Thursday, September 25, 2008

Rabbi Art: Debates, Steelers, and Services

Dear Friends,

This Friday evening at 9:00 PM the first of the Presidential Debates between Senator McCain and Senator Obama will take place. I, like many of you, want to view this and the other debates live. With the election so close many Americans will use the information provided by the debates to guide their choice of President. Of course, we can record them, but honestly, we want to be with family and friends, analyzing and critiquing the candidates as the event is happening. 

Therefore, rest assured our Kabbalat Shabbat service that begins at 7:30 PM will allow you plenty of time to make it home for the debate in its entirety.  So please join us for this evening Shabbat service so close to the New Year and put yourself in the proper mood for the Days of Awe.

Also, as requested, below is my D’var Torah, from last Friday evening sharing my thoughts entitled, “God, Torah and Israel versus the Steeler Nation!” Just in case anyone needs a pep-talk why they should be in synagogue with our temple family next Monday evening and not at the Steeler’s game or watching it at home please take a look (Tivo and DVRs were made for recording sporting events so you skip over the commercials!)

God, Torah, Israel vs. Steelers’ Nation
On Monday evening September 29 an interesting collision between sports and religion will again occur.  Maybe not with potential nuclear capability of the particle reactor in Europe that was recently tested, however, the vibrations will be felt throughout our fair city and elsewhere, I’m sure.

Our beloved Steelers are playing a Monday night game at Heinz field against the Baltimore Ravens and game time and Erev Rosh Hashanah will collide.  You may remember this happened a few years ago on Kol Nidre.  I guess this is a price you pay for having a very successful franchise that draws well throughout the country; you are always a candidate for Monday Night, or Sunday Night or Thursday Night football.

So what do you do?  Choose God, Torah and the Jewish People? Or, do you choose the Steeler Nation?

For many of us this is not a choice; being Jewish comes first and we are right where we are suppose to be (and yes our Tivos or DVR can do the work for us, but the issue is bigger than this). Of course, the decision might be a little harder if you have season tickets.  Right, there are only so many home games. 

Now, let me ask you.  Would this have been a question for anyone in the Jewish community 25 years ago?  50 years ago? 100 years ago?  Not at all! So what has happened that makes this even a “choice” for some?

More importantly, do those who choose to attend the game instead of attending Rosh HaShanah really understand the consequences of their actions?  I’m not talking hell, fire and brimstone.  I leave that kind of talk to others!

One thing that has changed is that most Jews outside the orthodox world are primarily secular in their outlook, decision-making, and synagogue attendance.  We get our opinions about important matters from the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times, or on-line versions of the same.  And we don’t fear that the hand of God will strike us down if we don’t attend Shabbat services or any other synagogue event with any regularity. I am not advocating such a Judaism based on such fear.  However, we live in a community where God has been dethroned, if you will, by any number of modern day idols, American or not.  Here in the North Hills and Western PA, in general, Friday night high school football is God!  And many of our families bow down to that God, as do most of their neighbors.  Hard to beat the peer pressure! Gee, when the Israelites worshipped the Golden Calf, wasn’t it Aaron who led the way!!! (Just a thought about the clergy who offer prayers before the games so that God will be on their side so they will be guaranteed to beat the other team!)

And when it comes to making serious choices, non-orthodox Jews look elsewhere as I mentioned before.  Our reform movement advocates “educated, informed choice,” and what does this mean? Seriously, how many look to Jewish tradition to inform such a decision about missing Rosh Hashanah services? This year, two of our school districts play each other in football nearly at the same time that Yom Kippur Neilah services conclude.  We generally don’t look for answers in places or traditions where we know the answer isn’t the one we want to hear!  Some would say, “oh, you know the expression: it’s hard to be a Jew!” That’s a cop-out if we are honest.  Really, it’s about setting priorities and looking at the long-term consequences of our actions, something all of us don’t always enjoy viewing.

A reform Jewish position would be as follows, and there really isn’t any difference on this issue between the different movements:  Rosh HaShanah is understood as both the Day of Judgement and the Day of the World’s Birthing, one needs to be in synagogue with one’s family and one’s community. This is a mitzvah – not a good deed, rather a commandment, a sacred obligation. Judaism is not a tradition, a faith, a people in which we celebrate alone, by ourselves, in a cave, on a mountain-top: As it has been said, “life is with people.” If everyone made Shabbos for himself/herself, if everyone set up their own Rosh Hashanah what kind of Judaism would we have?  Perhaps, most compelling, I hope, is the negative message it sends to children, grandchildren, friends and relatives when a member of the household will get up from dinner on Monday the 29th, kiss everyone, maybe even say a “gut yontif”, a “shanah tovah,” and go off to Heinz Field in time for kickoff. 

Of course, there is the biggest issue lurking behind the scenes – who are we as Jews!!! As one Jewish pride book published a few years ago put, “Are we Jews for something or nothing?”

Being Jewish is more about doing Jewish than anything else.  We are what we do Jewishly.  Going to a football game or any other sporting or cultural event on the Days of Awe and let me add, Shabbat, which is holier than any other day on the calendar, is not doing Jewish.  It is affirming that being Jewish is just like being like everyone else, when in fact, since the days of Abraham and Sarah, we have been “Ivrim” “Hebrews” boundary crossers. We have been a people unwilling to jump on every trend for the sake of popularity; as one of my colleagues likes to offer, we are “counter-cultural.” This is in many ways the same battle the Hasmoneans fought in Modiin over 2,000 years ago when given the choice to fully adopt Greek culture and leave Jewish life behind, to bow to statues of Zeus, Nike, Adidas and the rest.  And it is a struggle we will always have to endure.  Adults and teens alike that have visited Israel during the past several summers have shared just how wonderful it was to be in a Jewish state where, when Shabbat arrives, the chaos of the secular, ordinary comes to an end, and something so very beautiful arrives.  While there is nothing like Shabbat or any other festival or holy day in Israel, we can have a taste of this beauty and wonder, with our observance and celebration here.

I know that I’ll be here on Erev Rosh Hashanah and the rest of the Days of Awe, beginning tomorrow night with Selikhot and our Leadership Installation, and if my words sounded too preachy, judgmental, or strident this evening, so be it. Occasionally one has to say, “Yesh Gevul,” there is a line; don’t go any further. 

Shabbat Shalom.

Shabbat Shalom and Shanah Tovah,

Rabbi Art Donsky