• “Blacks and Jews and the Politics of Race” Erev Rosh Hashanah 2008

In July there was a segment on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (America’s late night go-to news source), in which a reporter went to South Florida to find out if Barack Obama can win the elderly Jewish vote. He gathered a focus group of retired Jews in a Boca Raton deli and asked if there was a problem between Jews and blacks. One woman responded “A lot of Jewish white folks here will not vote for a black man.” And though the Daily Show is comedic satire, in all seriousness a CNN commentator did say: “[The November election] is going to boil down to a few old Jews in Century City.” (more)

• “Entering the Mishkan” Rosh Hashanah 2008

We are hoping that sometime this fall, our order of Mishkan T’filah will arrive. Last April we ordered 300 copies of the new Reform prayerbook, presuming that we’d have them this summer, planning to introduce them this month. But the second printing was sold out, and we’re now waiting for our copies from the third printing. Perhaps by December 1. We’ll keep you posted.

We’ve been speaking and writing about the new siddur for two years. We’ve used both the experimental and the final version during Shabbat morning and Friday evening services, and it has been well received. It does have a different lay-out from our current Gates of Prayer, and it takes a time or two to get used to—but Cantor Sharlein and I are confident that our congregation will appreciate the changes and additions. Those of you who were here 30 years ago when Gates of Prayer was introduced will remember that a lot of folks were not happy then, about that change: it was too heavy, it was too “Orthodox”, it was too confusing. Switching to Mishkan T’filah will be much smoother. Cantor Sharlein and I are anxious to bring it into the congregation and to explore the possibilities of prayer that the new siddur offers.
In publishing this new Reform prayerbook, some of my colleagues wrote that Mishkan T’filah will bring our members back into the sanctuary, will re-vitalize our worship services and make prayer a more personally satisfying experience. I don’t believe that. I think we do have a problem with prayer and worship, with faith and belief, in our Reform Movement-- but the publication of this new siddur is not going to make much of a difference. Those of us who are already engaged and energized by prayer and worship will feel even more connected as we explore the possibilities of Mishkan T’filah, but the novelty of a new siddur will not, in and of itself, make much of a difference to those of us who are not already so engaged. (more)

• “American Jews and Israel: Revising the Vision” Erev Yom Kippur 2008

For almost 2000 years Jewish communities have echoed the refrain “Next year in Jerusalem.” Sixty years ago, with the rebirth of the State of Israel, its founders fully expected that all Jews would move there. The Zionist narrative, popular among the pioneers before the turn of the 20th century, and enshrined in the folk-philosophy of Ben-Gurion and his generation, proclaimed that with the resurrection of the Jewish State, Israel would surely become the creative, cultural, intellectual and religious center for all Jews everywhere. Their narrative did not allow for a vibrant and self-sufficient Jewish community outside of Israel. The Zionists believed that within a few years of the rebirth of the Jewish state-- Diaspora Jewish life, for all intents and purposes, would come to an end. (more)

• “Fear, Faith, Death and Resurrection” Yom Kippur 2008

On the morning of Rosh Hashanah I spoke about the new Reform prayerbook Mishkan T’filah-- that we had expected our ordered copies to arrive this summer, to be dedicated and introduced this month—they didn’t, and we won’t. I’m hoping for a January dedication. I spoke on Rosh Hashanah about the new layout of the siddur, that it will have a very different “look” than our current Gates of Prayer.

When the first draft came to us from the editors perhaps five years ago, two words in the prayer of Gevurote created a nation-wide uproar with much “wailing and gnashing of teeth” (to quote New Testament). The editors’ sin was that they had suggested we return to the traditional text of the second prayer of the Amidah, the one that begins “Ata gibor l’olam Adonai…” That prayer was first modified in the Union Prayer Book about 100 years ago, and continued into Gates of Prayer to read: “Eternal is Your power O Lord, You who give life to all are mighty to save” Ata gibor l’olam Adonai, m’chayay hakol ata rav l’hoshia. But in the traditional siddur the rabbinic text is “Eternal is Your power O Lord, You who give life to the dead are mighty to save”. And the prayer ends “Praised are You Adonai who gives life to the dead.” Baruch ata Adonai, m’chayay metim. We, Reform Jews have however, always concluded m’chayay hakol in Hebrew, “who gives life to all”, but often translated in our prayerbook as “the Source of Life”. (more)