CJC
Newsletter September/October 2005
Welcome Chaverim,
to our Fall CJC Newsletter!
We received
numerous compliments on our new paperless and easy-to-forward-to-friends
format. We aim to continue to improve our communications.
We are grateful
to those who have already sent pledges, payments, and stretches
to support our community and our clergy for the coming year.
Contact Sara Russell about CJC Membership at (650) 490-0914,
or email: saralrussell@sbcglobal.net.
Join
Us for High Holy Days
The
start of the Jewish year with the new moon of Tishrei reminds
us that we move through time in many ways: Rosh HaShanah
is the moment we rejoice in the lives we’ve lived since
the last turn of the cycle.
On
the cusp of transition to the wet, growing season, we return
to ourselves and the Source of All Creation to review the
growth we’ve made. With evening, morning, and afternoon
(Tashlich) services, Coastside Jewish Community invites
all Jews, non-Jews, Seekers, and Questioners to usher in
the New Year with unique and traditional ritual, intention,
music, prayer, Torah, food, dance, spirit, and love.
Rosh
HaShanah also begins the Aseret Yomei T'shuvah, the ten
days of returning, which culminate in Yom Kippur, the Day
of At-one-ment. A day of intensely focused spiritual work,
Yom Kippur gifts us with the divine time to recognize and
begin to change the patterns of our thought, speech, and
behavior that cause harm, pain or suffering to ourselves
and each other.
Click for
Schedule, Ticket and ChildCare Forms
Click Holidays & Events
or Calendar to find Other Inspiring
Programs
nature
photos ©2005 Amee Evans Godwin
Our
Maggid: Who are We Going to Be When We Grow Up?
by Jhos Singer
Shalom
Chaverim-
The month of Elul is upon us (it begins at sundown
on September 4). Elul is the month that leads up to the
High Holidays and is the period of time that we are supposed
to use to prepare ourselves to enter the new year. It is
a time of waking up and taking on the spiritual chores that
we have been neglecting. It's a time of reckoning, a time
of mending, a time full of promise and possibility.
Tonight
one of my children said, "I'm worried that I don't know
what I want to be when I grow up." I said, "Motek, you
have a lot of time to figure that out-in fact, you probably
shouldn't have it figured out right now, I mean you are
7 and a half and that's a little young to be committing
to a career path, you'll decide later." To which he replied,
"I know I'll decide later Mima, but I'm worried about it
NOW." There was something so familiar in his angst-that
state of unnecessary worry that defies reason, logic or
even just common sense. Our species generally seems to be
hardwired for this kind of worry. We fret at the drop of
a pin. And I have to wonder what God was thinking when we
were given that particular tendency.
(Jhos' continued...)
My son and I continued our conversation,
I kept trying to talk him out of his worry, he kept illuminating
just how worrisome it was, and finally I said, "Sweetpea,
are you asking me for advice or do you just need to talk
about how you feel?" And in his ever surprising way he said,
"I'd like your advice." So it turns out that he is torn
between his interest in building Pokemon decks, or being
a Gameboy game designer, or a cook, or singing, or working
with animals, or becoming a rabbi. We discussed each field
and what it might be like to work in it; we also explored
the notion of working in one field while being a hobbyist
in another field. I told him about how getting paid for
what you do can change the way that you feel about it, and
I introduced him to the notion of a 'calling' as opposed
to an interest or aptitude.
It was
a great conversation, and at the end of it he said, "Well
I guess I don't have to decide right now. Maybe I'll just
try different things and see what I like most. I'll just
keep doing things and then I'll see what's best. I feel
better." Of course my brain was rolling its eyes and muttering,
"Isn't that what I said to begin with?", while my soul was
looking at my kid and marveling at the way the human spirit
works --the need we have to engage a guide, our penchant
for processing, how we often avoid mechanical solutions,
despite their efficiency, in favor of twisting, winding,
meandering approaches. Let's face it: the view really
is much better on Devil's Slide than it is on 880.
Elul
and the Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe-the High Holy Days) are
all about figuring out who we are going to be when we grow
up --will we be people who have integrity, who act
with compassion, who have the guts to apologize and forgive
if for no other reason than that we are willing to move
on. We all have decisions to make, decisions we cannot make
now, which fill us with anxiety right here, right now. We
have to allow our selves the opportunity to lay our hearts
out, look at our desires, and then find ways to free ourselves
from the worries we haul around.
Worry
and anxiety are corrosive. They weaken our courage and leave
the door open for fear and panic to enter the room. Deciding
who we are going to be in the future is a core Jewish practice.
Judaism encourages us to make commitments. We have 613 mitzvoth
to choose from, where to start can be daunting. But during
this time of year we are called upon to commit to make 'tshuvah',
to return to our truth-and the irony is that we need each
other to know what that truth might be.
As I
listened to my kid rattle off the options he was considering
for his future, I tried to imagine him as a computer geek,
as a chef, as a singer, as a zoologist, as a rabbi. Which
bits of him would flourish, which would whither, where would
he most be able to be himself, what would his calling end
up being. I thought about my own twisting, winding path;
my days as a Hollywood caterer, delivering cookies and newspapers
in San Francisco, a fire fighter in Washington State, playing
the Kennedy Center, giving flute lessons, picking strawberries,
being a deckhand, teaching middle school, a short stint
as a Bay Area rock star, and finally finding my calling
which was "all of the above" in a Jewish context. And I
remember the moment it all came into focus. I was hiking
with my ex, Bon. I was fretting. I was worrying. I didn't
know what I was going to be when I grew up. And in the middle
of my whining, Bon, who, without any agenda for Judaism,
blurts out, "Wanna know what I think? I think you should
become a rabbi, that's it, why don't you become a rabbi….."
It was the most absurd thing she had ever suggested,
and she was right on the money.
I had
to do a lot of tshuvah to accept my calling. Considering
becoming a rabbi was as delicious and daunting as anything
I could have ever imagined. Even thinking about it 10 years
ago would give me an anxiety rush. But as much as the anxiety
and worry might erode our strength, it can also motivate
us into taking the steps we must to become who we need to
be. What's the saying, if it doesn't kill you, it'll make
you stronger? Perhaps we are hardwired this way so that
we will have to listen to our calling, so that we literally
won't rest until we find the way home. And in our hours
of fretting we might seek counsel and guidance from those
we love and trust -- that we might need each other on
this journey so that others can see in us parts of ourselves
that are hidden to us. Maybe what I saw in my son tonight
was the first visible sign that he was on his way --
that his adventure of self-discovery has officially begun.
Clearing
away doubt, shame, fear and anger is essential to finding
the pathways in our hearts that will lead us home. May each
of us find the strength to admit our shortcomings and make
up with those we have hurt. Even more important, may we
be brave enough to forgive ourselves and each other for
the inescapable wrongs that we all commit. And even more
important than that, may we all savor the wisdom gained
through the chaotic and twisted routes we are traveling,
and may this year bring us all closer to being the people
we want to be when we grow up.
Shanah
tovah---Jhos
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Our
Sheli'ach Tsibbur: Turning and Returning
by Julie Batz
We have just
made one of the many important turnings in the Jewish year.
With the marking of Tisha B'Av, the 9th of the month of
Av, we have entered into a seven week period of introspection
and assessment, leading us into the High Holy Days. I've
just finished Rabbi Alan Lew's terrific book about this
critical time called "This Is Real And You Are Completely
Unprepared." I highly recommend it as a deep and thoughtful
guidebook to entering into the High Holy Days with consciousness
and care.
Rabbi Lew (the rabbi of Temple Beth Shalom in San Francisco)
has many suggestions for mindful approaches to experiencing
the arc of the holy days:
(Julie's
continued...)
from
Tisha B'Av (the day of fasting and mourning to commemorate
many great tragedies including the destruction of the Temples,
marked this year on August 13), to Elul (the month leading
up to Rosh HaShana, during which we are instructed to take
an accounting of our souls and make t'shuvah/mending in
all of the important relationships in our lives); to Rosh
HaShana/the Day of Rememberance and Yom Kippur/the Day of
Atonement; to Sukkot/the Festival of Booths. Meditation,
prayer, intra- and inter-personal relationship work -- all
of these are vehicles for doing this important work.
Our
tradition provides many different pathways for traveling
through this season. For those drawn to Torah, the path
can be discerned through a deep examination of the weekly
Torah readings/parshiot. The haftorot/prophetic writings
during this time lead into Tisha B'Av with three weeks of
rebukes, and are followed by seven weeks of messages of
consolation.
Our
prayers are altered slightly during this time, and we add
the reading of Psalm 40 into our daily liturgy (this psalm
includes the line that we chant: "Achat Sha'alti/One thing
I ask of HaShem, for this I yearn: to dwell in the house
of HaShem all the days of my life, to pray in HaShem's sanctuary,
to behold HaShem's beauty.").
For
those most connected to nature,
we feel the turning of the season, the gravity of mood and
sharpening of awareness that the shortening days and cooler
temperatures bring. And for those most connected with
ritual, we move from the mourning of Tisha B'Av (a day
of fasting that begins with us sitting in near darkness
chanting Lamentations to remember the destruction of first
home as a people -- the Temple) to the formulaic and powerful
rituals of repentance and forgiveness of Elul and the Yamim
Noraim/Days of Awe; from the awakening blasts of the shofar
to the altered state of awareness we attain through fasting
and prayer; and we complete the cycle by dwelling in the
most temporary and shaky kind of home, a sukkah.
It is
my deep wish that each member of our community can experience
at least one of these paths to a meaningful and transformative
Season of Awe. May we be moved to struggle with the deepest
truths of our lives, and may we come together in the safety
and love of our community to inspire each other to return
again to our best hopes and intentions for the year to come.
Shana
Tova/A good year,
Julie
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CJC
Ruach Havurah brings a deeper connection
The
CJC Ruach Havurah had its first meeting on Saturday, July
9. Our gatherings will be experiential in nature, and our
goals are to deepen our spirituality, learn more about Jewish
spirituality, and to cultivate a deeper sense of connection
to each other. Havurah gatherings may include prayer, meditation,
spiritual direction, rituals, celebration and learning.
The group is open to any interested adults. Meetings will
take place on the afternoon of the 4th Shabbat of every
month. Next meetings: September 24, October 29, November
26.
Contact
Karen Erlichman: kaylee18@sbcglobal.net or by phone at 415.566.2183
Ethical
Wills as a Lasting Love Letter
Thanks
to Rabbi Natan Fenner of the UCSF/Mt. Zion Institute on
Aging, Bay Area Jewish Healing Center, for guiding us through
our recent introduction to writing an 'ethical will.'
Rabbi Fenner described an 'ethical will' as a love letter
to those we leave behind. It is expression of hopes and
values by the author and how and why it is important to
him/her. The class jumped right into the task of writing,
embracing the concept and the process.
If you missed the class but would like additional information
about 'ethical wills' you are welcome to contact the Bay
Area Jewish Healing Center by phone (415-750-4197) or online
at www.jewishhelaingcenter.org.
Rabbi Fenner suggested a resource book that is widely available:
So That Your Values Live On: Ethical Wills and How To
Prepare Them, edited by Jack Riemer and Nathaniel Stampfer,
(Woodstock, VT.: Jewish Lights Publishing)
Thank you to Lesley Gardens for the use of their meeting
room.
Book
Review: The SunFlower, by Simon Wiesenthal
Reviewed for CJC by Lesli Sachs
With the days of awe, the season of tshuvah and forgiveness
soon to be upon us, I would like to recommend to you this
lovely and provocative little book which examines forgiveness.
While imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, author Simon
Wiesenthal was taken to the bedside of a dying SS trooper.
Haunted by the atrocities he has committed, the soldier
wants to confess to, and receive forgiveness from a Jew.
Facing the the possibilities and limits of forgiveness,
Simon says nothing. But years later he still questions himself;
had he done the right thing.
In the second section of the book, Wiesenthal presents
the story to an array of leading intellectuals, theologians,
political leaders, holocaust survivors, etc. Among them
are the Dalai Lama, Adam Joshua Hershel, Harold Kushner,
Desmond Tutu, Mary Gordon, Yossi Klein Halevi and a host
of others who have witnessed genocide and human tyranny.
In answer to his provocative question, “What would you have
done?”, we read their responses, as varied as their experiences
of the world.
This thought provoking book will challenge you to define
your own beliefs about justice, compassion and forgiveness,
and to ask the question yourself, “What would I have done?”
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Lifecycles
- Bikkur
Cholim
“Help for our community is needed”
Anyone able to cook for or help transport our community when the need arises,
please contact Linda Bea Miller: lb250a@hotmail.com. We
are in need of helpers.
GENERAL
FUND
In Honor of Lissin Lev Chaya and Hearty Heartlife's
marriage from
Alan Goldberg
Amee Evans Godwin and Paul Godwin
In Honor of Liza and Stuart Cristol-Deman's 10th Anniversary
from Les and Leslie Deman
CANTOR
FUND
Kerry Lobel
Get
more involved with CJC!
Sign
up with eScrip - the electronic fundraising program
in which participating merchants contribute when you buy
stuff using your supermarket club/debit/credit cards that
you register with eScrip. No receipts to collect, no tsuris
(trouble) for you-and every purchase counts! Every time
you shop at one of 6,000 merchant locations, a percentage
of your purchase goes directly to CJC! It's simple and secure
to sign up online:
Step
#1: Go to www.escrip.com
Step #2: Click on Sign Up
Step #3: Enter CJC's Group ID#144028734
Step #4: Enter your card number(s).
It's
easy. It's free. It's great for CJC.
Contact
us!
CJC
on the Web: www.coastsidejewishcommunity.org
Email:
coastsidejewishcommunity@yahoo.com
Mailing
Address: PO Box 1729, El Granada, CA, 94018
Spiritual
Leaders:
Jhos
Singer, Maggid 510-526-5397 cjcmaggid@sbcglobal.net
Julie Batz, Sheli'ach Tsibbur 510-549-3121 jbatz@sbcglobal.net
Board
Members:
Sara Russell (Vice President)
Leslie Deman (Secretary)
Wendi Shafir (Education)
Linda Bea Miller (Lifecycles)
Amee Evans Godwin (Publications)
Lissin Lev Chaya (Ritual)
Liz Gray (Social Action)
Carrie Sealine (Ritual)
CJC
Newsletter: Amee Evans Godwin
Email: coastsidejewishcommunity@yahoo.com
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photos ©2005 Amee Evans Godwin
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