Shabbat on Tap in The Jewish Week

A story about our March Shabbat on Tap - "Food Fight" - appears in this week's Jewish Week.

The New Shul, which dubs itself “downtown Manhattan’s progressive synagogue,” is always seeking different ways to make Judaism relevant, so it came as no surprise when it decided to tackle the Jewish food movement. The shul dedicated a recent Shabbat on Tap program to the movement, which calls for eating food that is kosher, natural, safe to eat and good for the environment.

The New Shul’s senior rabbi, Niles Goldstein, wished everyone Shabbat Shalom with a glass of wine in his right hand and a glass of beer in his left.

Speakers included Sheryl Eisenberg, a “green living” columnist for the National Resources Defense Council, who passed around the Environmental Working Group’s “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides.” The guide suggests the 12 produce items that are most important to buy organic; topping out the list are peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery and nectarines.

At another table, New Shul’s associate rabbi, Dan Ain, led a discussion on the meaning of kosher, bringing in everything from Maimonides to anthropologist Mary Douglas.

Also on the roster was Mary Gocke, a registered dietician, who discussed the connection between diet and health.


Rabbi Goldstein understood that not all in attendance would go home and adopt every principle of the Jewish food movement. “It’s about raising consciousness to expand the meaning of kashrut. You have to decide how far you want to go,” whether you want to start paying more attention to the labels on your food or make a beeline to the organic section of the grocery store.

Click here to read the full article.

And, don't forget to join us at our next Shabbat on Tap at Dublin6 on May 15th!

Looking for a new job or seeking more business?

Selling your skills and experience can be tiresome.
Breaking through the clutter can be daunting.

In this workshop, this Monday, May 4, we'll explore a whole new strategy for presenting yourself to new prospects. Instead of looking back at past experience, you'll learn how to communicate your ideas and how you can help create the future.

Guaranteed to get you excited about looking for work or business prospects...
with plenty of time to network with other fabulous members and friends.

We'll provide coffee, OJ and bagels to help get your creative juices flowing. Please be prompt.

Where: 505 8th Avenue, off of 35th St - Suite 1212

When: Monday, May 4 from 7:45-9am

Fee: Suggested donation $5

RSVP: by Friday, May 1 at 212-283-6773 or email the office (space is limited to 14)

Open to members and friends!

Happy 61st Birthday Israel

Edible map of Israel

Wishing you a very sweet year!

Love,
The New Shul Rishonimers

Shabbat Shal-Om Follow-Up

Susan Finley, who studied with H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, teacher of H.H. Dalai Lama, led us last Friday night in medidation exercises.

As requested, here is a list of resources Susan read from throughout the evening:

Matthieu Ricard- Happiness
Dzigar Konteul Rinpoche- Light Comes Through
Mingyur Rinpoche - The Joy of Living
Sogyal Rinpoche

Revel in Revelation: A Shavuot Tish

Thursday, May 28th, 7-9 pm, 272 West 10th Street



You are invited to join Rabbi Niles, Rabbi Dan, and Ellen for a Shavuot Tish, an opportunity to honor and celebrate the handing down of the Torah at Mount Sinai, the mystical marriage between the people of Israel and God. After a brief Yizkor ceremony to recall our departed loved ones, we will sing niggunim and explore Jewish texts (both modern and ancient) that focus on the core Shavuot theme of Revelation. See what this evening might "reveal" to you! All are welcome.

Please bring a dairy dessert (it is customary to eat cheese on the holiday!) and some wine to share with the group.

Leap of Faith 10th Anniversary Gala - June 3rd at 7pm

Please join us at The Museum of Jewish Heritage (36 Battery Place) for a magical evening when The New Shul honors co-founders Holly Gewandter and Ellen Gould with a gala event featuring a special performance of Ellen's Emmy Award-winning one woman show, Bubbe Meises, Bubbe Stores, followed by cocktails, dinner, raffle, and revelry. See the invitation and get tickets!

A Shabbat Moment...an Imagery Experience for Transforming Yourself from a DOING…to a BEING...

By Rabbi Joyce Reinitz

These imageries were included in our Spa Shabbat Movement as Prayer class.

When the Israelites were wandering for 40 years in the desert…..they were told by God...to build a sanctuary...God told Moses…“Let them build me a sanctuary so that I may dwell amongst them...or within them…”

One of the most important features of this sacred sanctuary was that it was portable…it went with them wherever they went and wherever they traveled… God’s Presence was not fixed in any one location…God’s Presence always accompanied them…and so it is with us…

We have within us a portable sanctuary…a holy place to pray…to commune with God…to pray...to BE…all we need to do is stop...and enter the Sanctuary Within…

So I invite you to enter your own portable sanctuary and experience the transforming power of a Shabbat Moment…

Gently close your eyes…and take a few easy breaths…emphasizing your exhale…Breathe in through your nose…breathe out through your mouth…

See all the things that you do in a week…see yourself working…watch yourself meeting all your obligations…sense the weight of your commitments and responsibilities…

See the people who depend on you…your family…your friends…your community…

See yourself on your busiest day…sense how you rush and push yourself…squeezing in just one more chore…in an effort to get it all done…sense the frustration you feel when you don’t get it all done...

Notice how you look…notice how you feel…

Now…double the tempo...triple the pace...

NOW...STOP…COMPLETELY STOP…

Sense what it means to cease…Feel yourself becoming perfectly still!!!

Breathe out…and Listen to the gentle rhythm of your breath…breathing in and breathing out…

Listen to the silence…be with the stillness…breathe it in and breathe it out…let it fill your soul.

Now, when you are ready…slowly enter your inner sanctuary…the sanctum sanctorum…

Move through the layers of diaphanous curtains…turquoise and purple and crimson…See how they shimmer and shine….

In this sacred inner space…hear the sounds within the silence…feel the movement within the stillness…sense yourself illuminated with golden light...

Sense the Presence of the Divine…Savor this sacred moment…

Now…if you wish…offer a prayer…express words of gratitude or seek the guidance or help you may need…speak from the depths of your heart…

Sense yourself being lifted up by the hands of God…and then sense yourself being placed down gently…

Live and know the joy of BEING…Sense how you look and feel…

When you are ready…slowly return through the curtains the way you entered…Breathe out and gently open your eyes…remembering to return to your inner sanctuary…whenever you wish…

Notice how you feel…

Bring Your Friends to Rishonim and Shabbat Pot-Luck Dinner

Are your friends too cool for school?
Bring them to Rishonim and show them how we’ve turned Hebrew School upside down!

Your friends will really flip for learning about Judaism at Rishonim, The New Shul's innovative afterschool program. So why not invite them to come with you on one (or more!) of our "Bring Your Friends to Rishonim" days:
Tuesdays, May 12 & 19 from 4-6pm
Thursdays, May 14 & 21 from 4-6pm

And everyone's invited to a special "Getting to Know You" Shabbat Pot-Luck Dinner!
Friday, May 15 from 5-6:30pm

Spa Shabbat and Rebbe's Table a Huge Success

A snapshot of this weekend’s wonderful (and relaxing) Spa Shabbat and Rebbe’s Table. To see a few more pictures, check out our Flickr account.

Overhead during the weekend:

“Today just makes me extra happy to be part of The New Shul." -Rachel Rood

"It was like food for the hungry spirit." -Ellen Gould

"The community we created is so inclusive and open. I continue to learn so much about Judaism, and most of all myself, every time I come." - Janice Moses

"This has given me a new perspective on Shabbat and a new opportunity for community." -Sharon Kaufman

"I have struggled with my Jewish identity and I feel like an event like this engages my spirituality in a positive way." - David Glickman

"This is the way to do Shabbat...maybe even the way God intended!" - Tobie Stein

Our next Rebbe’s Table at City Winery is on Sunday, June 7 at 10am.

Spa Teen Pass

We received a few calls asking if teenagers can join us this Saturday for our Spa Shabbat at Yamuna. The answer is YES and for a special teen spa pass rate of $8 for the day.

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As for those 12 years old and under, come join us on Friday night at VCS (272 West 10th St) from 6:30-7:30pm for Torah Yoga - adults will be in another room for Shabbat Shal-OM. Then join us on Saturday at Yamuna (132 Perry Street) for Aromatherapy Havdalah featuring drummer ilil Pazel.

Hundreds Gather in Honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day

by Amy Eichenwald Golding

I spoke in Pennsylvania at the Lehigh Valley Yom Hashoah commemoration on Monday evening. You can see a video from the local news here.

My great grandfather Samuel Metzger was born in 1879 in Germany to a middle class family. He had completed a course for army officials and he fought the French in the battles of Verdun and Argon for which he was awarded two valor medals including the Iron Cross Medal. He married my great grandmother, Mina in 1909. They had three children – one who was Hedwig, my grandmother.

In 1924 my great grandfather was offered a position in Ludwigsburg teaching Jewish history and religion. He was also employed in the Synagogue as the Cantor and preacher. In Germany, clergy were employed and paid by the government.

Extremely aware of the dangers in Germany in 1937 my grandmother, Hedwig and her husband, Erich my grandfather, sought asylum in Columbia, South America. On Kristalnacht November 9, 1938 the Nazis burned the Synagogue where Samuel, my great grandfather, was the Cantor. With destruction, fear and murder all around, Samuel ran into his synagogue to save the Torah. Samuel was arrested by the Nazis on November 10, 1938, the day after Kristalnacht and taken to Dachau Concentration Camp where he was imprisoned for three weeks. My great grandfather had nine siblings. Four siblings, with their entire families, were murdered by the Nazis.

In June 1939, Samuel and Mina were able to flee to Colombia. Smuggling out the Torah with them was one more act of courage. At the age of sixty, he started a new life in Colombia as a door to door salesman for women’s clothing. Samuel and Mina’s life improved and Samuel prepared his grandson, my father, Eduardo, to read from the Torah that he saved from the ashes. On December 26, 1954, my father celebrated his Bar Mitzvah by reading from the Torah saved 15 years before in my grandfather’s valiant escape from Germany. Samuel, my great grandfather, died at the age of 75 but the Torah he saved in 1939 from Germany still remains and is used to this day in Colombia, now 70 years since that decision to save the fabric of our Jewish Life, the Torah.

Spa Shabbat Shal-OM

We are kicking off our Spa Shabbat weekend this Friday, April 24th with Shabbat Shal-OM at 6:30pm at VCS. In a relaxed environment, Susan Finley (who studied with H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, teacher of H.H. Dalai Lama) and Rabbi Niles interweave meditation exercises with mystical readings. Beginners welcome.

For the class, Susan recommends you wear comfortable loose clothing. You can bring a cushion, mat or pillow (though we will also provide some). If you do not want to sit on the floor, there will be chairs available. You are encouraged to bring a heart offering which we will place on a shrine - it can be a donation to a charity or something that has personal meaning to you. You will be able to place this on the shrine (and take it with you before you leave if you would like). These heart offerings are about giving and compassion.

For our youngest members, we will get our body and soul into positions where you can find peace and inspiration in our Torah Yoga for Kids class led by Alona Mor, certified dance teacher and dedicated yoga practitioner.

The Rebbe's Table @ City Winery's Klezmer Brunch

This Sunday @ 10am:

Is

A

Is Google a Golem?

@

The Rebbe's Table

Dedicated to the belief that there should be more to Sunday Brunch than Bagels and Lox.

Join Rabbi Dan Ain as he holds court with an eclectic group of artists and thinkers, tacking the hard questions in an easy-going setting.

Sunday, 4/26 @ 10am (Music and Brunch begin at 11am)

City Winery - 155 Varick @ Vandam

$12 memebers/$15 non-members

For more information on the Golem - watch this clip from The Simpsons - "You've got to know when to Golem" - based (loosely) on the 16th Century Jewish folklore from Prague.

N?tworking Breakfast

Funny how there's only a one letter difference between Networking and Not Working...

Looking for work? Interested in taking a fresh look at what you have to offer? At this provocative, hands-on breakfast event, New Shul member and innovation expert Sylvia Stein will show you how to build a "sell sheet" that markets your value to a prospective employer in a much more dynamic (and "feel-good") way than a traditional resume can. There will also be time for exchanging ideas as well as business cards.

We'll provide coffee, OJ and bagels to help get your creative juices flowing. Please be prompt as time is limited.

To reserve a spot or for more information, please call 212-284-6773.

Where
505 8th Avenue - Suite 1212

When
Monday, May 4 from 7:45-9am

A Special Invitation to a Panel Discussion on Post-Genocide Rwanda

Organized by Miracle Corners of the World (The New Shul is one of many supporters of this event)

Denial, MEMORy, & Justice in post- genocide rwanda

With:

Gerald Lewis Caplan (PhD, University of London)

An African scholar, historian and public policy analyst. Author of Rwanda: The Preventable Genocide.

Chantal Kayitesi

A Rwanda genocide survivor and activist. Founding member and former president of AVEGA, A Rwanda- based genocide widows and children association.

Jens Meierhenrich (D. Phil. Oxford, 2002)

An Assistant Professor of Government at Harvard University. Author of several works on genocide, internationaljustice, and reconciliation.

Moderated by: Sarah Nadeau, Deputy Director, Council for Prejudice Reduction

Sunday, April 19, 2009, 2:00PM – 4:00 PM

New York University School of Law

Lipton Hall

108 West 3rd Street (off of MacDougal Street)

New York, NY 10012

Please RSVP to: events@miraclecorners.org

Yom ha-Shoah

From Rabbi Niles

Yom ha-Shoah, or Holocaust Memorial Day, falls on Tuesday, April 21st this year. It is a commemoration that has taken on the status of a spiritual event, and Jews the world over will gather on and around this day to remember and honor those who were murdered during the darkest period in Jewish history. It is also a time to come together as a community and to celebrate our triumph over adversity and perseverance as a people. I encourage those who are able to attend the following events here in Manhattan:

Annual Gathering in Observance of Yom ha-Shoah Holocaust Remembrance Day
Sunday, April 26 at 3pm
Congregation Emanu-El (Fifth Avenue and 65th Street)

Sponsored by the Museum of Jewish Heritage-A Living Memorial to the Holocaust The American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Their Descendants and The Warsaw Ghetto Resistance Organization

For more information or to reserve tickets please call 646.437.4227 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. (Monday -Friday) or e-mailmailto:AGR@MJHNYC.org Tickets must be reserved by April 20. A voluntary $36 donation is recommended.

OR, as an alternative approach:
Holocaust Memorial Day: Saviours on the Screen
Monday, April 20 and Tuesday, April 21
JCC in Manhattan (334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th Street).
For a list of movies and times go to their website.

Taste of Judaism: This Sunday

Come join Rabbi Niles for his second to last session on SHABBAT DECONSTRUCTED. This session will involve a discussion about what the rabbis meant when they referred to the Sabbath as "A Taste of the World to Come." Does Shabbat really feel like heaven to you? What is heaven in the Jewish belief system? Help us as we try to find out. Meet new friends, participate in stimulating conversation, and enjoy a great brunch and beverage!

Sunday, April 19 at Cowgirl (519 Hudson St), 10-12 noon

Please RSVP to info@newshul.org

Kabbalat Shabbat at the Harris Lieberman Art Gallery

The Shabbat Project continues with Kabbalat Shabbat, April 17th, at the Harris Lieberman Art Gallery. Services will begin at 6:30pm.

We will be celebrating the baby naming of our newest member, Sophia Ana Hoffman, daughter of Ed and Elaine Hoffman.

Childcare will be provided.

The gallery is located at 89 Vandam Street (between Hudson and Greenwich Streets)

Join us for an Incredible Weekend: Spa Shabbat

Spa Shabbat and Rebbe's Table are only 11 days away and spaces are filling up fast!



Come for part or all of this exciting weekend. Who doesn't need a little respite from our crazy lives? Call the office at 212-284-6773 or email us to RSVP.

Happy Sun Day

Today marks the 206th 28-year cycle of the sun. The sun is at the same spot as the forth day of creation, 90 degrees above the eastern horizon. This occurs every 10,227 days. This morning we recited the following blessing from http://www.ritualwell.org/ on the rooftop of a member's home in Chelsea.

Oh Holy Creator of Sun and Moon,

We are awed by the designs of this world. As we gather with our family and friends for Passover, we commemorate the Exodus from Egypt and celebrate our liberation that the story inspires. With the blessing of Birkat HaChammah, we also honor the sun, which warms us and gives us light. May we always appreciate the cycles of the seasons and the season of our lives as they cycle.

Today we honor the changes that have occurred in the last twenty-eight years that have made us freer. We have ordained women rabbis; created a Jewish environmental consciousness; welcomed GLBT Jews into our midst; seen Israel be a leader in solar power development; and accepted that interfaith families are part of our "mixed multitude."

Grant us the ability to use the healing power of the sun wisely. Bestow your Light and sunshine on the sons and daughters of this next generation. Let us all continue to work toward liberation for all beings on this planet. May we be blessed to see the sunrise and say Birkat HaChammah, in the next twenty-eight years.

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Feel free to add it to your seder. May it be a bright day for each of you!

Remember, Reflect, Respond

It was my honor to participate in a gathering to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Rwandan Tutsi genocide this evening at the Church Center for the United Nations.

This moving ceremony was organized by Miracle Corners of the World and by Jacqueline Murekatete, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide.

For those of you who were unable to attend, I have posted my prayer below.

Have a Chag Sameach,
Dan

------
God. Our Redeemer.

We bear witness here, today, of your absence.

Absence from the hearts of those who can not listen.

And do not heed.

Your prophet Isaiah told us to “cease from evil and learn to do good. To devote ourselves to justice and aiding the wronged. To uphold the rights of the orphan and defend the cause of the widow.”

But we have not.

So we gather here tonight to remember, to reflect and to respond to genocide.

And yet, tomorrow night is our Passover and we will imagine ourselves
liberated.

Liberated from the bondage of indifference.

Freed from the slavery of silence.

But it was YOU – God – who hardened the heart of Pharaoh.

So, must it now be you who circumcises ours?

Or, have the voices spoken here, on this evening, done the bidding on your behalf.

Will we listen?

Will this night be different from all others?

Let us say, Amen
-------

Have a Sweet Passover!

Wishing you all a sweet and meaningful Passover.

Chag Sameach,

The New Shul Family

Community Listing

posted by Melanie Sylvan:

Electric Pear Productions and
Performance Lab 115 Present
the world premiere of

In a crumbling, burnt-out America, an underwater bunker stores the relics of our everyday lives: Barbie, Moby Dick, Twinkies and bond traders are all preserved in a labyrinthine warehouse, shelved in boxes, awaiting the stabilization of the continent above. One woman is charged with safeguarding our cultural artifacts for the rebuilding of a great society... but the walls are leaking, resources are running out, and her wide-eyed assistant is hell-bent on losing her virginity to the first man she can find.
As the facility nears collapse, it's clear that vast quantities of our legacy will be lost...

What would you save?

TICKETS NOW ON SALE!
3 WEEKS ONLY!

April 16 - May 2
at The Wild Project
195 East 3rd Street (between A & B)
Monday - Saturday at 8pm
Tickets are $18

Purchase Tickets Here TODAY!
or call 212-352-3101

Two of the most groundbreaking and original companies in New York City team up to take on the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur with Artifacts of Consequence. This collaborative piece, which has been in development for 8 months, takes a theatrical, hilarious, and twisted look at a dystopian American landscape.

Reminder about Tonight's Memorial Service for Rwanda

Kigali Memorial Center

MIRACLE CORNERS OF THE WORLD

Invites you to:
REMEMBER, REFLECT, RESPOND:
A gathering to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Rwandan Tutsi genocide.

Today, Tuesday, April 7, 2009, 6:00 – 7:30 PM
Church Center for the United Nations
777 U.N Plaza (Corner of 44th and 1st Avenue)

The program will include a moment of silence, a reading of selected survivor testimonies, remarks from survivors of the 1994 genocide as well as reflections and multi-faith prayers from our very own Rabbi Dan Ain and Reverend Kathleen Stone of the Church Center for the United Nations.

The Rebbe's Table - April 26 at 10am

Dedicated to the belief that there should be more to Sunday Brunch than Bagels and Lox.

Pull up a chair at the most spirited table in town - The Rebbe's Table at City Winery's Klezmer Brunch (155 Varick Street at Vandam) at 10am.

Join Rabbi Dan Ain as he holds court with an eclectic group of artists and thinkers, tackling the hard questions in an easy-going setting. Ideas fly, controversy erupts, laughter prevails.

Add an amazing roster of Klezmer musicians to the mix, not to mention one of the best brunches around, and you've got a Sunday morning that's worth getting out of bed for!

For reservations or more information call 212-284-6773

New Shul Members $12/Non-Members $15
(includes a seat at The Rebbe's Table, music cover charge, coffee/tea and juice; brunch is a la carte)

Save the date for the next Rebbe's Table: Sunday, June 7 at 10am

Spa Shabbat: An oasis for the body, mind and spirit - April 24 and 25

Friday 4/24 at Village Community School (272 West 10th Street)
Shabbat Shal-OM 6:30-7:30pm. Free.
In a relaxed environment, Susan Finley (who studied with H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, teacher of H.H. Dalai Lama) and Rabbi Niles Goldstein interweave meditation exercises with mystical readings from the Jewish meditation tradition. Beginners welcome.

Torah Yoga for Kids 6:30-7:30pm. Free.
(ages 4-10) Get your body and soul into positions where you can find peace and inspiration in this amazing combination of two ancient traditions. Alona Mor, certified dance teacher and dedicated yoga practitioner will show you how it's done!

Saturday 4/25 at Yamuna (132 Perry Street)
Movement as Prayer 11:30am-1pm.
Expand your ecperience of prayer and more fully enjoy the healing, nourishing aspects of Shabbat. Using guided imagery, Rabbi Joyce Reinitz, ACSW, will help you release mental stress. Gental body exercises using the Yamuna small ball method, led by Megwynn White, certified Yamuna Body Roller practitioner, will dissolve your muscular tensions.

Transitions 11:30am-1pm.
A major theme in the Bible and of the Jewish people, transitions have the potential to affect our intimate relationships and highlight growth areas in ourselves. We change jobs, deal with health issues and face empty nests. This workshop, led by Charlotte Wolovsky, LCSW, explores ways transitions can produce positive emotional shifts that strngthen us.

Chinese Medicine 2-3:30pm.
Ziki Dekel, director of Galapagos Acupuncture and Rabbi Dan Ain compare the concepts of Qi, Shen, and Jing in Chinese medicine and Taoism with the Jewish notions of Ruach, Nefesh, and Neshama. Ziki will also conduct ear acupuncture (for thos interested), which traditionally is performed in a community setting with patients sitting together quietly.

Jewromatherapy 4-5:30pm.
Aromatherapy expert Cathy Gins and Rabbi Niles Goldstein combine Jewish mystical teachings on the power of scent with an experiential journal through a range of fragrences and aromas that can renew, replenish, and help heal our souls.

Aromatherapy Havdalah 5:30pm. Free.
Carry the scent of Shabbat with you as you re-enter the realm of the everyday. Integrating Hasidic mystical tradition with sensory experience, this reimagined ancient ritual provides a magical way to end Shabbat and begin your week!

SPA PASS (includes all workshops, snacks and lunch)
New Shul Members $20 / Non-Members $25

Individual Workshops (except free programs as noted)
New Shul Members $10 / Non-Members $15

Tsav - D'var Torah

by Thea Lang, excerpt from her D'var Torah at her Bat Mitzvah this past Satruday



Tsav is the name of this week's portion. It means "command" in Hebrew and it is about how God commanded Aaron and all of his descendants to be priests. It's a detailed description of all the Priestly offerings and sacrifices and commands that they need to follow. And that's pretty much it.

Now when I say detailed, I mean, no detail is left out. The part of Tsav that I chanted is all about the burnt offering. It states what the priest should wear, what components would be in the offering, even exactly how to lift it up.

It is so detailed, that it includes fashion and recipes, things that I personally enjoy. It tells Aaron exactly what kind of linen clothes to ear, and it tells the recipes for exactly how to mix and cook the offerings.

So, why do all these details matter? Does God want the Priests to be fashionable? To be good cooks? Why is it so crucial that the priests wear these linen garments, especially the stylish linen pants, and that they lift up the wheat part of the offering only with their three middle fingers? Why not cotton pants? What's wrong with cotton, God? It breathes. And why not use all five fingers for the wheat? Why? Well, because God said so. God commands and we obey. But we are Yisrael...the people who wrestle with God. So, I am going to wrestle...I'm going to question.

Jewish Week Page 3 -- "5th Question"

By Rabbi Niles Goldstein


Elevating Passover – The Fifth Question www.jinsider.com

We have a new President who is establishing new domestic and foreign policies. We have new banking and financial regulations. We have new structures and rules being developed to help nations work better and more effectively with one another. All of these are related to the importance of authority. And so, here is my Fifth Question this Passover: Why is it so hard for modern Jews to tolerate, much less accept, divine authority?

At the core of the Passover narrative is the existential journey of our forbears from one state to another, from suffering as slaves under Pharaoh to finding liberation--and transformation--as servants of God. The Torah makes it clear that the Exodus from Egypt was not meant to be viewed as an end in itself, but as a means to one, a progression toward Sinai and the revelation of God's covenant with us. That sacred covenant involved mitzvot--rules to help guide us through life, rules to help create a just society and world. There is a critical distinction between the blind and fear-based obedience to a tyrant and the loving acceptance of the sovereignty of a higher, benevolent power. That is why we must learn to view subservience to divine authority, not as a punishment, but as a reward and a gift. When we put others before self, when we exercise humility over hubris, we ultimately gain far more than we give.

If we can acknowledge the basic fact that hierarchy exists, and that it is necessary and often beneficial to us--in knowledge (through our teachers and mentors), in medicine (though our physicians), in mental health (through our therapists and counselors)--then why are we so resistant to embrace the reality of a hierarchy of being, as well as the authority that it entails? Because ours is a generation that is very much focused on itself and on doing what it wants. We do not like being told what we have to do. We don't like rules. And we are skeptical of those who actually make the rules.

Yet none other than Bob Dylan grasped the error of this narcissistic attitude, and he expressed his own--and very Jewish--view when he wrote the following verses in his devotional song, "Gotta Serve Somebody":

You may be a construction worker working on a home,
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome,
You might own guns and you might even own tanks,
You might be somebody's landlord, you might even own banks

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed

You're gonna have to serve somebody.

This Passover, let's take seriously the idea of "service"--not necessarily in terms of worship or ritual, but in terms of acting with humility, of playing by the rules and treating others with respect, and of acknowledging the limits of our humanity in the face of God's divinity and divine authority--an authority meant to guide us toward personal and collective redemption.

Passover Happenings in NYC this weekend

TONIGHT


Join The New Shul community tonight for our Passover Uncorked a spiritual wine tasting at 7pm at Le Du's Wines (600 Washington Street b/w Morton & Leroy Sts). Rabbis Niles and Dan will teach with Jean-Luc Du (former Chief Sommelier of Restaurant Daniel) a pre-Passover wine tasting. Sample prosecco, red, white, and dessert and listen as our experts offer tasting notes that include fascinating historical, cultural and religious undertones and overtones. The wines at this event are not KP.

TOMORROW



Our dear friend Alyssa Abrahamson (who once played Esther at our Folies Esthere Extravaganza) is starring in Passover in Pasties at the Slipper Room (167 Orchard St at Orchard St) at 7pm.

MCW and The New Shul Mark the 15th anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan Tutsi Genocide

April 7, 2009 marks the 15^th anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan Tutsi genocide. In that spirit Miracle Corners of the World (MCW) is planning a two-day commemoration program, with participation from Rabbi Dan Ain and sponsorship by The New Shul, in memory of an estimated over million men, women, and children who lost their lives in Rwanda in 1994.

The program will begin with a memorial service for the victims which is scheduled to take place next Tuesday, April 7^th 6-8pm at the U.N church Center (777 United Nations Plaza, 8th Floor) from 6-8pm.

This program will be composed of a moment of silent for the victims of the genocide, a reading of three testimonies, remarks by survivor of the Rwandan genocide and Ambassador Joseph Nsengimana, Rwanda’s ambassador to the U.N. We have also invited and are waiting to hear from Honorable Gareth Evans of the International Crisis Group.

For additional information, please contact:
Miracle Corners of the World
Tel: 212-453-5811
E-mail: info@miraclecorners.org
Website: http://www.miraclecorners.org/

Decorating Your Seder Table

Watch more YouTube videos on AOL Video

Looking for creative ways to spice up your seder table?

Check out these innovative ideas from our dear friend Sara at http://www.popjudaica.com/.