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Dear Fellow Temple Israel Congregant,
No doubt you shared in the pride of seeing Rabbi Friedman participate in the interfaith service last week. As usual, he spoke eloquently and from the heart, communicating an expansive notion of compassion and empathy for those who have recently suffered in Boston and around the country.
I'm writing now to let you know about an equal, though not as widely known, act of compassion. At some point heading into the weekend Rabbi Friedman learned that Trinity Church, in Back Bay, remained inaccessible for its Sunday morning worship service. In a magnanimous gesture, he offered the use of our Synagogue to Trinity Church.
At this Saturday's Torah Study, having just read Kedoshim (Lev 19:1-20:27), the Holiness Code, a few of us determined that rather than simply offering the use of our building to Trinity Church, that members of our congregation should personally welcome our guests. Welcoming the stranger goes to the heart of our Jewish values. With very short notice others joined us in this effort.
On Sunday morning, Rabbi Friedman and a number of Temple Israel members welcomed over 900 people to Temple Israel. The expression of gratitude on their part was overwhelming. Literally, some with tears in their eyes, shook our hands while offering thanks, many of whom noted some connection that they might have had to TI in the past ... a neighbor as a congregant, attending a lecture or a service, while others had commented that this was their first visit.
Moved by this expression of appreciation, I decided to stay for the full service. I can report the following:
Episcopalians sing their hymns with great gusto. The walls of our sanctuary reverberated in song. I couldn't help but think, with great empathy, of Cantor Einhorn sometimes struggling to coax a melody out of a reluctant congregation. Music can be spiritual. There is much to be learned.
The storied pulpit of Temple Israel was honored by Reverend Sam Lloyd's sermon. In the tradition of Rabbis Levi, Liebman, Gittelsohn and Mehlman and continued by our current clergy, the sermon was deeply theological, intellectually engaging and tremendously comforting and inspiring.
In attempting to reconcile the random acts of violence we all witnessed with the equally visible and more plentiful acts of heroism and kindness, Reverend Lloyd offered a textual analysis of the 23rd Psalm, and often quoted Harold Kushner's, When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Searching for an answer to the simple human question of "Where was God in this?". Our tradition echoed throughout his response.
In the midst of the Service, there was a spontaneous standing ovation offered for Temple Israel's gracious hospitality, and Rabbi Friedman was invited to the bimah (serving as a make-shift altar) and offered a community wide welcome as well as a few brief words of Torah.
The most impressive of all? Close to 900 hundred people in attendance. This was not Easter or Christmas, (nor Kol Nidre, for that matter) instead a regular Sunday worship service. Albeit a service after a trying week with explosions literally at the front door of their Church, so maybe it was not so regular. Nonetheless, 900 people came to their weekly worship service for comfort and solace. For so many, it was evident that "going to Church", observing their Sabbath, was not a special event, but rather part of their weekly rhythm. That is impressive. Here too, we have a lot to learn.
And finally, on a personal note, I currently spend most of my volunteer time as the President of the Jewish Outreach Institute, an organization focused on outreach to interfaith families and anyone who may perceive themselves on the margins or our community.
Sunday reminded me that Temple Israel is a beacon of outreach and welcoming; values at the core of our Jewish tradition. Rabbis Mehlman, Friedman, Zecher, Morrison, Soffer and Cantor Einhorn serve as teachers and mentors when it comes to extending a welcoming hand, a smile, and sincere expression of; "Welcome, we are so glad that you are here."
The gesture is so simple. The impact is profound.
On Sunday morning, Temple Israel's gates were wide open. We should all be proud. It was an honor to be part of this Temple Israel effort.
Sincerely,
Mitchell Shames
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