A Month Without Holidays

By Stan Schroeder

Congregation Shir Ami updates our website monthly (Gregorian calendar). I usually write about my reflections and personal philosophy of Jewish and U.S. holidays that occur during the month. This month of August is a rare month with no holidays of either kind. However our congregation changed its home after eleven years at Temple Kol Tikvah to Temple Ner Maarav as of July 1. We held our first Shabbat service there July 31.

In Ethics of our Fathers, Rabbi Yochanan asked of his five top students: "Go and see which is the best trait for a person to acquire." One of the students, Rabbi Yossi, felt that the most important "trait" for a person to acquire is a "good neighbor." Maimonides writes: "It is human nature that one's views and actions follow those of his acquaintances and fellows, and to behave like his fellow citizens. Therefore one must associate with righteous people..." Following this reasoning, the foremost Jewish consideration when contemplating relocation is the existence of a viable Torah observant community in the area.

Temple Kol Tikvah, a Reform congregation, has been cooperative and attentive to our needs during our time there. When we moved in as a new congregation after a difficult transition from Beth Ami to Shomrei Torah to Shir Ami, their Rabbi Steven Jacobs was helpful in getting us started on the right foot.

A major reason for our move at this time was the desire to move to a Conservative congregation with similar traditions and halachic customs. Our search committee found Temple Ner Maarav to meet our requirements, and to be welcoming to this relationship.

When dedicating a new home, the shehecheyanu blessing is recited.

Baruch Ata A-do-nai Elo-heinu Melech Haolam she-hech-e-ya-nu v'ki-ma-nu v'hi-gi-ya-nu li-z'man hazeh.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.

May both congregations be mutual friends and grow while continuing to provide a Torah home to their members and the community.

Board Meeting Dvar Torah (Shelach) June 2, 2010

This week’s parsha deals with the scouting of Canaan – The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Send men to scout the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelite people,” instructing Moses to send a man from each ancestral tribe.

Similarly we, the Board of Congregation Shir Ami, sent scouts to find a place in the Valley for a new Shir Ami home. From the tribe of Delman we sent Owen, from the tribe of Zatz we sent Jerry, and from other tribes we sent Ken and Ellen and Sherry and Jordan.

The scouts that Moses sent out came back and reported they had found a land of “milk and honey”; but some of the scouts said that the enemy was too strong to be overcome and many of the people said they wanted to return to Egypt.

Similarly, our scouts reported that they found a new location for our congregation; but some of our people said the problems were too strong to overcome, and they wanted to stay where they were or find a different place.

God was very much put out by the people who didn’t trust Him and wanted to return to Egypt, and told Moses He was going to destroy them. But Moses and Aaron pleaded with God to let the people live, and He agreed. But God said that none of the people could live in Canaan because of their actions.

Similarly, many trials and tribulations were encountered before we were able to convince all of our people that our new location, while not a land of milk and honey, would be a good place to go on with our synagogue life. However the people who objected to the move, unlike the Israelites who were denied living in Canaan, are welcome, as are all of our members, to enjoy our new home.

Harvey Cohen