Counting of the Omer 5771 - Days 38 and 39 - Family Vacations

This week we have been reading the first parashah of the fourth book of Torah entitled Bemidbar and the parashah is of the same name (1 to 4:20). Bemidbar means 'in the wilderness' and that's where the Israelites are and will remain for this book and the fifth. There is much attention to detail in this reading with limited guess work as to where each tribe is to stand and what their task is to be. There is attention given to the encampment and the placement of each tribe (family) as well. Given the opinion of most that to actually lift and move the Mishkan would be virtually (or in reality) impossible. It has been estimated to be at too heavy and very dense. The particulars of each of the more moveable parts are not easily moved as well. And then there are the numbers of people casually moving together like a beautifully choreographed troup. A mere 600,000+ (and that's just the count of the men over 20) are projected to be heading toward the mountain approaching their future home. A careful look at this parashah will help you visualize this experience.

But what can we make of it? The immovable part is easy. We've all tried that and unless there is courageous adrenal or a village to help us it doesn't work. So maybe that's a thought. What does it take to help us move seemingly immovable objects or other impediments in our lives?

But I'm really fascinated by the way the Mishkan was surrounded to be protected. That's the piece I'd like us to think about as we proceed on this amazing Family Vacation of all Family Vacations. Forty years of Family Vacation. I shudder. So here's how they packed and here's where you sit in the 'car' and here is how we make sure that all the things we hold precious are protected. Seat belts, not then, but now. Positioning so that the cherished are in safe places on the ride and care is taken to pack all that we need to keep us healthy and safe. If we surround too carefully or made too many precautions where is the fun part?

I remember very well Family Vacations. In memory they were perfect and filled with stories. In reality they had their moments. Even loving the people involved dearly as we did, often the juggling acts were monumental, albeit overcome. But the precautions were always the same. Everyone needed to be in their special places so they could be watched over and protected. On one outing Sarah wandered off firmly attached to a blue jean leg (knee high was all she could see) and the leg did not belong to a member of the family. It became an indelible memory and a lesson. Complaints about who picked what and the 'who knows best' rule was obeyed. I need not even go into "are we there yet?"

Now this trip was different in more ways than our FVs. Everything they wanted or needed had to be with them and there was no going home to get it. Much depended on who was where and how they stayed there.

I don't know if the journey across the wilderness happened. I do know that in my life, the memory and lessons of FVs and even short sojourns were filled with preparation. May your Shabbat be filled with enough caution and care to protect the ones you love and enough time to appreciate the ones you prepared for.

Shabbat Shalom, marilyn (who's bringing the suntan lotion)

Counting of the Omer 5771 - Day 37 - Face to Face for the People of the Book

First don't get me wrong. I have nothing against Facebook. It is a wonder to me and I am so pleased that people have learned to use it to find old friends and make new ones. To keep in touch and to collect buddies like charms on a bracelet. But when push comes to shove there is nothing like a face to face friend. I don't think anyone would disagree. So today after meeting with friends who are colleagues and getting hugs and telling tales out of school and connecting through the eyes and heart I would like to speak on the subject of friends and what they mean to all of us in our stories. Lots of e blasts come out about the power of friends - and please, they ask, send these on to ten friends and something wonderful will come in the mail or through an open window to you. Okay. That's nice. But I'm writing about those friends who are there for a hug, to cover your back to give you a shoulder to cry on or lean on or just to listen, to laugh, to dream and scheme along side. There are friends that help you with your crossword puzzle and friends that may disappear for a while but will come back - stronger or different but back. Friends are family we choose and they are priceless in our story.

One of my favorite Jewish tales is the story of two friends who went to cheder (school) together. They were so close that they would quite literally save the other's live by giving their own. It happened that one of them was wrongly accused of a crime and sentenced to die. He asked if he could go home to say goodbye to his family and was denied. As the hanging was about to proceed his friend watching tearfully from nearby came quickly and offered himself in his friend's place until he returned from saying goodbye to his family and getting his things in order. The King was incredulous and asked him if he was 'crazy?' "What makes you think he will return and take his place and you will be put to death in his stead?" The King was told that his friend was an honest man innocent of this crime and he was sure he would come back as he loved him as surely as he was loved in return. Astonished by the generosity of the gesture and willing to prove to the other that he was indeed wrong he allowed the convicted man to leave for 24 hours and if he did not return his friend would be put to death. As the time passed neither the King or the stand in lost their faith that they would be proven right. As the 24th hour approached the King summoned the hangman to get ready and as he was about to pull the rope the convicted man appeared to take his wrongful punishment.

The two men embraced and the King was astonished. So astonished was he that he reviewed the case and freed the prisoner. "Your friendship and faith in each other are lessons for all of us. Taking a long look at his own quick decision served the King well in his future judgements. I do not need to tell you the outcome of the story for two such friends.

This is of course an extreme case and I'm relatively sure that most of us haven't been near hangmen lately so let's take this one into our own experiences. Friends leave an impression on us in many ways. Think of what a difference some of yours have made in your narrative and maybe give one, if you can, a call. And if one or more of those have gone to a place that you can't call spend some time thinking of them and smile at the memories. Friends are people we choose or who choose us. It is a gift and even sometimes hard work to keep at it. But it is a gift well given and returned. And if I remember my Girl Scout days well enough here's one of those oldie but goodie songs.

Make new friends but keep the old,

one is silver but the other is gold!

Here's to making new friends and introducing them to our old (duration not age) ones.

marilyn, panim el panim!

The Counting of the Omer 5771 - Day 36 - Double Life

The subject may not be what it seems to imply. A Double Life. Very spy like and mysterious so allow me to explain and then muck it up by going back to my intent. The number 18 in hebrew stands for life 'chai' and therefore 36 is a double 'chai' a double life. If it were possible to be twice as blessed with life - 36 would be it! Often people use it as an excellent amount to give as tzedakkah implying that one life is good and twice as much is even better. The multiple of 18 is also used in much the same manner. But today is a doubly blessed day in the Omer count and now that we have established that I will return to 36 and living in two civilizations - a double life.

The statement living in two civilizations harkens (I love that word) back to the time of Mordechai Kaplan (1881 - 1983), the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism. In 1934 Kaplan published his masterwork, Judaism as a Civilization, and raised a question that still challenges American Jews in the 21st Century. In essence he questioned whether it was possible for American Jews to sit by as reluctant bystanders or as bitter critics of American society and culture but as deeply committed Americans and Jews able to embrace the best in both civilizations. Another one of his standards was that people should be not 'men' on the street and 'Jews' at home but both. He called for Jews to develop a creative Judaism that in his words spelled 'nothing less than a maximum of Jewishness'. Times were different and more challenging then (Kaplan came to America at the age of 9) but are things any easier now, now that things are easier? Not at all.

Do we need to live a double life? Can we be the best of both? Many of my friends in the business of being Jewish are worried about these issues of creativity and mediocrity. As for me i am the eternal PollyAnna. I see progress in places where others don't and I see all of you out there - whatever the number - who have the ability of creating a creative force of Judaism for yourselves.

The stories we create around our own Jewish quests are a part of that. The Everyday Spirituality that merges the two gifts we have will help to make that happen. Here's a start for you. Today I received a copy of a new book from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Press entitled "Everyday Spirituality", The book is from a series entitled A Guide to Jewish Practices and the main text is written by Rabbi David Teutsch the Director of the Center for Jewish Ethics at RRC. T here is more commentary than text from a variety of contributors and in particular his dedication is what makes this fitting for all of you.

For Jewish spiritual seekers -

may they find what they seek

and bring their clarity and energy

to transforming our world.

Kaplan would be pleased! We find partnerships in our dual lives. Ways to combine the everyday and make it sacred and bring them together on our paths. The guide is available on the RRC website and if you have trouble finding it let me know and I'll make sure it makes it to your door.

Today is the 36th day of the counting of the Omer. We are doubly blessed by being Jews in freedom in America and although we might be frustrated by both if we bring them together and inside of us we will be richer for it.

Marilyn, proud of both

Counting of the Omer 5771 - Day 35 - Look Both Ways Before You Cross

Day two (aka 35) of getting our story together is a day of getting ready to leave the house. We live across from a Jr. High School. It has its moments. But every school day the crossing guards are there. First thing they do is to change our two way street to a one way street. Then they change the alley signs, then they put up temporary blockades for people who don't understand all the other indications. Then with the appropriate neon colored vests they get ready to protect and serve. It happens twice a day and no matter the weather they are there. In spite of all these careful preparations, in spite of the yelling and jumping up and down, the tickets issued there are still people who don't pay attention. So the ultimate message is no matter the precautions we still have to teach 'look both ways before you cross.'

Once a year when my brother was the 'patrol boy' and my mom was the 'patrol boy's mother' they had a luncheon to honor both mothers and patrol children and his job needed to be tended. I was the 'patrol boy' for a day. It was quite an honor. I took it very seriously and learned an important lesson. One - the patrol boy's belt was very cool. Two - people listen to you if you're wearing the right uniform. Three - there is more to looking both ways than to the right and the left. The important lesson is remembering the looking inside and remembering the lessons we were taught while learning to walk. The kids who were left untended on the streets didn't need us looking for them, they looked inside and remembered that lesson and more. Then before they leapt into the fray they got it themselves because the lesson was well learned. We hope.

What does this have to do with our story? The rules about how we live are engrained in us and hard to forget or ignore. The rule givers are the people we are remembering today and the ways they taught us whether related or not are good to honor on this 35th day of the Counting of the Omer. The older I get the longer I look both ways. I can hear the voices all the way from the desert telling me and mine to look out for the dinosaurs, the camels, the model T Fords and those other distractions.

Do not let us be distracted but cross carefully. Look both ways please!

marilyn, have you seen my patrol belt?

Counting of the Omer 5771 - Day 34 - Once Upon A You

First. A reminder about our journeys to date. Unlike taking an Omer of Barley to Jerusalem each day of the Count we are taking something different on a trip to make our personal stories stronger and more grounded and hopefully even healthier than they already are - we are taking ourselves. During the last 33 days there have been writings to connect you to memory links via photos, Torah, childhood memories, stories, and daily reports. Snippets of life. Now it is time to narrow the path to your story in some organized fashion. Beginning, middle, and on!

During the course of the next 15 days I'd like you to think about the basic outline of your story starting from the beginning. We will take steps along the way to add parts and because we all were born at different times and are at different phases in our lives there might be some that don't fit your profile. As always I'd like to connect you to your surroundings with the information that is closest to me - mine - and as always I'd like you to convert it to your own lives. And as always the spiritual parts will be very important.

This is where we should start: The beginning. I have no memory of that very start and imagine that most of you don't either. So what's the first thing that clearly comes to mind. A little table in the kitchen of the one bedroom apartment we lived in painted red that could only fit two little people - me and my brother. As if it were yesterday. My first secular memory. My first Jewish memory, sort of, was the Christmas Day that Phillip Lewin dressed as Santa knocked on our apartment door. He was the furrier who lived across the hall and the Santa costume was elegant. Scared us half to death - we ran and hid under the living room chair. The next week, when Religious School started we joined Temple Emanuel. The beginning.

Santa Claus will always be part of my Jewish journey. In December when there are multiple Santas I get multiple beginnings for my Jewish journey.

Today is the 34th day of the Counting of the Omer and the beginning.

I've always loved the color red. marilyn

A Little Schmaltz and Brisket

We may be weeks past Passover, but for Jews who love food, it's never the wrong time of year to talk about brisket and chicken fat.

My friend Nina Barrett, a James Beard-nominated food reporter for WBEZ and Evanston resident, interviewed Ina of Ina's Kitchen last week to look at the uses for chicken fat that you may never have thought about before. In 2008, she spoke with Rabbi Knobel to get his take on brisket.

Have a listen!

Getting Schmaltzy

May 2011

http://www.wbez.org/episode-segments/2011-05-12/fear-frying-culinary-nightmaresmdashgetting-schmaltzy-86448

Battle of the Briskets

April 2008

http://www.wbez.org/episode-segments/battle-briskets

Beth Emet Oozes Talent

For Two Consecutive Weekends

Not only does Beth Emet have talent from the inside out, the congregation sure knows how to attract it from the outside in.

On April 30^th, the sanctuary and Weiner Room were transformed into Beth Emet Bistro and the bima was thick with talent. There was Gilbert & Sullivan, original piano and guitar songs, a three-part harmonic opera, guitar, voice and saxophone solos, a hypnotist, a piano duet, belly dancing, and a guitar-mandolin-fiddle-voice band was born (and recently played a local coffeehouse.) Ticket sales, a cash bar, a silent auction and our hosts Mark Caro and Mary Dixon helped Beth Emet raised some money as well as a few glasses to cheer the talent on. The evening was topped off by an inspirational drum solo by the Grammy-winning Paul Wertico. Judges were Elaine Knobel and Andy Shaw.

First prize was well earned by 12-year-old Rena Newman.

Here is a taste of Rena’s talent, singing a Beatles tune with her father Dave Newman:

http://youtu.be/l6pZs3lqYYk

The following weekend, the same space where we pray each week became an intimate nightclub setting featuring improvisational harmonica and piano from Howard Levy and friends. This time, the bima was crowded with drums, a bass, a guitar, microphones, two pianos and a whole lot of harmonicas. Howard Levy, who, with Cantor Arik Luck, took Jewish music based on Mi Sinai themes including Kol Nidre, Oseh Shalom and several prayers from the high holidays played it and sang it like none of us have ever heard it played before and we will never forget.

To give you a taste, here is Howard Levy transforming “Modim” with our former Cantor Jeff Klepper in 1995 (not at Beth Emet)

http://youtu.be/7BUf16V4hzA

Side note:

Off site, but not too far from the bima, during the weekend of April 30^th, an entirely new generation of talented Beth Emet kids were knocking the musical “Hairspray” out of the park at Evanston Township High School. Some of the Beth Emet kids included Ben Nidenberg, Leah Chernoff, Max and Daniel Antman and Oliver Manheim.

http://www.ethstheatre.com/ETHS_Theatre_Website/ETHS_Theatre.html