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Clergy Message

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Summertime

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It’s June and school is out, so you may be looking for some things to do to keep connected to your Jewish roots. Here are a few ideas of things you might look into over the summer to feel culturally and spiritually satiated:

1. Listen to a podcast
Here’s a link to the top 10 Jewish podcasts (according to Moment Magazine). Enjoy discussions of interesting topics and immerse yourself in some audio culture:

Top Ten Jewish Podcasts

2. Attend services
Even though school is out, we will still be doing Shabbat every week. There are more ways than ever to join us – either in person, on our livestream, on our monthly Zoom services and on FB Live. Check out www.templesolel.org for the links each week.

3. Have a picnic
Even though it will probably be pretty toasty, you might be able to have an evening picnic after the sun goes down. Here are some fun places around town to throw down a blanket and chairs and enjoy the great outdoors…
https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/12-best-picnic-spots-in-greater-phoenix-for-national-picnic-day-11273514

4. Read a book
Here are some of the best Jewish books that came out in 2021, according to the Book Authority:
https://bookauthority.org/books/new-jewish-history-books

5. Take a nap
This is one of my personal favorites. Even a quick 20-minute power nap can change up your whole perspective on the day…

6. Do a project with the kids
Here are some fun ideas for making your own fun (literally!) from bimbam.com:

DIY Arts and Crafts Projects

7. Take a day trip
Here are some fun destinations within a few hours drive of Phoenix. They’ll get you out of the city limits, and you might even find some respite from the heat!
https://www.planetware.com/arizona/top-rated-day-trips-from-phoenix-us-az-198.htm

Hope these tips are helpful for a fun, safe and rewarding summer!

In song,
Todd Herzog
Cantorial Soloist

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Coming Together in Torah

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This month, we celebrate the holiday of Shavuot. This holiday actually has a number of different names, including:

  • Chag HaShavuot (the Celebration of the Weeks);
  • Chag Hakatsir (the Harvest Festival);
  • Yom Habicurim (the Day of the First Fruits);
  • Atzeret (the Conclusion),
  • and Zman Matan Torateinu (the time of the giving of our Torah).

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” Psalms 133:1

These different names refer to different aspects of the festival. In the days of the Temple, during Shavuot the first harvest of the wheat crop would be given to the priests and offered as a gift to God. It is the culmination of the Counting of the Omer, a period in which we are meant to examine different aspects of our own character and bring them into alignment with our highest nature.

More important than just having a mental understanding of these concepts, though, is the idea that we must put these concepts into action. It is only when we embody these ideals that we are worthy of receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai.

Dr. Michael Laitman teaches that, The book Likutey Halachot (Assorted Rules) writes in the chapter Hilchot Arev (“Rules of Guarantee”): ‘The root of mutual responsibility extends primarily from the reception of the Torah, when all of Israel were responsible for one another. This is so because at the root, the souls of Israel are regarded as one, for they derive from the origin of the unity. For this reason, all of Israel were responsible for one another upon the reception of the Torah,’ namely the reforming light.”

This idea of coming together as one, with the recognition that we all derive from a common source, is probably more important now than at any other moment in our history. With so much to divide us, we must look beyond the surface level of our neighbors and colleagues to see that authentic spark of light that we
all share.

My wish for us during this holy time of year is that we make the extra effort to become aware of that spark within ourselves and to see it in everyone around us.

In unity,
Todd Herozg
Cantorial Soloist

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Antisemitism Today

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This month our thoughts turn to the Holocaust as the Jewish community commemorates it on Yom HaShoah (April 8). As we remember the horrors that antisemitism can create, we should ask ourselves, ‘what is the state of antisemitism in the United States today and how should we respond?’

First, it is helpful to ask—how do we define antisemitism? Dr. Deborah Lipstadt, a leading authority on this topic, mentions these characteristics: first, it is an irrational prejudice against all Jews. The template for antisemitism, she says, often includes these elements
A) something about Jews and money (viewing Jews as wealthy, overly interested in it, etc.)
B) Jews as smart and conniving, and
C) Jews having the ability to do harm without being detected.

The Jew, according to the anti-Semite, is to be feared, distrusted, and eradicated.

The American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) first-ever State of Antisemitism in America report, released on October 26, 2020, shows deep anxiety among American Jews and a disturbing lack of awareness among the general public about the severity of antisemitism in the United States.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) keeps track of anti-Semitic incidents. The last year that they have complete data on is 2019. For that year they say, “the American Jewish community experienced the highest level of anti-Semitic incidents since tracking began in 1979, with more than 2,100 acts of assault, vandalism and harassment reported across the United States… The record number of incidents came as the Jewish community grappled with vicious and lethal anti-Semitic attacks against communities in Poway, Jersey City and Monsey, and a spree of violent assaults in Brooklyn.”

The report found that “the total number of anti-Semitic incidents in 2019 increased 12 percent over the previous
year, with a disturbing 56 percent increase in assaults. The audit found there were, on average, as many as six anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. for each day in the calendar year—the highest level of anti-Semitic activity ever recorded by ADL.”

We know that white supremacists and specifically anti-Semites were involved in the breach on the U.S. Capitol on January 6. These groups have felt emboldened in recent years.

What can we do about antisemitism today? Here are several suggestions:

Encourage our state legislators to pass the state bill which is currently being considered which would make Holocaust education a required part of Arizona schooling.

Report any anti-Semitic incidents to the ADL so that they can keep track and to find out any suggested response they have for the incident.

Should someone you know make an anti-Semitic remark, ask for more information on why they have that perception. Try to calmly get the offender to see the problem with grouping all Jews together and making prejudicial statements.

We need to remain vigilantly aware of and responsive to antisemitism. We need to do this for self-preservation, but I also believe that this is one way we honor the memories of those who died in the Holocaust. We hear the call—“never again will we let this happen.”

At the same time, I greatly appreciate Dr. Deborah Lipstadt’s view that we should be Jews in spite of, and not because of, antisemitism. Judaism has so much to offer us and the world. Let us not allow the anti-Semite to scare us away from being proud, practicing Jews. We know we have a beautiful and meaningful religion. Am Yisrael Chai—May we remain strong in our faith despite the needs of some people to find a scapegoat.

Rabbi Debbie S. Stiel

March21

Light on the Horizon

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The last time our Temple Solel community gathered in person for Shabbat was Friday, March 13, 2020. Indeed, a Friday the 13th that proved to be a harbinger of things to come. It was an unusually rainy, dark afternoon for Phoenix. Shortly before services began, seeing the sun shining through the rain clouds, I hustled outside with the prospects of seeing a rainbow. To my delight, I was greeted by this double rainbow, arched over our sun-bathed building. This rainbow has helped get me through what is now approaching one year of the pandemic.

In writing about the biblical rainbow, arising from Noah and the ark story, the 13th-century Spanish Bible commentator, Nahmanides, sees it is an inverted bow (as in a bow and arrow) that is no longer aimed at the earth. The bow that had threatened the earth in the form of a flood, is now pointed away from earth; it no longer has a string or arrows; a ceasefire from above. In this sense, the rainbow can be seen as a hopeful portent of things to come; a sign of God orchestrating peace in the high heavens.

A rainbow is the refraction of light through water drops, breaking up the white light so that we can see the various colors in its visible spectrum.1 One moment water presents itself as threatening, torrential rains, the next moment as a breathtaking rainbow—offering possibilities barely imaginable just minutes earlier.

I recall, just a month into the pandemic, trying to offer comfort and hope to the congregation through the Jewish adage, “gam zeh ya’avor–this too shall pass.” Well, who would have imagined, now a year later, that we would still be experiencing worship, religious school, adult education, shiva minyanim, board and committee meetings, all of them virtually. Thankfully, with the remarkable, nothing short of miraculous speed of vaccines being developed, approved, manufactured and distributed, we can now say “this too shall pass” with a brighter light on the horizon.

This has been a long, devastating year. No doubt there have been silver-linings; yet we are not looking through rose-colored glasses. Family and friends have died as a direct consequence of COVID-19. Jobs have been lost, businesses closed, life cycles scaled back or postponed, isolation exacerbating the ever-present fractures of mental illness and abuse. The communal life of religious worship has been confined to our homes, on computers screens, and cell phone. COVID-19 fatigue is real.

We all want to reopen the temple and come back in person, no one more than your clergy team. Rabbi Stiel can’t wait to meet you in person! We are getting closer. Hundreds within the Solel community have either been fully vaccinated, have had their first shot, have an appointment, or are trying like the dickens to get one. At Pathfinder press time, your clergy, staff, and lay leaders are in the trenches, doing the necessary spade-work to reopen in a responsible way. Stay tuned!

March 13, 2021 coincides this year with the first day of the Hebrew month of Nisan. What a lovely gift from the universe. A rainbow at the beginning of a year filled with hardship, keeping us from losing hope—assuring us that the rain will stop, the sun will shine; gam zeh ya’avor–this too shall pass. As the month of Nisan ushers in the rebirth of spring, renewed life, and our people’s Exodus from Egypt, it too brings us closer to reengaging in life. The desert bloom is within sight. Keep that in your mind’s eyes. It’s not far off.

~Rabbi John A. Linder

Shabbat Sermon Archive

Sermon Archive

In our world, context is clarity.  Temple Solel’s Video Archive and Podcast brings clarity and insights from our weekly Shabbat services and beyond. In 10 minutes our clergy break down some of the more complex teachings and give you context on why things matter in today’s world.

Listen to the weekly sermons on our podcast, Click Here.

Click the button below to see all the Archived Sermons on the Temple Solel YouTube Channel.

To see the Full Streamspot video archive, Click Here and search for recorded Erev Shabbat Services on the right hand side of the screen.

Click Here To Watch

Airplanes

I love getting on airplanes because they usually mean an adventure is about to start or has just ended. Invariably I end up in a few of those conversations that happen on airplanes. At some point those interactions turn to asking about my occupation. I am often greeted with a look of surprise and excitement when I explain I am a rabbi. Sometimes the person next to me tells me about his or her understanding of God. Sometimes I hear reasons why a person doesn’t like religion or even a bit of a confession that (s)he dooesn’t do as much as they “should.” Sometimes the person asks me a number of interesting questions (s)he has had about Jewish holidays, but never knew who to ask. Although my favorite conversations occur when people ask what my job entails or what my place of work is like.

These are the moments when I start to brag about Temple Solel. Often the person next to me doesn’t know what to call where I work. The truth is, sometimes, I find the English a bit inadequate, as well, to describe all that happens here. In Hebrew, a synagogue often has three major descriptions: beit t’filah, house of worship, beit Knesset house of connection, beit midrash house of study.

As I sit on a plane and describe my job, I brag about our truly inspiring, fun, meaningful services we have in this beit t’filah, house of worship. Friday nights serve as time for families to come together to reflect on their week and share a family meal. I speak of how Temple Solel is clearly a beit Knesset, a house of connection, connecting people to one another, to our tradition. A holy place that is based on deepening relationships.
Recently, I was able to reflect on how grateful I am to be part of a team leading a re-imagination project for us as a beit midrash, a house of study, house of learning. I explained that we are in the process of reimagining what our congregational learning can look like and how we have been looking at trends in Jewish education and different principles that can guide congregation learning. I share our desire to examine how our students in religious school and adult education are engaged in both the learning and building a community with one another. We encounter creative lessons and dedicated teachers and bonds between teachers and students. We also recognize places where our education system has potential growth; areas where we want to build on our strengths to make those connections even deeper.
While my travel leads to days of packing and unpacking, days of TSA checks and feeling like my life was measured in 3oz bottles, I am always able to reflect about Temple Solel, how we truly are a beit t’filah, beit Knesset, and beit midrash and that we are lucky enough to be a place that values all of the definitions of a synagogue.

Rabbi Ilana Mills