Looking Ahead
Here are a few upcoming events you might consider
participating in:
Febuary 3, 4, and 5, 2006 10th Annual Retreat
at the Shore
The theme is "Life's Journey... Lessons Learned" and a
special workshop on scrapbooking. Call or write
Beverly, 215-557-3777,
[email protected] or Evy,
215-561-7474,
[email protected] for further details.
Daytrippers on Saturday are welcome.
February 12, 2006 Super Sunday
To be held
at the Federation Building, 2100 Arch Street.
Volunteers needed to help with Federation's
fund-raising phone-a-thon. Shifts from
9-11AM,11AM-2PM,1-4PM. Not all duties
are phone solicitations.
Call Beverly Hayden to enroll: 215-557-3777 or
[email protected]
. Point of information:
Federation funds Kehillah of Center City of
which we are an affiliate.
April 8, 2006 Gershman Y Fundraiser
Saturday Evening Arlo Guthrie performance. Tickets
$35 - $50 Reception before concert, $150
The Son Acquits the Father
By
Adam Levick
"There are circumstances that must shatter you;
and if you are not shattered, then you have not
understood your circumstances. In such
circumstances, it is failure for your heart not to break.
And it is pointless to put up a fight, for a fight will
blind you to the opportunity that has been presented
by your misfortune. Do you wish to persevere
pridefully in the old life? Of course you do; the old life
was a good life. But it is no longer available to you.
It has been carried away, irreversibly. So there is only
one thing to be done. Transformation must be met
with transformation. Where there was the old life, let
there be the new life. Do not persevere. Dignify the
shock. Sink, so as to rise. "
- Leon Wieseltier, Kaddish
I didn't say Kaddish – the traditional Jewish
mourning custom – in the year following my father's
death. I wasn't that kind of Jew. His death
was an earthquake in my life, and profoundly changed
both who I am and how I lived my life, yet lacking
even the most basic understanding of the traditional
Jewish grieving process I was forced to mourn not as a
Jew, but as an amateur. Though it’s been nine years
since his passing, I can still recall very clearly the
people, places, and ideas that influenced and shaped
the nature of my grief.
I remember the viewing that was held for the
immediate family, prior to the service, and the visceral
feeling I had that there was something almost
grotesque about the sight of him elegantly, and
tastefully, on display in that box. The funeral director
informed us that seeing him would bring – yes –
closure , that it would instruct us as to the
certitude of his death. Yet, I was under absolutely no
illusions that he was still alive, and seeing his smiling
lifeless face was anything but the cathartic experience
this premium service was said to provide.
I also have a vivid recollection of being bothered,
at the funeral, by an older couple sitting a few rows
back – I had no idea who they were, or how they
knew my father – wearing matching shiny white sweat
suits. Shiny white sweat suits to my father’s funeral?!
I also remember the painful absence of a dear friend,
whose uncle – I later learned – had died on the very
same day.
And I clearly recall my girlfriend at the time
embracing me after the burial, and nearly allowing
myself to cry. I was in bed with her a few weeks
later, shaking uncontrollably. An attempt at intimacy
had been aborted, and she firmly, yet tenderly,
informed me that I needed, needed so desperately, to
let it all out. I complained that the tears wouldn't
come, to which she responded – gently, yet with
authority, into my ear, practically at a whisper – "He's
still with you, he’s inside of you". The tears then
flowed freely.
In the weeks, months, and even years, following
his death, I found myself wanting desperately to talk
about him, our life together, and the continued pain of
his loss. Though, many around me expressed their
sympathy over my continued suffering, I interpreted
these feelings of pain and loss quite differently. For
me, these recurring symptoms grief, which are still
with me, only affirm the depth of our relationship, his
continued presence in my life, and the love and
acceptance for one another that we both fought so
hard to finally achieve. The inverse of pain is not
pleasure, its numbness. He truly is, and will hopefully
always be gloriously, and painfully, inside of me.
Shortly after his death, I began reading about the
Jewish traditions in death and mourning. Perhaps the
most profound tradition I came across during this time,
and one which inspires my life to this day, was "The
merit of the children", in which the living child, by living
a moral, just, and purposeful life, can, in the eyes of
God, redeem the imperfect life of his deceased parent.
At first, the ethical connection between my current
life and his previous life eluded me. How can what I do
now in any way effect how the life he once lived is
judged? After some time, however, the inspired moral
logic became apparent. The way I live my life is
necessarily connected to the way he lived his life – a
testament to who he was, as a father, and as a man.
For, I am, as his son, the living embodiment of the sum
of his moral life. My virtue inherently emanates from
his virtue. I am, after all, my father's son!
Over the past several years I have strenuously
tried to fulfill the obligations of my tradition by being a
more sensitive friend, a more responsible citizen, a
more observant Jew, and a better man. I also
changed careers, and now work for an organization
whose mission is consistent with my most cherished
values and political ideals.
Sadly, though, nothing can change the fact that I
didn't recite the Mourner's Kaddish, in the year
following my father's death, as our tradition allows. At
the time, I wasn't that kind of Jew. However, I
do
wake up every day and try – God knows it isn’t always
easy – to live a more just and meaningful life, and,
thus, continue to redeem the life of this flawed and
beautiful man – Morris Levick, "Moe", my Dad. He
raised that kind of son.
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Dear Friends and members of Congregation Leyv Ha-Ir ~ Heart of the City,
As I write this letter, I am preparing to leave for
Israel. My father's sister, Hava Mehutan, is a
sculptor
who has lived in Israel since before 1948. She is
celebrating her 80th birthday; and her work is being
honored. Here is a nice link to an interview.
It's a
bit old, but still relevant.
Lately I have been speaking with Rabbi Julie about
Israel programming. Frankly, I'm afraid to program
Israel events at Leyv Ha-Ir. I know that the subject
of the "Situation" in Israel provokes extreme
emotional
reaction. Sometimes I doubt whether our little shul
could sustain the level of emotion this topic
generates.
Over time, I have become reluctant to provoke
these
feelings in my right-wing friends, or to subject myself
to provocation.
It is my hope as time passes, that just as in our
annual ritual cycle, the period of increasing darkness
will give way to more light and longer days. Similarly,
I
hope that we in sacred congregation, Kahal Kadosh,
will be able to honor heartfelt difference. One thing I
believe is that if we cannot make peace among
ourselves, we will never make peace with the other
people.
I am engaging you, my spiritual community, to find
enough love and respect for one another that we
can
program about Israel in a way that does not cause
anguish, and which manifests the great respect we
have for each other.
Shalom,
Michael Meketon
President
Leyv Ha-Ir ~ Heart of the
City
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January 2006 Activities |
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Sunday, January 1 Rosh Hodesh, Joan
Home, 4:00 PM
Tuesday, January 3 Ma'ariv Meditation,
Rabbi Myriam
Ethical Society, 7:00 PM
This event has been cancelled!
Wednesday, January 4 Council Meeting,
Michael
Ethical Society, 7:00 PM
Sunday, January 7 Shabbat Services,
Lay-led
Ethical Society, 10:00 AM
Saturday, January 14 Shabbat Service
(King-Heschel),
Rabbi Julie
Ethical Society, 10:00 AM
Monday, January 16 MLK EVENT, with
Congregation Beth Ahavah
TBA
Wednesday, January 18
Prayer Class,
Rabbi Julie
Ethical Society, 7:00 PM
Saturday, January 21
Shabbat Services,
Lay-led
Ethical Society, 10:00 AM
Wednesday, January 25
Prayer Class,
Iris
Iris's, 7:00 PM
Saturday, January 28 Shabbat Services,
Lay-led
Home, 10:00 AM
Sunday, Janury 29
Bagels and Books, M. Schlanger
Joanne's, 11:00 AM
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Click here for a complete look at activities for the next two months... |
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Join us in an inspiring tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. |
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Shabbat Morning Services with Rabbi Julie
Greenberg plus gospel and spiritual songs.
Members of the Congregation will be reading
excerpts from Dr. King and Rabbi Abraham Joshua
Heschel's speeches.
� Bring your family and friends
Saturday, January 14, 2006 10:00 AM at the
Ethical Society, 1906 Rittenhouse Square
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Bagels and Books |
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Sunday, January 29th, 11 AM "Love is a
Fallacy" by Max Shulman is one of the stories to be
read. Held at Joanne's Center City apartment with a $5
fee for a wonderful brunch.
This is a great way to spend a wintery Sunday
morning.
� Bring your family and friends
CONTACT: Myrna, 856-795-6956
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A Week in the Life of Leyv Ha-Ir~Heart of the City by Rabbi Julie Greenberg |
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One week in December, I was privileged to do two
mitzvahs in the name of our community. I felt your
presence, Leyv Ha-Ir-niks, with me on these two
occasions, even though you may not even have known
the individuals involved.
The first occasion was the funeral for Gertrude
Klimoff, sister of one-time member Haim Klimoff.
Gertrude lived most of her life in a psychiatric
institution; Haim, for more than a decade, was her
primary link to the world. This funeral was a
bittersweet time of supporting family members in
looking at both the tragedy and blessing of Gertrude’s
life.
The other occasion was the happy covenanting
ceremony for a new baby in our community, daughter
of Kat Rosqueta and Michael Idinopulos. Her
name is Cecilia in English, Chasia in Hebrew. Baby
Cecilia joins two year-old brother Zak in their lovely
home in the Art Museum neighborhood. As midrash
teaches, "With each child the world begins anew."
In post-911 talk we speak of fire-fighters and
medical personnel as "first responders." In Jewish
community, we could speak of ourselves as first
responders to the rites of passage in each other’s
lives. We surround these inevitable times of change
with our presence, with the wisdom of our tradition
and with the strength of our sacred rites.
Through your participation and support, you help
sustain our capacity as a community to respond at
times of joyful welcome and at times of sorrowful
parting. This is what it means to be community.
Many blessings, Rabbi Julie
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Click here to read Rabbi Julie's additional sermons... |
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We Welcome Your Simchas |
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If you have a special occasion coming up such as a
birthday, anniversary, retirement or recovery
celebration, Leyv Ha-Ir ~ Heart of the City would love
to be part of it. There are a range of ways to
integrate your celebration into the life of the
community, from a simple candle-lighting on Shabbat
to making a presentation at a service, co-leading a
service, being called to the Torah or bringing in
klezmer music for dancing. By working with me you can
craft a moment of ritual that works for you, ensuring
that your milestone will be noted in a spiritual
framework. In this way the Torah of our lives is shared
and recognized. Be in touch!
Rabbi Julie
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