Catching up

So I am spending my summer catching up on stuff. Fun. Although I did find time for a week back home in Stoke. At the start of the summer my list of things too catch up on had about 20 things on it. But now its down to just a handful. And most of them are looking forward so meeting with my community for next year, getting ready for the High Holy Days. That kind of thing.

Today I had a review meeting about Jewish Care which I think was productive. And with it I think I have completed the last formal activity of my third year although I still don't know for sure that I've passed all my assessments.

The day before I had my meeting with Richard my rabbinic tutor, I am pretty happy with how it went and with the progress that could be seen at it.

I am also working away on the project for Limmud. But that is also going well.

I have taken the opportunity of catching up with some of my friends, whom I had been rather neglecting over the past few weeks.

All in all things are good. (Bring on the 4th year [assuming I've passed all my assessments that is])

MRJ music conference

I have just attended the Reform Movement's music conference which was truly amazing. So good teachers including our own Zoe Jacobs, I went to a couple of standout sessions including some on story-telling Torah translation, by Shira Klien this was really inspirational I got an insight into the potential possibilities of Torah reading and translation in a synagogue services.  Also, after only three years at rabbinical college I finally understand at least in part what Targum was about. Just for that alone it would have been enough to attend the conference but there was so much more.  Communal singing, which by the end even I was joining in.  I got to meet up with old friends from various synagogues.
Another excellent session, also by Shira Klien, was on teaching very young children (this was among the most useful/best sessions I have ever been too).  Yet another stand out of the four days was the session on training games by Craig Taubman, the final concert was also almost unbelievably AMAZING. The only draw back from the whole thing was that it was simply too hot, about 30 degrees C., so way too hot for me.

I still have a bunch of stuff to do, but am finding to rest up a little before the fourth year starts. Including of course doing all the readings I having been putting off. Generally I am happy and feeling content with how things are going.
There are times when I have let my Jewish batteries go completely flat, and worse I don't notice that it has happened until they are recharged. And this four days really did that.

Ordination service.

Yesterday was the ordination service for Leah, Benji and Esther.  It was unsurprisingly very moving. But more about that latter. Before Sunday came Saturday (unsurprisingly enough) I didn't go anywhere for Shabbat morning I had been planning to go to Kol Chai with Emily but in the event Emily was really unwell so we didn't go anywhere.  Friday night I went to New North London Masorti Synagogue.
I always enjoy the service there, partly because I get just to be an ordinary congregant.  But the similarities with Shira Hadasha in Jerusalem and the almost Jerusalem like weather made me very homesick.

Saturday we went to celebrate Hannah's birthday with a murder mystery, 'death by chocolate' I played Dr Sigmand Fraud, it was a lot of fun. A really fun evening.

I have also started an eat well campaign this was the result of Emily and I realising how badly we have been eating.  This was both shocking and might explain how ill we have been feeling of late.  But now on to ordination.

This year ordination took place at Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue. Hannah was kind enough to give Emily and I lift in, which made a real difference because of how difficult it is to get by means of public transport.

This is the third ordination I have attended since starting at rabbinical school one was at HUC and then last year at West London Synagogue.  I found this year very moving, the speeches by the ordains were very good. Leah's was a re-aprassal of her one at the last service. Linking her Bat-Mitzvah portion (Mattot-this weeks sedra) with her journey from the midwest and Classical Reform Judaism today, Benji's was also personal starting from his tenancy to leave planning routes and suddenly finding himself at a destination with his journey to the rabbinate, and Esther linked her complex and challenging Journey to her family history.

All three discussed the feelings and trepidation's of embraking on the next part their carers. Laliv gave the address which was prefect in tone and personal to each of the three canidates. All in all a lovely ceremony. In beautiful weather.

last service of the year

Yesterday was the last service of the year here at Leo Baeck College, which was really lovely. Esther H., lead the first part of the service with guitar and singing, Benji, led a other parts of the service in a pleasant nuisa, he also layined the Torah reading, and Leah gave a really great D'var Torah, which really captured the right tone and mode for the occasion.
This was followed by the presentation of Talliot, again very beautiful. Dava participated in Taliting Esther, as did Banji for Leah along with her Dad and Leah helped to Tallit Benji. I was actually in tears by the end because it was so very moving.

After the service I chilled out in the Blue room before going for lunch with some of the first years: Hannah, Kath, Naomi, and Robyn we went to the Pizza place near the college.  This was very nice as I don't normally get a chance to hang out with either Naomi or Robyn.

Back at the college I chilled again for a few minutes talking with Leah, before taking Emily's guitar back to the flat.

Latter I went to Tesco to buy some goods for dinner. Emily and I are having a campain of correct-eating.  As we think how bad we are feeling is down to not eating enough protein and or fruit and veggies.  It has only been going a day (All of yesterday, three meals. Fruit and veggies, and proper protein.) And a proper breakfast this morning.

I still have a lot on, I think that this is going to be fairly smooth sailing.

A very busy shabbat.

This weekend proved very busy pleasant but busy nevertheless.  On Saturday morning we (Emily and I) went to Kol Hai Synagogue where Emily will be working.  Its Michael Hilton's synagogue so that was nice, we then went to Michael's home for lunch although it was rather rushed because I needed to get to West Central Synagogue to lead services there.

I really enjoyed that, although I was very very tired. But they are a lovely community. As well as leading the services, I read Torah and gave a sermon. See blow.

On Sunday we went for a picnic with Matthew in Hendon, very nice enjoying the sunshine even if there were too many ticks.

Sermon (more or less what I said although I did add-lib somewhat)

וַתִּקְרַבְנָה בְּנוֹת צְלָפְחָד, בֶּן-חֵפֶר בֶּן-גִּלְעָד בֶּן-מָכִיר בֶּן-מְנַשֶּׁה, לְמִשְׁפְּחֹת, מְנַשֶּׁה בֶן-יוֹסֵף; וְאֵלֶּה, שְׁמוֹת בְּנֹתָיו--מַחְלָה נֹעָה, וְחָגְלָה וּמִלְכָּה וְתִרְצָה.

One of my first Hebrew teachers said that one of the main differences between Hebrew and English is that English is broad language whereas Hebrew is a deep one. English has spread widely around the world and wherever it has gone it has brought back words from other languages and made them its own. The result has been that for almost any meaning there is a word, and that perhaps English is best suited of all languages to indicated and to distinguish between fine shades of nuisance.

Hebrew on the other hand builds internal connection between concepts, individual words connect with other words and ideas interact with related but otherwise different concepts, Hebrew words also have multiple meanings, for example D'var which means both word and thing.

The Hebrew term for an offering or sacrifice Korban contains the kernel of the idea of proximity or closeness, because it is derived from the root Quf, bet, resh. The basic meaning of which means to come-close.

The first word of the passage of Torah which we read today was also derived from this basic root. Va-tik-rav-nah. And they (the Daughters of Zelophehad) approached.

Please forgive me, but I am going to talk about grammar but don't worry not for very long, this word is in the third person feminine plural imperfect. An unusual form and one that when I encounter it sometimes catches me out. Simply because it is so unusual.

This is because Hebrew is different from English in another way, in that it is a gendered language. However, even if there were a group of 999 women and just one man, then the form the verb would take would be masculine. So encountering feminine plural verbs, and therefore all female action, is uncommon.

But in todays reading we find just that the daughters of Zelophanad. But not only that, we get to hear them speak, two whole verses of the Torah reading are given over to their request which was more a bitting critic of the system of inheritance in operation during the time of the wondering of the Israelites in the wilderness.

What is more, their request and critic is validated and confirmed not only by Moses, but rather the Eternal One.

If this were not enough to draw our attention to this strange and short section of Torah, we are told the names of all five of the daughters of Zelophehad, as well as Zelophehad's full ancestry. I needs to be stressed that the nature of the style of torah is to be very sparing with words, hardly a single word is wasted.

In this context it is surprising, actually very surprising, to find this much narrative detail about a seemingly trivial issue. After all probate is not that exciting.

Apologies to any probate lawyers who are present in the congregation.

This can only be to attract our attention. For the Torah women's rights in the area of inheritance was important. Indeed Judaism has had a long history of being at the cutting edge of women's rights.

The female Judaean had freedoms that her Athenian counterpart could only dream off. Latter the same held true for women classical rabbinic period and the Romain world.

This is a tradition which is happily continued by the progressive movements. From the ordination of Regina Jonas in 1935, though the publication of Siddurim written in gender inclusive language and in Israel with the work of IRAC and women of the wall.

It is especially fitting, and yes poignant to read a passage of Torah focused on the inclusion of women in the synagogue founded by Lily Montague for the benefit of, largely female shop workers.

Just as, according to the Torah, the daughters of Zelophehad noticed lack in provisions for women and acted to change it, so too many generations latter did Lily Montague.

There is still, plenty of, work to be done in terms of inclusion both within the Jewish world and externally too it. But reviewing our history we can find the necessary courage and impetuous for action.

Ken Yehi Ratzon