Some Interesting Washington Receptions

October 3, 1990, is the date that Germany celebrates the unification of East and West Germany. On October 3, 2011 the German embassy sponsored a celebration at the residence of the German ambassador. It was a somewhat surrealistic experience to be a guest at the residence of the German ambassador in Washington for such a celebration, but such is the extent of the reconciliation between Germany and the Jewish people, some 66 years after the end of World War II and the end of the Holocaust.

The following week I was invited to a small reception at the home of the Vice President to celebrate the Jewish new year. We gathered outside on the patio near the pool on a beautiful evening. Vice President Biden spoke extemporaneously about his strong affinity for the Jewish people. He said the thing that he, “an Irish Catholic boy,” admires so much about the Jewish community is that “it always thinks about others and how to improve the world.” Using the Hebrew term, “Tikkun olam,” he acknowledged that the Jews have a right to be bitter, but instead are always hopeful and thinking about how to help the rest of the world. He also spoke of his concern about the attempts to isolate and delegitimize the State of Israel.

Needless to say, it is always still a thrill to receive an invitation to go to the White House. However, since I have been to the White House a few times and had never been to the residence of the Vice President, I was especially excited and looking forward to attending a small reception in September at his home for American Jewish community leaders.

When we came through the receiving line to have our picture taken with him, I told the Vice President how much we appreciated his heartfelt words and that I would even incorporate some of what he said into one of my High Holiday sermons. I asked him if he was misquoted in the New York Times article the previous week which said that he was strongly opposed to the granting of a pardon for Jonathan Pollard. He told me that he was not misquoted and that he felt strongly about this issue. As he continued the conversation I was uncomfortable since there were a number of other people waiting in line to have to their picture taken with him, and I had not studied the issue well enough to be able to have an in-depth conversation about the matter. I told him that I would welcome the opportunity to speak about it in further detail with him at a later time, and he said he would welcome it. I gave him my card – we will see what happens.

Response to NY Times Editorial

October 27, 2011

Mr. Arthur O. Sulzberger, Jr.

Publisher

The New York Times

620 Eight Avenue

New York, NY 10018

Dear Mr. Sulzberger,

I am writing to let you know how appalled I was by the insensitivity of The New York Times editorial following the release of Gilad Shalit (October 18, 2011). This was a difficult gut-wrenching decision which touched raw nerves and raised difficult issues which required grappling with difficult sensitive matters for Israeli society. The nation and its leaders were forced to weigh the difficult decision of whether or not to release unrepentant terrorists convicted of acts of murder for one Israeli soldier. Interestingly, despite the fact that polls indicated over 50% of the country felt that the release of over 1,000 convicted terrorists would pose a security risk for Israel, nevertheless, 79% of the public supported the action.

Rather than focus on the decency, humanity and difficulty of the decision or the moral issues it raised, you chose to view it exclusively from a political perspective. Rather than highlight the contrast between barbaric actions of the freed prisoners and their reception and the mood in Israel, you chose to focus on how this action would affect Prime Minister Netanyahu’s political standing and posturing.

While Israel wanted to make a deal due to concern over the uncertainty of the future nature of the Egyptian government, the truth is, it was Hamas, who weighed political concerns and agreed to terms they had previously rejected in order to boost their position and to weaken the Palestinian Authority.

Instead of mentioning any of this, you cynically contend that Prime Minister Netanyahu would prefer to deal with Hamas. You also write with certainty what his future intentions are. I thought you only report (or misreport) current affairs and offer editorial comments. I did not know that The New York Times is also capable of reading minds.

All I can say from the bottom of my heart and with true sincerity is – shame on you for such an insensitive and truly obnoxious editorial, the most offensive I can ever recall reading in your paper.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt

Director, Israel Policy and Advocacy

Rabbinical Assembly

Chairman, Rabbinic Cabinet

Jewish Federations of North America

My Recurring Dream

I had my recurring dream the other night, the one which comes especially this time of year. There are variations of the dream, but the scenario is always the same. This time, I dreamt that I suddenly realized at 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon that it was first day of Rosh Hashana and that I had forgotten to let the cantor and members of the congregation know that I would not be there for the first day of the holiday. Variations of this dream are that it is the High Holidays and I am standing in front of the congregation and left my sermon either on my desk at home or in my office, or that I have not yet written or completed writing it. I always wake up in a panic and am relieved to discover it was merely a bad dream and not reality.

I will leave it to the disciples of Freud to interpret this dream. I interpret it as meaning that the holidays will soon be upon us and that I must begin preparing for them, or I won’t be ready.

For me, getting ready for the holidays entails deciding which of the themes that I have thought about all year long I am going to address in my sermons. It means reviewing the liturgy and prayer book. I meet with the staff to be sure that the logistical arrangements are taken care of so that all will go smoothly. I also make a point of studying and reading either new materials or reviewing texts and books which I have previously learned in order to help to put me in the mood and proper frame of mind.

But it is not only rabbis who need to prepare for the holidays. Each and every one of us can benefit from preparing. Just as athletes stretch and warm up prior to taking the field and musicians have their routine to warm up before they begin their work, similarly, we can learn from them the importance of advance preparation as we approach the holidays. In fact, a story in the Talmud and attributed to the Hasidic Masters as well, tells us of sages who pointedly would prepare for prayer by spending an hour or so meditating before they would begin their worship.

There are any of a numbers of ways to begin to prepare for the holidays. One way is to think and reflect on the themes of the season – return, repentance, Teshuvah, new beginnings and reconnecting with family and tradition are a few of them. Another way to explore the meaning of the season is by reading about it.

And hopefully if you do all this, you will be ready and won’t wake up in a cold sweat worrying that you missed the High Holidays.

What I Told our Kids about the Terror Attacks in Israel

After the recent terrorist attack in Jerusalem and murder of the members of the Fogel family in the Israeli settlement of Itamar, I spoke with the children in our religious school about these acts of violence.

I told them that one of the first stories I learned from the Midrash when I was in rabbinical school, and one which I have frequently told, is the one which likens the people of Israel to a lamb. We are compared to a lamb because a lamb is a fragile and sensitive animal. Anytime any one part of the lamb feels pain, the entire animal feels that pain. The rabbis teach that this is also true for the Jewish people.

I told the children that we are an extended family. Whenever any of our people are hurt or attacked, we all experience the pain and sense of loss, just like the lamb. I made a point of telling them, “I tell you this not to scare or frighten you. You should never be scared to visit Israel or think it is an unsafe place.” Rather, I explained, I shared this with them so that they would always understand that we are one people and that whatever happens to a Jew anywhere in the world, affects all of us since we have a shared fate and common destiny.

I took the time to do this because I think it is important, especially in these times when there are concerns about people not having a strong connection to the State of Israel, that rabbis do all we can to help to educate our youth and young people to understand that we are one people. Rather than merely lament the diminishing of the connection, rabbis must lead and do all that we can to strengthen and educate our congregants to appreciate this bond.

I concluded by telling our children, “Hopefully many, many years from now, you will still remember the message I have tried to impart to you and will always understand your responsibility to and for your fellow Jews.”

A New “Mah Nishtana:” Four Questions for Our Time

Prepared by Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt
April 18, 2011
As a supplement which you may use at your seder

Bechol haleilot, On all other nights we eat hurried and rushed meals. Haleila hazeh, Tonight we are gathered together as a family without other distractions.

What can we do to strengthen our bonds as a family and to ensure that we focus our attention and time on the ones we love?

Bechol haleilot, On all other nights we speak about mundane matters. Haleila hazeh, Tonight we retell the story of our history and emergence as a people.

What can we do to ensure the survival of the Jewish people so that the generations that come after us will also gather and tell our story and feel it is theirs?

Bechol haleilot, On all other nights we may not be particular in regard to what we eat. Haleila hazeh, Tonight we are guided by Jewish law and focus on eating only what is permitted.

What Jewish customs, practices and observances can we try to perform on a more regular basis?

Bechol haleilot, On all other nights we do not think of our past, our origins or where we came from. Haleila hazeh, Tonight we are reminded we were once slaves.

What does this mean, and how can we transform this message into showing compassion for others?