Rabbi Z Blog

HaShem's own mikvah

2008-09-18T14:28:00.001+08:00

Things have been incredibly hectic as we try to get settled in a new home and I try to get settled in a new congregation at the same time. It has been hard to find time blog. This doesn’t mean that life has not been “blog-able”. It certainly has been.

For example....

Soon after Typhoon Nuri passed, Rabbi Martha and I officiated at our first conversions at the UJC. Rabbi Joel Oseran, a former UJC Rabbi who returned to Hong Kong for a “tour of duty” on an interim basis, was the Av Beit Din, as he had been working with our candidates. For reasons that I will not go into at the moment, there is no mikveh that the UJC can use for conversions. This is not to say there is no mikveh for us at all, just not one built by human hands. Our mikveh is the South China Sea.

So on a clear, storm-washed Sunday morning we assembled at Nam Wan, South Bay Beach (pictured above). It is a gorgeous, serene spot. A pacific reef egret was patrolling along the breakwater and a fishing boat was trolling just outside the shark net as we brought two beautiful souls tachat canfei haShechinah, under the wings of the divine presence. The beauty of the setting truly matched the beauty of the experience.

It is logistically a bit more difficult to use the ocean as our mikveh, but certainly worth the effort. This mikveh belongs to no one but God. It transcends all categories and barriers. What better place to become a Jew than in these waters that allude so eloquently to the boundless and unfathomable love of HaShem?

Nuri's Passage

2008-08-23T06:55:00.002+08:00

The worst of the storm is over for Hong Kong, although we are under signal 3, meaning there are still some strong winds. Apparently the signal 9 conditions that prevailed yesterday are relatively rare for Hong Kong and this was the strongest typhoon to hit Hong Kong in years. Read this Reuters story for an account of the damage. We were quite insulated from the storm in our building, but could hear the winds and see the chop in Victoria Harbor. The winds were strong enough to bring down the bamboo scaffolding that is used even in high rise construction here in Hong Kong.

Typhoon Nuri

2008-08-22T15:52:00.001+08:00

Here is the storm track of Typhoon Nuri. The asterisk is Hong Kong. What this mostly means is that the city is shut down and people are staying at home. In Baton Rouge we would be sweltering in the dark by now, but here the utilities are underground. The storm was upgraded from a signal 8 to a signal 9 a few hours ago. The Hong Kong observatory says that the center will be passing over Hong Kong in the next few hours.

Getting our Bearings

2008-08-21T23:34:00.002+08:00

While most of our time these days has been spent getting our life in order, we have also been able to do a bit of exploring of our fascinating new home. Last Sunday, we truly gained some perspective when new friend and congregant Fiona took us up for a walk around Victoria Peak. The views were a stunning reminder that pulsing urban streetscapes are only part of life on this island. (See below from more photos). The walk was a bit shvitzy, but certainly worth it. The peak is still Hong Kong, so our little hike ended at a cafe overlooking Lama Island. Sitting outside in the relatively cool air, you would never know that nearly 7 million people were a short tram or taxi ride away.

For the 1% of the miniscule readership of this blog who are bird nerds, I also have to report that I got a life bird from the tram on the way up to the Peak-- the oriental magpie robin.

As I am writing this, typhoon Nuri is heading for Hong Kong. I thought I had left menacing storms with names behind, but apparently not. UJC office wonder woman, Nancy assures me that there is no need to buy massive quantities of batteries and bottled water. Even if signal 8 is raised (HK lingo for a storm serious enough to close schools and public transportation) the local Wellcome will still be open. As Hong Kong utilities are underground, typhoons don’t knock out the power.

I close this ramble with thanks to Nancy and Charlene from the UJC office who have been answering many stupid questions about the practicalities of life in Hong Kong. They have removed many obstacles for us with grace and good will and we are deeply grateful.

Victoria Harbor from the Peak

Lantau Island from the Peak. The white structure in the distance is Space Mountain at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Still Jet Lagging

2008-08-13T12:09:00.002+08:00

We have arrived at our new home in Hong Kong, but are still suffering from the time warp. That’s why I am writing at four in the morning. Of the four of us, only Daughter Zamek is still asleep.

Yesterday morning I had my coffee and watched the container ships and ferries in Victoria Harbor. As I was watching a sulfur-crested cockatoo flew into view and landed on the satellite dish of a neighboring building. I hope I never take all this for granted.

We are just starting to feel well enough to venture out into Hong Kong. The need for some computer equipment took us to Wan Chai yesterday. I wish my compugeek friends were here to see the Wan Chai Computer Mall. They would go in and never be seen again. The heat and the crowds in Wan Chai were a little overwhelming for the kids, but we discovered that Son Zamek, despite his tender age and the fact that he has never lived in a large city, knows how to hail a cab.

More later when my mind catches up with my body.

Come back Tony, come back!

2008-08-06T21:30:00.000+08:00

I am a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain’s Travel Channel television show, No Reservations. I first saw the show when we were stuck overnight in Cortez, Colorado after I seriously miscalculated how long it would take us to get from Taos to Mesa Verde. We didn’t reach the park until after the last tours of the ruins had already departed, so we needed to crash for the night. We got a hotel room in Cortez and then I went out to fetch food and new gatkes. As we were eating our take-out and channel surfing, we came across the first episode of No Reservations. I was immediately hooked. The show has everything I like: travel, food, and amusing snarkiness. I have watched the show ever since that first episode (Paris). Bourdain’s mantra, “Be a Traveler, Not a Tourist,” inspired one of my High Holiday sermons two years ago.

So I had huge expectations this past week for Bourdain’s episode on the American Southwest. This is holy ground for me. After watching the show on TiVo when we were collapsed from packing I say to Bourdain: Go back Tony, you missed the good stuff!

There was a good segment on the town of Hatch, N.M., home of the best chili peppers in the world. It was fitting that Tony ate some “red” and some “green” while in the Land of Enchantment. But where was the appreciation for New Mexico’s rich Native American or Colonial Spanish culture? How can you do a show on the cuisine and culture of the Southwest and miss Rancho de Chimayo, the family owned restaurant that introduced New Mexico’s unique food traditions to the world? Where was the Horno baked bread? Why no visit to one of New Mexico’s incredible farmer’s markets? I expected to see Tony sampling chokecherry jelly or heirloom apples or biscochitos. And let’s face it. Going to New Mexico and not eating heuvos rancheros at Michael’s Kitchen in Taos is just tragic.

The real heartbreaker was the whitewater rafting segment. I started screaming to the family to look closely at the screen at this point. There was a shot of Bourdain driving up the red dirt road along the Rio Chama. I had high hopes that Bourdain was going to drive to the end of that road. The Monastery of Christ in the Desert was there waiting for him-- a real traveler’s oasis. But it didn’t happen. It was just fun and sun in the Chama canyon.

Even though I was disappointed by the superficial treatment of New Mexico, my Michigander’s soul did respond to Bourdain’s visit with Ted Nugent at his place in Waco, TX. Still, the episode left me with an empty place that will only be filled when Tony returns to New Mexico. I know he can do better. After all, he is a traveler, not a tourist.

Moving Day

2008-08-05T20:39:00.000+08:00

Nine years of accumulated possessions are now in boxes awaiting the shipping container that will take them on the long, slow trip to Hong Kong.
Like most Americans, we just have too much stuff. Even after winnowing down, after numerous trips to St. Vincent DePaul, the house still looks like a warehouse this morning.

A big part of the problem is my sentimentality. It just kills me to part with anything that embodies even the smallest episode in our family’s story.
An example: I came across a bright yellow plastic, bird shaped pitcher as we frantically prepared for the arrival of the movers. For some reason, this was Daughter Zamek’s favorite toy when she was toddler. I held the pitcher in my hand. I remembered. I kept it. It is not going to Hong Kong, but it is not headed to the thrift store or a landfill either.

Tonight is our last in the house. After today we will be refugees, crashing with the R. family until our departure date. This is only fitting since our two families have merged over the years. We are a kind of clan. It’s such a shame that tunnel we planned to build between our houses was never completed.

We still have some last things to do in Baton Rouge. I need to hit Frank’s again at least once. I am not sure that they really do have the best biscuits in the world, but they are definitely in the running. Beignets at Coffee Call are a must. A last lunch with my Rabbi, Unitarian Rev. Steve is firming up. And there will be just too many good-byes.

To my mishpocha at Beth Shalom I repeat the words I left you with when I gave my last drasha back in June:

We are not leaving here empty handed. We take many blessings with us. This has been R’s only home and the only home A. remembers and they have been given a tremendous start in life from their years of growing and learning here. Baton Rouge has become a part of them. My baby girl says y’all very naturally and my boy has a strange attraction to Camo. And they have both learned what it means to be in the loving embrace of community.
Martha and I too leave dear friends and a home we have loved. We have lived a lot of life together-- your families and mine-- times of real serenity and times of true turmoil. I have had the sad, but sacred duty of laying many of our founding generation to rest and I have watched a new generation of leaders rise to ably take their place. I am especially grateful to my presidents-- Bob who brought me here, Steve W., Debbie C., Laurie M. and Linda P. who have taken on the rewarding, but often thankless job of leading the congregation.
Being your Rabbi has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. I thank you for what you have taught me. I thank you for your friendship. It has been---- Tov.

David Zweig on NPR

2008-07-30T23:48:00.000+08:00

I was listening to Morning Edition on NPR this morning and heard a familiar voice: My UJC congregant David Zweig talking about the thinking behind China’s restrictive visa policies--

David Zweig, a professor at the University of Science and Technology in Hong Kong, says the Chinese Government is nervous.
"On the one hand, there is a sense of pride in how successful China has been. But at the same time, there is an insecurity that there are a lot of problems and the West will highlight those problems — and those problems will be what people remember rather than the success," Zweig says.

Cameron Revisited

2008-07-30T23:23:00.000+08:00

On my birding trip last weekend (described in the post below) I went through the town of Cameron, Louisiana on the Gulf Coast. Cameron was devastated by hurricane Rita in 2005. I had not been there since. While there has been some rebuilding in the town, I still saw much that saddened me. There are many lots where only a foundation slab remains. The fishing pier near the Cameron Jetty was heavily damaged and has not yet been repaired. The navigation buoys thrown up onto the beach attest to the power of this storm. It has been three years since Rita, the Gulf Coast’s forgotten hurricane. Cameron and its surrounding small towns seem to me to be a long way from full recovery.

The following photos speak for themselves.

A typical eerie sight in Cameron-- the house is gone, but the live oaks that surrounded it survived.

God bless them, wherever they are.

Cameron Jetty today

Cameron Jetty, pre-Rita

This was our regular gas and food stop on birding trips to the coast.

Signs of hope

Some birding before my migration

2008-07-30T22:30:00.000+08:00

The family was in Lake Charles this past weekend, taking the opportunity to hang out with the R. family. While Casinos really are not my style, I will admit to enjoying the hotel’s “lazy river” pool and the swim-up bar. But then shpilkes seized me and I headed out for a full day of solo birding.

As I was staying in Lake Charles, I was able to hit Sabine, Lacassine, and Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuges. It was farewell tour through some places I love. I had a joyous day indulging in pure birding geekitude. My route took me past Lake Charles and down through Sabine NWR to the gulf. I took the Cameron Ferry (there are no bridges south of Lake Charles) across the Calcasieu channel and then headed north through Cameron Prairie NWR and then east to the Lacassine Pool.

It was not a spectacular day in terms of species seen. Also, I am a hack birder, as much as I enjoy it. Without Joe K. (Bwana Joe) I saw much I could not identify. Still, the marshes were beautiful and birdy enough to keep me interested.

Louisiana’s scenery is an acquired taste, I think. It has no mountains or canyons that impose themselves on the viewer. But if one slows down enough to look, this land has its own beauty.

Sabine NWR

Tri-Colored Heron, Sabine NWR

Exchange of Blessings

2008-07-22T23:03:00.000+08:00

On Sunday we took a drive up to EquiTerra Farm in Clinton, LA to pick some blueberries and figs. This is really the end of the blueberries, but we did manage to get a nice big bowl-full before the effort involved and the heat sapped the kids’ enthusiasm for the outing. The fig trees scented the air with their perfume, which made it all the more disappointing that someone had beaten us to EquiTerra and had taken everything that was ripe.

Just before we got home we crossed paths with Cruz, my Harley driving Hasid. He followed us into the driveway on his bike. Cruz has been trying to give us something since my last service at Beth Shalom on 20th of June-- something he could not carry and drive the motorcycle. He asked me if I could meet him back to his apartment.

When I got there Cruz was waiting for me in the parking lot with his gift. He gave us a beautiful Mordechai Rosenstein print. Rosenstein builds his work around quotes from TaNaKH and other sifrei kodesh. This piece includes a quotation from the Zohar: Brich Shmei D’Marei Alma---Blessed is the Name of the Master of the Universe.

This is a touching gift, particularly as I know that Cruz bought this piece for himself when Mordechai Rosenstein visited Beth Shalom as Artist-in-Residence. I am sure it was not easy to part with.

We talked for a while, then Cruz asked me to bless him. I did, right there in the parking lot, among the discarded Modelo cans and with the traffic going by on Government Street.

I am going to miss this gentle soul, who calls me “Chacham“ instead of Rabbi. He is a true pilgrim. I expect to see him one day walking the streets of Jerusalem or coming down Castle Steps to come to shul in Hong Kong-- an Elijah in motorcycle boots.

Birding on the Levee

2008-07-20T21:25:00.000+08:00

Even though there has been great deal of development along the River Road in recent years, “the country” is still a short drive from my house. My boy and I headed out there yesterday for some birding along the levee. With the big move looming, I am not sure how many more chances we will have.

You never know what you might see out there. Bald Eagle is on my Baton Rouge list, after former Beth Shalom member Jason W. and I saw one birding at Richfield River Silt some years ago. We did pretty well this time. We saw a small flock of White Ibis, two Great Egrets, and a Green Heron in one small pond on the river side of the levee. The boy predictably did not want walk very far. It was Africa hot. We transitioned to some car birding and cruised through the LSU farms where we saw black necked stilt and two Little Blue Herons standing like two soldiers at attention by the edge of a flooded rice field. Stocky Cattle Egrets were everywhere, living up to their name as they followed the cows through the pastures. The cattle, the white birds surrounding them, the tall grass, the widely dispersed trees hung with Spanish moss created a lazy Louisiana Serengeti. It was a scene that Audubon might have painted as a background for “the Cattle Egret,” had the birds found their way to North America a century or so before their first appearance here in the 1940s.

The River Road has for years been the place I go for a quick sip of serenity-- a place to go to feel “away”. Moving means finding new places of local pilgrimage. This entails both loss and the excitement of new explorations to come. I don’t think we feel at home in a place until we claim pieces of the landscape-- until we plant our flag and say “this place is mine.”

The Center of the Universe

2008-07-19T01:24:00.000+08:00

On a pre-move visit to Tulsa to see the relatives I made pilgrimage to the Center of the Universe. Many thanks to my nephew Nathan and to a good friend known as “Little Donut” for taking me to this holy place. It is pictured here. If one stands on the manhole cover one’s voice reverberates around the plaza in such a way as to evoke awe and wonder. Also pictured, Nate and Donita channeling the power of the Center of the Universe.

When you are inevitably drawn to make pilgrimage to Tulsa, don’t miss McNellie’s Public House , a great pub in downtown Tulsa. Many thanks to Nathan for introducing me to the place. It is a comfortable spot for a bite and a pint. They have a ridiculous number of fine beers on draught. Nate and I have temporarily escaped family and responsibility at McNellie’s many times over the years.

Cramming on China

2008-07-17T07:26:00.000+08:00

I have been trying to read up on China, for obvious reasons. Life is too frazzled with the packing to do this in any kind of systematic way, so I have been cruising Barnes & Noble and grabbing what interests me. I just finished a wonderful book called American Shaolin, by Matthew Polly. The book recounts Polly’s sometimes harrowing adventures as he studied Kung Fu for a year with the famous Shaolin Monks. This is vicarious travel at its best, with many “better him than me” moments. His account of a horrific visit to a rural hospital was particularly memorable. It was truly awful experience, but Polly still makes you laugh, somewhat guilty, when he tells the story. Polly clearly had a great deal of affection and respect for his coaches and fellow students. This goodwill comes through in his writing, but the book is still gritty and unsentimental. I recommend it.

In a very different vein, Martha and I have been listening to Simon Winchester read his book, The Man Who Loved China, about pioneering China scholar Joseph Needham. We listened to a good chunk of the book on our recent trip to Tulsa. We liked it so much that we just bought a copy for our library. More on this later.

All Blessings

Reviving the Blog

2008-07-14T03:56:00.000+08:00

I am going to try once again to revive my blog. There should be plenty to write about. Whether anyone will be interested in reading is an open question.

There have been many changes in our lives since I last wrote. After nine years, I have left Beth Shalom Synagogue for a new congregation-- the United Jewish Congregation of Hong Kong. When we decide to move on, we do not fool around.

My last service at Beth Shalom was June 20th. The Beth Shalom Mishpacha threw a wonderful farewell oneg for us. We leave behind many dear friends. It was deeply gratifying that so many people came to share this milestone with us and to say good-bye. We cherish them all. If any of you are reading this-- I thank you once again for the privilege of being your Rabbi and for the home you made for us in Baton Rouge. You are coming with us within the treasury of the heart.

At present we are in the packing stage--not a lot of fun. By early August we should be in Hong Kong. I intend to keep writing as we explore our new home and as I settle in as the UJC’s new Rabbi. Expect posts about life in Hong Kong, as well as the usual random observations. I know that I will have two dedicated readers-- my father and Jessica R., who insists that my blogging is somehow a good thing.
All Blessings
Rabbi Z.

The Monastery--First Episode

2006-10-25T11:43:00.000+08:00

Late Sunday night I watched the first episode of the TLC show “The Monastery.” It was a treat to see and hear the brothers of Christ in the Desert. Watching the show made me want to return to this holy and beautiful place.

Hearing the monks talk about monastic life and the Rule of Benedict is definitely my favorite part of the show. The visitors who have made a commitment to live as the monks do for 40 days are less interesting. Two of them behave like louts. But this is a 10 week series and I imagine that the people and the place will eventually move them in some way.

After I watched the show, I sent an email to the monastery expressing my appreciation for the kindness and hospitality I enjoyed as a guest at the monastery. I got a lovely note in return from Abbot Philip.

I was a bit worried about how the producers would present the monks and monastic life, but it is beautifully done. The show is no “Survivor.” Watching it may make you want to spend a few days as a guest at this special place.

Sermon Sources 2

2006-10-17T06:00:00.000+08:00

Just before Simchat Torah, I gave a little drash on the importance of the Sefer Torah as a physical object. I drew on Nicholas Basbanes book, A Splendor of Letters: The Permanence of Books in an Impermanent World, in my discussion of the complex interplay between the content of the Torah text and its physical form. See chapter 7, “The Ingenious Cipher, on this question.

Basbanes’ book is bibliophile ice cream. There are a number of nuggets of Jewish interest, including the story of how the Sarajevo Haggadah was saved from destruction during the recent war in Bosnia.

When I finished the book I ran right out and bought two of Basbanes other books on books. I am sure these will be cropping up in drashot in the coming months.

Christ in the Desert Reality Show

2006-10-11T20:09:00.000+08:00

I was watching The Learning Channel last night when I saw a series of familiar faces from this past summer flicker across the screen--the monks of Christ in the Desert. I was seeing a promo for a new show called “the Monastery” that is to air on October 22nd. The Benedictines are doing a reality show, of a sort.

It was strange to see Fr. Christian, the Abbot, and other monks I interacted with and talked about on Rosh HaShanah on television. Ayelet thought there was something wrong with me as I was screaming: “I know that guy.I talked to him! Look there is the church!”

I have no idea what this show will be like, but I certainly plan to TiVo it. Here is a link to get more information on the show:http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/monastery/monastery.html

Sermon Sources 1

2006-10-08T07:50:00.000+08:00

I thought for time to time I would post some of the articles, books, etc. I reference in preaching. Here is a first installment.

A bit before High Holidays I did a sermon on the ethics of meat eating. Michael Pollan’s book was an excellent resource. It is a fascinating book and it may change what you choose to eat. Certainly it will make you more reflective about this most basic need. Reflection, I believe, is one of the aims of the Jewish way of eating.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am, like Pollan a carnivore, although my prey is limited by kashrut and his is not, as evidenced in his chapter about hunting and eating wild pigs.

2006-10-07T21:02:00.000+08:00

I still have enough Yankee in me that I expect that by the time we reach Sukkot it should feel like fall. It has been looking like fall. To the extent that the leaves fall and/or turn colors down here they have started to do that. The light in the afternoon is the right deep gold. But let’s face it, it has been too hot.

Just as Sukkot was coming in, however, the weather started to break. This morning it is deliciously cool and while the expected high is not fallish by an ex-Michiganders standards, I will take it.

It was pleasant last night too as we gathered to decorate the sukkah. We davened in the sukkah by candlelight. It was lovely.

Sukkot, of course, is one of the chagim--the three ancient pilgrimage festivals. These days the pilgrimage is largely symbolic. We move from the comfort and security of our homes to the purposely flimsy shelter we have erected in the “wilderness.” In physical space our pilgrimage amounted to a few steps from the social hall to the sukkah, but still it was wilderness in that it was an environment largely out of our control. The temperature, the breeze, the bugs (blessedly few) were not subject to any adjustment to suit our needs or desires. Gathered close together in the candlelight, I felt connected to our tribal ancestors and got a taste of how intensely they must have experienced this time of year.

By the time I got home the Sukkot moon was bright in the sky. I looked at it for a while through the sugarcane schach of my sukkah. While I can look at my calendar and know the date, this sight is the more ancient and truer sign that the zman simchateinu, the season of our rejoicing, has come.

Sweet Sukkot

2006-10-07T06:47:00.000+08:00

I realized quite late that we had not made arrangements to get schach for the shul’s sukkah. I made an emergency call to Elton and Doris W. whose family connection to the sugarcane growing country around Livonia have served us well in the past. Elton showed up the next day with a pick-up full of sugarcane for the sukkah. Thanks to him, our sukkah will be authentically Louisianan. The cane gives the sukkah a uniquely tropical feel. It seems right to fulfill the mitzvah of rejoicing in the sukkah with the gifts of this particular land.

Elton also came with a gift: A huge bag of raw sugar right off the conveyor belt at the mill. It filled my office with a vanilla like smell. The taste was rich and syrupy. It was a very kind and appropriate gift for this time of year when we are bound to notice the Creation and celebrate its goodness.

Taste and know that the Lord is sweet.

Story in the San Francisco

2006-09-06T02:21:00.000+08:00

Reporter Dan Pine recently interviewed me for a “Rita--one year later” story. The story is quite good, but I wish he had reminded Bay Area readers of the help we had received from our friends in San Francisco and Berkeley.

Read the story at http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/30067/format/html/displaystory.html

Shabbat at Camp

2006-07-08T10:48:00.000+08:00

First session and our time here are both winding down. Shabbat evening at camp was beautiful as usual. During services, Tessa, the art director, created a painting illustrating the story “If Not Higher” about the mysterious Rabbi of Nemirov. Meanwhile, behind the chapel, the geese skated noiselessly across the lake, while the swallows zoomed in pursuit of mosquitos and three massive vultures found their roosts for the night.

Last night Martha, Rabbi Jeff Kurz-Lendner, and I spoke to the URJ Mitzvah Corps. They are in the region to do volunteer reconstruction work and to see the state of the Gulf region first-hand. We told stories of Katrina and Rita and showed them the Beth Shalom DVD “From Katrina to Rita.”

The educational and spiritual program at Henry S. Jacobs is the strongest I have ever seen. Great and meaningful work is being done here on behalf of our children.

Reviving the Blog

2006-07-04T08:29:00.000+08:00

I have intended for some time to begin blogging again. I have not written since March. There has been plenty of things to write about, but no time to actually sit and do it.

I recently returned from a solo trip to New Mexico, the highlight of which was the five days I spent with the Benedictine Brothers of the Monastery of Christ in the Desert (more about this later) in the spectacular Chama Canyon Wilderness. See the photo above.

Right now I am up at Jacobs Camp with Martha and Rachamim for my week on faculty. We arrived yesterday afternoon, but within a few hours I was in the car driving back to Baton Rouge. The synagogue was vandalized some time between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. I wanted to be on hand when the Rayner parents arrived this morning. Windows can be fixed and no one was present when the crime was committed, but it is still sickening to think that anyone would want to deliberately damage our shul.

We have seen all the Baton Rouge kids at camp and they are all having a great time.

Each year there is something new here at Jacobs. This year I am kvelling over the fact that I can get wireless internet in my cabin (Rachamim calls it the “cabinet.” This is different as well. Last year we stayed in a “cabbage”.

San Francisco II

2006-03-29T02:54:00.000+08:00

Our major fundraising event on the San Francisco trip was a presentation Sunday night, March 26th at Town’s End Restaurant & Bakery. The restaurant is owned by friends and Sherith Israel congregants David and Mary Sperber. They generously opened their restaurant for this private gathering and donated an incredible spread besides. Town’s End is the place for Sunday brunch in San Francisco, so I know Mary and David were exhausted when they reopened at 5 for us. Many, many thanks. Any Beth Shalomite who visits San Francisco is obligated to eat at Town’s End. Not that this is any hardship---Mary and David’s food is the best.

More than sixty people, including Rabbis Raphael and Weiner, came to hear our story. It was clear they were moved by what they heard and what they saw in the DVD. Everyone contributed and most took multiple copies of the materials, including the DVD, to show to friends. Rabbi Raphael took almost everything we had left to continue his assistance to us. Again--a mentsch.

I saw too many old friends to mention them all here. It was particularly good to shmooze with fellow former Sherith Israel staff members, like Gail R. Here husband Art is a synagogue administrator and he was dismayed to learn that he is using the same insurance carrier that we had. Svetlana and Bob, a couple I married just before we left San Francisco were at the gathering, with their two children. How swiftly the time goes.

Immediately after the event, Bob and I headed for the Oakland Airport to begin our journey home. We brought a bundle of checks with us as well as the good wishes and support of Sherith Israel.

On the whole, our visit to the Bay Area was productive and very moving. We will never forget the kindness and generosity we experienced.

Berkeley

2006-03-29T02:23:00.000+08:00

Thanks to Laura G., of my Chochmat HaLev chevre, we were able to tell the Beth Shalom story in Berkeley as well as in San Francisco. Our event was on Saturday night, March 25th at the home of Margie W. and Daniel L., also Chochmat HaLevites. Many thanks to them for their hospitality.

The event was something of Chochmat HaLev reunion as most of participants were in some way associated with Meditation Teacher Certification Program (TCP for short). I met the new spouses and new babies of my TCP buddies. The gathering was small, but the people were very generous. It is gratifying that this community that has given me so much spiritually is also helping us materially.

My beloved teacher Avram was ill and unable to attend, but his wife Cantor Sara Shendelman stopped by to say hello and drop off their contribution.

Once again, many thanks to Laura for her orginizational help and to Margie and Daniel for opening their beautiful home to us.

The web of the friends of Beth Shalom truly extends from coast to coast.

San Francisco I

2006-03-29T01:51:00.000+08:00

Beth Shalom V.P. Dr. Bob Krupkin and I just returned Monday on the red-eye from San Francisco. Poor Dr. Bob had to turn around and head right out to Bunkie for work. I went home and collapsed.

Bob and I were both overwhelmed by the warmth of our welcome at Congregation Sherith Israel. My former congregation faces a huge challenge itself as it must make an enormous investment in its historic building to meet the city’s demands for a seismic retrofit of the structure. I certainly would have understood if, under these circumstances, Sherith Israel’s leadership had felt unable to help us. Many thanks to Rabbi Larry Raphael, Sherith Israel President David Newman, Religious School Director Nancy-Sheftel Gomes, and Mimi Greisman for their help in promoting our visit.

I was invited to speak at Shabbat Services at Sherith Israel on Friday Night. I felt like I was in a time warp as I spoke from the spot I had led services from so many times and as I looked out at the faces of so many old friends. It was a joyous reunion.

We obviously could not collect contributions on Friday night, but many people told us that we could expect to see their contribution soon. Bob and I ate Shabbes dinner with my dear friend Naomi. What a blessing it was to see her again.

Bob and I popped in to Torah study (look for a little story about this in a separate post) at Sherith Israel on Shabbes morning and had the opportunity to distribute our materials again and to talk to another group of Sherith Israelites about our situation. Rabbi Raphael once again was very gracious to us. At one point he said “ I am going to make this pitch so Stan doesn’t have to. Join us on Sunday for Stan’s presentation and bring your checkbook.” What a mentsch.

At one point in our visit, David Newman took me aside and said that as far as he was concerned there is no such thing as a “former” Rabbi. “Once you are our Rabbi you are our Rabbi for good.” His words are indicative of the open heart of the congregation, which has warmly embraced Rabbi Raphael after loving Rabbi Weiner for so many years. Clearly, there is room in Sherith Israel’s heart for a little Louisiana congregation as well. I think we can expect that when we rededicate our rebuilt Sanctuary and social hall, there will be some San Franciscans in attendance.

Meditation at Kol Ami, Flower Mound

2006-03-20T13:33:00.000+08:00

I should have mentioned in my previous post that I led a chanting/meditation service at Rabbi Geoff Dennis’ congregation on Saturday morning. I did not just want to take from this community, so I offered to do this. It was a joy.

My congregants will remember that I was in Flower Mound as a scholar-in-residence last year teaching Jewish meditation. We will soon be able to return the favor, as Rabbi Geoff’s book on the Jewish occult is due out at the end of the year. We will have him come soon thereafter to speak on this fascinating subject.

Many thanks to Geoff, Robin, and the kids for putting me up during this visit. As always their friendship is a great blessing to me.

Dispatch from Dallas

2006-03-20T13:26:00.000+08:00

Many thanks to my friend and colleague Rabbi Geoff Dennis for making arrangements for me in Dallas. We had a fundraising event this evening at Temple Shalom, thanks to the hospitality of the congregation and of their Senior Rabbi Andrew Paley.

Unfortunately the one variable we did not consider and could do nothing about was the weather. Dallas was hit with severe thunderstorms that made driving hazardous this evening. Only a few brave souls ventured out. Among them were Myron and Marsha S, both LSU graduates. Myron was wearing his LSU colors for the occasion.

There were fewer people in the kahal than we hoped for, but I think they were the right people to get our message out. I left them with materials to share with their fellow congregants and I am confident that more support from the Dallas community will be forthcoming.

A reporter for the Dallas Jewish newspaper was at the event. As it happens, she is originally from New Orleans. Her article on our situation will certainly be a great help.

I am off next to San Francisco. For those reading this who live in the bay area, please join me and Beth Shalom VP Dr. K at Town’s End restaurant at 5pm, Sunday, March 26th.

Of course, anyone in the nation can contribute to the Renewal Fund and help in our reconstruction. There is no need to wait for me to come knocking.

USC Students at Beth Shalom

2006-03-12T21:48:00.000+08:00

We were joined this past Shabbat by a group of students from the University of Southern California. The group is made up of students from USC Hillel and the USC chapter of the NAACP. They are here on alternate spring break and will be building houses in Baton Rouge with Habitat for Humanity. The group is led by my colleague Rabbi Jonathan Klein.

My family ate dinner with the students at Beth Shalom prior to services. My little boy made himself unofficial Beth Shalom Ambassador and allowed himself to be massively fussed over. The group davened with us and mingled with the chevre at the oneg. Afterwards, I had the opportunity to speak with the students about our experiences during Katrina and Rita and to show them the DVD of hurricane photos and video I made to tell our story.

The students will be in and out of Beth Shalom throughout the week for some of their programs. We are doing everything we can to support their efforts. It was an honor to play host to this group of idealistic young people.

2006-03-05T21:55:00.000+08:00

So my plan to “blog-as-I-go” in Atlanta did not work out. What a surprise.

Many thanks to Amanda and Howard F. for hosting me in Atlanta. They took great care of me and kicked off the Beth Shalom Renewal Fund Roadshow. I also want to express my gratitude to my colleague and classmate, Rabbi Ron Segal of Temple Sinai, for giving me the opportunity to tell our story to the Atlanta area Reform Rabbis. Temple Sinai’s philanthropic fund is making a generous contribution to the Renewal Fund. It is particularly gratifying when our sister congregations in the movement come to our assistance in this way.

My friends in Atlanta took all the materials I had to distribute in the community. I expect that even more support will be generated through their efforts.

A sidebar. I spent last Wednesday morning preparing for my Atlanta events. I then went looking for a place to eat. As I was cruising on Roswell Road near Amanda and Howard’s house I spotted the sign for a Persian restaurant called Pesopolis. When I walked in the door, the owner spotted my kippah and started speaking to me in Hebrew. In turns out the restaurant is owned by Persian Jews. A woman eating in the restaurant mistook me for a member of the Persian Jewish community. After we cleared this up we talked about my mission in Atlanta. She agreed to talk to parents at the Jewish high school about our situation.

At the moment I am in Washington for the AIPAC conference where I will be learning about the Middle East situation ---and talking about Beth Shalom’s reconstruction.

This month will take me both to Dallas and to San Francisco. Watch for details here.

On the Road to Atlanta

2006-03-05T21:40:00.000+08:00

Tuesday, February 28, 2006 1:40pm
I have not been able to blog lately as I have been preparing for a series of fundraising trips. At the moment I am on my way to Atlanta to speak to a group of Reform Rabbis and for a parlor meeting at the home of Amanda and Howard F., former Beth Shalom members and continuing friends of the shul. I am somewhere between Mobile and Montgomery, Monroeville I think, at a buffet at which I can eat almost nothing. Kashrut does complicate travel.

Much of last week and the weekend was devoted to finishing a DVD presentation I am calling “Katrina to Rita.” It features photos and video taken by various Beth Shalom members. I must have been sick the day they taught documentary film making at HUC, but I did my best. If anyone would like a copy of version 1.1 of the DVD (1.0 was my drash last Friday night and it was revised based on the comments I received) to show to potential donors to the Beth Shalom Renewal Fund, please email me (rabbiz@earthlink.net)

I will try to blog as this trip to Atlanta unfolds. Many thanks in advance to our friends Amanda and Howard F. and Adrienne B., another Beth Shalom expatriate in Atlanta.

My route thus far took me through the hurricane devastated areas of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The real horrors are away from the interstate toward the Gulf, but the signs of Katrina’s passage are everywhere---blue roofs, fallen trees, the steel pylons of the giant casino billboards snapped in half, trailers. It was a relief to head north away from the Gulf to places beyond Katrina’s reach.

Going Home at Last

2006-02-08T01:23:00.000+08:00

One of the most poignant events during the Katrina period was the temporary burial of Meyer Lachoff z“l, an elderly man who died in New Orleans during the terrible days that immediately followed the hurricane. His body was recovered by ZAKA and brought to Baton Rouge. We gave him a place to rest with our misphacha in Liberal Cemetery until it would be possible for his son to have him brought home.

That day is coming soon.The New Orleans Jewish newspaper reports that Mr. Lachoff will be reburied at Beth Israel Cemetery on the 19th. For many years Mr. Lachoff was the Gabbai at Beth Israel. We hope that his return to New Orleans will bring some healing to his family and to his wounded congregation.

May he find peace under the wings of the Shechinah.

Where have I been?

2006-01-23T14:35:00.000+08:00

(This post was my first post since early January, but held until after our annual meeting on Sunday, January 22)

Now that I have picked up the blogging habit, I find that I miss it when my schedule doesn’t allow me the time to write.

Do not take my absence from the blogosphere to mean that nothing is happening at Beth Shalom. We are working at a furious pace to secure the funding we need for our reconstruction. That work is now more critical than ever. Although we knew there was a good possibility that our insurance coverage would be denied, we were hoping that we were misreading the signs. We weren’t. Our official notice of the denial of coverage came last week.

This was certainly unwelcome news, but as we have been planning for this possibility it does not change our strategy. The Renewal Fund Committee is moving forward with its fundraising plan. My part is to travel to selected Jewish communities around the country in order to tell the Beth Shalom Katrina/Rita story and solicit support.

The tracking software we use to monitor this blog’s readership tells us that it is being read across the country. If any of our readers have suggestions of communities to visit or people to talk to, please leave them as comments to this post. We welcome your assistance.

Blogging on an article on blogs

2006-01-22T07:56:00.000+08:00

I was interviewed recently by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency for an article on Jewish oriented blogs. In deference to the self-referential character of this medium, here is the link to the article:

http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.aspintarticleid=16223&intcategoryid=5

Martin Luther King celebration

2006-01-22T07:40:00.000+08:00

I have many difficulties with Baton Rouge’s official observance of Martin Luther King’s Birthday, the most significant of which has consistently been that it is not a truly interfaith service. People of many religious traditions are invited, but the tone is predominantly Christian and I feel that I am a guest at a Church service, rather than a participant in a civic event.

I go every year despite my reservations because I believe in the holiday and in the message of Dr. King (who incidentally would probably not approve of a service in his honor that marginalized people) and because I feel that it is important to represent the shul at the largest MLK celebration in the city. I would not want my absence read as a sign of disrespect for any community or for the cause for which Dr. King gave his life.

There were some moving moments in this year’s service. It was a privilege to hear former Senator John Edwards speak. He is an electrifying speaker in person and his message on the dire need to address poverty in this country was certainly appropriate for the day. His repeated question is a haunting one: Where is America?

One of the other speakers was a pastor from New Orleans whose parishoners are scattered and who himself is an evacuee. He spoke eloquently, but his most moving words were his simplest---“Thank you Baton Rouge”--which he spoke while choking on his tears.

As usual, the choir was spectacular. They blew the roof off with the spiritual “Oh Freedom”. The chorus is:

And before I’ll be a slave, I’ll be buried in my grave
And go home, to my Lord, and be free

Many people can sing such words. Dr. King lived them.

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly

2006-01-04T23:17:00.000+08:00

When I was in Washington with the Interfaith Alliance in November I met a reporter and producer from the PBS television program Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly. Last week the producer called me and asked if she and her cameraman could stop by Beth Shalom as part of their tour of the Gulf States. They are doing a story on how religious institutions are faring after the hurricanes.

The producer was very interested in the story of Beth Shalom’s work during Katrina and our recovery from Rita. They may return when construction begins or for our rededication celebration.

The segment that includes Beth Shalom will likely air on January 20th. Unfortunately, none of us down here will see it as LPB does not carry the program. The producer said she would send me a tape, which I will be happy to share around. The audio of the program is available as a podcast. You can download it from iTunes or find your way to the podcast through the PBS website.

The Day School Torahs Go Home

2005-12-29T00:17:00.000+08:00

Yesterday we said goodbye to two long-term guests. The two New Orleans Jewish Day School Torahs that we have been keeping our Ark were taken home yesterday. These two little scrolls have had quite a time. They were evacuated to Beth Shalom on September 10th only to be re-evacuated with our Sifrei Torah to the home of Rachel and Mark H. when Rita hit the shul on September 24th. They rested comfortably with Rachel and Mark in their make-shift ark--a pool table covered with talitot. All of the New Orleans and Beth Shalom scrolls returned to Beth Shalom for Simchat Torah. We send the day school Torahs back home with blessings and with the hope that very soon they will be read at tefilah in a school full of children.

Thanks to Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York

2005-12-27T02:34:00.000+08:00

While the responsibility for rebuilding Beth Shalom rests on its members, it is good to know we are not alone. Our brothers and sisters around the country, as individuals and as congregations, have been offering their assistance. We certainly appreciate and need their monetary contributions, but it is at least as important to know that they care about us.

Just before our last board meeting, I received a contribution to the Beth Shalom Renewal Fund from Congregation Emanu-El in New York. Being able to announce this gift to the board gave our hard working leadership a tremendous lift.

Emanu-El is the world’s largest synagogue and is attended by over 3000 families. Our entire synagogue membership would be a chavurah there. But as the Rabbis teach us, among the people Israel we are all responsible for one another. The people of Emanu-El recognize their kinship with us, and if we are in distress they are as well. So a tiny shul in a small city matters to them. Their caring makes our burden easier to bear and reminds us that we are one people.

Mentchlikeit II

2005-12-24T08:24:00.000+08:00

Earlier this month, Rabbi Irwin Kula and Rabbi Tzvi Blanchard of CLAL visited Baton Rouge. Prior to a meeting with the general Jewish community, the Rabbis met with Jewish LSU students. At this meeting they heard the following story, which Rabbi Kula retold later that evening.

Rabbi Kula told us about a young man named Kyle, who shared with his fellow students how proud he was of his father. Kyle’s family was planning to leave Baton Rouge before the Katrina hit. Their house was on the market in those crazy days following the storm when home prices shot through the roof and desperate people were buying properties sight-unseen. Kyle said that his father, Randy, told the family that they were not raising the price on the house. He refused to take advantage of his fellow citizens misfortunes.

Of course Rabbi Kula was talking about our Randy and Kyle. This story is another reason to miss Randy and Donna. It is also makes us as proud of them as Kyle is.

Mentchlikeit I

2005-12-23T07:15:00.000+08:00

Last week I had the pleasure of talking to C. in my study about his interest in conversion. C. has been coming to shul off an on for the last few years. I did not know this, but when C. first came to Beth Shalom, Martin Samuels z“l appointed himself the younger man’s mentor. He made sure C. knew where we were in the siddur and taught him the Shema.

C. has been away from Beth Shalom for a while. Sadly, on his return he learned that Martin passed away. It was clear to me that Martin’s caring had touched C. deeply and that Martin had significantly helped him along his path. Martin’s mentchlikeit still lives in this man, who knows in his soul that Judaism is a path of compassion, not because of anything he has read or been taught, but because of what he himself has experienced in shul. This is how it should work.

Visit to the White House

2005-12-11T12:31:00.000+08:00

(Adapted from drasha given at Beth Shalom, December 9, 2005)
In a previous post I mentioned that Martha and I had received the following invitation:

The President and Mrs. Bush request the pleasure of your company at a Hanukkah Reception to be held at the White House on Tuesday, December 6th, 2005 at six o’clock. East Entrance

I felt like I was in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Martha and I had just received one of the Golden Tickets. Sure it was one of almost 10,000 for one of the 26 holiday parties at the White House in December, rather than one of the few found by August Gloop, Veruca Salt and the others, but still, a golden ticket.

I guess we made the list in part because 2 months ago a researcher from the Office of Presidential Speech Writing heard about what Beth Shalom did for evacuees Henry and Navila Johnson and was amused by the fact that when I called their daughter to tell them her parents were safe, she screamed “thank you Jesus!” The incident actually made into a speech President Bush gave on September 21st (See previous post).

I had that Wonka feeling again when I called the White House Social Secretary’s office to RSVP. The friendly recorded voice asked for our social security numbers and instructed us to be at the East entrance at 5:30 with our picture ids.

So we went to Washington, endless ribbing from fellow democrats notwithstanding.

We certainly did not want to risk being late and missing our chance to see the Chocolate Factory. So we flew to Washington the evening before the event. Once there we carefully planned out how long it would take us to get to the White House. I have to admit that it was a bit of a thrill to hop into a cab and say “East entrance of the White House please.” The driver, however, could not have been less impressed.

We got to the North East entrance almost exactly at 5:30 thinking that we would need to walk around the block so as not to be the first people in line, but the guests were already lining up at the guard post for the id check. Social Secretary staffers scurried around checking ids under the watchful eyes of the uniformed Secret Service guards. I was relieved when we got through this part. I had this paranoid thought that we would not be on the list somehow and I would wind up being stunned with a tazer rather that getting into the reception.

We moved with the crowd up the walk to a second, larger security station. As we were walking, I listened to the people around us. Some of them were clearly veterans of past receptions and I heard someone in front of us say “Hello ambassador!” to an ambassadorish looking fellow. Many of the others it seems were plain old rube amcha like us.

We reached the security station, where other officers x-rayed bags, put us through metal detectors and wanded us. Once cleared we stepped out into the cold air again and were on the actual White House grounds. It had snowed the previous day and the sky as perfectly clear. The White House glowed against this background. Everyone was quiet as we walked up to the East entrance.

It was only after we were all packed into the entry hall that it became clear how many Hebrews were in attendance. It was at least 500 and probably quite a bit more. Somewhere up ahead a choir was singing. Soon they began to move us into the reception. We walked past enormous portraits of the First Ladies. As we came around a corner we saw the choir. They were young and in old fashioned dress gray uniforms. I thought that they must be from West Point and they were. I found out later that they were the West Point Jewish Cadet’s Choir. This accounted for their good Hebrew pronunciation

All through the building there were military officers from all branches of service in their dress uniforms. They were members of a special hospitality corps that volunteers in the White House during December. One of these amazingly cheery and well-scrubbed soldiers handed us a card that indicated when our group would be called to get our picture with the President and First Lady.

The helpful military aides directed us upstairs where the food and drink were waiting. At a landing on the stair case there was a little table with the event’s Kosher certificate on display. It was strictly glatt at the White House.

When we got upstairs, the Marine Band, also called the President’s Own, began to play. I can’t remember what they were playing when we walked by, but later I heard the best rendition of “I had a little dreidel” imaginable.

There was a buffet set up in the State Dining Room. This being a Jewish gathering, people were not shy about eating. It was one of the best kosher meat meals I have ever had. We did not, however, get to eat right away. As soon as we had our plates, our group was called to go back downstairs for the photo.

More helpful military aides ushered us downstairs and other helpful military aides took us to the Map Room. They double-checked the spelling and the pronunciation of our names. An army officer took charge of us and told us what to do after he introduced us to the President and First Lady. After a few minutes we were taken into the adjoining Diplomatic Reception Room with 2 or 3 other small groups of people. We watched the people in front of us do their thing. It was a Rabbi so and so and his Mother. They were introduced and as they were moving toward The President and the First Lady, Laura Bush said “oh isn’t it nice that you brought your mother!”

I know this will sound strange, but George and Laura Bush looked so much like they do on television that they did not look real. I understood then why they had these helpful military aides all over the place. People tend to get a little catatonic when they meet the President. Martha and I were certainly in a state of disbelief as we waited our turn.

The officer said, “Presenting Rabbi Stanton Zamek and Rabbi Martha Bergadine.” We did as we were told. We walked up to the Bushes, we shook hands and said it was an honor to meet them and then we went to our appointed places: Martha next to the President and me next to the First Lady. President Bush said to Martha, “Is your first name Barbara?” She said, “No sir, it is Martha.” And then winked at her and gave her a little knock with his elbow and said, “I’m getting kinda old.”

The flash went off and we were ushered out.

We were the first group to get our picture taken, so we had the rest of the night to eat and wander around the East Wing. The first thing we did was have a drink.

After desert, we played tourist for a while, wandering through the Red room, where Dolley Madison had her receptions, the Green Room, that was Thomas Jefferson’s dining room---history was thick in the air. There on the wall of the library was one of George Washington’s swords, there was that famous portrait of John F. Kennedy where he stands brooding with his arms crossed, looking down, deep in thought.

Then something weird happened. We went downstairs to see some other rooms and wound up suddenly face to face with Karl Rove (again, looking so much like himself that he looked fake.). He shook our hands warmly and it became apparent that he had us confused with someone else; classmates of ours in fact. Still it counts. We get to tick Rove off our political bird watching list. We also bagged the Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff.

It was the experience of a lifetime to be invited to the house of Adams, Jefferson, Lincoln, Truman, and Kennedy. This house is the most potent symbol there is of American power and also the people’s house. It is where every four years one of our fellow citizens becomes an institution, by wearing, for a time, the mantle of the American presidency. So the fact that there is now an annual Hanukkah celebration in this house is almost miraculous.

When my Grandfather first came to this country as a young man, would he ever have dreamed that Jews would one day be welcome guests of the President of the United States? When my Father was my age, he would never have imagined that Jewish tradition and Jewish peoplehood would be celebrated in the White House. It is a very strange but very wonderful world we are living in when the White House not only puts on a Kosher banquet and lets mashgichim come and supervise the kashering of the White House kitchen, but also where the First Lady poses for a picture with the kashering crew.

We Jews live in a very different world than we lived in a generation ago.

I might have been completely enraptured by the excitement of our evening at the White House and not thought at all about the meaning of the event in terms of Jewish history had I not visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum that same morning. The contrast between the morning and the evening was jarring.

The museum, if you have not seen it, is extraordinary. It is exquisitely restrained. The facts are laid out clearly, but without histrionics. The objects and archival film footage speak for themselves. The design of the building carries much of the message, making palpable the horrifyingly banal industrial efficiency of the Shoah. The building makes the visitor fee increasingly constrained, in the grip of a relentless machine.

Along the way, walking downward through the museum, you see how the whole process began with exclusion, legal and social, to impress upon the masses that the Jews were not one of them, they were not entitled to the same rights, they were not part of the nation. Inexorably Jews were pushed to the margins of society, then to the margins of humanity, and final to the status of non-human vermin.

For most of Jewish history the laws that governed our lives were made by others, who told us what we could not do, where we could not work, and where we could not live. For most of Jewish history, soldiers were to be feared and their presence meant only death and suffering. We have lived in many places around the world, but for most of Jewish history we knew that we were not ultimately welcome. We knew that no matter how long we had lived in a country, no matter how much we had enriched its national life, the next day we could be ordered to leave.

Even in America, within living memory, the message to the Jew “you are not welcome, you do not matter” was communicated every day.

During World War II, Jewish leaders begged the administration to bomb the gas chambers and the railroad lines leading to the death camps. No one would listen. One of the most heartbreaking objects in the Holocaust museum is a map of the US bombing campaign against the Auschwitz-Manowitz industrial plants, just a few miles away from the death camp. The United States bombed its factory target near Auschwitz from August 20 through September 13, 1944, but could not spare a single bomb to prevent a single railcar from reaching its destination.

I was thinking of this map as I was standing in the White House map room waiting to be introduced to the President. This was the room where FDR met with the joint chiefs to plan the campaigns of World War II. On the wall is the last briefing map FDR received before he died. This is a room where history was made every day during the war, but it was also where the nation’s leaders were deaf to the pleas of Jewish Americans.

But on Tuesday night, the Map Room was filled with Rabbis and Jewish lay leaders, Jewish army officers, and Jews of every profession. When my Father was a young man, Jews often had to distort or hide who they were to get along in the world. These Jews on Tuesday night were welcomed for who they are. There was a forest of kippot in the dining rooms and plenty of fedoras and pais as well. The soldiers were there to make us feel welcome and at ease. The White House served latkes, cabbage rolls, lox, and the best sufganyot I have ever eaten.

When the menorah was lit Tuesday night the President said this:

“During Hanukkah, Jews across the world signify this miracle by lighting the menorah. This act commemorates the victory of freedom over oppression, and of hope shining through darkness. Today, that light still burns in Jewish homes and synagogues everywhere. And, today, that light will burn here in the White House.”

Our historical memory is short. We are getting used to acceptance. We are accustomed to being a part of this society. We are so comfortable that we are beginning to forget that it has not always been this way. Consequently, we may not full appreciate what it means to have Jewish legislators and officials or the significance of the existence of a national holocaust museum just of the Washington mall, within sight of the Washington monument. We may not be able to see how at odds with history it is to have the White House recognize and honor our festival of religious freedom and Jewish distinctiveness.

My Grandfather, as a boy in Warsaw, had to cower in his house from mobs of thugs that roamed the streets at Eastertime. My Father remembers “gentile only” signs on hotels and apartment buildings and the anti-Semitic broadcasts of Father Coughlin from nearby Royal Oak. My mother was not able to become a nurse because Henry Ford Hospital did not admit Jews to its nursing school.

But Martha and I, along with hundreds of other amcha were invited to the White House. My daughter may think it is strange that her parents met the president, but if so, not because we are Jewish. That in itself is a blessing.

Rabbi Stan goes to Washington

2005-12-02T07:26:00.000+08:00

In another strange turn of this strangest season of my Rabbinate, I was asked by the Interfaith Alliance to go to Washington and participate in a panel discussion on the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Last month the Interfaith Alliance sent a large delegation to Baton Rouge to visit relief sites around the city. Jeff Day and I helped them plan their visit and so were privileged to tag a long (for more on this see my November Bulletin article, available on the Beth Shalom website, www.bethshalomsynagogue.org). The delegation included a camera crew that shot a video of the event. The panel discussion was in connection with the release of the video and of the Interfaith Alliance’s report on the situation.

I accepted the invitation and flew up Monday for the meeting on Tuesday morning. This was my first visit to Washington since my 8th grade school trip back in the Pleistocene.

As a panelist I got to tell Beth Shalom’s piece of the Katrina and Rita story to an audience largely made up of congressional staffers. The event was held at the Hart Senate office building. This, for a political groupie like me, was a thrill in itself.

I had my mini moleskine notebook handy for autographs. I have no shame. Unfortunately, the closest I got to seeing a famous pol was a sighting of Alan Alda in a bookshop near Capitol Hill. He was on the phone so I did not bother him. I guess I have some shame. Ayelet, who watches the West Wing with me, was very upset that I missed a chance to get Arnie Vinick’s autograph.

I was proud to represent both Beth Shalom and the Federation of Churches and Synagogues at this meeting. With the plight of the Gulf Coast slipping steadily off the news and drifting away from the country’s attention, I am hoping that the Interfaith Alliance can help refocus Congress on the immense needs in our region. It was a privilege to have been given this very small part in this endeavor.

Somebody out there is missing their 15 minutes

2005-11-25T13:17:00.000+08:00

While I was talking to a classmate of mine at the URJ Biennial last week I got a call from Cathy in the office. She told me that I just received a letter from the White House. I had her read it to me. It did not seem like the kind of thing that could wait until I got home.

The letter was in fact an invitation to the White House Hanukkah reception on December 6th. Martha and I are both invited.

Let me check my calendar.... are you kidding? Of course we are going. How many times (if you are not our friend Murray H.) do you get invited to the White House?

John Lennon said it best: “Strange days indeed. Most peculiar, mama.“

Another 15 minutes

2005-11-25T13:01:00.000+08:00

Celebrity is as celebrity does. Remember that.
Gilderoy Lockhart

On Sunday, November 13th I attended an AIPAC event at the home of Mark and Linda P. Soon after I arrived the regional director of the Houston AIPAC office came over to me and had the following conversation.

“Congratulations.”

“For what?”

“You know, the Forward.”

“What about the Forward?”

“You were named to the Forward Fifty.”

“The what?”

“The Forward Fifty most influential Jews in America. You are Rabbi Zamek, right? There isn’t another one, is there?”

“No just me.”

“Then you are on the list. Here I’ll email you the link.”

After a Treo to Treo zap (this seems to be the weapon of choice among Jewish professionals---the biennial was a giant Palm product placement) I read the list and sure enough there I was. My name was spelled incorrectly and the name of the congregation was slightly off, but it was a positive ID.

This is very flattering, I suppose, but also embarrassing. I am on the list in the “Community” section. The entry deals with my role in Katrina relief. The problem is that from reading the Forward you might believe, unless you were there, that I did all the work myself. I did do my bit to the best of my ability, but the record needs to be corrected.

The Baton Rouge Jewish Community as a whole responded to the crisis. I took part in an effort that included Beth Shalom, B’nai Israel and the Jewish Federation of Greater Baton Rouge. The Jewish Federation was the coordinating agency for our response. It is true that Martha and I called in our family so that we could work continually on the project, but many other people made sacrifices as well.

At any rate, now that the record is corrected here is the text of the Forward blurb on this guy “Zemek”:

Stanton Zemek
The feds might have taken their time responding to Hurricane Katrina, but the Jewish community was on the ground immediately, and few were more in the thick of things than Rabbi Stanton Zemek of Temple Beth Shalom in Baton Rouge, La., 80 miles north of New Orleans. When the storm hit, Zemek quickly turned his synagogue — one of two in Baton Rouge — into a processing center for the evacuees pouring out of the flood zone. Zemek had relatives come live with him so he could work around the clock, rounding up supplies and mapping out relocations. A few weeks after the storm, Zemek himself went into New Orleans to gather stranded Torah scrolls. Outsiders followed Zemek's struggles on a Web log he set up, and he was singled out in a September 21 speech by President Bush reviewing Jewish responses to the hurricane. The communal relief efforts involved thousands of efforts like Zemek's, and most went without any notice. Just days after Bush's speech, though, Zemek experienced the other side when his synagogue was hit by Hurricane Rita, flooding the sanctuary and driving the congregation to a local Baptist church. Working just as hard to save his own shul, Zemek had his congregation back in its sanctuary soon after the High Holy Days.

Dr. Bob went a bit batty about this Forward 50 business. When we bumped into URJ President Rabbi Eric Yoffie, who is legitimately one of the 50, he made a point of mentioning the list. Of course, the most significant thing about the whole episode is being mentioned in the same column as Jon Stewart.

Thanksgiving 2005

2005-11-25T01:52:00.000+08:00

I am feeling particularly thankful this Thanksgiving. After all the upheaval we have been through this year, I am grateful for the resilience and strength of my congregation. We worked ourselves hard in response to Katrina and were slammed by Rita but are still doing what synagogues do.

This weekend we will have our first post-hurricane simcha in our wounded sanctuary---the Bat Mitzvah of wonderful young lady. Steve W. and Randy G., visiting from Colorado, took it on themselves to drape the grim gray walls with white cloth. Steve also repaired the damaged light fixtures. Thanks to them the sanctuary will be bright again.

I am thankful for the honor of training our Bat Mitzvah. Some years ago she was stricken with a life threatening illness. She has had to endure suffering and fear that no one her age should know. Baruch HaShem, she is well and will be called to the Torah on Saturday morning. Blessed is the One who is good and who does good.

I am thankful that I had the privilege of representing the congregation at the URJ Biennial in Houston last week (more on this later). Bob K. and I told the story of our congregation many, many times to people from all over the country. Our brothers and sisters in the movement know what you did.

Baruch HaShem for my wonderful family. They are visiting the relatives in Tulsa this weekend. God bless all of them also. Without Justine and Nathan’s personal rescue mission to us I do not know what we would have done.

Many blessings to the Beth Shalom chevre and to our many friends and supporters around the country.

Yom Hoda’ah Sameach!

Sacred by Design

2005-11-21T08:19:00.000+08:00

If you remember, shortly after Rita I spoke to Larry Hoffman of Synagogue 2000 (now Synagogue 3000 actually) about the restoration of our sanctuary and social hall. I asked Larry if he could help me get in touch with Richard Vosko, a much sought after architect/sacred space design consultant and a member of the Synagogue 3000 faculty. As it happened, Richard was scheduled to speak at a sacred space design conference sponsored by the Indianapolis Center for Congregations. Synagogue 3000 arranged for me to attend this conference at their expense.

The conference was an incredibly rich experience, impossible to summarize with blog-like brevity. I do, however, want to report a few highlights.

Fortunately for me, Richard Vosko was under the mistaken impression that the conference was specifically focused on synagogue design, so one of his presentations was entitled Imagine This: A Virtual Tour of the Ideal Jewish Place of Worship. I am distributing copies of my notes to our design committee and can make them available to other members of the chevre on request.

Here are some of this key ideas:

* Religious buildings are metaphors of the community’s identity and message. They are not just containers for religious people and objects. This tells us that while the building does not make the community, the design of its sacred space matters a great deal.

* Architecture for worship begins outside the building. One should have the sense of being on a pilgrimage when approaching the space.

* There should be a “gateway” element, so that people feel they are entering a different world, where anything is possible--- loneliness becomes belonging, sickness becomes health, and death becomes eternal life.

*Vosko advocates returning to older conceptions of Jewish sacred space which place the prayer leader among the people and allow the congregation to see one another. He urges congregations to break out the stage/spectator model.
* Sacred space should have natural light. It brings both beauty and a sense of the presence of God.

* There should be a blend of the old and the new.

I brought back a stack of materials, including a monograph by Richard Vosko. I happy to share this material with any interested Beth Shalomite

Ron Wolfson was also a presenter at the conference. He wanted our chevre to know that Synagogue 3000 will do whatever it can to help us. The staff of the Indianapolis Center for Congregations also want to be of help and I will be in touch with them.

In the Good and Welfare department, I had dinner with Jon and Sandy Adland the night before the conference. Sandy Adland was formerly Sandy Chapman and grew up in Baton Rouge. She and her mother, Norma send their regards. Sandy has been following the doings at her home congregation through our website and this blog.

Many thanks to Ron, Larry, and Synagogue 3000 for making my trip possible

The New Normal

2005-11-01T00:10:00.000+08:00

It was a normal day at Religious School yesterday. There were no special events and all the students spent the day in their classes. Of course “normal” these days means a 10% increase in the number of students. We have had to be adaptable. Kids are studying in the vestibule outside the Sanctuary and in the social hall. My confirmation kids cram into my study. I am doing this out of necessity, but I actually like it. It feels a bit like inviting the kids into my home and I have easy access to my music library for our “Yeshivah of Rock” segment.

The setting may not be ideal right now, but if my class is any indication, the kids are engaged and learning. We spent a wonderful morning talking about Madonna and the Kabbalah (with a quick excursion to the Kabbalah Center website, so the kids could see religious hucksterism in action), listening to Terri Gross’ interview of Arthur Green, reading an article about the crypto-Jews of the American Southwest and studying some Talmud (one of concentrations for the year).

While my class went on break, I wandered the school a bit. There is such life in our little shul! The place was crawling with kids having a great time learning Torah. Many thanks to Rabbi Martha and our talented faculty, who are all doing superior work, more than overcoming the challenges we have faced this year.

Back home for Shabbes

2005-10-19T05:51:00.000+08:00

Last Friday was our first Shabbat back at Beth Shalom since Rita. We are definitely camping out. The lighting is poor, there is no sound system, and a good number of the seats could not be used. Most of the seats could not be bolted back to the cement floor and are swathed in yellow “Caution” tape as a warning. Still the Shabbat Queen comes for the people, not the palace. We made do. In spite of the somewhat grim surroundings, home is still home and it is a tremendous blessing to use the shul again.

Saturday morning was no different than any Shabbes morning. We davened in the green room, which was relatively untouched by Rita. Now that there are no ark curtains and such drying in there the space is useable.

We are working on plans for a temporary beautification of the sanctuary, so that it looks more like a tent in the desert than a warehouse with stained glass. Louis S. is looking into a loaner sound system so we will be ready for Arthur Green’s visit and Dara’s Bat Mitzvah.

The watchword for the year is “SAVLANUT”--- patience. The renewal of Beth Shalom will take time. Even when there is a great deal going on, it may look like nothing is happening. Be assured that there are many people devoting themselves to this project and all Beth Shalomites will have ample opportunities to offer their input.

Some mitzvot can be accomplished in an instant. This one cannot:

Let them build me a sanctuary that I might dwell among them.

Shabbat Shuvah

2005-10-09T11:34:00.000+08:00

Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God

Shabbat Shuvah, 5766

It was strange to be away from the shul on the Sabbath of Return. Shabbes services both Friday Night and Saturday were in Adult classroom 1 at Jefferson Baptist Church. These were the last regular services we will have at the Church. Following Yom Kippur services, which will be in the JBC main auditorium, we will be davening in our own building again. I am not sure exactly where in the building we will pray, but it will be good to be home again.

Minna Bromberg led us in a chanting service for the first third of our davening this morning. This is something I plan to do from time to time. It is a good thing to allow ourselves to sink into selected parts of the liturgy. The chant and the repetition of the phrases allow the words to enter the heart in a different way than they do when pray the service in a conventional way.

In celebration of delicious cool air, I began services this morning with the following poem by Mary Oliver. You should have a copy of her collection “Why I Wake Early” for a morning like we had today:

Where Does the Temple Begin, Where Does It End? (Mary Oliver)
There are things you can’t reach. But you can reach out to them, and all day long.  The wind, the bird flying away. The idea of God.  And it can keep you as busy as anything else, and happier.  The snake slides away; the fish jumps, like a little lily, out of the water and back in; the goldfinches sing from the unreachable top of the tree.
I look; morning to night I am never done with looking.  Looking I mean not just standing around, but standing around as though with your arms open.  And thinking: maybe something will come, some shining coil of wind, or a few leaves from any old tree ?  they are all in this too.  And now I will tell you the truth. Everything in the world comes.  At least, closer.  And, cordially.  Like the nibbling, tinsel-eyed fish; the unlooping snake. Like goldfinches, little dolls of gold fluttering around the corner of the sky  of God, the blue air.

The New Moon of Tishri

2005-10-07T01:01:00.000+08:00

Last night the thinnest sliver of the new moon of Tishri appeared in the sky. The year has begun. I know we are hoping that 5766 will be much sweeter than its predecessor.

We may be in exile from our building for the High Holidays, but we are being sheltered by good friends. Services went beautifully in the Jefferson Baptist auditorium. Our friends at JBC have done so much more than provide us with space. They have also volunteered as support staff to make sure everything goes smoothly. Mike B. of JBC trained “Wolfman” Steve W. to run the sound board. Those of you in the kahal cannot see him up there with his headphones on making adjustments. He is in heaven.

JBC has digital recording equipment and so we were able to record the services. The sermons will be on the soon to open members section of our website. Our ancient sound equipment was directly under one of the many waterfalls that poured into the building. Most modern systems have some kind of recording capacity.

We were able to do some things at JBC that we could not have done at Beth Shalom. Some of our Shofar blowers were in the side and back balconies, so that the room was filled with the wild, stirring sounds of Yom Teruah, the Day of the Trumpet Blast.

Our members seemed to enjoy sitting on the comfortable JBC pews, something to keep in mind as we redesign our sanctuary. Pews are more communal than rigidly separate theater seats. A child can rest on her parent’s lap during the service and a family or group can truly sit together.

Many thanks to Minna Bromberg, our cantorial soloist, who brings such beauty, authenticity, and ruach to our services. She will be singing some of her own compositions at services this Friday night. Don’t miss it.

Shanah tovah u’metukah
A good and sweet year to all of you.

Another Day's Work

2005-10-03T04:26:00.000+08:00

Volunteers were at the shul again today, moving all the seats back into the sanctuary so that the social hall, shell that it is, can be used for the kiddush lunches on the first and second days of Rosh HaShanah. We will be migrating back to the shul from Jefferson Baptist for these events.

A congregation in New Jersey sent our community Rosh HaShanah cards that their religious school students made. Our kids used them to decorate the social hall.

We will be back in the shul after the High Holidays, but the design and build process will take some time. We will need to be patient and live with the inconvenience of an unfinished space through much of 5766. This process cannot be rushed. It is too important. Remodeling on this scale only happens a few times in the life of a congregation. A renewed Beth Shalom will be this generation’s gift to the congregation’s future. We are in the midst of one of the most important tasks in Beth Shalom’s history. This work must and will be done with great care.

To all our friends and supporters around the country: Many blessings to you and Shanah Tovah.

To the Beth Shalom chevre: I’ll see you in church.

Welcome Beth Shalom

2005-10-02T04:45:00.000+08:00

Sometime early this morning or late last night, our friends at Jefferson Baptist Church put up signs on their many doors to point our chevre toward the room we are using for Saturday morning services. I followed the trail and when I reached the correct door there was a sign that read: Welcome Beth Shalom.

This is how JBC is making us feel---welcome---more than welcome, in fact.

Last night we had our first service in the Church’s main auditorium. It is a beautiful space and will work perfectly for the High Holidays. Rev. French and Mike B., stayed through services last night to make sure everything went well. Afterwards our Steve W. and their Mike B., who really are mirror images of each other, huddled in the auditorium to make further plans. Mike is a whiz with JBC’s incredible sound system and offered to consult with Steve when we get replacing ours. The equipment was directly under one of the many waterfalls that poured into the building last Saturday.

It is incredible to me that it was just a week ago that we discovered the damage to the synagogue. I feel like I have lived a month in that time. On the other hand, I am stunned with how quickly we got ourselves organized. Two task forces are at work on the design and financial aspects of the reconstruction. The logistics of doing services outside our building were planned at lightening speed.

I have had several conversations with Larry Hoffman of the Hebrew Union College. Larry is hoping to be able to come down to Baton Rouge and do a program for us on the design of sacred space. He also has spoken to the top consultant in this area of architecture, Richard Vosko, who wants to participate in the project, time permitting. Larry, through Synagogue 2000 is sending Steve C. and I to a sacred space design conference in November, at their expense. Larry said that he feels a kinship with us that makes it imperative to help us.

During the last week I have experienced the truth of the Talmud’s teaching: Either friends or death (Taanit 23a).

Where we are today

2005-09-29T13:35:00.000+08:00

The sanctuary and the social are rapidly becoming a steel and cinderblock shell. The walls were compromised by water and they all must go.

Very soon all the demolition and cleaning work will be done. We are having another volunteer workday at shul on Sunday morning. The seats are being moved back into the bare sanctuary so the social hall can be used for the lunches on first and second day Rosh HaShanah.

We have our first services at Jefferson Baptist Church on Friday night. Last evening Steve W., Dr. Bob and I did a walkthrough at the church, accompanied by Steve W’s Baptist conterpart, Mike B. Our neighbors at Jefferson Baptist are being unbelievably accomodating. It will not be the same as being home for the High Holydays, but we will be among friends.

After the holidays we will be back in our own space and we will have to get used to davening in the shell for a while. If we are patient, Beth Shalom will be even more beautiful than it was the day before the storm hit.

After Rita--Second Day

2005-09-26T13:56:00.000+08:00

Volunteers arrived yesterday morning for a second day of clean-up. The Religious School/Rayner Center wing was cleaned so that Rayner can open in the morning. By now the sanctuary is a shell. The seats have been removed and the damaged ceiling has been torn out. Dryers and dehumidifiers are running all over the building. It is not exactly homey, but the shul does not look like a disaster area anymore.

A number of the kids helped clean debris from the playground. It is so clear that the think of Beth Shalom as home.

The damage to the shul was featured on the front page of the Advocate’s metro section. I am assuming that is how Mayor Holden learned of our tsuris. He paid a visit late in the afternoon. We all deeply appreciate his mentchlikeit.

While services will be at Jefferson Baptist for a bit, the plan is to have the social hall cleaned so that it can be used for the lunches on Rosh HaShanah.

There will be many more opportunities for volunteers in the coming weeks. Very soon we will need to move the seats back into the sanctuary and rebolt them to the floor. If the work continues to go well, we will be praying again in the sanctuary after the High Holidays. The place will have a rather industrial look for a while, but at least we will be home again.

Many blessings to all those who have been caring for the shul in these tiring and difficult days.

Not so lucky with Rita

2005-09-25T20:44:00.000+08:00

To the friends of Beth Shalom:

Our precious shul suffered substantial water damage as a result of hurricane Rita. Water poured into the sanctuary and the social hall through the air vents destroying the ceilings and flooding both areas. Our roof is intact and the building is otherwise structurally sound, but we need extensive repairs.

Unfortunately, I was the one who discovered the damage. I went to shul early to see if we had power. It was clear when I drove up that we did not. I took a walk around the building to see if we had an exterior damage and then went into the building with my flashlight. When I got to the end of the religious school wing I heard the sound of rushing water and a few steps later was splashing through water in the hallway. I followed the sound to the social hall and saw the water streaming in and the ceiling tiles falling. I ran to the sanctuary and the water was coming in there as well. I made my way up to the bima and did a quick check of the Torah scrolls, found they were dry, and started making telephone calls.

As soon as the first few volunteers arrived we began to evacuate the Sifrei Torah. This was the second evacuation for the Touro and New Orleans Jewish Day School scrolls. All of them are now safe and are being kept by a congregant. More help arrived and we began moving prayerbooks, chumashim, and ritual objects. James and Jessica came and worked at moving computers and other electronic equipment.

A professional recovery crew soon arrived, but our people did not turn the work over to them. They picked up shovels and squeeges as well. Over the course of the day dozens of volunteers threw themselves into the hot and dirty work. I am particularly proud of our religious school kids who so clearly love their synagogue. Many thanks also to the men of Sigma Alpha Mu who also pitched in.

While the clean-up was still in process, Dr. Bob and I met with Rev. Tommy French of or neighbor, Jefferson Baptist Church, to make plans for the High Holydays. Thank God for good friends. Rev. French told us that we could use his facilities for as long as needed. Services for this Shabbat will be there as well as services for the High Holydays. Our friends at the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge and at University Baptist offered their buildings as well.

We will be fine and our sanctuary and social hall will be restored. Still, it made the heart ache to see such damage. The nechemta, the comfort, in all this was watching the congregation pull together and do what needed to be done. The people of Beth Shalom are the most eloquent sermon on the meaning of community that could ever be given.

My Fifteen Minutes Are Over.

2005-09-22T06:18:00.000+08:00

Please excuse this, but I have to put this up for my Dad’s sake.

Excerpt from President Bush’s remarks at the Republican Jewish Coallition 20th anniversary:

Rabbi Stanton Zamek of the Temple Beth Shalom Synagogue in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, helped an African American couple displaced by the storm track down their daughter in Maryland. When Rabbi Zamek called the daughter, he told her, "We have your parents." She screamed out, "Thank you, Jesus!" (Laughter.) He didn't have the heart to tell her she was thanking the wrong rabbi. (Laughter and applause.)

The full text of the speech can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050921-1.html
Of course, I was only able to help Mr. and Mrs. Johnson because the Jewish Federation of Greater Baton Rouge sent a group of rescuers from both B’nai Israel and Beth Shalom into New Orleans. They were in harm’s way. I was at the shul.

Siman Tov

2005-09-20T13:46:00.000+08:00

This past Shabbes we had a surprise simcha at Beth Shalom. Jordan of is one of many, many people whose lives have been disrupted by Katrina. He was supposed to be on the bima of Gates of Prayer this past Shabbat for his Bar Mitzvah. Instead he and his family joined us for the Green Room Minyan.

Mike, our able gabbai, made sure that Jordan had the first aliyah and he was called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah. It so happened that Rabbi Loewy was also with us for Shabbat. The previous evening, Jordan had helped him lead a special New Orleans service prior that was held prior to our service. At the morning service, Rabbi Loewy was invited to give Jordan a blessing. The kahal of Baton Rougians and New Orleanians belted out “siman tov” in Jordan’s honor.

It certainly was not the Bar Mitzvah that Jordan and his family had planned. We did, however, manage to cover the basics: Jordan was called to the Torah, his parents got to kvell, his Rav blessed him, and he was embraced by a warm and caring kahal.

At the end of services, just as we finished Adon Olam, a reporter from the San Jose Mercury News rushed in. He had tried to make to services to say Kaddish, but had been delayed. The reporter asked if a few people could stay for a moment and repeat the Kaddish. The whole kahal regrouped and provided him with an instant minyan.

It was a morning filled with Mitzvot.

At a loss for words, for once

2005-09-16T20:08:00.000+08:00

On Tuesday I was invited to take part in a press conference with Mayor Holden and a representative of FEMA. The Mayor was to announce plans to move residents of local shelters into trailers. It may not seem like that much of an improvement to us, but for someone living on a shelter floor, a safe, clean, and above all, private trailer would be a tremendous blessing.

My critical role at the press conference was this: I was supposed to stand behind the mayor with a number of other clergy. I was supposed to be a prop, which I was happy to do. I think the Mayor is doing on outstanding job. So you can imagine I was a little startled when the Mayor turned toward me and motioned me to go to the podium. I walked to the podium and in front of the TV cameras, without any idea of what I was going to say when I got there. I needed a bit of time, but there is a limit to how slowly you can walk a distance of three feet. I am not sure what I said. I am pretty sure my words were not worth remembering.

A number of the prominent African American clergymen were at this news conference. They face tremendous challenges in dealing with the desperate needs of in their communities, yet they were optimistic. They were also cracking jokes. One gentlemen came up to me and asked, “Is Nathan F. one of yours.” When I told him that Nathan did belong to my congregation he bowed his and said with mock solemnity, “let us pray for brother Nathan.”

Listening to the Mayor and the other speakers, I got a glimpse of the enormity of the task of reconstruction and resettlement. FEMA is talking about moving all the shelter residents into trailer developments and other housing within a week. I fear that if the authorities do not plan carefully, these areas will become pockets of extreme poverty that will be easy to ignore, not unlike the “townships” surrounding South Africa’s large cities. I hope we are not building new Sowetos.

I am not sure I belonged at this venue, but it was an honor to be asked. “Doing” a press conference was just another addition to the long list of those things I never thought would be part of my Rabbinate in Baton Rouge.

Thanks to Dr. Bob

2005-09-13T13:09:00.000+08:00

I have been negligent in failing to mention that Beth Shalom would be crippled in dealing with current crisis without my dear friend Doctor K. (or Dr. Bob, if you prefer). Not only has he been one of our most active volunteers, but he is also ably guiding the congregation through this difficult time.

Last night, after a long board meeting, Bob told me that he feels privileged to be where he is needed and that he finds spiritual fulfillment in what he is doing. I admire his sense of mission. His leadership is essential to the shul and his friendship is one of my greatest treasures. May God strengthen his hands.

Our board meeting consisted of a narrative. Bob tried to tell the story of everything that has happened in our community in the past two weeks. It took more than two hours. I listened and wondered how we did it all. And then I remembered that, for one thing, we had Bob.

Like Living Beings

2005-09-12T13:35:00.000+08:00

These days since the hurricane have been so strange. Each day I find myself called on to do things that I never imagined would have been part of my work.

Saturday morning, instead of leading meditation and services, I was in a convoy of vans and s.u.v.’s speeding toward New Orleans with an off duty SWAT team from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s department. We were heading into the city to evacuate the Torah scrolls from several of the synagogues.

Volunteers from Beth Shalom and B’nai Israel, together with representatives of the New Orleans Jewish Federation, Rabbi David Saperstein of the Union of Reform Judaism, Rabbi Cohn of Temple Sinai, and our nephew Nathan were among those who participated in this holy mission. Many thanks are due to Richard L. of B’nai Israel. Without him and his associates at the Sheriff’s office we would never have been allowed into the city. Thanks also to Erich, our Federation president, who organized the convoy.

We barreled toward New Orleans at about 85 miles an hour with sheriff’s cars in front of and behind the convoy. We did not slow down until we reached the checkpoint at La Place. The roads were filled with military and emergency vehicles and the skies with helicopters. As soon as we got off the spillway, we began to see signs of damage: billboards bent down to the ground or thrown into buildings, a motel with all the siding ripped off, a self-storage facility with its metal sides peeled off and the contents of people’s lockers exposed, and piles of lumber that used to be homes and stores.

Off the highway, the scenes became more surreal. The streets are almost empty and the city is eerily quiet. Trees are down almost everywhere you look. We saw boats that had been beached by water on the median on Carrolton. Audubon Park is an army camp now, full of humvees and giant troop trucks. Soldiers were everywhere checking houses and apartment buildings for the living and the dead.

We did not linger at any stop. The buildings were checked quickly for damage and we took the scrolls out and moved on. At each stop Rabbi Martha tagged the scrolls so that later, when the Sifrei Torah go home again, it will be easy to determine where they belong.

It was terribly sad to take the Torah’s away from where they belong. But to leave them there would have been worse. The Torah in our tradition is as close to a living being as an inanimate object can get. Torah scrolls are almost like living teachers. They should not be alone in empty synagogues.

In all, we gathered about 25 Torah scrolls. We wrapped them carefully in talitot for the trip back to Baton Rouge. Everyone understood the holiness of our task. We were quiet and deliberate in our work. There was reverence for the Sifrei Torah and for the stricken city.

When we got back to Beth Shalom, services had just ended. The chevre ran out to help us bring in the scrolls. Some children got to carry in the smaller Sifrei Torah. A number of the scrolls are bound for Houston Others will stay in the arks of Beth Shalom and B’nai Israel until called for.

I was honored to take part in this great mitzvah. It was surely one of the most important things I have ever done in my life.

Allen Epilogue

2005-09-11T18:42:00.000+08:00

Here is a message that was waiting for me at home last Friday night:

This is Brian Y, Ronit’s husband, I just wanted to let you know that the evacuee who was at our house was taken safely to the airport, fed, and sent on his way with some traveling money in his pocket. I just got a call from his sister and he is sitting down at the table for some meat loaf and all the amenities with his nieces and nephews around him. So our mission was a success.

5 men, 7 Dogs, and a Macaw

2005-09-11T14:08:00.000+08:00

I am behind in my writing and will try to catch up. This post concerns our last group of evacuees, who arrived Thursday night, September 8th. The information we had was that we would be placing Charles, his partner Brad, their 6 small dogs, and a cat. As it turned out, the freelance team that was working in New Orleans that day brought three other men: A neighbor of Charles and Brad, a disabled man, and Allen, an elderly man who was afraid to come out of his house, until he saw the kippah on one chabadnik rescuer’s head.

We assembled an intake team that initially included the two of us, Gail, our nephew Nathan, and Dr. Rachel. When the cars pulled into the shul it was clear that there were going to be some complications. The disabled man appeared to have been passing the time stuck in a city without water drinking sanitary, but inebriating fluids. The “ 6 small dogs” were in fact one tiny dog and 6 fairly large dogs, none of which fit in the dog crates that Richard L. had supplied us. They also brought a large macaw. There were no cats as they had evacuated themselves.

So we got to work. The disabled man needed a special needs shelter, so Dr. Rachel with the help of Steve W. started working the phones. Allen had a sister in Boston who wanted to take him in. I talked to the sister and then put Allen on the phone. Allen, like many of the evacuees we dealt with, was a bit disoriented and initially refused to go to Boston. He had not eaten in days. Ronit Y. was called in to take him to her home for the night after Sheila made his travel arrangements.

Charles and Brad’s neighbor was the easiest to assist as his brother was on his way in to the city and just needed directions to the synagogue. He was the first to leave Beth Shalom.

Charles and Brad were upset as they somehow got the idea that a relative had a private jet waiting for them in Baton Rouge and that they would be flown immediately to Santa Monica. I am not sure where the freelance rescuers got this idea, but it was in fact too good to be true. It took some time to persuade them that something else was going to happen. Martha and Richard did in fact have leads on places for them to go, but needed some time to work things out. In the meantime they needed to rest.

We needed some extra help, so I called Richard. He ran out and bought a set of kennels for large dogs and we called in Frank and Karen W. from our congregation who agreed to shelter the two men and seven dogs. While we were waiting for the W’s to arrive Richard joined by Jeffrey and Erich, who Richard called for help, started putting together dog kennels. The saintly Frank and Karen then arrived with their pick up truck and we loaded the dogs into the bed.

With Richard’s help, a shelter was found for the disabled man and the New Yorkers agreed to take him there. This left us with just the macaw to take care of. The W’s could not take him too, so he was given food and water and a safe place to sleep in the Green Room.

It was well after 11 when we were finally able to shut down.

By Friday Martha and Richard had a solution for Charles, Brad and their menagerie. Someone is willing to let them use a house in Harrisburg, PA on 8 acres and will let them keep all of their pets. By Saturday afternoon they had been persuaded (with the help of many, including Karen W.) that this was a good solution, and im yirtze hashem they will be on their way soon.

I am so proud that Beth Shalom was able to participate in the Jewish Federation’s rescue missions and the whole community is grateful to those volunteers who helped run our ad hoc reception center and who offered home hospitality. Many thanks to Sheila for being willing to get calls late at night and book airline tickets.

The macaw seems to have enjoyed its stay at Beth Shalom. It even got to participate in Rabbi David Saperstein’s visit with LSU students.

Sharon Epilogue

2005-09-09T10:10:00.000+08:00

I just checked in with Brian and Ton’ya to see if Sharon (see the entry, “Three More Souls”) made it out of Baton Rouge today. She is in the air right now on her way to Los Angeles. Sharon is staying with an old friend until she can get back to her apartment in the French Quarter.

Ton’ya F. stayed home from work today to take care of her guest. Since Sharon was a bit confused, Ton’ya checked her in at the airport. She even got a “ticket” from the clerk so that she could go through security with Sharon and take her to her gate. Bagele was cleared to go with her under her seat because Brian went and got the needed certificate from a veterinarian.

Thanks to Brian and Ton’ya’s compassion, Sharon, who came to us shaken and angry, left us comforted and hopeful.

Johnsons Epilogue

2005-09-09T05:41:00.000+08:00

I wrote earlier about reuniting the Johnsons with their daughter in Maryland. They were taken out of New Orleans in the Federation van convoy. Their daughter’s note which follows should be read as thanks to the Federation, B’nai Israel and Beth Shalom, as all had a hand in this. I will tell them so when I reply. The Baton Rouge Jewish Community’s work is obviously deeply appreciated.

Good afternoon, Rabbi Zamek and Ms. Mimi B.

Thank you so much for all your gracious and much-needed assistance! My parents landed safely early yesterday morning at BWI. They are "exhaling" and resting comfortably at my home along with my brother, his wife and daughter, and the rest of the family (including Spike the Wonder Dog). It feels wonderful!

My parents cannot speak highly or often enough about how they were treated and cared for by you, the Rayner/Clubb family, and the entire Beth Shalom congregation. They would like to send a personal note of thanks to you, so would please forward the appropriate address information at your earliest convenience?

On behalf of the entire Johnson family, please accept our deepest and unending gratitude.
shalom,
terry

Three More Souls

2005-09-08T12:21:00.000+08:00

I just got word from Martha that she got one of the three evacuees that came out of New Orleans last night on an Angle Flight plane to Dallas. Dr. H was an elderly man who was the only person left on his block. This was a relatively easy one. He had a son in Dallas waiting for him. All we had to do was get him there. The New Orleans Federation people arranged a flight for him. The only complication was that Angel Flight called at 4:30 that they were leaving at 5:00. There was no way to get him there that fast. They agreed to hold the plane and Miriam, who had hosted him for the night tried to get him there through the hopeless traffic. The plane was still there when they arrived long after 5:00, largely because it had no fuel. There are gas lines no matter how you travel these days. But, Baruch HaShem, Dr. H is on his way to family and security.

It is taking a bit longer to get Samuel and Sharon out, but ultimately Samuel will be flown to Houston, to be cared for by Chabad and Sharon is going to a friend in LA, together with Bagele, her tiny disabled dog ( he wears a wheel chair rig to help his back legs along.) Sharon leaves tomorrow for LA and we are still working on Samuel’s transportation. Many thanks to Brian and Ton’ya F. for opening their home late last night. Thanks also to our patient intake volunteers who calm our visitors and get the information from them that allows us to help them. Sometimes, as last night, this process can take hours.

These people were brought out of New Orleans by a volunteer rescue squad from New York, accompanied by Ben B. from our congregation and some of his friends. Ben looked fatigued and very sad. He said, “I will never be the same after what I have seen.” Ben and his brother Michael have been into New Orleans a number times. They delivered medical supplies to the convention center. The people asked, “Are you from the police? Are you from the government?” “No,” they said, “we’re just two guys from Baton Rouge.”

I don’t want to take anything away from Ben and Michael, they are resourceful and brave men, but you have to ask yourself: If private citizens can get to the Convention Center and deliver insulin and other critical supplies, why can’t FEMA?

Ralph B. from B’nai Israel went into New Orleans with the New Yorkers today. The woman with nine cats they were looking for had already been evacuated. We may be finished with the rescue phase of the Jewish Federation’s response to Katrina.

Many blessings to all those from both kehilot who went into the disaster zone and to all the people who staffed “headquaters,” feeding, comforting, and listening to these dazed and tired people.

Helicopters at Dawn

2005-09-07T20:31:00.000+08:00

Tuesday morning, September 6th
It was still dark this morning when my nephew Nathan and I entered the airplane hanger the Air National Guard is using as its base at the Baton Rouge airport. I had been invited to take part in an interfaith service for the troops, along with my friend, Rev. Steve Crump from the Unitarian Church

The service never took place. The troops began to move out ahead of schedule, so there was no time. We chatted with some of the soldiers and watched them load their helicopters. As the sun rose we could see that there were thirty or forty helicopters out on the tarmac.

The chaplain told us that many of the troops were based in New Orleans. These soldiers have just returned from Iraq. Many of their own homes are under water. Their base was flooded and much of their equipment was unsalvageable. They are being joined by Border Patrol officers from Texas and Oklahoma.

The heartbreaking part is that these soldiers do not have the basic supplies they need to do their job safely. They need hand sanitizer in large quantities. Soldiers have already contracted dysentery operating in New Orleans. Vicks Vapo Rub or some other mentholated ointment is needed. The soldiers put the ointment in their noses to overpower their ability to smell. There are no funnels to put oil in the choppers. There are not enough ATV’s or “mules” to ferry the heavy compressors out onto the tarmac after they have been repaired. The soldiers have to carry them.

Nathan took on the Guard as his project. He and Martha went out and bought all the hand sanitizer they could find. Walgreen’s gave them a steep discount. Nathan is using his sources to scrounge more supplies and will be sending out an appeal to the congregation.

Despite the lack of equipment. Despite the fact that FEMA brushed off the Guard officers when they called begging for supplies, these men and women are doing their job.

Watching those hulking Blackhawks flying away from Baton Rouge against the blood red sun made me proud. The failures of the federal government make me ashamed.

Help in many forms

2005-09-05T22:26:00.000+08:00

Yesterday it was clear that Martha and I would need to spend most of the day at the shul. Martha called Rachel to see if Hannah could watch the kids. Rachel sent Hannah, but also Rose and Sally (who is displaced from Mandeville). Rachel told them that helping us was their contribution to the relief effort and she gave them a long list of chores to do. The poor kids did our laundry, gave Rachamim a bath, and straightened up the house. We are very grateful to them for freeing us to do what we needed to do.

Aaron Broussard on Meet the Press

2005-09-05T14:16:00.000+08:00

I hope that many of you were able to watch Meet the Press on Sunday. The entire show was devoted to the hurricane. There some interesting points made about environmental damage (coastal erosion) as the root of New Orleans' vulnerability to hurricanes.

The most important segment of the program, however, was Tim Russert’s interview with Aaron Broussard, the president of Jefferson Parish. He eloquently made his case for the abandonment of the Parish by FEMA. He then broke down as he described the death of the mother of his emergency management director, who drowned on Friday after being trapped in her nursing home for 5 days. It was painful to watch, but a searing indictment of the inadequate response of the federal government to the aftermath of the storm.

Go to www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/ for transcript or podcast of the program

Another long day

2005-09-05T14:02:00.000+08:00

The Federation rescue mission began at 4:00am, Sunday morning. By 1:00pm or so, the vans began returning to Baton Rouge. Beth Shalom was the processing site. We were well prepared as enough Beth Shalom members had volunteered space in their homes to accommodate 25 people. Volunteers from both synagogues brought food so that we could give evacuees lunch while we took down their information. Many thanks to Silvia Dewitt, Mimi Bonadona, Joshua Bonadona, Jeff Dubinsky, Joe and Joanne Kleiman, Susan Lipsey, Wendy Shiroda, and Liz Clubb who staffed our ad hoc reception center.

7 people were taken out of New Orleans and all but two were housed in the homes of Beth Shalom members. The Every family had relatives in San Antonio and Sheila Horowitz was able to get bus tickets for them. She put them on the bus herself.

Nevilah and Henry Johnson also had a relative out of town, a daughter who lives in Maryland, but they did not have her phone number. In this case it is a good thing that one’s privacy can so easily be invaded, because Martha and I were able to track down her unlisted number with a bit of googling and yahooing. It took a few tries but Liz and I were able to get a call through to the Johnson's daughter, Terry. From the reaction I got when I told her that we had her parents and that they were safe it was clear that she had no idea if they were alive or dead. We ran the cell phone down to the social hall (no reception in the building) and I put the phone in Mrs. Johnson’s hand and said, “here, talk to your daughter.” Everybody was in tears. Sheila came through again and helped Terry book a flight to Baltimore for her parents. They went home for dinner and a good night’s sleep with Liz.

Late Sunday night, Martha and Nathan (the Tulsans have arrived) went to get the ZAKA team from the airport. They will try to get to Woldenburg tomorrow to retrieve the bodies of the residents who died during the evacuation. It now seems there is at least one other deceased resident in the building. This woman will be taken to New York for burial.

Gail Kolthoff will arrive from San Francisco on Tuesday. Please come and introduce yourself. She is an incredible worker and a trip.

We spoke with her boss this morning. Rabbi Eric Weiss is a friend and colleague who runs the Jewish Healing Center in San Francisco. He said, “of course you can have Gail. Of course she can go. And, if you need me, I can be there in a week.” Rabbi Weiss is a specialist in bereavement and trauma counseling and he is coming.

I continue to get emails and calls from around the country with offers of help. Jews clearly understand that we are all responsible for one another.

Chazak v’Imatz!
Be Strong and Resolute!

God's Hands

2005-09-05T13:13:00.000+08:00

September 4th, 2005. 10:05am
Dear Chevre

I wanted to take a moment to inform all of you what Beth Shalom is doing to respond to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. This note will be a bit stream of consciousness, I am afraid.
Our members have been working around the clock to help our brothers and sisters from New Orleans. In planning for the influx of evacuees, we decided that the best approach would be to host people in our congregant’s homes. Many people have volunteered their homes. There are evacuees, some elderly and ill, in Beth Shalom homes right now and we are expecting another group in today. Beth Shalom and B’nai Israel members are driving down to New Orleans in a Jewish Federation sponsored rescue mission. These people will be brought to Beth Shalom to be processed and placed in our member’s homes. Our system of housing evacuees is not as visible as a centralized shelter, but it is much more comfortable and personal. The willingness of our chevre to open their homes and their hearts is inspiring.

There is not time to tell you everything that has been happening in the last week. Martha and I have been on the phone almost constantly helping the Jewish Federation care for the displaced community of New Orleans.

Calls for assistance are pouring into our synagogues and the Federation. All of the Rabbis are scrambling to respond. Late last night, for example, I received a call from an evacuee who was being sheltered in Dallas. His father died at the Woldenburg nursing home in the midst of its evacuation. He is calling in ZAKA, the Israeli rescue and recovery organization, to retrieve the body. If the body cannot be buried in New Orleans, the family needs a temporary grave in our cemetery. David Deitch has already staked out the grave and I have Rabenhorst standing by.

We have had requests for a brit milah and for a confirmation. Beth Shalom will honor all such requests. Our religious school will be open to every Jewish child who wants to come. All services, classes and programs will be open to our displaced brothers and sisters.

Beth Shalom will be the home of the New Orleans Jewish Endowment in exile. We will be cramped for space, but we will make this work. Thanks to Jessica and James Runnels and Bob Fields, we have the computers and wireless internet access that will enable the New Orleans Federation to do their important work while they are here.

You may see some new faces around Beth Shalom. Through the generosity of Rabbi Martin Weiner and Rabbi Larry Raphael we are bringing in Gail Kolthoff from San Francisco to assist Martha with the resettlement work and with religious school. Gail at various times worked for Martha, Marty and me. We are so grateful to our colleague Rabbi Eric Weiss at the San Francisco Jewish Healing Center for letting Gail have a two-week leave to help us.

Because the work we are doing is so consuming, Martha and I felt that we needed some help at home. Our niece and nephew, Nathan and Justine Hood, are coming from Tulsa to help. They also want to help directly in disaster relief and so you will be seeing them around.

This past Shabbat was our first since Katrina. The sanctuary was very full on Friday night. Despite the losses people have experienced, we welcomed the Holy Sabbath with joy. There was real ruach in the room and the kahal boomed out the liturgy. It was comforting just to be together.

I will try to keep updating this journal as things develop.

Many blessings to all those who have so generously volunteered their time and talents. You are God’s strong hands.