Ruth Messinger

The unbelievable experience that I had last summer in Ghana as part of a rabbinic delegation with American Jewish World Service  (AJWS) already feels so long ago, yet I will never forget those ten days living in an amazing community worlds away. The trip opened my eyes to a much bigger world and challenged me to think how far my circle of obligation extends.

The visionary behind this remarkable organization and its president is Ruth Messinger, who spent a few powerful days with us in the small, desperately poor fishing village called Sankor in Ghana. We have the privilege of hosting her here in Boulder in the second weekend of June.

Congregations Bonai Shalom and Nevei Kodesh are co-hosting a Friday night program at Bonai Shalom with Ruth Messinger and she will also be speaking during services on Shabbat morning.

On Friday, June 8 during Friday night services, starting at 6:00 pm, Ruth will give a short D’var Torah  followed at 7:00 pm when Ruth will be talking about “Fighting Hunger in a World of Plenty: A Grassroots Approach”, an opportunity to learn about the politics behind the global hunger crisis. Speaking from her own experiences in the developing world, Ruth will propose how American Jews can influence our government to address the root causes of hunger and poverty, and put an end to the world’s growing hunger problem from the ground up. Reservations are required for this dinner and we expect to sell out.

After dinner, at approximately 8:00 pm, there will be a talk open to everyone, “Jews as Global Citizens: Our Responsibility in the World.” This will be a lecture followed by a Q&A. Ruth will discuss the role of “Jews as Global Citizens.” Sharing the words of dedicated Jews from communities across the United States — college and rabbinical students, community leaders and skilled professionals — Ruth will tell of the enormous transformative impact volunteering and advocacy can make in the modern era. By embracing our obligation to assist all people in need, regardless of race, religion or nationality, we have the capacity to ensure social justice for coming generations. As Jews who take seriously our role as global citizens, we will contribute to tikkun olam, the fixing of the world.

Shabbat morning services begin at 9:30 am on Saturday, June 9th and Ruth will be giving the sermon at approximately 11:30 am.

Dinner Reservations: $15 per adult, $12 per child (under 12 years old), $50 maximum per family. Reservations for dinner must be made in advance by Wednesday, June 6th. To make reservations please email info@bonaishalom.org. No reservations required for other events and services

We hope you will join us for what promises to be an extraordinary and inspiring Shabbat with our special guest.

Please join us at Congregation Bonai Shalom this Shabbat, May 12, at 11:00 a.m. for a tot Shabbat experience, a fabulous way to celebrate Shabbat together with your young children. We sing, dance, tell stories and enjoy Shabbat together in this innovative parent-lead program. Geared towards children under the age of 5 and their parents.

Shabbat Shelanu is open to the community and there is no cost to attend. Families, friends, visiting relatives, and siblings of all ages are welcome!

Next Shelanu program: May 26th. Bonai Shalom is located at 1527 Cherryvale Road, just south of Arapahoe. If you have any questions, please email shelanu@bonaishalom.org

Dr. Zilla Goodman

Dr. Zilla Goodman, of the CU Center of Jewish Studies, is speaking at Congregation Bonai Shalom on Friday, May 4th, 2012.  Dr. Goodman will explore what is often neglected in discussions about the relationships between Arabs/Palestinians and Jews in Israel — the common cultural ground that may provide some opening for contacts between these two groups. While early Zionist thinkers suggested some ways to think about this, today, especially in the person of Israeli poet/author/activist Almog Behar, these ideas are finding a fresh new voice. This talk will address the historical attempts at cultural unity, focus on Behar’s contemporary thinking, and then open for a community discussion about the viability and usefulness of this novel approach to fostering contact between the two groups.

Dr. Goodman was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and grew up there and in Ramat Gan, Israel. She received her doctorate in modern Hebrew literature from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. She has published articles on Hebrew and Jewish literature and culture and has taught Hebrew and Jewish studies at a number of universities in the United States and abroad. At present, she teaches at the University of Colorado where she is a member of the Executive Committee in the Center for Jewish Studies.

Services begin at 6:00 pm, dinner at 7:00 pm. Reservations for this dinner must be made in advance to info@bonaishalom.org. Dinner is $15 per adult, $12 per child (under 13 years old), $50 maximum per family.

I am pleased to share Amira Friedman’s Dvar Torah on Parshat Shmini from her recent bat mitzvah at Congregation Bonai Shalom. 

Good Shabbos. It is so great to see everyone here to help me mark my Bat Mitzvah. Shmini, my Bat Mitzvah Parsha, today, holds so much meaning for me and for all of us because it contains Kashrut, one of the most important parts of Judaism along with Shabbat. The concept of Kashrut, a sacred way of eating, is stressed in the Parsha as one of the most important parts of Judaism. This mitzvah, or commandment, powerfully connects us to G-d and to each other, as the Jewish people.

I have something to share with you. Kashrut is not healthy… But… it is not unhealthy either. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t even have anything to do with health at all.

Kashrut is a very misunderstood aspect of Judaism. So many people including both Jews, and non-Jews think Kashrut is about health. They think that in the old days of the Torah, since people didn’t have refrigerators, or our governments’ wonderful health inspectors of today, (who it turns out don’t take great care of us anyway,) they needed the rules of Kashrut. But that’s not it at all. Rabbi Abravanel, a 15th century Portuguese Rabbi said, “The Torah did not come to take the place of medical handbook but to protect our spiritual health.” I think what he means is Kashrut is not only about the body, but soul. For me dance is also like this.

Kashrut is like a dance with G-d.

The passion in my life is dance. In the past two years since my move to Boulder from Crested Butte, I have been especially involved in the wonderful dance schools here and have been inspired and excited by the many performances I have been involved in. Now that I am celebrating my Bat mitzvah on parsha Shmini it is hard for me to look at Kashrut and not associate it with dance. When I’m following the laws of Kashrut it feels like I am in a dance.

Kashrut and dance have many things in common: discipline, mindfulness, focus, controlling my impulses, and considering my actions. When following the laws of Kashrut and the discipline of dance I find myself doing these things in both situations.

The discipline of both has to do with consistency. In Kashrut I can’t decide to follow the laws one day and not the next day. Also, in dance, my passion, in order to keep up my skill level and strength, I have to continue to take classes regularly. Just like in dance there are boundaries in Kashrut. I can’t go to dance in any attire I would like. I am expected to follow the dress code and wear clothes that allow me to dance full out. I also am required to respect the teacher. Just like through Kashrut when I am showing my respect for G-d. In dance I have to control my impulses even if I may like other choreography or song better. In Kashrut controlling my impulses is quite important.

Feeding the body can be elevated to a higher level. As dance takes movement to a higher level, Kashrut takes eating to a higher level. It is a mind-body-spirit connection.

Kashrut is also about behaving appropriately. Behaving appropriately is an important theme in this weeks parsha as well because it is possible to go too far and loose sight of the true meaning of what you are doing. In this week’s parsha, Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aaron took things too far and it resulted in severe punishment.

Nadav and Avihu, the sons of the high priest performed the service in the holy Temple, without any regard to what their boundaries and limitations should be.

There are many different interpretations of the actions of Nadav and Avihu. I think that the sons of Aaron took their responsibilities to casually and did what they wanted, when they wanted, with out concern for discipline, boundaries, and focus. This made their service meaningless. This is also how Kashrut works. Eating whatever you want whenever you want takes the holiness out of nourishing the soul and feeding the body, which can be viewed as a sacred act.

Feeding the body can be elevated to a higher level. Our body is like the Mishkan. There are boundaries and limitations. When we feed the body mindfully we are feeding our souls.

For my Mitzvah projects, I am doing two things. I am expecting these projects to lift me up to a higher level. The first thing I am doing is volunteering at Boulder Community Hospital with my friend’s mom. While I’m there I keep patients company and help out in any way I can. I also am going to be volunteering with Celebrate The Beat this fall. I was involved with Celebrate The Beat for five years in Crested Butte when I lived there and it’s wonderful. CTB is now working on doing a program with at-risk kids at a school in Adams County. This is where I will be volunteering. CTB is a non-for-profit Colorado based organization, teaching inspirational music and dance classes that help children discover their potential by motivating them to believe in themselves, value artistic expression, and develop a personal standard of excellence. During and after school hours, the Teaching Artists serve entire grades, or an entire school, by creating a music and dance extravaganza inspired by that year’s educational theme. The teaching artists are professional dancers, choreographers, and musicians who believe that the arts should be a part of every child’s education. I will be teaching as part of my volunteering.

CTB focuses on some of the same ideas of dance and Kashrut that I mentioned before. That energy, discipline, hard work, commitment, and joyful concentration can lead to success. For many children CTB is a life-changing event; for all, it is an amazing experience.

But let me close with one last thing from my Parsha today. Rashi, the great medieval French Rabbi, who many consider the greatest of all the commentators of the Torah and Talmud, said something very interesting about the last verse of my Parsha. The verse says: התהר ובין התמה בין להבדיל. That means “To distinguish between the impure and the pure.” Rashi tells us that this is about something that I haven’t mentioned yet: Dedication. That just knowing what to do, and then doing it is not enough. That you have to understand it, you have to believe it, and you have to live it. This is dedication. That we can use this way of living to elevate us to a higher level and when we are eating in our special way, we have the opportunity to elevate ourselves throughout the day, every day.

Rabbi Marc Soloway and Rabbi Ori Har of Haver, Boulder’s Rabbinic Fellowship, opened the evening’s program. Rabbi Har noted that the night’s value in the counting of the Omer was “Beauty in Strength or Gratitude that comes from Strength.” This took on added meaning as the evening unfolded, with mother-daughter pairs in conversation telling their own stories of survival and growth. Irene and Beverly Rosenschein, Doris and Miriam Small and Rabbi Ori and Lael Har shared brief recollections in armchair interviews.

This annual remembrance day is set aside, through the wisdom of our tradition, with an amazing opportunity to still hear from the remaining few blessed survivors,” said Gary Kornfeld.

We were privileged to record parts of the conversations.

Boulder’s Hebrew High teens will be joining Haver and the community at Congregation Bonai Shalom tonight for the Yom HaShoah Service of Commemoration, starting at 7:30 pm.  For more information about the service, please read this earlier BJN post about the event.

Will you be there?  See you tonight!

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Reb Robbie

Are you looking forward to attending Jewish Together – Boulder’s Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration and performance at Har Hashem but don’t know quite what to expect?

There are two great ways to get a taste of Robbie Gringras before the celebration and show!

Robbie will be interviewed on KGNU on Wednesday, April 25th at 8:35 am (88.5 FM). The interview will be live with an opportunity to call in and ask questions.

You can also read more about Robbie and a brief explanation of his teaching methodology in this internet article: How Do We Talk to Our Children About Israel.

Since I have a young daughter, I found his opinions on how to explain Israel to young children very interesting.

His philosophy can be summed up fairly succinctly by this quote from the article:
“We need our children to be knowledgeable and wise enough to be able to question what they have received, and at the same time we need them connected enough to care.”

In the article, Robbie references carpool conversations that can be downloaded from his web site.  Whether you bike, drive or walk your children to school or Hebrew school, they seem to be thought provoking concepts.  You can try them out here: http://makomisrael.org/educational-material/adult-education/family-programs/

Whether or not you agree with his opinions, his performance is sure to be thought provoking and entertaining!

Details:

What: Yom Ha’atzmaut Celebration and Performance by Robbie Gringras

Where: Har Hashem’s South Building 3910 Pinon Drive, Boulder

When: Thursday, April 26 5:30-8:30 pm

Tickets for the performance can be purchased here.

Boulder Jewish News encourages Bar and Bat Mitzvah students to submit their d’var torah and information about their Mitzvah/Tikkun Olam projects.  For more information, please email editor@boulderjewishnews.org.