Rabbi Rachel's Reflections
Rabbi's Message
August 2020
Dear friends,
I can’t believe it’s only been a few weeks since I started as Temple Emanu-El’s Director of Congregational Learning! On the one hand, the time has really flown; on the other, it feels as if I’ve been a part of your community for months. Time is a tricky thing, especially when all of our usual markers of time have been erased, or at least smudged. Most of us no longer have to leave our homes at a set time to go to work or drop off kids. Our week is no longer punctuated by getting together with friends or family for meals or getting dressed up and going to the Temple for services. But many of us have created new rituals and new ways of demarcating time. Some of us are going on regular walks or bike rides, or have figured out workout routines at home. Others are spending lots of time on Zoom or the phone connecting with co-workers or loved ones. Despite the daily routines and structures we’ve put in place, we’re still living through a highly unusual situation where time just feels fundamentally different. With so many unknowns about what the future will bring, it’s nearly impossible to make plans, so we find ourselves much more tied to the present.
I’ve always loved the Jewish rhythms of time. Years ago, I took a class at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles, and the teacher explained that Jewish time operates on both a linear and a cyclical basis. Linear time is marked by life cycle events—brises, baby namings, b’nei mitzvah ceremonies, weddings, and funerals. Cyclical time is marked by Shabbat and holidays. Every week, we have the opportunity to experience the peacefulness of Shabbat. Every fall, the High Holy Days offer us the chance to reset our internal sense of self and responsibility to others. Every spring, we celebrate our redemption from slavery and receiving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai.
In contrast to the unpredictable and uncontrollable nature of life cycle events, Jewish cyclical time is deeply grounding because it is fixed. We know that despite everything else going on, Shabbat begins when the sun goes down on Friday, and we celebrate Rosh HaShanah on the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. This reliable and unchanging nature of the Jewish calendar can be especially comforting during a “time out of time” like we’re experiencing right now. We may not yet be able to imagine what the High Holy Days are going to look like this year, but we know that we will be observing this sacred time as a community.
If you want to spend some time together preparing for the High Holy Days, please join me for two learning sessions, one on the Avinu Malkeinu and the idea of God as king, and the other on the Al Cheit and the practice of repentance or teshuvah. I’m really looking forward to spending lots of linear and cyclical time with you all over the coming months.
B’vracha, many blessings,
Rabbi Rachel
P.S. Please email me to set up a time to meet either by Zoom or phone
August 2020
Dear friends,
I can’t believe it’s only been a few weeks since I started as Temple Emanu-El’s Director of Congregational Learning! On the one hand, the time has really flown; on the other, it feels as if I’ve been a part of your community for months. Time is a tricky thing, especially when all of our usual markers of time have been erased, or at least smudged. Most of us no longer have to leave our homes at a set time to go to work or drop off kids. Our week is no longer punctuated by getting together with friends or family for meals or getting dressed up and going to the Temple for services. But many of us have created new rituals and new ways of demarcating time. Some of us are going on regular walks or bike rides, or have figured out workout routines at home. Others are spending lots of time on Zoom or the phone connecting with co-workers or loved ones. Despite the daily routines and structures we’ve put in place, we’re still living through a highly unusual situation where time just feels fundamentally different. With so many unknowns about what the future will bring, it’s nearly impossible to make plans, so we find ourselves much more tied to the present.
I’ve always loved the Jewish rhythms of time. Years ago, I took a class at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles, and the teacher explained that Jewish time operates on both a linear and a cyclical basis. Linear time is marked by life cycle events—brises, baby namings, b’nei mitzvah ceremonies, weddings, and funerals. Cyclical time is marked by Shabbat and holidays. Every week, we have the opportunity to experience the peacefulness of Shabbat. Every fall, the High Holy Days offer us the chance to reset our internal sense of self and responsibility to others. Every spring, we celebrate our redemption from slavery and receiving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai.
In contrast to the unpredictable and uncontrollable nature of life cycle events, Jewish cyclical time is deeply grounding because it is fixed. We know that despite everything else going on, Shabbat begins when the sun goes down on Friday, and we celebrate Rosh HaShanah on the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. This reliable and unchanging nature of the Jewish calendar can be especially comforting during a “time out of time” like we’re experiencing right now. We may not yet be able to imagine what the High Holy Days are going to look like this year, but we know that we will be observing this sacred time as a community.
If you want to spend some time together preparing for the High Holy Days, please join me for two learning sessions, one on the Avinu Malkeinu and the idea of God as king, and the other on the Al Cheit and the practice of repentance or teshuvah. I’m really looking forward to spending lots of linear and cyclical time with you all over the coming months.
B’vracha, many blessings,
Rabbi Rachel
P.S. Please email me to set up a time to meet either by Zoom or phone