Yesterday I learned that Rabbi Edward M. Tenenbaum ז”ל passed away.  Rabbi Tenenbaum was the rabbi at my grandparents’ synagogue, Temple Beth Zion, in Los Angeles.  He was 92 years old.

I think when I was little (we’re talking very young) I thought that Rabbi Tenenbaum was what a rabbi looked like.  From what I remember he always wore a black suit and a simple tie.  He always smiled at people and remembered details of their lives (or maybe he just remembered details of my life?).  He had a distinctive voice that could fill a room if he wanted, but was most often gentle and soothing.

GRANDMA and PAPA were very active members of Temple Beth Zion in its prime.  Rabbi Tenenbaum, and his late wife, Florence (who was always called “The Rebbetzin”) were always treated as special guests and I remember going up to both of them at the urging of GRANDMA to say hello.  MOM and DAD, of course also always urged me, too.  I was fairly well mannered.  MOM, DAD, GRANDMA and PAPA taught me more directly how to have respect for the rabbi.  Respect that I still have for rabbis even as I am one. (Upon hearing of his death, UNCLE H recollected that he was the rabbi at his Bar Mitzvah and that was more than 35 years ago!  I guess all of us Steinmans have respect for rabbis.)

Many years ago when PAPA was still alive, there was a special celebration for Rabbi Tenenbaum.  PAPA, who almost never asked me to do anything, asked me to go and represent our family.  While the evening represents many hours that I won’t get back, it was truly a pleasure to be there for Rabbi Tenenbaum.  It meant so much to him that I was there, even he started to introduce me to people, including many of his contemporaries.

I would see Rabbi Tenenbaum at various other events when I was a rabbinic student.  Sometimes when I was a student rabbi he would be at the mikveh.  (I think he always knew who I was because I resemble GRANDMA so much, or maybe it was because I always said my name).  I remember going up to him at the Southern California Board of Rabbis Sermon Seminar and his delight in knowing that I was going to become a colleague.  I invited him to my ordination, though he wasn’t able to attend he sent me a lovely note which I still have.

Rabbi Tenenbaum was one of the good ones.  May his memory be for a blessing.

For the past week I have moved to what I like to think of my northern summer office, URJ Camp George.  For the past three summers I have spent a week on beautiful Maple Lake.  This year the weather has been idyllic.  Sun, heat, cool evenings, and a little bit of rain to keep all of the beautiful foliage green (and almost no mosquitoes!).  Even more importantly, the programming has been stellar, the song sessions rockin’, and there have been abundant smiling faces all around.

I strongly believe in the importance of Jewish summer camps.  The URJ happens to have some amazing facilities and options available.  There is no better way for our youth to live their Judaism on a day-to-day basis than Jewish overnight camp.  Whenever I can, I encourage my congregants to think about sending their children to Camp George (it is the only Canadian URJ camp after all) because I believe that the Reform Jewish values that are inculcated in fun, exciting ways are the ideal supplement to whatever students are learning in school (public, Jewish day, and religious).

This year’s education theme at George, “Just.Be.Holy” is the perfect example of the magic of camp.  With age-appropriate silliness, content, action, and sport (The Holy Goalie, something every Canadian can love), the campers have learned more meaningful Jewish content than I can even quantify.  Yesterday two units took the “Holiness Challenge,” and the number of campers who were screaming answers to questions like, “fill in the blanks–don’t place a stumbling block before the __________________ or insult the _____________________,” is inspiring.  (If you don’t know the answer check Lev. 19:14).

As a congregational rabbi, my role at camp is extra special.  I believe that when I get to camp, I am coming to my campers/congregants’ universe.  Camp is their special place that I get to visit.  When I see them walking around, or even better when they come running up to me to show me their arts & crafts project or I give them a ‘yasher koach’ (mad props) for doing a reading during services there’s a special interaction here.  Though I’m blessed to work in a congregation where many of the students/kids/families feel at home, often they are coming into my space.  (How many of the nursery students think that I live at the synagogue?  A lot!).  Camp is different.  They get to see me walking around in casual clothes, singing their songs, teaching them in fun and silly ways.  It is the best of both worlds for both of us.

A personal confession–I didn’t go to camp as a kid.  There were lots of reasons, most of them in hindsight, not that good.  It is one of my biggest regrets because I am totally a camp person.  I am lucky that I am able to make up for lost time and go to camp as a faculty member (this is my fifth summer at  a URJ camp).

Temple Sinai sent an impressive number of campers to Camp George this year (I think 49 but don’t quote me).  We also had a number of staff members that are members of the community in Toronto.  I know I am joined by my fellow senior staff members when I say that we would love to meet with any congregants about Camp George and how to get your children there.

Sending our children to Jewish overnight camp is, I believe, the best way to ensure their Jewish futures and ours, too.

My fellow rabbis at Temple Sinai, Michael Dolgin and Erin Polonsky and I are talking about our High Holy Day sermons before they’re even entirely complete!  That’s right, each one of us is ‘tweeting’ about one of our sermons @tweetsofawe.  Everyday, except for Shabbat of course, one of us will post something about one of our sermons (we use our initials so you could know who is who).*

MD will post about his Yom Kippur morning sermon which can be heard at the early and late service in the Sanctuary on Yom Kippur.

Did you know there is a new Multigenerational Rosh Hashanah morning service?  This service will take place in the New Hall beginning at 9:30am.  EP will be tweeting all about it!

Kol Nidre takes place on Friday, September 17, 2010.  ES will tweet about her sermon that will be heard at the early and late service that evening.

After the holidays I will be posting my sermons here as well so you can see what the final product is.

*You do not need to be on twitter to follow us.  Just click on the word @tweetsofawe and you will be guided to the link

Dear Mom and Dad,

Happy anniversary!  I hope it isn’t too embarrassing that now the whole blogosphere knows about your anniversary, but after 34 years you deserve it.

Obviously, thanks for getting married.  I know that as your child the perfection that is your marriage is only my naive, we’re talking about my parents here, view.  But you’ve taught THE DIVA and I so much about healthy relationships by your example and we’re both grateful for that.

Here are some of the things I’ve learned.

1.  Laughter is key.  Laughing together not only is fun, it alleviates stress and brings joy to everyone.

2.  It is okay to wear matching shirts.  No seriously, you both are extremely supportive of one another.  Whether it be a new hobby or an old one, being the #1 support during yucky experiences, or doing simple things to make the other one smile, you both are tops at this.

3.  Never go to bed angry.  (Is it really possible though?) I know it was your aim and I think it is a good one.  (I always wondered, when you were really angry about something did you just stayed up all night in order not to break it)?  I realize that going to bed angry means you can still go to bed mad or upset.  I know it must have been hard sometimes to let things go, but, if I could be rabbinic for a moment, it really helps at times like this (Elul, getting ready for all of that repenting/returning) to move beyond the anger.

Of course you’ve taught me lots of other things, like how adorable it is to have matching iPads, how to raise two fantastic daughters, and how to transition into new phases of life together.  I’m forever grateful to be your daughter.   Everyone who knows you is  incredibly blessed that on that lovely day 34 years ago you decided to get married (yes I know the decision was made before that, it was just the actual day of the wedding).  Keep up the good work!

Love you lots and lots,

E

(My biggest fan, the DIVA wants more personal posts and less articles.  So…)

That’s right, dear reader.  The month of Elul has begun.  In synagogueland this means things are in high gear for membership renewals, sermon writing, religious school starting, and about a zillion other things.  Elul marks a unique spiritual time, too.  Because Rosh Hashanah is one month away, it being on the 1 Tishrei and all, Elul serves as a calendar reminder everyday of the preparation needed to prepare oneself fully for the High Holidays.

For me, the beginning of Elul = increase in stress big time. More on this another time.

However, this month in the Jewish calendar coincides with the celebration of Ramadan in the Muslim calendar (it’s that whole lunar calendar thing).  This year there’s something particularly poignant for these two special months aligning.  Perhaps in doing the cheshbon ha’nefesh, spiritual accounting in preparation for the new year we Jews can think about our Muslim brothers and sisters and how to be bridge builders.  (I am resisting the urge to reference the Islamic Center near the WTC site and linking to an article).

I certainly have a lot of accounting to do.  Better get to it!

To my father and Uncle H! They were the only two who responded which perspective they ‘liked’ the most.

First there was clergy burnout.

Then there was the reality of houses of worship becoming places for entertainment instead of or in addition to meaning.

And then there’s Rabbi Laura Geller hitting the nail on the head.

What do you think?

The various rabbis who articulated their understanding of what it means to be a rabbi today in North America are pretty much right on the money.

In my own words, a rabbi’s role is to be a spiritual guide.  To mark sacred moments Jewishly, and to increase holiness in the world through teaching, preaching, modeling, and doing.  I think that the rabbi today must be prophet-like in that rabbis (and all clergy for that matter) must tune their ear to the silent cry of the widow, orphan, stranger and other in our midst.  Without being political, it is up to clergy to speak to the ethical truths of our rich tradition.  Rabbis get to also be human beings.  Fallible, thoughtful, with a life filled with a variety of interests.

On a related note, it is of concern to me when I read articles like this.  And many people thought I should read it since it was forwarded to me!  Even responses like this give me food for thought.  How is being a clergy member different then it used to be?  And what will it be like going forward?

Dear reader,

I saw this very interesting compilation of explanation (divided by Jewish denomination) in Moment.  The question is asked, ‘what is the rabbi’s role in modern [North] America?’

Please read it, and let me know which of the opinions you like best, or find the most accurate.  I will give my opinion tomorrow.

Ask the Rabbis, a forum that appears in each issue, provides a rare opportunity to read the opinions of rabbis from across the spectrum of Judaism. Its purpose is to illuminate the diversity within Jewish thinking and create a cross-denominational discussion that leads to deeper understanding.

What is the Rabbi’s Role in Modern America?

Independent

The rabbi’s role today should be no different than it was yesterday: to teach. Not give sermons about current events and politics but to re-introduce the richness of our tradition to the hordes of thirsty congregants who crawl reluctantly to shul desperate for a smidgen of a chicken peck’s worth of spiritual grain. They’re starving out there, and in too many instances rabbis have become spiffy CEOs instead of disheveled rebbes. The rise of the new gods, Google and Wikipedia, now challenges us further, offering easily accessible information on Judaism that does not require synagogue attendance. We have today more rabbis who in turn have less time, and in many cases have ceased studying, thus possessing less teachings to share. Gird thy loins, O thou who callest thyself Rabbi. Get thee forth, fifth and sixth, and climb back up the Holy Mountain to receive once more and to give twice as much, lest the people murmur and return to Egypt (instead of your Israel tour).

Rabbi Gershon Winkler, Walking Stick Foundation, Thousand Oaks, CA

Humanist

The classical role of the rabbi as teacher and philosophical guide persists, but more rabbis are taking on additional job duties as community organizer, fundraiser, if not CEO. In some congregations and organizations we can add the job of webmaster. The Internet has taken over all aspects of our lives, no less our Jewish ones, and is a boon, not a threat. If we believe in promoting Jewish literacy for all Jews and not keeping this the private privilege of rabbis who will mediate for the people, then the web is an incredible tool for spreading knowledge, a ready resource for quick answers as well as learned essays. Our job, no different than it was before, is to point people in the right direction, to reliable sources and useful readings. The web has also become the portal that newcomers are likely to visit before even visiting our congregations or organizations. They can “shul-hop” without leaving home. It is critical that our own websites convey the excitement, principles and unique quality of our institutions to fleeting visitors.

Rabbi Peter Schweitzer, The City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, New York, NY

Renewal

I am so grateful to be a rabbi today in America, where Judaism is being renewed both with reverence for the past and creative love for the future. I wake up each day and ask God, “How can I be useful? How can I serve?” And then I listen, opening the eyes of my heart. I see the role of rabbi as a spiritual “calling.” I am called to bring healing, inspiration, pleasure and meaning, first to myself and then to this thirsting world. I do this by drawing on the riches of my inheritance. Our ancestors bequeathed treasure upon treasure in the form of story, law, culture, music, the Holy Days, Shabbat, prayer and, most importantly, a language with which to talk about the great mysteries of life. My job is to receive these treasures and pass them on in forms that are compelling and beautiful. I address these challenges as teacher, spiritual leader, social activist, healer, shaman, performer of ritual, facilitator, prayer leader, comforter, scholar, ethicist, historian, community organizer, social worker, prophet, philosopher, theologian, resource-person, fundraiser, administrator, guardian of tradition, Kabbalist, mentor. Jewish information may be readily available on the Internet but living a Jewish life depends on more than information. My role as a rabbi is to glean wisdom, seek the essential and re-interpret Torah in ways that speak to this world that I love.

Rabbi Shefa Gold, C-DEEP: Center for Devotional, Energy and Ecstatic Practice, Jemez Springs, NM

Reconstructionist

When someone says “I need a rabbi,” what do they mean? Amid personal challenges, they need a spiritual counselor. For a Jewish legal question, they need a scholar. If they feel adrift, an activist or organizer could be useful. Rabbis today perform all these functions and many more but so do other people. The difference between rabbis and lay people, when discernible, is of levels of Jewish learning, of training, of immersion, not of kind. Rabbis may have the title and office, and hopefully the time and the commitment, but knowledge and passion are available to all. Unlike many other religious traditions, Judaism is not sacramental—anyone can lead prayer, officiate life cycle events, interpret texts and lead a community. As rabbi, I hope to be a guide and a goad, steering people toward greater Jewish involvement and empowering them to do what I do: study Torah, visit the sick, facilitate community, support one another, work for justice. These actions are mitzvot, incumbent on all. Still, as Judaism has evolved, so have expectations of the modern rabbinate, summed up in the old adage “to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” Rabbis are pastors and prophets, managers and muckrackers, continuity and change-agents. We are co-creators of a covenantal community who need our congregants as much as they ever need us.

Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation, Bethesda, MD

Reform

For all the mind-bending cultural, social and technological changes that recent decades have brought, the rabbi’s essential and indispensable role remains constant: to teach, to preach, to counsel and to enrich and deepen the significant moments of people’s lives. Indeed, it is this very combination of roles that makes the rabbi’s opportunity unique: to be able to affect the entire person—the mind, the heart and the will, in moments of strength and triumph and in moments of weakness and pain. The deeper the rabbi’s involvement in the lives of the members of the congregational community as trusted friend, as admired fellow traveler and as source of insight and direction, the greater the opportunity to teach, to preach and to comfort. This means that we have the opportunity to offer our people a conception of life in which the needs of the moment and the call of eternity, the requirements of the individual and those of the community are all given their due in the one institution of Jewish life that combines them all in the promise of a life of wholeness. This is, and always has been, the sacred calling of the rabbi.

Rabbi Roger Klein, The Temple-Tifereth Israel, Cleveland, OH

Conservative

A pulpit rabbi should be a leader with a vision. Her vision sets the direction for the congregation’s future. She should seek out lay leaders to join her in creating a compelling and relevant community. We are blessed to live at a time in history when there is a State of Israel. A rabbi should help those around her learn about Israel, creating connections between Jews in the Diaspora and Israel. A rabbi should study Jewish texts regularly. She cannot effectively teach or lead if she is relying only on what she learned in rabbinical school. A rabbi should be prepared to re-examine issues that are challenging the Jewish community. Over time, the needs of the community will change and a wise rabbi will be prepared to change her views. A rabbi should nurture her own spiritual self. In order for a rabbi to help others experience God’s presence in their lives, she must devote time and attention to her relationship with God.

Rabbi Amy Wallk Katz, Temple Beth El, Springfield, MA

Modern Orthodox

We are living through a historic shift in the role of rabbis. As higher education spreads to the masses, people become more secular. Religion (or faith in God) will not disappear, but God is more hidden in this new world. The religious action will be in “secular” activities. Examples: uncovering God’s presence among the poor and oppressed and bringing them faith-motivated social justice; healing the body—the physical icon of God’s presence—by working with the miraculous genetics and bodily systems to cure illness; establishing just and loving relationships with family, friends and all humans because we “fear God” and honor the image of God in every person; giving over information to enable people to make good judgments in everything they do. In the past, people turned to rabbis for authoritative answers from the tradition. Now people feel competent to apply values to their daily work and to their secular (but actually religious) activities. If the rabbi claims authoritative and definitive knowledge and demands obedience, he/she will have little credibility. Nor will threats be effective—i.e. that God has decreed certain actions/rituals and will punish non-compliance. The wise rabbi will shift from stressing institutional authority to serving as teacher, from decider to enabler and seek to persuade by the power of wisdom and to influence by personal role model. Many will serve in non-synagogue settings. Enabler/teacher, role model, conduit of God’s presence—this is the rabbi’s role in the age of secularism.

Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, New York, NY

Sephardi

Many a sage has attempted to define the role of a rabbi with reference to a specific facet of rabbinical duty. They have claimed that the essential function of a rabbi is either teaching the Torah, battling the perpetrators of injustice, comforting the bereaved, visiting the sick or inspiring the weary. I believe that, in fact, all of these components of the rabbi’s job description are the expressions of a single, underlying mission with which he has been charged—namely, to sanctify the name of G-d. When a rabbi teaches Torah, the beauty and majesty of the Creator’s wisdom is made manifest. By the same token, when a rabbi refuses to tolerate persecution, oppression or injustice, and when a rabbi lends a hand to the downtrodden, supports the fallen and remembers the forgotten, he brings recognition to G-d whose Torah inspired him to behave in this manner. Ultimately, the successful rabbi is one who, by his words and deeds, demonstrates an understanding of and commitment to the Path of God which is then studied, imitated and emulated by others.

Rabbi Joshua Maroof, Magen David Sephardic Congregation, Rockville, MD

Chabad

In the United States, labels—including that of rabbi—mean less than anywhere else in the world: Jews are, thank G-d, seeking that which is meaningful to them, presented in an authentic and uncontrived way. The advantage of being a Chabad House or pulpit rabbi is the ability to cultivate growth in a person, a growth compounded by understanding and trust, only developed through consistent contact over an extended period of time. The more experience you have in a given community, the more attuned you are to the crucial subtleties of its members’ needs. As a responder on Chabad.org’s Ask-the-Rabbi team, I am able to meaningfully serve a worldwide congregation while connecting them directly with their own communities. At Chabad at Harvard, the web renders us available to our students and alumni wherever in the space-time continuum they may fall. The Lubavitcher Rebbe taught that every advance in human knowledge is driven by divine providence. Its purpose is to enhance our ability to make our world a place where G-dliness finds a home. The ubiquity of Judaic knowledge on the web is a prime example of this. With the web, Judaic knowledge reaches untold numbers who would never have been connected. People acquire knowledge of Judaic practice on the web and seek out “bricks-and-mortar-rabbis” to participate.

Rabbi Shlomo Yaffe, Scholar-in-Residence, The Chabad House at Harvard, Boston, MA

1.  Hooray for Prop 8 being overturned!  Yay for Judge Walker and his thoughtful analysis of the case.

2.  Way to go Senate and Elena Kagan.  There are three women on the Supreme Court now.

3.  Shabbat Shalom!