’t consume her
spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even when the illness would
flare up and hospitalization was required, as it too often was, she made fun out
of it. I’m surely not the only friend she’d engage in wheelchair races with up
and down the halls of the peds unit at Holy Redeemer Hospital. That’s how Jenni
approached life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With zest, eagerness,
and a desire to have fun no matter the circumstance. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Of course, as any kid would, Jenni hated the
CF. She couldn’t stand being sick. She couldn’t stand being so skinny and physically
childlike when everyone around her was growing up. And, she certainly couldn’t
understand one of her close friends doggedly refusing to eat, fighting against those
normal processes of puberty that she herself was so eager to embrace. Jenni, like
so many others, would implore me to eat. I didn’t, I couldn’t listen. Then
Jenni died. Jenni’s death was my wake-up call. I recall the very moment later during
that day her death was announced over the school’s PA system when I realized I
could choose what she couldn’t. How dare I waste that opportunity when she wanted
it so badly. I had a journey ahead of me for sure, but Jenni got me to the
start. I wish I could thank her for that. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Memory is an interesting phenomenon. Two
people can experience the same exact events while their memories of these
shared events can be diametrically opposed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I could continue sharing personal memories of Jenni, but anyone who knew
her has their own unique and special memories of their time with her. Differing
and varied memories for sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some crystal
clear and others faded with the passage of time. All of us who knew Jennifer
Lynn Harris, though, can share in an incredibly important lesson from her life.
Jenni had 15 years in this world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She made the very best of those few
years facing each day with courage and all the joy she could muster, but she
only had 15.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many of us choose to
avoid talking about our age as if we should, or could for that matter, ignore
the passage of time simply by refusing to count. Why? Jenni’s life and death taught
me very early on to celebrate the very opportunity to have days and years to
count. Had she lived, who knows if my and Jenni’s friendship would have endured
the passage of time. Her death has made her memory indelible, eternally present
in my life as a gift. A reminder to savor growing old.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
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--> Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-32681573103699811662019-05-30T08:36:00.002-07:002019-09-23T17:44:56.831-07:00What Baking Can Do (Thank you, Sara Bareilles)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45.0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">Sugar, butter, flour<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">I love theatre.
Especially musical theatre. A good musical score can impress dialogue, deepen plot
and expand character in remarkably thoughtful and provocative ways. The music –
the lyric coupled with melody, harmony, and whatever orchestration the composer
imagines - communicates the intangible, what might otherwise be left unknowable.
It conveys not just art, but the essence of our humanity. Songs reach into the core of our being. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">At least that’s
what Sara Bareilles' song <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What Baking Can Do</i> from
the 2015 musical <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waitress</i> does to me. It smacks me in
my soul. I know this song. I know Jenna, the character who sings this song,
even though our lives our dramatically different. I can feel her disappointments,
her vulnerabilities, her strengths, and the redemption that she finds in baking.
This one song reminds me how pouring myself into a creative endeavor can connect
us with what’s real and open new worlds to us even as old worlds close and the
new ones seem so far beyond our reach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">Perhaps I’m
drawn to this song because I get baking. Yeah, I get baking. It’s a lot
like music: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sugar, butter, flour </i>–
follow the instructions, add a bit of imagination…and poof, magic. Sure, the
result might be garbage. It might be boring ("just" chocolate chip cookies). But,
there is a pretty good chance you’ll hit the yum jackpot and bring a smile to
someone’s face. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">Make it work; make it
easy. Make it clever, craft it into pieces…Even doubt can be delicious, and it
washes off of all the dishes. When it’s done, I can smile; it’s on someone else’s
plate for awhile.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">Baking is an
art form in which to get lost. Unlike Jenna, I didn’t learn to bake from my
mom. That is not something she and I bonded over. But, my love of baking did
come through her line. I learned to follow a recipe from my Grandmom Adele, and
I learned the fun of veering off course from it (of braking the rules) from my mom’s BFF, known to me
my entire life as Aunt Helene. It was in her kitchen where I learned to
separate an egg by letting the egg white slide through my fingers as the yolk
remains whole (and squishy) in my palm. It was in her kitchen where I learned brown grocery
bags work perfectly fine for cooling cookies. It was in her kitchen where I learned
to make hand cookies with left over roll-out "Christmas" cookie dough and how
to change up a cheese pie on the fly. In both of their kitchens, I found a place to escape.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 45.0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">Sugar, butter, flour</span></i><span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Isn’t
it amazing what baking can do</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">Baking, like
music, has never intimidated me. Oddly, other kinds of cooking does. I know. I’m
a bit of an anomaly on this one. Most cooks fear baking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not me, I fear cooking a roast. Seriously, I
don’t even know what cut of meat to buy let alone what kind of flavors to add;
but a cake, muffin, or cookie project? I’m all in. Ready to make it my own. Maybe
it’s the eager-to-please, make-folks-happy impulse embedded within me. I mean
who doesn’t like dessert? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">So, here’s a
little dessert for reading my musings. It’s a recipe I adapted recently from one
of my very first cookbooks, a Sunset Cookbook purchased at
a local<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Five & Dime type of store
when I was in high school. I can't remember the store, but I can still visualize the rack of soft back books. Were they all cookbooks? I don't recall, but I remember choosing this book. The original recipe was for a super-rich Zucchini-Chocolate
Cake with vanilla glaze. It is to this day the only recipe I have ever made
from that cookbook. The cookbook still sits on my shelf with the pages of its
main dishes entirely unexplored. Upon purchase, I went directly to the cakes, found
this crowd pleaser and stuck with it. This year, I decided to bring the recipe
into the 21<sup>st</sup> century and turn it into less rich dessert and more
daily treat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">Thanks for
reading and enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rho’s Gluten
& Dairy-Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;"><br></span></i></b>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S2NCwPIICOg/XO_7N3wHN3I/AAAAAAAAEsE/7jgwKNV63bUQOkB_DaZAR0HrPmP3T-ggQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S2NCwPIICOg/XO_7N3wHN3I/AAAAAAAAEsE/7jgwKNV63bUQOkB_DaZAR0HrPmP3T-ggQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1443.jpg" width="240"></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;"><br></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;"><b>Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</b></span></i><br>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;"><b>Mix the following dry ingredients in a
large bowl & then set aside:</b><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">1 ½ cup Almond
flour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">½ cup Coconut
flour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">½ cup Quinoa
flour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">½-3/4 tsp. Xanthan
gum (fyi -this is not found in the gum section of the market, it is a needed
ingredient when using non-gluten flours. Look for it in the natural foods section).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">2 ½ tsp. baking
powder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">1 ½ tsp. baking
soda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">1 tsp salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">1 ½ tsp
cinnamon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">½ tsp cardamom<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">¾ cup cocoa<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;"><b>Cream the following on medium speed of
a mixer:</b><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">¾ cup "butter"
(I use Earth Balance Vegan Sticks)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">1 cup Coconut
sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">1 cup cane
sugar <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;"><b>Add to creamed butter and sugars &
blend well:</b><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">3 eggs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">2 tsp. grated
orange peel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">2 tsp. GOOD
vanilla (seriously, get the good stuff!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">2 cups grated
zucchini (I use unpeeled zucchini. I grate it and then let sit over a strainer for a
bit so it's not too wet)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;"><b>With mixer on low speed add dry
ingredients and</b><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">½ cup coconut
or almond milk - </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">Alternately (1/3 dry ingredients, a
bit of milk, etc.)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;"><b>Stir in:</b><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">1 cup mini-dark
or semi-sweet chocolate chips<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;"><b>Scoop into muffin molds </b>(an ice cream scoop
works great and keeps muffins uniformly sized) <b>and top with coarsely chopped
walnuts</b>. I use about 1 cup of walnuts chopped into halves and quarters.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">Bake @ 350 degrees
for ~ 25 mins <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">Makes 22-24 depending
on how full you fill the muffin molds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br> Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-72662357895783311882019-05-22T16:19:00.002-07:002019-05-23T07:59:00.691-07:00To Write or Not to Write: A Cantor's Wandering PonderingI'm thinking about writing again. Yeah, I know, I'm writing (and presumably thinking about it) as I type, but I mean really committing to writing on regular basis and posting what I have to say.<br />
<br />
Where is this coming from, you might wonder (if not, by all means feel free to move on). Those of you who know me well know that for 8 years I served a congregation as both Cantor and Rabbi. I was the sole-clergy on hand, which basically meant I did everything from overseeing the office and the religious school to planning all worship services to preparing the liturgy (music and non-musical portions), chanting Torah, and writing sermons. It was a great experience. A really great experience. It was in a congregation I had already served for just under a decade as Cantor, so I knew the place well - I knew the congregants and they knew me. I was helping them out while they were in a tough spot. They never grew out of their tough spot and sadly folded, but I grew immensely in the process. I learned very quickly how to prioritize competing tasks, how to lessen my perfectionistic impulses (perfectionism can be a good thing, but it can also hold up getting things done and put a halt to creativity), and I learned how to deal with crisis and keep me and the congregation going (a well-loved accompanist taking his own life just hours before Erev Rosh Hashanah tops this list). But, as much as I cherish those years and especially the relationships built within the congregation and the community, I don't miss it.<br />
<br />
Or, at least I don't miss most of it. Don't get me wrong, there were great perks of working solo. The Rabbi and Cantor rarely disagreed (<i>ba-da bamp</i>). Seriously, if I wanted to change something mid-way during a worship service, I could. My vision was paramount. The expression of liturgy was easily seamless, none of that Rabbi reads, Cantor sings ping-pong ball effect that many clergy teams try to avoid. It all came from me. Luckily for me, I'm good at planning and executing worship. I'm told it's one of the things I do best in my job. That and Torah chanting. That's why, though I may have Rabbinic Smichah (thanks to my doctoral work), I'm first and foremost a Cantor. Cantors historically are masters of the liturgy, the prayers, which historically in Judaism were fully a musical endeavor. And, music is how I best express myself. But, I digress. Here is what I hated about being solo. My vision may have ruled the day, but there was no team to collaborate with and to be challenged by, and to rely on.<br />
<br />
So, I'm no longer working as Kol Bo, as we Jewish clergy call it (a Hebrew short hand for "doing it all"). A synagogue is stronger, its worship more dynamic, its programming more thoughtful when there is a team of professionals involved in planning it, especially when the individuals on that team bring different strengths and weakness to the table. The challenges of working as a team makes the product better (assuming everyone on the team can be open and respectful of each other's skills, strengths, and ideas even as they are bantered back and forth). Which leads me to a huge but important tangent: this is why synagogues rely on members to pay "dues" or offer contributions. This team, the staff, and the building they work within and the materials used, cost money. It's amazing work, but please remember that for those of us who do this amazing work, it is our livelihood. It's how we pay our mortgage among other things.<br />
<br />
More on that topic later - perhaps a future posting? Back to the point.<br />
<br />
There is one element of working solo that I didn't think I'd miss, but I just may. Writing. The constancy of writing. Being expected to say something new and fairly intelligent week after week, more often than not two times a week as we had both Friday evening and Saturday morning services; this constant demand to be thinking of what to say, writing it down, and sharing it(!) in addition to any funeral eulogies, Bar/t Mitzvah charges, or wedding remarks that may have popped up during the week, was both a dreaded chore and a great discipline (funny how those two things often work hand in hand).<br />
<br />
Growing up, I hated "English" class. I loved math and science. I love working through problems that had a clear answer at the end. I loved working through the logic in order to solve the puzzle. English (as any literature or writing class was called back then) was too open ended for me. The answers weren't black and white. Music, of course, offered the perfect balance of rule following and creativity. Follow the notes and markings to solve the puzzle, and then add the creative interpretation to make it lift off the page in flight. No two performances of the same piece need be exactly the same, yet they start from the very same notes on the page. As a young teen, I couldn't see that this same process could be applied to writing. I could be creative with musical notes. Words intimidated me. And, frankly sharing my ideas scared the hell out me - what if I was wrong and no one agreed with me? If you know the notes, you can't be wrong with music. A performance may not be great, folks may not like what you offer, I may not succeed in making a connection, but the music and my performance of it is still a valid endeavor. How couldn't I see that the same could be said for putting words together and then sharing them? My ideas might be bad and poorly formulated, folks may indeed disagree with me, but that doesn't make the endeavor of sharing what I have to say invalid.<br />
<br />
Writing a dissertation (whew!) and then regular sermons for 8 years (and folks actually asking to re-read them which led years ago to the creation of this very blog) cured me of this intimidation. And, surprisingly, I actually miss expressing myself with the written word. This realization is actually more than surprising to me. It's more like a hit me over the head mid-life eye-opening realization about myself.<br />
<br />
My music isn't going anywhere. I joyfully get to be immersed in music virtually every single day as a synagogue Cantor whether it's teaching songs to pre-school students, leading a volunteer choir, teaching a Bar or Bat Mitzvah student, intoning the words of the Jewish prayer book, chanting Torah, or simply* going to voice lessons and practicing to make sure I continue to be good at what I do. But as I continue venturing forward and pondering what lies ahead (retiring from synagogue life isn't really all that far off in the grand scheme of things), I wonder if I should get back to doing some regular writing.<br />
<br />
So, there you have it. I may start writing again. Perhaps I already have. We will see.<br />
Would anyone read my words? Do I care? Good questions.<br />
<br />
* "simply," by the way, is incredibly misleading when applied to the task of maintaining the voice for professional use as it provides the foundation for everything I do. It's the bread and butter of my work, and it's damn time consuming and tedious. That being said, how awesome that maintaining and improving my instrument and my art is part of my job. Yeah, pretty cool.<br />
<br />
-- Rhoda Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-49939904435258958932018-07-01T12:43:00.003-07:002018-07-01T12:54:24.326-07:00Reflecting on my Last Days in Baltimore, June 28, 2018<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: .5in;">
It’s felt like a month
of last chances. Last moments to take it all in before the move.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: .5in;">
Twenty-five years ago, after finishing my first round of graduate school, work brought me to this Charm City. Twenty-five years later, work now causes me to leave and head north to South Jersey, a bedroom community of my home town of Philadelphia. Work has been a huge part of my life in Baltimore. It has shaped my world view; yet, the
lasts that weigh most heavily on my heart have nothing to do with work. Yes,
I lead my last service a few weeks ago after 25 years of service to the
Baltimore Jewish community. A Bar Mitzvah ceremony was a fitting finale. I gave
one last Cabaret performance downtown at Germano’s Piattini singing theatre gems
and opera ballads not only with full voice but with full heart surrounded by loving
friends. I still have a few couples that I’ll be back to marry, but the rest of
our meetings will happen via FaceTime or Skype. The miracles of technology. I took my last voice lesson. I gave my last voice lesson. I studied with local Baltimore colleagues one last time.<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> Despite the significance of these professional lasts, these final moments
aren't the ones leaving me most teary and contemplative. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">No, it's moments like these:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: .5in;">
I drove my
daughters batty with my determined intent to drive the 25 minutes to The Cow for
the best Italian ice ever one last time despite there being a perfectly
acceptable place less than 2 miles from home. Even though I can count on one
hand how many crab cakes I’ve eaten during my time in Baltimore – let alone my
life, I just HAD to get one before I leave, and not just any crab cake, one
from Pappas, the place my “Baltimore Dad” took me to have my first. I was filled with
sentimentality as I shared the experience of hopping around downtown Baltimore
via water taxi one last time with a friend who had never been. It’s always fun
to show off that side of Charm City to tourists. I eagerly agreed to one more dinner
out with my girls at our favorite local sushi place. I’ll miss our Chiyo
outings, even my girls’ relentless teasing about my need to plug the Prius in
at the neighboring light rail station. I voted at my daughter's alma mater, Pikesville High, one last time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: .5in;">
I literally welled
up during my last morning run through the neighborhoods that run along Smith
Avenue. I dove into my last Baltimore crossfit workout yesterday remembering
that it was here, in Baltimore, where I became a gym rat. Once music became my
profession, I needed a new hobby. (First item on my to-do list: find a new gym).
And today, just before the movers arrived to load the truck that will take all
of my belongings to New Jersey, I took that familiar walk down the hill to The
Mill for a cup of joe. As I nursed my decaf Americano on the walk back up the
hill, my mind wandered back to a question asked of me months ago, “how can you
possibly move when you live on Penny Lane?” My new home is lovely, and I’m
looking forward to the journey forward, but seriously: Weaver Drive or Penny
Lane? I’m not sure I’ll ever have such a perfectly poetic address. A musician
who lives on Penny Lane. It doesn’t get much cooler than that. Hell, even the
foreman overseeing the loading of the moving van just stopped and asked why I’m
moving. “It’s such a beautiful place, a great street,” he noted.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: .5in;">
Sometimes you just
have to go where the work (and the paycheck) takes you. And, even when you have
an amazing job like I do, one that allows me to be present during sacred and
intimate moments of people’s lives. One that allows me to connect deeply with
the world in remarkable ways. One that allows me to get paid to sing and make
incredible music (while living in one place no less)! Still, the most important
moments, the ones that carry me forward are the mundane daily experiences we
all share in some way. Those varied and miscellaneous moments of life not only experienced
with family and friends, but the plethora of tiny interactions and encounters with strangers,
these make us human – these matter most. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: .5in;">
Work brought me to
Baltimore 25 years ago, a quarter-century. I’ve lived in Baltimore longer than any
other town or city. It’s hard to pick up and leave. It’s hard to start anew at
this stage in life. But, I’m confident that despite all of the lasts, I’m not
leaving anything of value behind. I'm carrying them with me. The lasts. The poignant reminders of the
roots and connections made throughout my time in Baltimore, they will sustain me as
I begin to make glorious new moments of connection. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: .5in;">
Thank you, Baltimore, for all of
the firsts, middles, and most of all, for the lasts. <o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br /> Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-65117857454191059422017-11-10T10:11:00.002-08:002017-11-10T10:15:52.351-08:00CJE Odessa Mini-Mission: Final Day Reflections<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Thursday, November 2, our final morning in Odessa.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
They day started with our being welcomed into the homes of clients who are beneficiaries of the Beit Grand JCC’s Hesed
program. Our first visit was to meet 75-year-old Konstantin Belyi. Konstantin’s
life has been hard by any standard. He was hospitalized at the age of 3 months.
Sometime during his hospitalization, his parents disappeared and he ended up
being raised in an orphanage. He is extremely poor, has serious health issues,
and has no surviving family. Two things struck me while visiting Konstantin.
First, the harsh reality of his living conditions. His flat consisted of 2
rooms, a rudimentary kitchen, a toilet and basin. I can’t imagine how this man
would survive without the services provided by Hesed which provide regular <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mishlo’ach manot </i>(gift) packages and help him
take care of his basic needs. Hesed services are comprehensive assisting folks
like Konstantin with personal hygiene, food, medicine, legal assistance and socialization.
And, the scope of care makes an enormous impact. Life expectancy in Odessa is
short, 62 years for men, 73 for women; yet, Hesed has extended life expectancy for
their clients by 13 years! The second thing that struck me was that despite his
circumstances, Konstantin was incredibly hospitable and a gracious host. “A visit
doesn’t start until all my guests are seated,” our translator shared as
Konstantin pointed to the various chairs and stools set out for us. He enjoyed
the company, shared his story without any visible trace self-pity, and despite
difficulty walking, walked out into the alley to greet us at the start and
again when it was time to bid farewell. It is clear that Hesed services help Konstantin retain his dignity despite his circumstances.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Our second visit was to the home of
11-year-old Bogdan Mayorov and his mom, Marina. Bogdan has had special needs
since birth. He suffers from severe epileptic attacks, a speech impediment,
enuresis, and frequent respiratory challenges among others. Marina had to leave
her job to provide full time care for Bogdan, and her husband, Bogdan’s father
left and does not provide any support. It is important to note that there is no
judicial avenue for seeking child support from an absent parent in Odessa. Bogdan and
Marina live in a one-bedroom apartment that is in great need of repairs, and
their only source of income is a state disability allowance that does not cover
their expenses. Hesed provides food cards, medications, and loans them
rehabilitation equipment for Bogdan. They also provide ever important social support to
Marina so that she does not get overly isolated and can plan for life after being such a full-time care giver. The impact of Hesed’s
compassionate services cannot be over-stated. Hesed is a life-line for so
many Jews in Odessa who otherwise would fall through the cracks of society.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Our last visit was to what Hesed calls a "Warm Home." Warm Homes are Hesed supported gatherings of Holocaust survivors held in the home of a member of the group who hosts. We joined approximately 10 men and women who each shared their story with us. They gather once a week for food, drink, and fellowship. The company they provide each other provides a much needed social and supportive outlet for these aging senior citizens. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
While it felt like we just arrived (oh, right, we did), it was now time to head to the Odessa airport to begin our journey home to Baltimore. Amalia and Oksana succeeded in providing us an incredibly rich overview of Baltimore's sister city in the Ukraine. I left having a much deeper understanding not only of the level of need that exists in Odessa but also of the incredible endurance of Judaism. I remain ever grateful that my grandmother had the vision and desire to come to America in the early 1920's. It behooves us to remain mindful of our brothers and sisters living in Odessa who are only in relatively recent years able to fully explore and express their Jewish identity freely and publicly. It behooves us to share our resources and continue to support the wonderful and important work that is unfolding in the Ukraine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In the entry foyer of the Beit
Grand JCC sits a piece of Jerusalem stone under a large metal conical shaped
Jacob’s Ladder sculpture. Legend has it if you stand on the stone, raise your
hands up towards the inside of the conical ladder, and turn around while making
a wish, your wish will come true. Everyone who walks into the Beit Grand JCC
walks under this Jacob Ladder’s sculpture and passes by or walks across the
stone. What an incredibly optimistic symbol of hope this image holds out for all who
enter the Beit Grand JCC. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
A final sampling of photos!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
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Konstantin welcoming us into his flat.</div>
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<br />
<br />
Konstantin sharing his home with us<br />
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<br />
Bogdan's ever cheerful smile!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Sg2aBai3-8/WgXq3A25hXI/AAAAAAAACec/JOxw4jP0KoksZCTOdzA4fMZE1uCOfkSrgCLcBGAs/s1600/bogden%2B3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Sg2aBai3-8/WgXq3A25hXI/AAAAAAAACec/JOxw4jP0KoksZCTOdzA4fMZE1uCOfkSrgCLcBGAs/s320/bogden%2B3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Several of the members of the Warm Home that we visited.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_9OACXDnKsQ/WgXq8qBDdgI/AAAAAAAACeg/fO_96adxucctpvGicipGU8WKRyQieDyPwCLcBGAs/s1600/holocaust%2Bsurvivors.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_9OACXDnKsQ/WgXq8qBDdgI/AAAAAAAACeg/fO_96adxucctpvGicipGU8WKRyQieDyPwCLcBGAs/s320/holocaust%2Bsurvivors.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Jacob's Ladder at the entrance of the Beit Grand JCC waiting for wishes....<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i9OhnebHykc/WgXrB63-47I/AAAAAAAACek/sVtwtP2bUqUnaytquy0TwM1vehsdaIDHACLcBGAs/s1600/Jacobs%2BLadder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i9OhnebHykc/WgXrB63-47I/AAAAAAAACek/sVtwtP2bUqUnaytquy0TwM1vehsdaIDHACLcBGAs/s320/Jacobs%2BLadder.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Time to board our first of two flights home<br />
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Very tired, but smiling educators!!<br />
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-14767504068279479652017-11-09T12:27:00.003-08:002017-11-09T12:27:56.787-08:00CJE Odessa Mini-Mission: Reflections Day 3<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Day 3 of our Mini-Mission. Our itinerary for the day started with a visit to the World ORT School #94, the only fully inclusive Jewish school in
Odessa, then continued with visits to the Beit Grand JCC, the Mazl Tov Early Childhood Development Center,
and the Migdal JCC. It was an impressive and packed day to say the least.
Perhaps my pictures will convey the incredible and expansive range of quality programming,
education and services that are provided by these organizations to the Jewish
community in Odessa. Not only was the broad scope of offerings surprising, to me at least, but the quality of instruction and high level of engagement among
students and clients of all ages was remarkable. At the ORT school we observed
impressive robotics and Hebrew classes. At the JCCs, we were invited into
pottery, dance, and music classes as well as various social clubs for seniors.
Clients served included kids, teens, special needs adults, parents, senior
citizens, and holocaust survivors. There is no question that there is incredible need in the community, but
there is an equally incredible eagerness to be engaged in substantive, quality
programming. One thing was particularly striking was the level of Jewish
programming at each of the JCCs. While in Baltimore we strive to “put the J back in
the JCC;” in Odessa, there is an ardent readiness - primed by decades of
Communist rule, of course - for Jewish content.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">On Wednesday, we also found time to explore
Odessa on foot. Did I mention it was a really packed day? It was fascinating to
see remnants of the period when at least 40% of the population was Jewish and
the city was called home by such luminary figures in Jewish literary history as
Chaim Bialik, Shalom Aleichem, Zev (Vladimir) Jabotinsky, and Isaac Babel. It
was clear from our tour of the city that despite continued anti-Semitism, at
the very least great pride in Odessa’s history as a Jewish City remains. I’d be
curious to learn more about how the non-Jewish community in Odessa feels about
the revitalization efforts of the Jewish community happening now. How is the
Jewish community generally perceived beyond the Jewish communal institutions we
visited? It is one thing to reflect on a historical legacy. It is quite another to be open to the religious and cultural expression of a possibly growing minority group.</span></div>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Odessa is a beautiful city that at least from my
point of view reflected incredible contradictions. Stunning and ornate
architecture from earlier periods in history (such as Odessa’s grand Opera
House) and one of the largest and busiest ports along the Black Sea basin offer
dissonant backdrops to the level of economic and physical need we witnessed.</span><!--EndFragment--><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">A lovely mosaic from the floor of the Hotel Bristol's restaurant where we enjoyed a hearty breakfast each morning.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HmGhiMnWLRo/WgS0-c--B3I/AAAAAAAACbM/9gcT9G4hEXkGYT7JHRklBLsJfNXk3luVwCLcBGAs/s1600/mosiac%2Bfloor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HmGhiMnWLRo/WgS0-c--B3I/AAAAAAAACbM/9gcT9G4hEXkGYT7JHRklBLsJfNXk3luVwCLcBGAs/s320/mosiac%2Bfloor.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Kitah Alef learning Hebrew at World ORT School #94</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rUSszg1n-Ik/WgS1FYEAXQI/AAAAAAAACbU/hNY2FP_YpM0PTWlGNG2j6xWqcMqcHjDQACLcBGAs/s1600/Kitah%2Balef.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rUSszg1n-Ik/WgS1FYEAXQI/AAAAAAAACbU/hNY2FP_YpM0PTWlGNG2j6xWqcMqcHjDQACLcBGAs/s320/Kitah%2Balef.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hEvv37XvV0g/WgS1GO-XhGI/AAAAAAAACbY/5KdM6X_ZwesulmvJ_JqFGkGeovvggkgjwCLcBGAs/s1600/ORT.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hEvv37XvV0g/WgS1GO-XhGI/AAAAAAAACbY/5KdM6X_ZwesulmvJ_JqFGkGeovvggkgjwCLcBGAs/s320/ORT.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
A beautiful mural at the entrance of the World ORT School # 94<br />
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An Elementary Robotics class at ORT #94<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lR8_GEH8Des/WgS1FClCfvI/AAAAAAAACbQ/-y2qaJXjKHEEyfln1TnvUe5M_pt0I4cIgCLcBGAs/s1600/robotics%2Belem.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lR8_GEH8Des/WgS1FClCfvI/AAAAAAAACbQ/-y2qaJXjKHEEyfln1TnvUe5M_pt0I4cIgCLcBGAs/s320/robotics%2Belem.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fUjonx1zFGw/WgS1GdkwyxI/AAAAAAAACbc/7JZ_PzOaSUg0O-b0k3TqXK5ih2r_hbYGACLcBGAs/s1600/robotics%2Bteens.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fUjonx1zFGw/WgS1GdkwyxI/AAAAAAAACbc/7JZ_PzOaSUg0O-b0k3TqXK5ih2r_hbYGACLcBGAs/s320/robotics%2Bteens.JPG" width="240" /></a> A High School Robotics class<br />
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A class of young and old making art together at the Beit Grand JCC<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RlouPEhso1k/WgS1VyFBByI/AAAAAAAACbk/NJ4a9CwMYaIbIsPFQYt8ViAmtEhzJO-SACLcBGAs/s1600/cross%2Bgenerational.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RlouPEhso1k/WgS1VyFBByI/AAAAAAAACbk/NJ4a9CwMYaIbIsPFQYt8ViAmtEhzJO-SACLcBGAs/s320/cross%2Bgenerational.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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The science room at the Beit Grand JCC. The students were learning English.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6X4C6sW0peQ/WgS1VxGQlqI/AAAAAAAACbo/4jBDjWUWvy8mkVeLvtqO75vOttbW43ltwCLcBGAs/s1600/english%2Bclass.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6X4C6sW0peQ/WgS1VxGQlqI/AAAAAAAACbo/4jBDjWUWvy8mkVeLvtqO75vOttbW43ltwCLcBGAs/s320/english%2Bclass.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Lunch at one of the two Kosher restaurants in Odessa<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NvdxCur1NTU/WgS1W4paPYI/AAAAAAAACbs/9kq8qMPk7Roudzx3oCgVpVF4apbZqAoHgCLcBGAs/s1600/kosher%2Blunch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NvdxCur1NTU/WgS1W4paPYI/AAAAAAAACbs/9kq8qMPk7Roudzx3oCgVpVF4apbZqAoHgCLcBGAs/s320/kosher%2Blunch.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Pottery class for Seniors with Special needs<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z-XevZeoZpw/WgS1XYoZ5kI/AAAAAAAACbw/7XADcRL6MQ8jaVkfJP2rGrXozaL0hk_pwCLcBGAs/s1600/pottery%2Bspecial%2Bneeds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z-XevZeoZpw/WgS1XYoZ5kI/AAAAAAAACbw/7XADcRL6MQ8jaVkfJP2rGrXozaL0hk_pwCLcBGAs/s320/pottery%2Bspecial%2Bneeds.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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A volunteer choir. One the many social/hobby clubs available to older adults.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hcyl6CNSrVo/WgS1ZMVl7rI/AAAAAAAACb0/nAWQW8oI8Nczid0MXvSFU_08Anzik7aGwCLcBGAs/s1600/senior%2Bchoir.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hcyl6CNSrVo/WgS1ZMVl7rI/AAAAAAAACb0/nAWQW8oI8Nczid0MXvSFU_08Anzik7aGwCLcBGAs/s320/senior%2Bchoir.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Spotted on the wall of the Youth Lounge at the Beit Grand JCC. Also spotted was a sign with the Youth Group's Insta-handle.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sOCaM8uVWnE/WgS1Vypo-TI/AAAAAAAACbg/fQHZ6ANAidAI7hUlwzVPTpe5gj1zBLmKACLcBGAs/s1600/Youth%2Blounge%2Bbeit%2Bgrand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sOCaM8uVWnE/WgS1Vypo-TI/AAAAAAAACbg/fQHZ6ANAidAI7hUlwzVPTpe5gj1zBLmKACLcBGAs/s320/Youth%2Blounge%2Bbeit%2Bgrand.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />
Art class for the grown ups<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LmsrGx2rlWs/WgS1fRx3MCI/AAAAAAAACb8/YMNrIUcl9ls0I8_yYbCnMjmTrkbQAoD0ACLcBGAs/s1600/art%2Bclass.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LmsrGx2rlWs/WgS1fRx3MCI/AAAAAAAACb8/YMNrIUcl9ls0I8_yYbCnMjmTrkbQAoD0ACLcBGAs/s320/art%2Bclass.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Art class for the kids<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-13VerNUiiC4/WgS1fXzi3NI/AAAAAAAACcA/JabyDj5_pJ0UJHpYJslBR84wcZ7usm_EACLcBGAs/s1600/artclass%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-13VerNUiiC4/WgS1fXzi3NI/AAAAAAAACcA/JabyDj5_pJ0UJHpYJslBR84wcZ7usm_EACLcBGAs/s320/artclass%2B2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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We were treated to a number of dance performances at the Migdal JCC by both kids and adults<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7dT_xY4Vi0U/WgS1fO9i1rI/AAAAAAAACb4/wEtRQhwnXvQXIe3Yr5BhszH_aCvOjdbRgCLcBGAs/s1600/dance%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7dT_xY4Vi0U/WgS1fO9i1rI/AAAAAAAACb4/wEtRQhwnXvQXIe3Yr5BhszH_aCvOjdbRgCLcBGAs/s320/dance%2B1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Chaim Bialik's flat is marked by a plaque in his memory<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-suVp-avpM-I/WgS10dYWifI/AAAAAAAACcY/vfzQPsEOGDkb4pvEDns5BCNRjD6r0yb8ACLcBGAs/s1600/Bialik%2Bflat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-suVp-avpM-I/WgS10dYWifI/AAAAAAAACcY/vfzQPsEOGDkb4pvEDns5BCNRjD6r0yb8ACLcBGAs/s320/Bialik%2Bflat.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Downtown Odessa<br />
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A marker to indicate where Zev (Vladamir) Jabotinsky lived while in Odessa<br />
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The Odessa Grand Opera House from the side<br />
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A restaurant with a Hebrew sign spotted in town - Bruchim Ha'ba-im: Welcome!<br />
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Scenes from our walking tour of the city<br />
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A night of music at the opera house. We were treated to a chamber string group.<br />
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<br />
Educator selfie. Yes, we educators know how to enjoy ourselves!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4HnW9XGL0w/WgS3UEwbioI/AAAAAAAACc4/Tw6YkhzZ_msgJ0ky6CpjHfJh-Qx_NiB3ACLcBGAs/s1600/selfie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4HnW9XGL0w/WgS3UEwbioI/AAAAAAAACc4/Tw6YkhzZ_msgJ0ky6CpjHfJh-Qx_NiB3ACLcBGAs/s320/selfie.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span> Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-72604821559517027562017-11-07T12:49:00.000-08:002017-11-07T13:34:04.162-08:00CJE Mini-Mission to Odessa: Reflections Day 2<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Our tour in Odessa began on Tuesday, October 31st with a presentation
on the current political and economic situation in Odessa and the surrounding
region by Professor Sergii Glebov over a hearty lunch of salads and fish soup. <span style="background: white; color: #2c3e50;">Dr. Sergii Glebov is an Associate Professor and
Dean of the School of International Relations at Odessa National University.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
He provided us an insightful and</span> important overview that we kept
referring back to throughout our visits. Population is declining, corruption is
rampant, youth are choosing to study in Poland and elsewhere in the EU, yet Dr.
Glebov remains cautiously optimistic that in time reforms will move the country
forward in a positive direction. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Next stop on our itinerary was a
visit to the Odessa Holocaust Museum with Director, Pavel Kozlenko. Compact and
tucked away down an alley off the main street, the holocaust museum could
easily be missed, especially by a tourist. There are very few signs in English in Odessa. Odessa's Holocaust museum is a tiny center of memory that
pales, at least in terms of infrastructure and resources, in comparison to the
museums and memorial installations we have come to know in our country, but the
deeply personal exhibitions spread across the three cozy rooms on the second floor
of this small center make a lasting impact. The museum is run by an Association
of Past Nazi Victims & Holocaust Survivors, staffed entirely by volunteers,
and receives no government funding; yet, still it desires to be, as its Director expressed, “on the map” of
the Ukraine. Perhaps it will succeed as it opens its doors to many school
children, and it cooperates with other Jewish and non-Jewish organizations in
and beyond Odessa. It is clearly a project of devoted passion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Next stop was a visit to the Odessa offices of the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), housed in the Beit Grand JCC, to meet with representatives
from various Jewish organizations in Odessa including from the two Jewish
Community Centers (JCC) that serve Odessa, Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), the JDC, and several synagogue communities. It is
clear that the professionals who staff these organizations are guided by a sincere
interest in revitalizing the Jewish community and taking care of those in need.
Their professional goals are quite similar to ours. We are all seeking to create
interesting programs that engage and inspire. We all want to make sure our
community’s needs are met and that all members of the community are treated
with dignity. It is also clear how much the support of the Associated and its
donors means to them. “Baltimore means everything to us,” the Missions manager
of JDC Odessa, Inna Vdovichenko, remarked as everyone nodded in agreement. For
me, in particular, it was such a pleasure to meet and brainstorm partnering
ideas with Rabbi Julia Gris, the Rabbi of Shirat Hayam, the WUPJ (i.e., Reform)
congregation in Odessa. They have an impressive, well-planned and vibrant
program that includes a Shabbat school for all ages. I look forward to an
ongoing relationship with my colleague and her community.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tuesday afternoon had us meeting
with Shmuel Shpak and Iryna Gokhman from JAFI and learning about their broad
impact on the Jewish community of Odessa and beyond. JAFI provides a wide array
of programs to the Jewish community in Odessa especially to those just
rediscovering their Jewish identity. Their activities include Sunday school,
educational and leadership Initiatives for both adults and youth, Hebrew
classes, camping programs, as well as Aliyah facilitation. It is impressive how
many students – young and old - they reach! They reported close to 130 adult
students in their Hebrew classes alone. A number of their young adult counselors
joined our meeting and were eager to share their love of Israel and their
passion for Jewish education. Finally, it was time to unwind and share
impressions over a traditional Ukrainian meal.<br />
A few <o:p></o:p>common threads were already clear by day’s end: the pride in which all of the educators and community leaders in Odessa had over the programs they lead, the remarkable impact they make on the community, and the immense appreciation they have for the support they receive from Baltimore.<br />
<br /></div>
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Enjoy some more pictures!</div>
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1) Our Hotel, Hotel Bristol. An example of some of the stunning architecture in Odessa.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FZPP4zd9Ia8/WgIaYG0LNzI/AAAAAAAACaY/PnUJZgK9ojkib3Uk2hzsSEloDWsxSLPHQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_3337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FZPP4zd9Ia8/WgIaYG0LNzI/AAAAAAAACaY/PnUJZgK9ojkib3Uk2hzsSEloDWsxSLPHQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_3337.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
2) A park gazebo en route to lunch<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nulJ5K0TvGQ/WgIaYFnaBHI/AAAAAAAACaY/H8NsmwWLkGAH1WocFCvC2tnYw7xRpXskQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_3348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nulJ5K0TvGQ/WgIaYFnaBHI/AAAAAAAACaY/H8NsmwWLkGAH1WocFCvC2tnYw7xRpXskQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_3348.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
3) Traditional fish soup<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mb4tOaLdeg4/WgIaYCitzfI/AAAAAAAACaY/K7-gwVOIrCUHINLP4xVz-jm4ZmVxPNnVwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_3351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mb4tOaLdeg4/WgIaYCitzfI/AAAAAAAACaY/K7-gwVOIrCUHINLP4xVz-jm4ZmVxPNnVwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_3351.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
4) Dr. Sergii Glebov<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2qFcczQyxDI/WgIaYH8MsDI/AAAAAAAACaY/WPOFwniLr3U8YFhjbe1yx2AGxZzibyePwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_3352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2qFcczQyxDI/WgIaYH8MsDI/AAAAAAAACaY/WPOFwniLr3U8YFhjbe1yx2AGxZzibyePwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_3352.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
5) Entrance to Odessa's Holocaust Museum (founded in 2009)<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pJ2_1q--N5k/WgIaYDKgHFI/AAAAAAAACaY/BmLIxlqj5MwheYXn-BTgF4VoMn9tboQJwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_3354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pJ2_1q--N5k/WgIaYDKgHFI/AAAAAAAACaY/BmLIxlqj5MwheYXn-BTgF4VoMn9tboQJwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_3354.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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6) Pavel Kozlenko, Director of Odessa's Holocaust Museum with Oksana Nelina who served as both guide and translator throughout our visit.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P8k1_I3hTF0/WgIaYLqdzMI/AAAAAAAACaY/E7C_TNeV0bYCtrab-VZDeyW5i57wU7NYwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_3356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P8k1_I3hTF0/WgIaYLqdzMI/AAAAAAAACaY/E7C_TNeV0bYCtrab-VZDeyW5i57wU7NYwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_3356.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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7) Glimpses into some of the exhibitions of the museum<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Mi116k3DGQ/WgIaYNbL53I/AAAAAAAACaY/YHNyD3N45ZE6W4eQyqVNo1sR6gSWjXxeACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_3361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Mi116k3DGQ/WgIaYNbL53I/AAAAAAAACaY/YHNyD3N45ZE6W4eQyqVNo1sR6gSWjXxeACKgBGAs/s320/IMG_3361.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B9SgBlaSttA/WgIaYKzC-jI/AAAAAAAACaY/vOtxfc_OZaESq-mJuUUoU1Enpi3sfGaOgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_3363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B9SgBlaSttA/WgIaYKzC-jI/AAAAAAAACaY/vOtxfc_OZaESq-mJuUUoU1Enpi3sfGaOgCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_3363.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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8) A room dedicated to the Righteous Gentiles who worked to save Jews during WWII<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a1kJjts2JbA/WgIaYD1IliI/AAAAAAAACaY/bQ9A0FChs2E803xvo8MF8BU8OUIvaaeogCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_3364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a1kJjts2JbA/WgIaYD1IliI/AAAAAAAACaY/bQ9A0FChs2E803xvo8MF8BU8OUIvaaeogCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_3364.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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9) The alley off which the Holocaust Museum sits<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--cz9KXC43rU/WgIaYEvXOxI/AAAAAAAACaY/OOp-jinFRxAjtKQuDp9S8WRSreJRVxYygCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_3366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--cz9KXC43rU/WgIaYEvXOxI/AAAAAAAACaY/OOp-jinFRxAjtKQuDp9S8WRSreJRVxYygCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_3366.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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10) Entrance to the Beit Grand JCC where the Odessa offices of the JDC reside<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-isD7bssDNrI/WgIaYMyvpVI/AAAAAAAACaY/mj_oMnvKqTctdH8_dW8qYeRFdh34z1h4wCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_3367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-isD7bssDNrI/WgIaYMyvpVI/AAAAAAAACaY/mj_oMnvKqTctdH8_dW8qYeRFdh34z1h4wCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_3367.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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11) Our visit with representatives from JAFI<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nLphDaBy3o4/WgIaYD77WUI/AAAAAAAACaY/z246vHhH6ZklIT18Eaw2jPTaQS2_pjjAQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_3375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nLphDaBy3o4/WgIaYD77WUI/AAAAAAAACaY/z246vHhH6ZklIT18Eaw2jPTaQS2_pjjAQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_3375.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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12) Dinner with <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: 48px;">Inna Vdovichenko from the JDC.</span><br />
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13) Spotted at our hotel. Apparently, Americans aren't the only ones who celebrate Halloween<br />
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<br /> Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-56242158995176096782017-11-06T09:24:00.002-08:002017-11-06T09:40:59.975-08:00CJE Mini-Mission to Odessa: Initial Reflection<div class="MsoNormal">
As I sit at my sturdy and fashionable Pottery Barn dining
room table in my cozy, yet more than adequately sized town home looking at
copies of my paternal grandparents’ naturalization certificates, I’m
overwhelmed by gratitude and awe. My grandparents, Harry and Irene Harrison,
became American citizens in the years 1938 and 1943 respectively. I never met
my grandfather as he died in 1949 at the age of 50 just before his son’s (my
father’s) Bar Mitzvah. The circumstances surrounding his death made it so I
know little about his life other than he came to the United States from Latvia
in the years following World War I, worked in his family’s clothing stores, and
eventually (along with his future wife, my grandmother) opened his own branch
of Harrison’s Clothiers. My grandmother, however, lived a long and healthy
life, and I was blessed to have her integrally involved in my life until her
death in 1999. I know her story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Chaya
Sulman, as my Grandmom Irene was named at her birth, was born in Poland
sometime between 1902 and 1904. At the age when most American kids head off to
college, my pint-sized grandmother and her sister, Branka, left Poland and
travelled separately to different destinations. My grandmother came to the
United States, to Des Moines, Iowa to live with cousins. Her sister sailed to
Palestine and was among the early settlers of the first Kibbutz, Ein Herod. I
am so often struck by the incredible courage, and frankly foresight, they each
had to leave the only home they knew in order to create a new life for
themselves. I have no information regarding what happened to the family they
left behind. Of course, I can imagine. One-fifth of Poland’s population
perished in WWII including three million Jews. Ninety-percent of Poland’s substantial
Jewish community was murdered by the Nazis.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This sheer awe
and gratitude I have for my grandmother’s and her sister’s courage and
foresight rose to the surface as I visited Odessa with the Associated’s CJE
Mini Educators’ Mission to the region this past week. <span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Our visit got off to a rocky start
due to a delayed flight and subsequent missed connection, but the silver lining
to our unexpected veer off the planned itinerary gave us the opportunity to
take a quick evening tour of downtown Warsaw, Poland. While we only saw a
glimpse of the city, it provided an interesting back drop to our visit in the
Ukraine even as it made the next three days jam packed as our fearless leaders,
Amalia Phillips and Oksana Nelina, made sure we still fit in all of our visits.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">I will be posting a reflection on each day of the Mission in subsequent posts. Stay tuned! And enjoy the pictures: 1) the group gathered at the PHJCC before drive to Newark, NJ to catch flight.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h_5dDVwA0fI/WgCZOYGk4EI/AAAAAAAACZg/i-eej5EPU784Ui9_sAqrqVW3ZCkTqmTAwCLcBGAs/s1600/Meeting%2Bup%2Bat%2BPHJCC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="730" height="284" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h_5dDVwA0fI/WgCZOYGk4EI/AAAAAAAACZg/i-eej5EPU784Ui9_sAqrqVW3ZCkTqmTAwCLcBGAs/s320/Meeting%2Bup%2Bat%2BPHJCC.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
2) The Mayor's residence in Warsaw, Poland<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5HXxsxMdFfc/WgCZjSAzqdI/AAAAAAAACZw/cGI-H8gep9IyMXm2Z3Qm3edV1z2boNdOQCLcBGAs/s1600/Warsaw%2BMayor%2BResidence.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5HXxsxMdFfc/WgCZjSAzqdI/AAAAAAAACZw/cGI-H8gep9IyMXm2Z3Qm3edV1z2boNdOQCLcBGAs/s320/Warsaw%2BMayor%2BResidence.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
3) A memorial to the Warsaw Ghetto and uprising<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iMeEUkroMK4/WgCZhs1yNmI/AAAAAAAACZk/7t2aLculCBs2XyF7Rt_KwGCrFzwgqxh0ACLcBGAs/s1600/Warsaw%2Buprising%2Bplague.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iMeEUkroMK4/WgCZhs1yNmI/AAAAAAAACZk/7t2aLculCBs2XyF7Rt_KwGCrFzwgqxh0ACLcBGAs/s320/Warsaw%2Buprising%2Bplague.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
4) Finally, boarding a 5 am flight to Odessa, Ukraine<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wHEgcqRvTZo/WgCZiwNVMJI/AAAAAAAACZs/kmMvBFXKduMhpDJc6VSiLxy5NQSl5Km3wCLcBGAs/s1600/off%2Bto%2BOdessa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wHEgcqRvTZo/WgCZiwNVMJI/AAAAAAAACZs/kmMvBFXKduMhpDJc6VSiLxy5NQSl5Km3wCLcBGAs/s320/off%2Bto%2BOdessa.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
5) We've arrived and were greeted by Oksana in the Odessa Airport.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q8VClohsCJk/WgCZi5u5a6I/AAAAAAAACZo/6JQcbpKLSxYfUWK9iXBVWKV4dAsoU-u1gCLcBGAs/s1600/Finally%2Bin%2BOdessa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q8VClohsCJk/WgCZi5u5a6I/AAAAAAAACZo/6JQcbpKLSxYfUWK9iXBVWKV4dAsoU-u1gCLcBGAs/s320/Finally%2Bin%2BOdessa.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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--> Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-24062141236013222802016-10-28T09:31:00.002-07:002016-10-28T09:47:10.038-07:00In Memory of Risa Joy Halpren, 8/23/1961 - 10/25/2016<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Henry Emerson Fosdick, a prominent and
outspoken 20<sup>th</sup> century American pastor, reminds us in what is now a
well-known essay about how the Seas of Israel can serve as metaphor for
living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see, </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande";">the Sea of Galilee in the north and
the Dead Sea at the far south are made of the same water. This water flows
down, clean and cool, from the heights of Mount Herman and the roots of the
cedars of Lebanon. The Sea of Galilee makes beauty of with these waters, while the Dead Sea makes nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Why, we might wonder, is there such a
dramatic difference between these two seas that are both created by the Jordan
River?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>The Dead Sea is so far
below sea level that it has no outlet. The water flows in from the river
Jordan, but cannot flow out. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only
water that leaves is through evaporation from the desert climate leaving it
overly saturated with salt and minerals, so much so that it is unfit for life –
no fish, vegetation, flora or fauna.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nothing grows in the Dead Sea; nothing lives in the Dead Sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
stark contrast, the Galilee is resplendent with life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is lush with plant life and over 20 types
of fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The region is rich with flora
and fauna.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Same water source: the Jordan
River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what causes such a dramatic
difference?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The River Jordan flows into
the Galilee, just as in the Dead Sea, but it also is allowed to flow out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike the Dead Sea, it not only receives,
but it gives.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">I’m not sure if Risa Joy ever had the
opportunity to visit Israel and its seas, but it is clear </span>that even if
Risa never dipped her foot into the waters of the Galilee, she lived her life
like them.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of you who are here, to honor her memory,
to say farewell, and to support her family as they accompany her to her final
resting place are evidence of Risa’s generosity of spirit, her innate capacity
for joy, and her life affirming nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">This is in part what makes today so
difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those rules of justice that
we know are overly simplistic but that we hope to be true most of the time –
that good things happen to good people – have been shattered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Risa was among the best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This shouldn’t be happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That we are gathered today, that I stand on this pulpit eulogizing a
peer - a fellow parent, teacher, and friend - underscores a painful truth: that nature operates by its own laws and
not necessarily according to our expectations and hopes for justice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Risa
was given a terrible cancer diagnosis less than a year ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The horror of the cancer she had – colon
cancer - was that it could thrive and grow without notice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was asymptomatic until it had already
spread through her liver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no
changing that horrific reality or her untimely death; and, there is no satisfactory
explanation as to why this happened to such a wonderful and gracious human
being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It simply isn’t fair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, if I may borrow and paraphrase Risa’s
words, it sucks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">But, there are choices to be made in face
of even the most tragic circumstances such as this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can remain bitter and unsettled, stewing
in a sea of negativity that leaves us stagnant, like the Dead Sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, we can choose to remember what was good,
and there was plenty of it in Risa’s life, and allow that goodness to sustain,
enliven, and motivate us to model Risa’s generosity of spirit, to live like the
Galilee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Born in August of 1961, Risa was the first
of three daughters born to Harriet and Dave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Risa and her younger sisters, Karen and Bonnie had that special “three
sister club” bond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They each had their
unique roles – Risa was the smart one with the infectious laugh -- and they did
their fair share of fighting (they were sisters after all); but, they were
always united as “the Bush girls” and they always had each other’s backs
especially as they grew older and had their own families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Risa
was a teacher from the very start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Harriet shared with me how as a young child Risa would play school setting up a classroom and acting out the role of teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her passion for teaching never ceased even
after doing it for well over 3 decades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Josh was able to give me a remarkably detailed review (she was his idol,
as he will tell you) of all of her teaching positions from her long-term sub
days at Catonsville to a brief stint at St. Elizabeths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From a long tenure in Howard County to her
settling into various specialty resource and instructional coach positions in
Baltimore County. She was the expert on math and later science
instruction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wrote curricula and
lead professional development seminars. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She taught teachers how to be better teachers.
She loved what she did, and she was loved by all who worked with her. I understand
there is a sketch written by her colleagues that outlines in perfect Letterman
style, “the 10 signs you’ve worked with Risa Helpren.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Due
to declining enrollment in her penultimate teaching position in the County,
Risa accepted a priority transfer to Carroll Manor this past spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was there where she spent her last months
teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Principal Will was incredibly
supportive, respectful, and gracious to Risa. He hired her on the spot based on
her reputation and resume alone knowing that she was undergoing chemo and
fighting a valiant battle against cancer. He even moved her supplies himself with
his own truck rather than waiting on the county. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Risa
also taught during what many would have viewed her time off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Virtually every Sunday, she (and her boys)
could be found at Temple Emanuel. She ran the Family Education Program at there
for over 16 years. What a resource we had in Risa. She was a delight to work
with indeed a teacher’s teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her
patience, creativity, positivity, and eagerness came through in every
program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was always prepared for
anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I had to do was show up
with content to teach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had
everything else organized and in place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
her students – both kids and parents loved her. Put simply, Risa was passionate
about education wherever that education took place, in the classroom, in the
sanctuary or social hall of a synagogue, or at the kitchen table with a family
member.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Risa
got involved in Temple beyond her role as a teacher. She served on the B’nai
Mitzvah & Beyond Committee working to keep teens engaged; she took part in
many Mitzvah Days; she helped families transition to the BEIT RJ when it
opened; and perhaps my favorite of her roles: she accompanied me on flute
during worship. There is only one thing a Cantor loves more than a congregant
willing to accompany her on a musical instrument, someone who is also really
good at it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Risa’s musicianship –
whether on Michael Isaacson’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bayom Hahu</i>
or Bruce Benson’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Adonai Li</i> –
elevated our worship. And to watch her family beam with pride from the
congregation was priceless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Still,
arguably, the school was Risa’s first love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When the decision was made to close Emanuel’s religious school, Risa was
the voice that stood up – calmly, pointedly, but passionately, not only on
behalf of the school, which was in fact the heart of the congregation, but also
on behalf of her fellow teachers. She was sincerely worried about them
especially those with the longest tenure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;">September
13 was the last day Risa taught in a classroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Giving up teaching for Risa was the hardest part of her battle with
cancer, perhaps harder than enduring chemo. Risa’s life was so enriched by
teaching and the relationships she cultivated through her vocation. She was a
mentor and coach to fellow teachers who became dear, close, and life-long
friends, so many that we’d be here until the close of Shabbat if I tried to
enumerate them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During shiva, ask Josh
about them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet, still, her heart
was open to new friends at the end of her professional tenure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though she was only at Carroll Manor for
a few months, Howard tells me she felt so welcomed and part of the team. That
meant the world to Risa. As I listened to Josh tell me how much her teaching
team there carried her through her illness, it struck me that without even
knowing it, they were returning the favor that she had given to so, so many
others throughout her career as a teacher. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Rabbis of the Mishnah must somehow have
had Risa in mind when they wrote the aphorism, “get yourself a teacher, make
for yourself a friend.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;">There are
only two roles Risa cherished more than being a teacher: being Howard’s wife
and being Josh and Danny’s mom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Howard
and Risa met on a blind date. Risa’s sisters gave her number to their friend
Maya Kempler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She passed it on to Howard
who reluctantly accepted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lucky he
did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They both knew after that first
date to Chili’s that they had each found someone special.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within the year, Howard took Risa to France
to propose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still within the year, on
March 24, 1991, they were married.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
honeymooned in Disney World where they – thanks to the generosity of Risa’s
uncle – truly lived like a Disney Prince and Princess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They didn’t waste time building a
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On their wedding night, over
cheesesteaks, they decided to buy a house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Howard found the perfect lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course, Risa needed to pay a visit to the school, but it and the principal
passed the test, so they went forward and built their house on Dow Meadow, the
home where they’d raise their sons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Risa always
wanted sons, and boy did she and Howard luck out with Josh and Dan. Josh you
may have idolized your mom as you followed in her footsteps into teaching, and Dan
you may have thought she was “bad ass” as you put it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Know that equally so she thought the world of both of
you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was so, so proud of the young
men you have grown into: her teacher and her musician. As she wrote in August in her journal, “My wonderful
sons have shown me what extraordinary human beings they are! Howard and I are
so proud of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They <u>will</u>
change the world in some positive way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That I am sure of!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;">One of the
hardest things Risa had to make peace with after her cancer diagnosis was the
reality that she would die before, as she put it, [she was] done mothering her
beloved sons. She struggled knowing she had to leave you at this stage in your
lives, but know this clearly - she knew you loved her. She felt so fortunate to
have had such a “loving, caring, and attentive husband” in Howard. And as she
also wrote in her journal, she was so grateful to “be loved by [her] wonderful,
talented sons.” She felt blessed to have been able to see “them grow into such
strong, intelligent, compassionate young men.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No surprise given the mom that had at their back throughout their
lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was indeed a rock star.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;">And then
there’s Howard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Risa and Howard shared
an enviable love affair for 25 years. There are simply no words that can
qualify or quantify their partnership, or the loss that now Howard must bear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Howard, Risa was so comforted by your
strength, your love, and your touch over the last year. All the decisions she
made regarding hospice care, funeral arrangements, where shiva would be, they
were all done with you and your boys in mind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Modern
mystic, Rabbi Lawrence Kushner would liken Howard and Risa’s partnership to a
completed puzzle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kushner views each
person’s life as containing the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some there are more pieces, others
less.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some seem to be born with a nearly
completed puzzle, for others the puzzle is more difficult to assemble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, no one has within themselves all of the
pieces to their puzzle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes we
know it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes we don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, when we present our piece, which may be
worthless to ourselves, to another for whom the piece fits, we create a <i>tikkun</i>,
a Divine correction, thus allowing a sense of Godliness into the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Howard<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>– you and Risa completed each other’s puzzle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From that first blind date where you showed
up with a hole in your t-shirt, you shared an honest, loyal, and loving
partnership that formed a solid foundation for your marriage and the growth of
your family. You described Risa as someone who cared far more about substance
than the any materialistic trappings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s why she picked you, too. Whether running errands, doing a project
at Temple, hanging out with your boys – it was indeed the simple pleasures of
being together that you both loved so much. You were blessed – even if it was
for far, far too short a time. What a privilege to love and be loved so fully
and completely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Risa
received such good care from so many around her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the risk of leaving someone out, I’d like
to note a few I know about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her
dedicated caregivers at Mercy and Stella Maris provided comfort and respect
allowing Risa to retain her dignity and her capacity for joy until the very
end. Her many friends and extended family who visited, called, and sent notes
made her feel loved until the very end and provided her company and
conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her neighbors, Diane,
Monique, and all those who joined her for high tea on Sundays: I hope you’ll
continue to meet for tea while remembering your dear friend. And her family,
her parents Harriet, Rod, Dave & Margie; her sisters Bonnie & Karen;
and of course, Danny, Josh, and Howard, you held her hand at the very end and
gave her permission and the sacred space to make that transition peacefully
from life to death. That act in and of itself was as life-affirming as the
waters that make up the Sea of Galilee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
know my remarks have been long, but allow me to conclude my with a story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an educator, Risa loved stories, and this
one, at least in my mind is fitting tribute to Risa Joy:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Rose Talked Back….<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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The Shamash, the synagogue
attendant was sweeping up in the synagogue after a wedding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking at the flowers that were left about
lying in disorder, he remarked to himself (as perhaps Risa would’ve), “What a
waste!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The roses had adorned the pulpit
just an hour before, and now they were all going to be discarded. As the
attendant continued working, he heard a voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of the roses protested, “You call this a waste? What is life anyway
but a means of service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mission was
to create some fragrance and beauty, and as I have fulfilled it, my life has
not been wasted. What greater privilege is there than to adorn a bride’s way to
her beloved; what greater privilege is there that to help glorify the moment
when a bride and groom seal their faith in each other with the covenant of
marriage?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The little flower paused as
the man composed himself, and then continued: “Roses are like people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They live in deeds, not in time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My glory was brief, only an hour, but you
should have seen the joy I brought into the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So don’t grieve for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My life has been worthwhile.”<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
</div>
Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-16821397721041404822016-09-05T18:56:00.001-07:002016-09-05T18:57:30.476-07:00To our Confirmands 2016 & My Final Remarks at Temple Emanuel of Baltimore, delivered 6/11/2016<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Torah and its story of the Israelite
nation, a nation we define as “our people,” is a fascinating document.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a history book, it could never withstand
the rigors of serious historical inquiry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s veracity is only documented by it’s own narrative. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">From the very start, in the first
chapters of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bereshit</i>, of Genesis, contradictions
arise that can only be explained by conjecture and imagination (or what we Jews
call <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">midrash</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the “Big Ten,” as I like to call them,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>The Ten Commandments
that we read each year, as our students did tonight, to mark Shavuot and the
commemoration of the giving of Torah at Sinai, has two different versions
expressed in the Torah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, despite
claims of some travel companies in the region, we don’t know where
this defining event took place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even Mount Sinai
remains firm entirely in our imagination.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">So, why do we elevate this narrative
as our own sacred history when the events contained therein are inexact at
best?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isn’t that exactly what you are
taught not to do throughout most of your schooling?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps though, as taught by Rabbi Nina Beth
Cardin, a prominent, local rabbi known for her work on environmental issues,
“in codifying the imprecision, [the Torah] is striving to tell us that the
pursuit of an accurate historical account is quite beside the point.” </span><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(<u>Tapestry</u>, 170)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Religious memory is not the same as
history, and to hold it to the standards of scientific inquiry defeats the
entire purpose of religious memory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>History seeks data and explanation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Memory seeks meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Memory is
spun, not from factual information, but from the soul and the heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>History is a record of events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Memory is a recollection that forms and
informs identity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Whoever is responsible for the final
redaction of the bible – whether you believe that work was done by a Divine
power, or like myself believe it was done by the scholarly human hands of that
generation, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the ability to
provide a more factual account must have been possible if indeed providing such
a history was the agenda at hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
believe the discrepancies and contradictions were purposely retained in the
text.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those final editors knew what they
were doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were not working to
document history. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were working to
create memory, a narrative that could serve to define a people while at the same time demanding our
involvement in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lack of clarity
in the text leaves the critical and necessary process of interpretation open to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, it allows for multiple explanations
and understandings of the past and of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">This uncertainty can leave us
unsettled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many find it too unsettling
and either reject Torah (and religion generally) out of hand or seek comfort in
a fundamentalist view that doesn’t allow for individual inquiry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope that your education here at Temple
Emanuel has provided you the ability to embrace this lack of certainty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope we
have provided you the tools to create your own <i>midrashim</i>, you own interpretations
and stories that expand on the text and that ultimately enrich your lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Judaism, even in its ancient
expression, was meant to be fluid and open to human engagement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a Reform Jew, I believe it is my mandate
to ensure that Judaism remains an open and responsive vehicle for the
expression of Jewish law and custom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
sincere hope is that as you move forward from today, that you too, shoulder
that mandate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Progressive – Reform
Judaism remains so only if we as a people continue to engage with the tradition
keeping it relevant for the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">You – the class of 5776 - are the
last Confirmation class of Temple Emanuel. Imagine if you had to document the
values and customs of your entire experience at Temple Emanuel, what would you write?
Imagine how you would expand on your identity statements that you presented
tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I expect there would be
contradictions and inconsistencies among your varied voices; and yet, just as
your short reflections offered tonight were each as valid as they were varied, so
too each and every reflection would be an accurate source of memory that would
inspire those who later read it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">So, seize the uncertainty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t look for absolute truth in the
text.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It isn’t there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recognize the history, however, that
surrounds the text – that contextualizes the narrative, so that you can
understand where it came from and perhaps what the authors were trying to tell
us about their worldview.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And</span> then, don’t stop there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add your own reflections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Continue to connect to tradition by making it
yours and adding your voice to leave as part of the legacy we call Torah.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-81973523074840598402016-01-08T08:41:00.002-08:002016-01-08T08:47:07.752-08:00A Brief Word for Shabbat Va'era, January 8, 2016<span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Many of you have expressed difficulty in finding meaning in the prayers of the prayer book. You are not alone. Every colleague I know who leads worship, cantors and rabbis included, has experienced the same feedback particularly from those among the baby boomer and Gen-X generations. “How can I pray these words if I don’t believe them?” is among the most common complaints. At the heart of this struggle is the question of God. What is God? Do I believe in God? And, if not, what is the purpose of prayer? In other words, why bother?</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">These are all valid questions. I imagine our biblical ancestors struggled with them equally as they wrote the stories of Exodus we read this time of year, even as they wrote the story of Moses being tasked by this God to be a leader of the Israelite nation as it journeys from Egypt to promise. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">It is far easier to avoid coming to worship services when we have doubts (especially when worship takes place on Saturday mornings, no less - believe me, I get it!);</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> but, know that surety is not a prerequisite for prayer. Belief in God is not a prerequisite for prayer. I could not stand up and lead you if it were. Valuing the support of community, the art of poetic expression, and the legacy of history is. <i>Shabbat shalom.</i></span> Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-43960252476696025182015-11-24T14:22:00.000-08:002015-11-24T14:22:06.320-08:00A Prayer for all Those who have Immigrated, delivered Shabbat Vayetzei 11/20/2015<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1621; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mi sheberach avoteinu
v’imoteinu, </span></i><span style="color: #1c1621; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">may God who blessed our immigrant ancestors,
who left their homes and often their families because of the pain and violence
inflicted upon them and who entered new lands facing challenges that could not be
imagined, who left Egypt, who left Spain, who left Russia, Iraq, and Greece, who left Germany, Poland, and other beloved countries,
bless them for their vision and for the sacrifices made. Their courage and stamina laid a foundation
that we stand upon today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #1c1621; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">May God bless all who
continue to come to this country seeking refuge, Jew and non-Jew alike, who
come with the hope of finding first and foremost safety as well as opportunity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #1c1621; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Each and every Shabbat
eve, we acknowledge our connection with the immigrant experience, <i>zecher l’tziat Mizraim, </i>we sing. We recall not only that we were once
strangers in foreign lands, but we praise God for bringing us out of Egypt, a
place to where we had immigrated, and for carrying us back into the land of
Canaan, a land that though understood as homeland was for the generation
entering it, a new and foreign land filled with obstacles for this immigrant
generation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #1c1621; font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Let us acknowledge that we live
in a country that holds itself out as a place of promise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1621; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">'Give me your tired, your poor,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1621; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1621; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1621; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1621; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I lift my lamp beside the Golden door!' -- </span></i><span style="color: #1c1621; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #1c1621; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The poet Emma Lazarus imagined
Lady Liberty calling across the river to new immigrants arriving to this country
at the turn of the twentieth-century.</span><span style="color: #1c1621; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #1c1621; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Let us also acknowledge that despite our pride
in our country being a place of refuge for those in need, our immigration
policies are broken. They are far from satisfactory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #1c1621; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As we stand in the sacred
presence of Torah on this Shabbat following a week in which our Governor has
declared nothing short of a closing of Maryland’s borders to the stranger in
our midst—May we not only remain open to the possibility of comprehensive change
in our immigration system, but may we remain open to hearing the cry of the
millions fleeing horrific conditions in Syria due to civil war. We were once in not so different shoes. Let us not turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to
their pleas for refuge and their desperate need for safe haven.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #1c1621; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">May we strive to
balance our own concerns for safety, our own need for reassurance, with the
very real and present needs of those actively seeking refuge. <i>Ufros
aleinu sukkat sh’lomecha, </i>May the Holy One of Blessing provide a sheltering
presence to all who are in need, and may we not let our own fears stand in the
way, amen.</span><span style="color: #1c1621; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1621; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(This sermon/prayer is broadly adapted from a prayer
written by Adam Stock Spilker for Rosh Hashanah worship, 2013. His Mi Sheberach is published on rac.org)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
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Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-57839086257848789232015-11-01T12:48:00.004-08:002015-11-01T12:48:58.574-08:00The Lesson of Halloween, delivered Shabbat Vayera, October 31, 2015 <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'; font-size: 14pt;">Halloween
is one of my favorite holidays.</span><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'; font-size: 14pt;">I know,
it’s a bit odd for me – a Rabbi, a Cantor – a Jewish leader, to admit from the
bema, no less, of a synagogue.</span><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'; font-size: 14pt;">Halloween, historically, is not at all a Jewish custom.</span><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'; font-size: 14pt;">Our modern day celebration of scare, pumpkin,
and candy grew out of an ancient Celtic holiday (</span><i style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'; font-size: 14pt;">Samhein</i><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'; font-size: 14pt;">)</span><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'; font-size: 14pt;"> that marked the transition between the fall
harvest season and winter.</span><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'; font-size: 14pt;">The ghoul
factor came into the picture due to the fact that in that period the transition
between seasons was viewed as liminal space, a bridge, if you will, between the
worlds of the living and the dead.</span><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
is perhaps the fascination with the spiritual world of the dead that makes
traditional Jews rally against the celebration of the holiday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It simply isn’t Jewish to be concerned with
such things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arguably too, its adoption
by the Catholic Church as an <i>erev</i> precurser to All Saints Day hasn’t helped the
Jewish community’s interest or desire to embrace this Festival of Candy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, how dare Jews celebrate such a thing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Perhaps
we need to get over ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us
not forgot the origin of some of our own customs. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i>Hashkivenu</i> prayer of our evening liturgy
came into being as a verbal amulet, of sorts, to protect us in our sleep from
what may lurk in the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The use of
spices in our <i>Havdalah</i> ritual may have roots in the idea that sundown
on Shabbat was a scary time of transition (not unlike Samhein) where we needed
protection from the underworld.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
walking dead is not a new idea. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
ancient Celtics weren’t the only folks to fear such things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our
resistance against Halloween, I believe, stems more from a fear of giving into,
of assimilating too far into American culture as if this holiday marks a
boundary beyond which there is no redeeming us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve given into the reality that Christmas will over take December, so here we want to draw a line:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>religious
schools insist on being open on the evening of October 31<sup>st</sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>when we educators know that few will attend;
day schools say “oh, okay” to kids wanting to dress up but only as long as you
stick to story book characters being studied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
ghosts or goblins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a concerted effort
at controlling just how far we are going to cave into this pagan nonsense, as it is
termed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
is time that we just accept the reality that Halloween isn’t so bad for the
Jews. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Accepting Halloween will not be
the singular factor that leads to the demise of the Jewish community in
America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> If the demise happens, there will be plenty of things on which to hang the hat of responsibility. It won't be due to our celebration of Halloween. </span>Our participation in it is, for
sure, a sign of acceptance and acculturation. Halloween is an American pastime
that is intimately tied to the passage of seasons in this country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, Halloween may also have some very redeemable
Jewish value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Halloween
is one of the few times during the year when we as a general rule actually
behave like Abraham in this week's Shabbat Torah reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When else do we stop what we are doing and
rush to the door to great our neighbors and offer them food?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I first moved to a suburban
neighborhood, Halloween was when I met my neighbors face to face. In another neighborhood, it was a time for festive communal
gathering and sharing of goodies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone was welcome and
included.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All you had to do was show up.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a world where there is discussion of
building walls between us and our neighbors, or where the rising Speaker of the
House has to formally denounce any and all support for immigration reform, we could
learn a lot from a holiday whose primary customs include going door to door to
greet each other and share some sweetness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> So l</span>et’s
talk about immigration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many of us
can claim to be natives of this country?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have roots on one side of my family that extend at least as far as the
civil war era, and may reach back to the period of the American Revolution,
still my ancestors were once foreigners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The other side of my family is perhaps more like most of us with my dad
and his sister being first generation Americans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were strangers here, so when did we forget
how to be more welcoming to those who follow in our footsteps?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When did we forget how to open the door and
be hospitable?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>An
article by Matthew Hutson in this month’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Atlantic</i> ponders why Americans are so motivated by the idea, as he puts it,
of “keeping just ahead of the Joneses.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
has taken note of studies that seem to indicate that it isn’t sheer advantage
that makes us tick but rather relative advantage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An example of this is that people making just
above the minimum wage are among those least supportive of a minimum wage hike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We seem to prefer to be a step ahead of at
least somebody.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a professor of American
Jewish History hypothesize that the popularity of Chinese food restaurants
among Jews in the mid-20<sup>th</sup> century was because visiting those
new-immigrant owned establishments reinforced that sense of our having made it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was someone else who hadn’t quite
gotten as far as we had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’m
not sure I agree with this professor’s hypothesis, but I do wonder if our good
fortune and success has caused us to become a bit callous towards others who
are seeking similar opportunities that we have had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hard work isn’t the only ingredient to
success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Opportunity, luck, and arguably
a big dose of welcoming hospitality are critical ingredients as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tonight,
many of us will model Abraham and Sarah as we celebrate Halloween.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We will open our doors, greet and give candy to any one who knocks on our door – young, old,
black, white, Hispanic, Asian, gay, straight, American, non-American.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t ask. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will greet everyone with equal
hospitality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too bad, we don’t do that a little more often.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-91430435414675269102015-10-05T14:44:00.001-07:002015-10-05T14:48:12.400-07:00A Response to Oregon in Place of Hallel, delivered Shabbat Chol ha'Moed Sukkot, Oct.3, 2015<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> If
there is indeed a God, t</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; line-height: 200%;">hat
pays astute attention, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; line-height: 200%;">I
can only imagine him rebuking us for our ineptitude. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; line-height: 200%;">Maybe
that’s why he hides his face in a rock before Moses in our Shabbat <i>Chol Ha'moed </i>Torah reading: he can’t even stand the
look of us at the moment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here
we stand poised ready to sing praises to this God – Hallel, ancient words of
poetry that we have made sure get passed down <i>l’dor va-dor, </i>from
generation to generation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even as an
increasing number of Jews are disconnected from worship and disaffected from
traditional images of God, still our prayer book mandates the recitation of
these psalms. We make the effort to keep these words present even if they may
indeed be the only thing left to stand in the window of the synagogue to chant over the world's tears.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This <i>Shabbat Chol ha-moed</i>, however, I
cannot lead us in Hallel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t participate
in the rejoicing that Hallel entails.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes,
Sukkot is our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">z’man simchatenu</i> --
you’ve heard me every year since 2008 remark from this bema that this is the one holiday where
we aren’t just supposed to rejoice, we are commanded to do so: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">u’samchtem</i>, our Torah demands that we
rejoice even as we sit in our <i>sukkot</i>, dwellings that provide at best fragile
and tenuous shelter from the elements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We are to rejoice despite the insecurity and uncertainty of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But,
how on earth can we rejoice on this Shabbat <i>chol ha’moed</i> that falls on the
heels of yet another mass shooting in our country? Gun violence is not some
uncontrollable phenomenon like the weather or the unpredictability of our
harvest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not like Joaquin whose
exact path keeps us guessing until it actually gets here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How
can we stand and rejoice on this festival in light of our constant witnessing
of gun violence, of intentional mass and violent murder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is, to reference the comedy flick that
became one such tragic scene this past summer, a trainwreck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gun violence and mass shootings are becoming
so commonplace in the United States that we tune out all but the most
outrageous and horrific.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should be
ashamed at our silence, at our failure to pass better laws that restrict access
to violent weapons, and at our scapegoating the mentally ill when it is clear that
mental illness exists in every other country, even in those that don’t have gun
violence being perpetuated on a daily basis by its citizens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; line-height: 200%;">President
Obama was correct on Thursday to scold our nation for allowing gun violence to
become routine.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; line-height: 200%;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; line-height: 200%;">We have become numb.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; line-height: 200%;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; line-height: 200%;">We are no longer shocked; and, that in and of
itself should at the very least unsettle us. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; line-height: 200%;"> I spoke about this very issue during the High Holidays three years ago, and nothing has changed.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; line-height: 200%;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">We should be ashamed at our collective inertia. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; line-height: 200%;">We are responsible. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; line-height: 200%;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">Using the definition employed by an index called the Mass Shooting Tracker, there has been at least one episode of gun violence directed at 4 or more people every day so far in 2015. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
there is indeed a God that pays astute attention to our actions, he doesn’t
care about our Hallel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He doesn’t want
us rejoicing in the face of constant violence perpetrated by our own human
hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recall, we are, according to our
High Holiday <i>Avodah</i> liturgy, the species adorned with: “a mind alert, a heart
alive to love, a soul aspiring to know and to fulfill, a destiny governed by
wisdom” these are attributes that distinguish us as humans from the rest of the
animal kingdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s time we activate
these divine gifts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So
in place of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hallel</i>, in place of
praise, I share this prayer – a prayer I’ve shared now more that I wish I had occasion
to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us consider its words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us then be reminded that prayer is just
lip service if it fails to motivate us to action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must get angry. We must be willing to feel
discontent, and then be prepared to stand up, speak out, and cast our vote against the proliferation of
guns and gun violence in our country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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http://www.ritualwell.org/ritual/prayer-compassion</div>
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<o:p><a href="http://www.ritualwell.org/ritual/prayer-compassion">http://www.ritualwell.org/ritual/prayer-compassion</a></o:p></div>
Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-50057874137121340252015-07-26T18:04:00.001-07:002015-07-26T18:16:34.990-07:00Creating Shaddai, July 26, 2015<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">אני </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;">(I)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Innovative<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Meticulous<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Social<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Caring<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Compassionate<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Empathetic
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Determined<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: .5in;">
organized<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Accomplished<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.0in; text-indent: .5in;">
Creative<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.0in; text-indent: .5in;">
Focused<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">עולם</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"> </span>(world)<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>Intuitive<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Opportunity<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Challenge<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tikkun Olam<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Mitzvot<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Healing<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>community<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>Torah<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>Bina
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">(understanding)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>Chevruta<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.0in; text-indent: .5in;">
Worship<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.0in; text-indent: .5in;">
Music<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.0in; text-indent: .5in;">
Minyan<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.0in; text-indent: .5in;">
Sheltering <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Embrace<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">El Shaddai</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Support<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strength<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Power<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Adonai</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Covenant<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>History<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Relationships<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Elohim</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eternity<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">יהוה</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"> (God)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-64757061029117030552015-07-26T15:15:00.001-07:002015-07-26T15:15:15.891-07:00Lessons Learned from the 2015 ACC Convention, delivered on Shabbat Pinchas<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
spent the week leading up to last Shabbat with over 100 of my cantorial
colleagues at our annual meeting of the ACC, the American Conference of
Cantors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This annual convention also
includes our musical partners in the GTM, the Guild of Temple Musicians, an
organization that supports accompanists, synagogue musicians, and choir
directors that serve Reform congregations throughout the country and
beyond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ACC and the GTM meet
together every year at the end of June.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The location of the gathering travels throughout the country and Israel
allowing cantors to get a taste of regional differences, take advantage of
scholars and resources in various areas of the country, and to allow cantors to
show off their local communities to their colleagues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
year’s meeting was in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a good conference; still, I never again want to visit south
Florida in late June. It was a good thing the only free time was in the early
morning or after dark!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We think it is
hot and humid in Baltimore during the summer?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Luckily, the offerings of this year’s conference were excellent, so it
was easy to avoid the hot midday sun of south Florida in June.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
theme of this year’s ACC convention was the future of Reform Judaism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of
the center pieces of the conference was the unveiling of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shirei
Mishkan haNefesh</i>, a musical companion to the Reform movement’s new High
Holiday <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">machzor</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mishkan haNefesh</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
congregation is sticking to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gates of
Repentance</i>, a book published by the Reform movement in 1978,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>for at least the near future, but this
new musical work still provides us an opportunity to inject some musical
innovation into our High Holiday worship even if we are not ready to change our
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">machzor</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Other
highlights of the convention included a panel that addressed the “Future of Our
Institutions, Our Movement, and the Community.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It featured the current President of the Reform movement’s seminary, the
Hebrew Union College; the CEO of the Reform movement’s Rabbinic arm, the
Central Conference of American Rabbis; the President of the ACC; the Director
of Communities of Practice, a new project of the Union of Reform Judaism; and,
the current director of Jewish Community at New York City’s 92street Y (who
also is a retired Reform Rabbi with years of congregational experience).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
If I had to sum up
the 2-hour plus panel presentation on one foot, I’d say there were two take
aways that are relevant to our situation at Temple Emanuel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One, we are not alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, we are far from alone, hence the
need for such a panel at a gathering of Reform leaders. Reform congregations
throughout the country are struggling just as we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reform congregations throughout the country
are seeking ways to respond to a new reality, namely that synagogue membership
is no longer considered part and parcel in the definition of Jewish survival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gen X-ers and certainly Millennials are simply not
joiners when it comes to religious institutions. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do not, and more importantly, they will
not – not matter how much we ask or beg - express their Jewish identity in the
same manner as their parents and grandparents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Second,
there is no magic pill that will fix what we see as a problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one
has the solution that will solve today’s synagogue woes, but all agree “the
solution,” so to speak, must be dynamic, multi-dimensional, and flexible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
cannot be reduced to a compelling program, a charismatic clergy person, the
right musical instrumentation, or a shiny marketing campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it were that simple, there’d be no need for
the conversation itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing is
clear, the solutions require a willingness to change and to perhaps change
big.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It requires vision, innovation, and
frankly money to back that up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
solutions also require letting go of old vision and of unrealistic expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And, any "solution" must recognize that it</span> is only a problem when viewed from within the synagogue looking
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The folks who choose not to
affiliate or prioritize synagogue life are not looking for a fix to any
problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Before we try to "fix" anything, w</span>e have to be willing to recognize
that stark fact, to consider the reality that synagogue affiliation is simply
not a primary – nor automatic - vehicle for the expression of Jewish identity
for an increasing majority of Jews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And,
we can’t keep functioning under the premise that it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another
highlight of the ACC convention, one that can remind us of the most important
ingredient of Jewish life, was worship itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When Reform Jewish leaders gather, we not only study, we pray twice
daily: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shacharit </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ma’ariv</i>, morning and evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, it is an experience that can only be
described as awesome: literally as an experience filled with awe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine, over 100 professional voices joining
together as one <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kahal</i> in song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The constantly changing blend of harmonies
become melody infusing the words with meaning lifting them far off the
2-dimensional page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The music becomes
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kevana</i> – the spontaneous
intention demanded of our tradition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is no question in my mind that our voices transformed that hotel
ballroom into sacred space.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> This
indeed is a primary goal of worship: the transformation of space into sacred
space.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">It isn’t the sanctuary or chapel
that makes our worship sacred.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">It isn’t
a specific location, it is us.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">We are
that necessary ingredient.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">We have the
power to create holiness, and a primary way we do so is by coming together as a
community to worship.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">Without us, it is
just an empty room.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">Without us, the
Torah becomes a relic. Without us, the prayerbooks remain unopened on the cart to gather dust.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">The room helps – a lot, but ultimately, it is
up to us to engage and choose to create our own harmonies.</span></div>
Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-29842892589247991342015-05-18T08:47:00.003-07:002015-05-18T08:48:18.426-07:00Free to be You and Me? Not yet. Delivered Shabbat Behar/Bechotai, May 9, 2915<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There’s a land that I see where the
children are free, and I say it ain’t far from the land where we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come with me, take my hand and we’ll live…in
a land where you and me are free to be, you and me.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></i><span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If you recognize
this musical lyric, then you were most likely raised in America in the early
70’s, and there’s a good chance you were a girl. This verse is from the opening
song to a compilation of stories and songs published in 1972 that worked to
promote gender equality, celebrate individual differences and encourage
tolerance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The idea came from the
actress and social activist, Marlo Thomas (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That
Girl</i>, at the time) who apparently was looking for stories for her young niece
yet couldn’t find anything that lived up to the values she wanted to instill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the help of Gloria Steinem’s then
nascent Ms. Foundation for Women, Thomas recruited a crew of stars to
collaborate, lend their name to and back the project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Harry Belafonte,
Carole Channing, Shel Silverstein, Alan Alda, Sheldon Harnick were among the
luminaries involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It’s stunning
to me that with this star power behind it, the album has not been more
enduring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few of us have passed it on, but in terms of
broad impact, it seems to have lasted about one generation at best. Musicals
and movies from this period involving lesser known names and more mundane
themes have had a more lasting following among a broader audience than <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Free to be You and Me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Perhaps,
as one friend remarked to me, the message was soon no longer needed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, boys playing with dolls isn’t a big
deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More realistically, I expect, the
practical implications of the message were too easy to sweep under the rug and
ignore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, while we loved our
daughters being raised with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Free to be
You and Me’s </i>message, fewer were comfortable exposing their sons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
can’t say that my mother was much of a feminist – if she was, she kept it to
herself, my father –certainly not; but, somehow I came into possession of the
book and record.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was 7 years old when
it came out, and I consider it to be one of the first examples of pop culture
that I was aware would shape my identity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The themes, the stories, they struck a chord
with me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I listened to it endlessly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This was a
world I was going to experience: one in which gender did not determine how I
acted or what I would grow up to be; one where having to wear white gloves need
not confine me to the expectations of being a quiet and obedient “lady;” one in
which differences instead of conformity were valued. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One in which boys can cry and girls can be
firemen. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One in which young girls could
train to be a brave knight and then go off traveling the world instead of leaving
adventure behind to put on a dress and get married.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember imagining how my life would be so
different from the one generations of women before me experienced. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On
the one hand, my world is very different then that which generations before me
encountered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The very fact that I stand
here on this bema doing this job is testament to that fact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were no women in the Rabbinate or the
Cantorate when I first listened to Marlo Thomas and her crew. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may have grown up watching independent
single women such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That Girl, Mary
Tyler Moore, </i>and that other <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rhoda, </i>but
there were few women in my world living out that vision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was still, in large part, a TV land
fantasy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And even then, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That Girl </i>had to have Donald, the
perpetual fiancé in the background; and, so much of Mary and Rhoda’s adventures
were consumed with dating and finding a mate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Our world has
certainly changed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, women are
welcome in an array of professions that my mother couldn’t have imagined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recall an interview with the comedienne
Jane Curtin where she commented that while she worked steadily, in the public
eye even, throughout the 70’s, she couldn’t, as a women, get a credit card in
her own name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, the world has changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, in so many ways, our world is not nearly
different enough from the year <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Free to be
You and Me</i> was published.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Phrases like
“man up” still pepper our dialogue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lack
of parity exists in salaries for men and women working in the same professions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, despite Carol Channing’s insistence that
everyone hates housework, even the “lady we see smiling on TV,” women still
find themselves burdened with the lion’s share of household duties even as they
have entered the paid workforce in greater numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Studies indicate that in cases where women do
less housework, it isn’t so much due to a sharing of tasks, but rather the
tasks now don’t get done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Why over four
decades after the publication and release of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Free to be You and Me</i> are we still grappling with the very issues
it strove to tackle?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe a large
reason is that most of its listeners were girls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In an
attempt to obtain some anecdotal evidence on this matter, I turned to
Facebook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Out of 48 women who responded
to my query (by 11 PM last night), 43 knew of the project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of them replied with enthusiastic
comments such as “loved it,” “raised my kids on it,” or “still singing
it.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only 24 men responded, a possible
sign in and of itself that it was less known or less memorable among men; though,
clearly that is just conjecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
those 24, 13 recalled it and 11 did not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A couple claimed to grow up with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While this is far from a scientific study<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- the PhD part of my brain is screaming:
“how dare I put this in my sermon,” -- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it
does appear to indicate that girls were far more likely to be have been raised on
these songs then boys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interestingly,
too, one 19-year old woman, born of course long after its release, replied that
she heard about it in a Women’s Studies class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No wonder it’s impact was less than we might have hoped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can we expect to create meaningful change
with only half an audience? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our
Torah portion, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Behar</i>, demands <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">u’karatem dror ba’aretz l’chol yoshveha, </i>you
shall proclaim liberty (as we now translate it) in the land to all of its
inhabitants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This verse became
emblematic of liberty in this country beginning in the early decades of the 19<sup>th</sup>
century. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was taken up as a slogan of
the abolitionist movement, which can be credited with popularizing the name <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Liberty Bell</i> for that iconic American
symbol of liberty that is adorned with this biblical verse from our Torah and
sits today on Independence Mall in Philadelphia. </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The intention of that verse clear: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L’chol yoshve-ha</i>, this release, this
liberty, was not intended for only one segment of the population.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was meant for all of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can’t achieve parity across society if we
only address parts of that society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whether we are advocating for justice in the way we treat individuals of
different genders, races, or sexual orientations, we must address the entire
community in order to create meaningful change; otherwise, too many miss the
message.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Gender equality is not a woman’s
issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Racial equality is not an African-American
issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>LGBT rights and marriage equality
are not homosexual issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are
human rights issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">l’chol yoshveha</i>, all of us who dwell
here, are responsible for addressing them; and frankly, when we stand back,
ignore, and/or refrain from being part of the solution, we contribute to the
problem. We may not be eager to face that reality, but our lack of action
matters as much as the actions we take.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
only way in which we can create meaningful change and long lasting justice, is
by making a commitment to pursue justice <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">l’chol
yoshveha</i>, to all the inhabitants of our society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
must be willing to provide equal opportunities, and we must work to nurture a
culture of equal expectation and entitlement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We must be willing to engage in what we too often perceive as someone
else’s problems and not our own. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must
own them so that we can begin to remedy them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Over 40 years ago, Marlo Thomas imagined
a </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">land … where all
would be free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">She
could see it, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it ain’t far from the land
where we are, </i>lyricist Bruce Hart wrote for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, I fear we are farther from it than we
should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I expect we are much farther
from it than the cast of writers and performers who participated in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Free to Be You and Me</i> project imagined
for the year 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope we are learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope we on are way to getting there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope we leave a world where our children
and their children can indeed not only see it, but experience justice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only then will they truly be free to be, you
and me.</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-67335323872976230822015-05-07T08:54:00.000-07:002015-05-07T08:57:05.620-07:00Kedoshim in the Wake of Riots: Remarks delivered at TE's Annual Meeting, May 3, 2015<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: small/normal arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
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<strong>Remarks for Temple Emanuel Annual Meeting ~
May 3, 2015/5775<o:p></o:p></strong></div>
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This past week’s
events have left us with heavy hearts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even
though we suburbanites – even those like myself who live on the edge of the
city line -- were physically safe from the fray, it pained us to watch what
started as very peaceful demonstrations of discontent unravel into destructive
and violent discord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Yesterday during
Shabbat worship, I asked those of us present to consider how we may have been
complicit in the violence that besieged parts of our Charmed City this past
Monday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have we turned a blind eye to
the deep-seated racism that still pervades this city south of the Mason-Dixon
line; have we turned a deaf ear to the economic disparity between those who
like most, if not all, of us have access to a plethora of opportunities and
those who don’t simply because of where or to whom they were born or the color
of their skin?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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We may not have
thrown a brick, lit fire to property, or raided and destroyed stores, but we
have failed to pay attention to the level of desperation building in so many
poor and impoverished communities within the borders of Baltimore city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the Jewish community has grown more comfortable
in this country, the more complacent, I fear, we have grown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather than looking towards helping those who
have not been the recipients of such good fortune, we are too eager to point
fingers and blame them for not being more like us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We did it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why can’t they?,” we short-sightedly demand as we stand in judgment.</div>
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It’s ironic to me
that this past Shabbat, the Jewish community read the Torah portion <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kedoshim</i>, part of the biblical priestly
manual on how to behave, how to be holy and how to mirror the image of Godliness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this Holiness Code, we are commanded to
leave parts of our planted fields un-reaped so that those in need within our
communities can harvest food for their families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are not to insult or place stumbling
blocks in front of those who are most vulnerable in our society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are to judge our fellow human beings
fairly and with dignity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are to love
our neighbor as ourselves, and are commanded to treat even the stranger – those
who seem so unlike ourselves, as if they were one of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many of us can honestly admit to abiding
by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kedoshim</i>’s command?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
It also struck me
as I was preparing these remarks, how (if you’ll excuse me) damned fortunate we
are!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have come together throughout
the past year in order to express concern, support, and sometimes discontent
because our congregation is struggling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As you will hear from our leadership, we still have significant
challenges ahead of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the same
time, we all have roofs over our heads, access to decent, arguably good, if not
excellent, schools (certainly schools with enough textbooks for the
students).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are grocery and
specialty stores that offer a wide variety of fresh food in or near our
neighborhoods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have the ability to
get to these stores as well as the freedom to be able to walk out of our homes,
get in our cars, and travel without fear to places like this, our house of
worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our children can come home from
school on the bus without facing immediate (and dare I say, reactive) judgment
from law enforcement. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
The primary
functions of a synagogue are, in a very real sense, luxuries. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Study for study’s own sake, coming together
as a minyan, as a community, in prayer, and pursuing social justice – the
Rabbis of old viewed these tasks as fundamental pillars of our world; but, I’d
argue that the very fact that we can focus on them is because our basic needs
are met -- we are fed, clothed, and sheltered and have the opportunity and good
fortune to live in safe surroundings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
No matter what
happens to our beloved Temple Emanuel community, I see it as critical that we
keep in the forefront of our minds how fortunate we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
If we fail, it
will be terribly sad. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the
transition we are currently facing: the selling of our building and the move to
being tena<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>nts, guests, in someone else’s home, is a cause
for sadness. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Opportunities like this
past Friday night and June 13 (our last worship service in this sanctuary) are
appropriate places for us to express that sadness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>But</strong>,
let’s also be mindful that we are not facing destruction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are facing a lack of engagement and an
increase in apathy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Success and
acculturation threaten our Temple Emanuel community – not fear, certainly not
violence or lawlessness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are so very
lucky. Even if we fail, only a few people will lose their jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t say that lightly as I am one of them,
but a few will be out of work, not dozens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our failure will not impact the larger economy of our community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if we fail, we will not encounter
physical destruction of our bodies or our property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if we fail, no blood will be shed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Let us keep this
big picture in mind as we focus our energy forward, as we listen to our
executive lay leadership this morning with a continued open mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us keep this big picture in mind as we
focus our attention on what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i>
important about the future of our synagogue, namely:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
1) that Temple
Emanuel be a place where our students receive a pluralistic Jewish education
while being encouraged to be proudly and firmly Reform; and,<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>2) that Temple Emanuel continues to be a place where the values
of social justice and intellectual integrity are pursued, and the expression of
thoughtful and aesthetically compelling expression of worship remain a priority.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ken y’hi ratzon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Indeed, may it be.</div>
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Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-85566967160267881712015-04-27T08:18:00.003-07:002015-04-27T08:18:56.493-07:00A Tribute to my Baltimore Dad: Malcolm Katzen, delivered 4/24/2015<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chesped </i>for Malcolm P. Katzen</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><i>Moshe Hershel ben David</i> </b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;">7/20/1923 – 4/23/2015, burial: 4/24/2015<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;">The author of the Biblical book of
Proverbs imagined “what a precious find a woman of valor, an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">eishet chayil</i>” to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had he run into Malcolm Katzen – had he the
opportunity to know him, perchance to have had a suit crafted for him, he may
have imagined a different vision of valor:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>perhaps one of a man far more precious than prized gems, within whom his
wife placed her confidence, and who in turn lacked no good thing; a man who was
endlessly good and kind to his beloved, all the days of her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who was clothed, not only in fine cloth, but with
strength, dignity, and splendor; who looked to the world with optimistic cheer,
his tongue guided by sincerity and kindness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Always eager to engage with the world, never standing idle for long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His family comes forward with deserved praise
extoling the efforts and fruit of his hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Indeed, whenever people gather, his deeds speak his praise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Born in
1923, the oldest of three sons of William and Bertha Katzen, our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ish chayil,</i> our<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>Malcolm, grew up with his brothers Stanley and Leslie – better
known as Lester - in Forest Park, a Jewish hub of Baltimore in the first half
of the 20<sup>th</sup> century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The name
Forest Park still evokes a sense of community amongst those who lived there in
those years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Malcolm spent his formative
years there, and so many of the friendships that began there have long
endured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His memories of that time, too,
have endured, positive and crystal clear until the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just a couple of years ago, at my eager request
to see this famed Forest Park, Malcolm gave me a quick tour of his old
neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His face lit up, with a
sparkle of pride and joy, as he pointed out the former site of Beth Tefiloh, his
beloved congregation that was so central to his childhood, the house where the
cantor lived, the home where his cousin and friend, Phil Sweren lived, the
places they hung out, and of course, the house where the girl he was sweet on,
Alma Weissman, lived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You could take
Malcolm out of Forest Park, but nothing could remove the old neighborhood from
Malcolm’s heart and soul.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Malcolm
was close – very close - with his brothers, and they were all raised to follow
in their father’s footsteps in the family business, Oakloom, a men’s suits
manufacturing company that as recently as last year (in an article about the
buyout of the Jos A. Banks) was </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">described
as among the finest of Baltimore’s men’s clothing manufacturers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lester sadly died too young to get as involved
in the business, but Malcolm and Stanley both took leadership roles that would
not only define the business but would come to define their work ethic and love
of the industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Malcolm would serve as
the President of Oakloom from 1972 through the sale of the business in
1995.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He held onto the title and
continued to work for the new owners in Frederick until his retirement quite a
number of years later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Malcolm loved his work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He genuinely liked his employees, cared for
them, and took great pride in providing a living for their families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He loved the travel involved to meet with
customers and to buy fabrics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He loved
sales: both the buying and selling. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
expect he thrived on the interaction with people as much as the business deals
themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simply put, he took great
satisfaction in what he did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He eagerly
gave customers tours of his factory and took pride in the quality of his
product.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He could always recognize one
of his suits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And not just those green
ones commissioned by the USF&G pro golf tournament. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He claimed that Robert Kennedy was wearing
one of his suits when he got shot. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
of his bubbemeisses?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe. Maybe
not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These were hand sewn suits, only
the best – certainly worthy of the Kennedys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, Malcolm knew his suits: he knew the fabrics, he knew the designs,
knew a good seam, a good stitch from a bad one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He had every right to be proud of his work. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, most
of all, more than the pride, he loved that he shared the work, that he had the
opportunity to work side by side with his brother Stanley in his craft.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Malcolm and Stanley were as close as
brothers could be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They not only worked
together, they sat in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shul</i> together, socialized
together, played golf together, even bought their cars together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those matching Cadillacs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d see one in the parking lot of the gym,
and I wasn’t sure who I’d run into inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Would it be Stanley or Malcolm that day? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I
was lucky, perhaps both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those cars of
theirs were easy to spot in small town Pikesville.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As important as work was in his
life, Malcolm always cherished family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He and his first wife, Judy, had no children of their own, but Malcolm
eagerly doted on his nephews and niece: Margie (z”l), Ronnie, and Jeffrey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As they grew, their families became Malcolm’s
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ronnie and Ellen’s children,
Sara and William, and Jeffrey and Debbie’s twins, Marilyn and Norman, were like
an extra set of grandchildren to Malcolm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He especially cherished his
regular Shabbat afternoon visits with Jeffrey, Debbie, and the twins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He loved watching them, and he loved showing
them off to the rest of us through his pictures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Though Malcolm
and Alma would date while still in their teens, it would be decades before they
would marry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the war, they went
their separate ways marrying others from their circle of friends in the neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alma married Rev, and Malcolm married Judy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They all remained friends and continued to
socialize even as they moved away from Forest Park to the Liberty Heights
corridor and Pikesville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Malcolm and
Judy settled in the new Colonial Village only to find their lives sadly soon
complicated by unexpected and protracted illness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t easy for them, but Malcolm remained
thoroughly devoted to Judy and to her care until her death in 1979.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
we’ve all seen first in in the last few months, Malcolm is a fighter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He doesn’t give up quickly, and he certainly
didn’t on Judy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Malcolm
and Alma’s story is one that makes me believe in the possibility of fate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having remained friends throughout their
adult lives and having both endured the loss of a beloved spouse, it seemed
only natural that they would rediscover love and passion in each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to diminish in any way the value of each
of their first marriages (Malcolm would be the first not to), it is as if Alma
and Malcolm were meant to be together all along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Chuck has said, it was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">best</i> for both of them. Malcolm adored
Alma, and as Rabbi Buchdahl once remarked to me, Alma smiled more with Malcolm
in her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s as if he brought her
joy to the surface.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Married
for over 30 years, Malcolm and Alma had the joy of watching and nurturing their
growing family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though he came into
their lives late in the game, Malcolm cherished his new sons: Lou, Chuck, and
Wayne. He respected their independence while also being eager to be involved in
their lives. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He managed to achieve the
perfect balance between being their friend and growing into, becoming their
Dad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He and Alma welcomed Yvonne, Cindy,
Barbara, and myself, graciously into the family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He loved us as if we were his own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His graciousness is evident in how he has
treated me even in the midst of my and Chuck’s divorce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having none of my extended family here in
Baltimore, Malcolm always made it clear to me – even up to his last days, even
as he had trouble excepting our decision, that he was still my Baltimore Dad,
no matter what. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, he always sealed
this promise with a gentleman’s gentle kiss to the back of my hand. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was classic Malcolm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Generous, gracious, and loving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope I was able to treat him with the love
and respect he so duly deserved from a daughter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While
Malcolm came to fatherhood late, he became a grandpa in due time right
alongside Alma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Together they celebrated
the births of their six grandchildren: Orrin, Sam, Chelsea, Hannah, Ande, and
Rachel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You meant the world to
Grandpa!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was happiest when you were happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He loved being able to provide for you – to
give you something – whether advice, a new sweater, something from Alma’s
closet, an old car – his love and concern for you was selfless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if it didn’t match what you wanted to
hear -- he was from a very different generation than you, he was old school, it
was always offered out of a generous and loving spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He loved the family gatherings where he
simply got to be with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, in the
last number of months, he cherished your visits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kohelet
claims that there is a time for everything under heaven. I don’t know if I
agree with him generally, but I’d argue, in Malcolm’s case, it was time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After over 91 years, he was no longer able to
live in the manner that mattered to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was no longer able to get up, put on a sport coat and slacks, and
meet Tom for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was no longer
able to be productive and, for example, volunteer at the attorney general’s
office as he had done for years after retirement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was no longer able to gather around the
table with family and share a beloved story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was no longer able to get in the car and just drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was no longer able to go to Temple Emanuel
for Shabbat worship where he felt so welcomed and cared for by the “clump” of
regulars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was no longer able to enjoy
the companionship of his most recent new friend Elaine or take her out to
dinner as he so enjoyed doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Malcolm
was lucky in so many respects – for one, his personality was intact to the end;
he was even in his final moments an absolute gentleman. But, the stark reality
was that he was no longer able physically to be the best of who he was and who
he wanted to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
were moments after Alma’s death, that Malcolm expressed a fear that he might
lose his family, that the lack of biological connection would somehow weaken
the bonds nurtured so well over time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
with Alma gone, the boys –as they were always called - would forget about him
or feel less compelled to include him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An
irrational fear, of course, but one that unsettled him nonetheless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The three of you, Alma’s boys, proved him
wrong, simply by being who you are: his sons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You have made your mother proud, and you’ve given Malcolm a most
extraordinary gift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On
behalf of Malcom’s sons and nephews, allow me to express appreciation to all of
his care givers: to his companion Lucy for her care and company when family and
friends couldn’t be by his side and to the care givers at Sinai hospital,
Keswick, and most recently at Levindale who nursed, encouraged, and dealt with
his at times impatient eagerness to get well sooner rather than later over the
last four months. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;">The end of life is
full of challenge, and the challenge of it is compounded by our wanting to hold
on to our loved ones for as long as possible. Let us take comfort in the words
of the modern poet Alvin Fine:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To the living –<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Death is a wound.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But, death belongs to life –<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>As night belongs to day<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Death belongs to life.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;">There should be no
doubt among us: Malcolm’s life was long, but its merit came from the incredible
goodness, the valor, he put forth in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>May we model our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ish chayil</i>,
our Malcolm – may we live by the example of his generosity, his vibrant spirit,
and his eagerness to get up, be involved, and engage with humanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, through us will his name and legacy endure
to eternity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">[A live stream video of the funeral is available through July 2015, <a href="http://www.sollevinson.com/notice.php?lr=loc&id=26505">http://www.sollevinson.com/notice.php?lr=loc&id=26505</a></span></span>]</div>
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<br /></div>
Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-38109785010073973312014-12-18T10:58:00.002-08:002014-12-18T10:58:49.898-08:00Vayishlach: Jacob's History, My History, Your History, Delivered 12/6/2014<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
This past week, I
read an article by Dr. Heather Miller-Rubens, the Catholic scholar at the
Institute of Christian & Jewish Studies (ICJS), on the subjective nature of
history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The article has come across my
desk – or more accurately, my laptop -- as part of the reading assignments for
this fall’s Clergy Forum, an on-going study opportunity for clergy that ICJS
offers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Clergy Forum always tackles
interesting and challenging topics in order to foster intentful while
respective dialogue between Jews and Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year, they have expanded their mission
to include Islam in the conversation with the welcoming of their first Muslim
scholar into the conversation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
This fall Forum’s
focus is the Middle East, specifically on what we Jews call the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">matzav</i>, the “situation” or “condition,” a
singular word that in Hebrew conveys the weight of the conflict between
Israelis, Palestinians, and the neighboring countries that share borders with
Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
I have always
found this word, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">matzav</i>, to be an
interesting idiom for this complicated, emotionally laden, and often violent,
“situation.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The use of such a common,
ordinary word to describe it is telling of how Israelis have come to accept
This Situation as the normal state of affairs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
But, I
digress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Miller - Ruben’s article is
required reading for our forum because it reminds us to question the truth of
the histories to which we hold on so tightly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We, Jews, need this reminder when
it comes to Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A central challenge
to the situation, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">matav</i>, in Israel
is the differing narratives that exist and a lack of cross-cultural respect and
validation for those narratives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I
discussed on Erev Yom Kippur this year, our – the Jewish - understanding of
Israel and how it came to be is not the only truth, it may not even be the best
truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is one truth, but o<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">ur story alone isn’t the full history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are other peoples who have equally
powerful and compelling narratives regarding this sliver of geography that sits
between the Mediterranean Sea and Jordan, and it is thoughtless and
irresponsible of us to dismiss those narratives and the people who hold tightly
to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>Of course, Ferguson, Missouri is a
stark reminder that we Americans, too, fail miserably in validating the
narrative of the other. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Which leaves us with a challenge: how do
we honor our own story, one that carries immense power and truth for us without
invalidating the story of another human being who shares in the broader history
of humanity?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Perhaps, Jacob’s wrestling match can
inform us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The assumed, the popular,
understanding of this match that takes place in our Shabbat portion is that
Jacob wrestles with a representative of God and prevails.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for this gallant effort, he receives, in
addition to a bum hip, a new name, Israel, that serves to forge his identity as
a patriarch of the Jewish people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, is that how it happened on the shores of
the Jabok?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my favorite things
about studying Jewish commentary on Torah is that here we are comfortable with
many truths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Rabbinic method, at
least the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">aggadic</i>, the story telling,
tradition, opens the text to many different understandings, to differing truths.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Louis Ginzburg, for instance, culling a
number of earlier <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">midrashim</i> offers a
different perspective than the most commonly expressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His midrashic narrative views Jacob as being
subject to bullying, if you will, from God’s angels, who, lead by Michael,
ganged up upon him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this telling, Jacob
doesn’t prevail against God; rather, God saves Jacob by assisting him in
prevailing against these angels that were going rogue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scolding one of those angels for harming
Jacob, God is clear, “You are my priest in heaven, but Jacob is my priest on
earth.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This rendering brings a very different
nuance to our history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of Jacob
earning his name for his physicality and his ability to vanquish even a Divine
messenger from on high, his new name reflects his valued status and his
meriting protection in his role as patriarch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">The Torah text itself provides little in
the way of detail. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jacob is left alone
after sending his family ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
wrestled an “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ish</i>” until dawn, and
when this “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ish</i>” didn’t win, he did
something to Jacob’s hip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the
word “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ish</i>” that leaves this history
open to various understandings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">peshat</i>, the plainest meaning of the word
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ish</i> is man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, biblically <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ish</i> can also denote a distinguished person, someone of rank or a
position of public office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not, on
its own, a word typically used to refer to God, and it is rarely left without
further clarification.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">As I expect I’ve shared previously from
this bema, I like to think that Jacob was wrestling with his own demons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
imagine him faced with a bout of insomnia on this eve before he reunites with his
estranged brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What must have been
going through his mind?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After agreeing
to go along with his mom’s plan in tricking his father, did he feel as though he
deserved the wealth and power he had accumulated?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps he was struggling with the reality of
his life choices: were his really any better than his brother’s?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did he ever treat his brother with respect,
or was the lentil incident just an episode of normal sibling rivalry?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He and his brother came from the same place,
yet their histories diverged in two dramatically different directions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was that Jacob’s doing? Is he in part
responsible for their estrangement, or Esau’s being shut out of the Israelite
line?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">I imagine that Jacob tossed and turned on
these questions so fiercely throughout the night that he bruised his own hip on
the stone filled ground upon which he tried to sleep and later dedicates. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Oh my God,” Jacob uttered, “I have survived
this tumultuous night.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, he did so
with renewed clarity, strengthened and ready to cross the Jabok in order to reconcile
with his brother before shouldering the responsibility of Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Jacob’s internal wrestling should inspire
us to wrestle with our own assumptions about what we consider true about our
history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those experiences that are most
significant, most formative to us, may have led to very different, and quite possibly
detrimental, consequences for others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can’t undo the past, but like Jacob, we can
work to come to terms with the multiplicity of narratives present in any
history so that we can move forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is incumbent upon us to consider historical narratives besides our own if we
are ever to achieve honest and mutual respect and understanding. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether it’s Israel, Ferguson, or even
Plymouth Rock, we must remember that our story isn’t the only significant story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It certainly isn’t the only truth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
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Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945995789619849558.post-1144877238406058112014-12-14T08:44:00.001-08:002014-12-14T08:44:52.132-08:00Tolodot: The Important of Isaac's Story. The Importance of our Story. Delivered, 11/22/14<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">This past week, our Rabbi Emeritus,
in his eulogy honoring the life of Ruth Lederer, invited us to consider which
phrases stand out as most important in Torah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As he noted, there are quite a few good choices, some that might come
immediately to mind are: the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shema</i>, a
text which tradition asks us to keep at hand and recite twice daily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We certainly recite it on Shabbat; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bereshit bara Elohim</i>, those first words
of Torah which started it all; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anochi
Adonai Elohecha</i>, God’s identifying Godself at Sinai and those famous Ten
Utterances that followed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rabbi Buchdahl
had other examples of choice words from Torah, but his point, and what he so
beautifully (and so appropriate to Ruth) expressed was that rarely, if ever, do
we think of</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">יצחק</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">תלדות</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">אלה (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eleh toldot Yitzchak</i>), “these are the
generations of Isaac” as one of the more memorable sound bytes of Torah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps, we should.</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Eleh toldot Yitzchak</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Literally, “these are the generations, or
this is the line, of Isaac.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, where
are the generations?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously, let’s
look at the text we are about to read (Gen. 27:19ff): “These are the
generations, or this is the line, of Isaac son of Abraham.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Abraham begot Isaac.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">That’s
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No other begots.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">The text
immediately proceeds not to a genealogical list descending from Isaac but rather
to tell us that, “When Isaac was 40 years old he married Rebecca.” From that
point, the focus is on Rebecca’s pregnancy and the birth of their twins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, where are the
generations?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arguably, after such an
announcement, “These are the generations…,” we would expect a genealogical
list, specifically in this case, a list of those who descend from Isaac.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, instead, we are only told about
Abraham’s lineage:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Abraham begot Isaac.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A pointed redundancy since Isaac has just
been identified as Abe’s son. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
paragraph preceding the start of this week’s portion, we are reminded of the
other half of Abraham’s line, that of Ishmael, but there we are given a list of
Ishmael’s descendants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, where is
Isaac’s list?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why does Torah not list Isaac
progeny, Jacob and Esau, similarly?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">One way to understand the text is to imagine that
somewhere in the editing process of the Torah, Isaac’s short genealogical list
got cut out. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More likely, the word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">toldot </i>had a more nuanced meaning in its
ancient rendering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of “these are
the generations, or this is the line of,” a more appropriate translation of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">eleh toldot</i> here, and one suggested by
our creation story told earlier in Genesis (“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eleh toldot hashamayim v’haaretz b’hibaram” – this is the story of the
creation of heaven and earth </i>[Gen 2:4]), so too, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eleh
toldot Yitzchak</i>, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“this is the story
of Isaac.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">This is the story of Isaac.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now this makes much more sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The text highlights that particularly in
Isaac’s case, he is more than just a passing link in the chain of tradition. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Though the text will move quickly on to discuss Isaac’s
sons, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eleh toldot Yitzchak</i>, reminds
us that he is central to their story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
don’t often think much about Isaac.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
easily gets lost, or as I characterized a couple of weeks ago when discussing
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Akeidah</i>, he gets silenced not
only by Torah, but by the arc of Jewish literary tradition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the midrash elaborates on his father and
his kids far more than on him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Midrash reminds us that his father smashes idols and exemplifies devotion to a
singular God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jacob is characterized as eager
to leave the womb when his mother passes a place of study whereas Esau pushes
to get out when passing a pagan temple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another midrash regarding Isaac’s sons notes that the Hebrew word for
twins used here in the text is missing its silent letters, a grammatical form
labeled “defective,” to indicate that only one of the twins is righteous. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">There is plenty our tradition says about Isaac’s dad and
his boys born to him and his wife Rebecca.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, what about Isaac?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isaac
remains quiet, yet <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eleh toldot Yitzchak </i>his
presence is vital not only to his immediate family but to the line of the
Israelite nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isaac is presented as
the one who rebuilds and preserves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
read this week of his re-digging the wells that his father dug that had then been
filled in by the Phillistines. And, he renames them, not with his own names but
with the same names his father used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This effort is arguably one of the most important insights we have into
Isaac’s character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He isn’t an
innovator, but he is a consolidator who enshrines tradition and ensures the
continuity of his father’s legacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is
clearly characterized here as the vital link of tradition between Abraham, his
father, and Jacob, his son.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eleh toldot Yitzchak</i>, Isaac’s story is
important. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though the author didn’t
give Isaac much of a voice, even much of a characterization, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">eleh toldot</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yitachak</i>, he understood the value of Isaac’s life and underscores
Isaac’s contribution to Israelite history, to our history.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Isaac is so often painted as the unsuspecting
victim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only in the Akeidah, but
here in this week’s portion when his sons, with their mom’s help, trick their
father out of his blessing for the first born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps, Isaac isn’t so unsuspecting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>An insightful midrash, one I believe included in the Plaut commentary,
asks us to imagine Isaac as knowing exactly who his sons are by their choice of
words during that famous incident of trickery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He doesn’t need to see them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
knows his children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knows how they
speak, and he recognizes Jacob by his immediate reference to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why doesn’t he speak up and put a stop to the
game?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps because Isaac understands
his own story more than we generally give him credit for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He understands that his role is that of
preserving this covenant laid out by God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A God that he knows Jacob recognizes and Esau ignores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isn’t it better for him to let Esau believe
he was tricked out of blessing then for him to know it was never intended for
him in the first place? That he wasn’t God’s chosen one?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, a difficult question for any parent
to answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Eleh toldot
Yitzchak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-language: HE;">This indeed is the story of Isaac.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rhoda Harrison, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06367050982758837913noreply@blogger.com0