4 Weeks of Elul 5765
Week Three: Communal Lives

By now, some of you may have seen the following picture of a man rescuing a waterlogged torah scroll from the flooded sanctuary of Congregation Beth Israel, an Orthodox synagogue in New Orleans:

Truly, a picture is worth a thousand words. The man carrying the Torah works with Zaka - a Jewish Rescue and Recovery organization that includes among its varied responsibilities the ensuring of proper collection and burial of human remains according to Jewish tradition. They literally and figurative "pick up the pieces" following a disaster - be it a flood or a terrorist attack. A key principle of Jewish life teaches us that "Kol Yisrael Aravim Zeh Ba Zeh," -- All Israel is responsible for one another. Our responsibilities towards our own community extend through every aspect of our lives. In a very real sense, the image of this pious Jew cradling a desecrated sefer torah (torah scroll) is a powerful reminder of the calling to nurture and care for our community and the values it holds dear - no matter when or where we are called upon.

We are not content, however, to merely see our responsibility in particularistic terms. Indeed, we are responsible, not only for the welfare of our own community - but also for working to improve the entire world. The Concept of Tikkun Olam - repairing our world -- guides and commands us to strive to work in partnership with our creator in perfecting all of Creation. Whether we cradle a Torah scroll, or comfort a crying baby; teach English to new immigrants or feed the hungry at project share - we are working to perfect God's Creation.

These past few weeks - as we remembered the tragedy of September 11th and confronted the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina - we were all the more conscious of the necessity for each of us to reach out and help those in need as we build our community.

During this, the 3rd week of Elul, I want you to focus on your relationship to the various communities in which you live.

The following questions will help you focus your Elul preparations on how you can make a difference for good in your congregation, community and, indeed, the world itself. Again, this is by no means a complete list. There are many other areas that can be explored. Hopefully, this will provide you with a starting place for a much longer process.

1. Have I been generous enough in my support - financially or otherwise - of the institutions and charities that I find important?
2. Have I done all that I could to help those impacted by Hurricane Katrina?
3. Have I allowed the urgency of the Hurricane relief effort to distract me from the other tragedies that are still taking place around the world in places like Darfur, Sudan; the AIDS crisis in Africa; the aftermath of the Asian Tsunami and even the poverty and homelessness in our own community?
4. Have I worked to strengthen my congregation? Have I given of my skills and expertise when asked?
5. Have those of us in leadership positions done all that we could to ask others to become involved in our congregation?
6. When I am at synagogue, have I done all that I can to make others feel welcomed in the same way that I want to feel welcome?
7. Have I spoken out when I perceived discrimination or inequity based on economics, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation in our community?

Again, I want to hear from you regarding these messages. I welcome your comments and suggestions. I can be reached by phone (883-1818) or e-mail (). These questions will also be available in hard copy at the Temple Office. If you know of anyone else who might want to receive these lists, contact our list administrator, .

L'shanah Tovah U'metukah - May you have a good and sweet new year,

Rabbi Joseph R. Black
Email:  

P.S. If you have not already done so, make sure that you register to receive an absentee ballot in the upcoming elections that will take place on Rosh Hashanah. This link will provide you with the proper form for requesting a ballot. The deadline for submission is September 30th.