From the Rabbi
Rabbi Robert L. Wolkoff
Previous Messages
“Blended Jewish”
Over the last weekend, I attended my good friend Angela’s wedding in Chicago. Angela married Jason, and since they are both members of Mensa, they were permitted to wed at the Newberry Library downtown. The 12-foot chuppah was placed in the middle of the museum lobby — pure white sashes flowing down from all four corners, like the four rivers in Eden. The bride descended the widening staircase to the affecting sounds of a piano. The queen of the day was joining her beloved — a Jewish man and a Jewish woman standing under the canopy of God to become one flesh.
This beautiful picture was a result of a mixed background, reflected by the mixed audience witnessing the event. In fact, most of the guests were not Jewish. Both Angela and Jason are Jews by choice. Angela converted 10 years ago; Jason completed his conversion only the day before the wedding. For both of them, this is a second chapter.
Angela has a daughter, who is half Indian with a skin tone much darker than her mother’s, whose German/Swedish background is apparent by her light coloring. She followed in her mother’s footsteps and converted to Judaism in her late teens, five years ago. She, like her mother, is a regular shul goer and loves Israel. Jason comes from an Italian background; his son is Jewish by birth, on his mother’s side. It is a beautiful picture of blended Jewish.
It has always been the case: The Jewish story from its genesis is a story of blending. Coincidentally, the weekly portion on that Shabbat was Parashat Vayetze, which describes exactly that. The Jewish family of our forefather Jacob was a blended one of Leah and Rachel. And, of course, a blended family presents many challenges, but the Torah tells us that it is simply the reality of life. Even when the Israelites, as a nation, leave Egypt, they are accompanied by the famous Erev Rav — a blend of multitude from the other nations.
But what if Rachel and Leah are the same woman? What if the message is simply an exercise in acceptance — accepting the two sides in ourselves? The external separation is simply a manifestation of an internal and permanent split. Maybe this is what our forefathers refused to accept, such as the minim — the types — any irregular blend. What if it’s time to accept the minim — all types? We are all minim, a type of blending. We have to accept the Leah, the tired,” with the Rachel, the freshly born lamb. We have to accept that our story begins with a blend in the Erev. Just as we begin our Shabbat in the eve — the erev — let’s learn how to come together like a braded challah for Shabbat, and have a meal around the table with our blended Jewish family.
Happy holiday season.
—Rabbi Gadi Capela
“Elections”
It’s been a hustling and bustling time — from intense High Holidays observances to a season of elections, from a time of seeking forgiveness for wrong past choices, to a time of making important new choices.
Shortly after the High Holidays, I flew to Israel to see family and friends, and to prepare our next interfaith peace event in February. I found myself here also in the midst of a heated election campaign, this time for municipal and mayoral positions. Similar to the U.S. midterm elections, these local decisions will have national impact, and possibly beyond.
What lesson can we learn from the High Holidays that may help us through the time of elections? One of the similarities is the camaraderie people have for each other. It seems that everyone is either going to an open house or coming back from one. Perhaps when we go to our group’s open house, we should remember that just recently we sat together in the same room and prayed to one God. Perhaps we can apply this lesson from the High Holidays and continue to experience the sense of camaraderie — not necessarily agreeing, but accepting that others have their passions, too.
In this time of election, the choice we make is important. The worst choice is to despair and be filled with dejection, to refuse to get involved. One of my favorite expressions is this: Wherever you are, there you are. Similar to God’s ultimate message to Moses in the Burning Bush, when Moses wants to know God’s name, and in turn God replies “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” — I will be where I will be (or, I am where I am). It is important to elect a new mayor or congressman/congresswoman, but it’s even more important to fully be where you are.
Last Shabbat in Jerusalem, I spent the day at Kehilat Zion, which has a beautiful blend of Ashkenazi and Sephardi tunes, children, adults, men and women from all walks of life — a true “Israeli congregation,” led by Raba Tamar Apelbaum, of blended background herself, creating a peaceful human field —“…a meadow in Jerusalem.” (I Kings 15:4) It reminded me that we are getting ready to take part in the “Shabbat Project,” opening our house to other Jews and friends, just to be together — to elect each other first. Looking forward to being with all of you soon.
Shabbat Project Shalom,
—Rabbi Gadi Capela
“Local and Global Sukkot of Peace”
“And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of living water. And the herdsmen of Gerar strove with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying: ‘The water is ours.’ And he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. And they digged another well, and they strove for that also. And he called the name of it Sitnah. And he moved from there, and digged another well; and for that they strove not. And he called the name of it Rehoboth, and he said: ‘For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.’” (Gen. 26:19-22)
After cleansing ourselves during the 10 days of repentance, we are moving on to Sukkot — the holiday of happiness and peace. From the 613 mitzvot, only two command us to be happy when we fulfill them. Both have to do with the physical bounty of harvest and bikkurim (first fruits). If sitting in the Sukkah would cause unhappiness, a person is exempt from doing so. The happiest occasion in Judaism, according to the Talmud, was when Jews drew water from the well in Jerusalem and poured it over the altar, which happened on Sukkot. God wants us to have quality of life and happiness, not just material wealth. Hence, a Sukkah is aligned with peace.
Ironically, one of the most contentious places in the world is where the water libation originally took place — the old city of Jerusalem. One of the reasons I moved from Israel was because of that contentiousness. Each year that I return, I contemplate this issue. What prevents it from being peaceful? In recent years, I’ve led interfaith pilgrimages and seen Israel from different prisms. I see it now not just as Israel, but as the Holy Land many sought to “conquer.”
Using Isaac’s story above, Nachmonides interprets it this way: “And he called the third well Rehoboth (wide-open spaces), and this one alludes to the Holy Temple which will one day be built . . . and that one will be built without fighting or conflict.” The Jewish journey begins in Egypt, which means “narrow,” while Isaac’s third well, Rehoboth, means “wide.” Moving from narrowness to wideness and diversity, “all the nations will worship Him shoulder-to-shoulder.” (Zephaniah 3:9) Hence, it is not to be a Jewish journey alone. Israel has three major religions: Judaism, Islam and Christianity. We are not alone in the spiritual desert, for the desert belongs to nobody and to everybody.
Last year I asked our Christian Palestinian Egyptian Coptic Deacon a question about building the temple: Do Muslims have a problem with Jews building a temple, or is it the matter of the location on Temple Mount? Our guide, Dawud (David), immediately replied that the problem was the location, which “drew” my follow-up question: What if the Jews give up their aspirations to build the third Temple on the Temple Mount, and would continue to worship in the Kotel Plaza? Dawud jumped up and said with light in his eyes: “World Peace!” For me, that lit a small light at the end of a dark tunnel — the light I was waiting for years to see.
Isaac moved from the first and second wells to the third. Let us move 100 meters. And then no one would need to move anymore. At this point, we all have Hazakah on the land — stronghold. And this is the basis for the three holy sites. If the three religions, worked together, Jerusalem would be stronger.
May we all stand shoulder to shoulder in peace this holiday of Sukkot.
—Rabbi Gadi Capela
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