Greeting and Greening

On Rosh Hashanah Rabbi Millstein gave two sermons which established important goals for Temple Emanuel for this year, 5768.

On Rosh Hashanah evening he pointed out that many Jews have become alienated from synagogue life but that we can overcome that and help people become part of our community by developing a culture of hospitality at Temple Emanuel. You can help by volunteering to be a “greeter” at Temple services and programs. Please call the Rabbis’ Study and leave a message for Rabbi Millstein at 508-791-8414 x25 or e-mail him at jmillstein@ temple-emanuel.org if, even on an occasional basis, you are willing to take on this simple task and help our congregation.

On the second day of Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Millstein argued that human beings have violated God’s law by despoiling the earth that God has given us. Our Temple must be a leader in teaching people how to live their lives in order to make the earth a sustainable home for human beings and all creatures. If we are to do so, we must begin the task of “Greening the Synagogue.” Printed in this issue is a questionnaire designed by the Social Action Committee. By responding to and returning it to the Temple you will help shape our “greening” program.

Below are excerpts from Rabbi Millstein’s Rosh Hashanah sermons:

A Welcoming Spiritual Community – Kehilah Kedoshah, Kehilah Petuchah

In the current issue of Reform Judaism magazine, there is a piece in which a woman shares her experience at a synagogue she joined after moving to a new part of town:

“…one Shabbat I decided to attend services without my husband…I was acutely aware that even though the sanctuary was almost filled, I knew no one. No one smiled. No one greeted me. I felt painfully alone. After that, I became a twice-a-year Jew, attending with friends on the High Holy Days. In time, I began to question why I continued my affiliation in a place where I felt no connection.”

Dr. Ron Wolfson, who along with Dr. Larry Hoffman of Hebrew Union College founded the national, inter-movement synagogue transformation project known as “Synagogue 2000,” argues in his recent book, The Spirituality of Welcoming , that this problem of alienation, of feeling a lack of connection, is pervasive throughout American Judaism. It is particularly acute for those who are newcomers to a congregation and those who may be members but do not have friends in the congregation.

But we shouldn’t be surprised. Dr. Wolfson points out that this is merely a reflection of the values of the culture around us. We don’t welcome strangers anymore; we are afraid of them. We don’t invite people to our homes anymore; we entertain in restaurants or clubs. We don’t greet people on the street; we avoid them. We don’t even answer our phones without first checking caller ID to see if it is someone we know or want to talk with.

Rabbi Sidney Schwarz, in his book, Finding a Spiritual Home: How a New Generation of Jews Can Transform the American S ynagogue , refers to the synagogues that sprang up in suburbs all over the country after World War II as “synagoguecenters.” Temple Emanuel, after it moved from Elm Street to May and Chandler, is a great example of one.

In many ways, the synagogue center, here and elsewhere, was an enormous success. They were terrific at what they were designed to do: bring together large numbers of people for programs, classes, lectures, concerts, lifecycle events, High Holiday services. But in the process they could also be austere and unwelcoming, particularly to those who were outsiders, not already part of the community. So too, for those who did not fit the model of the typical Mom, Pop and 3 kids family, those who were divorced, intermarried, disabled, of another race or homosexual. And it was often unwelcoming to those with religious views out of the mainstream. Most importantly, synagogue centers often failed to provide a feeling of warmth, of intimacy, of connectedness…that sense that we are all – every one of us – part of something, partners in something that gives our lives meaning and purpose.

But friends, it doesn’t need to be this way.

We must learn from our teachers, our very first teachers, Avraham Avinu v’Sarah Imeinu – Abraham, our father, and Sarah, our mother. Listento what they do when some guests, strangers, pass by the door of their tent:

[Abraham] was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot. Looking up, he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground, he said, “My lords, if it please you, do not go on past your servant. Let a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under a tree. And let me fetch a morsel of bread that you may refresh yourselves.”… Abraham ran to the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick, three seahs of choice flour! Knead the dough and make cakes!” Then Abraham...waited on them under the tree as they ate.

Abraham and Sarah here became the model for Jews throughout the ages of the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim, welcoming guests, welcoming strangers.

I propose on this New Year that we resolve to… let people know that we really do welcome and value them – correction, value YOU, want YOU - to be a partner in our community. I propose, as Dr. Wolfson urges all liberal Jewish congregations, that starting this fall we HAVE GREETERS IN THE SYNAGOGUE DURING EVERY SERVICE AND PROGRAM THAT TAKES PLACE HERE.

Most synagogues, like ours, have ushers. An usher has the task of passing out books and papers, of making sure the crowd flows smoothly in and out. Richard Katz and our ushering crew welcome people warmly and graciously, offering a L’ShanahTovah to all who enter. Ushers are the first line of greeters. Alas, in keeping with the tenor of the times, it is getting harder and harder to get people to take on this task of welcoming. People view it as a minor task when, in fact, it is one of the most important in the synagogue.

But even if we had enough ushers, there should be a group of additional people who are not saddled with the task of looking at tickets and handing out books. Their sole task is to greet those who come in, schmooze, smile, interact, offer to help with whatever a worshipper might need, introduce new people to long time members, and members who might not have met one another, to learn people’s names – to make Temple a place where everyone is noticed, everyone is valued, everyone has friends, and everyone recognizes that they are a welcome member of our community.

I believe that if we could get 50 people – 50 of you sitting here this evening – to commit to being greeters at a program or service at Temple just twice in this year – we could change the entire face, both inside and out, of this congregation. To paraphrase our ancestor, Abraham, are there 50 righteous people in this Temple tonight who are willing to do this mitzvah?

Today we read the creation story from Genesis chapter 1 and the first few verse of chapter 2. But, there is a second creation story, usually referred to as the Garden of Eden or Adam and Eve story, which follows right on the heels of what we read today. Normally people look at the key moment of the story, when Eve takes the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, takes a bite herself and then gives it to Adam, as a sin. For Jews, not “original sin” as it is for some Christians, but a sin nonetheless.

But there is another way to look at this story, which yields a different insight. The question arises: If the fruit that the first two human beings ate gave them the ability to discern good from evil, and they did not have that ability before eating the fruit, then how could they be guilty of any wrongdoing? They literally did not know any better.

So perhaps the story is not about sin but about learning. Perhaps the point is that human beings had to learn that there is a law of God by eating the forbidden fruit and so too, did they need to learn that there are consequences to violating God’s law. The consequence for the first two humans was that they were exiled from the Garden of Eden. Notice I said consequences and not punishment. It’s not a matter of reward and punishment, but of truth and consequences.

Truth: There is a law of God. That law is evident in the story of creation that we read today. God spread out the heavens and established the earth, and made them operate according to set patternsand laws. Those laws of God, or laws of nature, govern the universe, including the earth and its creatures. When we violate these laws, knowingly or unknowingly, there are consequences. And if our violation is severe enough, the result is as stated in the story: exile from the Garden that God has planted for us – that is, a distancing from and depletion of the ecosystem that sustains us.

God also gave us the laws of Torah, teaching us how to live in harmony with the laws of nature, and how to be partners with God in making our Garden here on earth a sustainable home for us and for all God’s creatures. The healthy food and the clean water and air, the pleasure and the peace we get from the world of nature are God’s gifts to us.

Like Adam and Eve, WE have eaten of the fruit of the tree of knowledge – the tree of knowledge of technological advancement. We did not know the repercussions these advances would have for God’s earth when we began eating of that fruit; and even when we were told, we didn’t really understand. Like Adam and Eve, we violated God’s law unknowingly. But having done so, having eaten of the tree of knowledge, we have surely begun to see the consequences of our violation of God’s law. We did not know, but now we do.

We did not really grasp that every time we flip the switch to turn on the lights, or turn on the air conditioner, or run our washer and dryer, or computer or refrigerator, we are using power that has to come from somewhere. If it comes from burning fossil fuels, it spews greenhouse gases and chemicals into the air. We did not know, but now we do.

And we also know that there are cleaner energy sources and ways to use energy more efficiently. We can buy and install CFLs – Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs. CFLs use about 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs that give the same amount of light. And an average CFL will save the owner $55 in energy costs over the lifetime of the bulb. It’s as easy as screwing in a light bulb.

Similarly, we know that there are more efficient air conditioners and home appliances. We just have to make it a priority to purchase them and to enact legislation requiring companies to continue to make more efficient models. We did not know, but now we do, and there is no excuse for violating the law of bal tashchit, do not waste or needlessly destroy.

We did not know, but now we do, about hybrid technology. My Toyota Prius consistently averages 40 mpg or higher – fully 5 times better than my father’s Oldsmobile and 3 times better than most non-hybrid minivans and SUVs. And, by the way, oil just hit $80 a barrel yesterday. Hybrid cars save money as well as our environment.

We didn’t know about all the ways to get energy from the wind, the sun and the waves – but now we know more. We can do things to get more of our power this way, both by advocating for policies that remove barriers to this kind of development, and with our own purchasing power.

We did not know, but now we do, that it is critically important to change our lifestyles, bit by bit, to change the world. But we also know that we must advocate for change on a societal level in order for deeper change to come about.

We now know about CAFÉ standards – Corporate Average Fuel Economy – the overall fuel efficiency of a company’s fleet of cars. When the government requires auto companies to raise CAFÉ standards to increase fuel efficiency, they complain, but they comply. But we know too, that the government will not act unless we are relentless in pressuring it to act.

We didn’t know that ground level ozone, the main component in smog, damages the lung sacs that allow us to breathe and thus increases the rates of cardiovascular disease and asthma. Nor did we know about the adverse effects of the components in fuel exhaust that are now known to cause heart disease or cancer, or that children have an increased likelihood of some cancers if they or their parents have been exposed to pesticides and solvents, and that children whose parents are exposed to petroleum-based products or combustion byproducts have an increased likelihood of leukemia, and possibly brain and central nervous system cancers. But now we do, and we must pressure our government to maintain the strictest possible laws to prevent these chemicals from entering our environment.

Now we most certainly know the value of recycling. It saves trees, and reduces the amount of toxic chemicals in the air when plastics and metals are burned, or saves space in landfills. We also know that an entire city can change its ways if that city decides to provide recycling pickup. But when the city loses focus on such matters, recycling declines. Moreover, without pressure, that city will not provide recycling services to apartments and condominiums, thereby discriminating against a large portion of our population, including the elderly.

Finally, we did not know, but now we do, that if we are going to advocate for these things, then we need to do these things in the synagogue. For years we have discussed environmental issues at Temple Emanuel and taught the Torah concerning these matters. But, we have never made a concerted effort to examine our own behavior here. So our Social Action Committee has determined to make its top priority this year the “greening” of our Temple. In order to make this happen, we need your help. This greening cannot be a Social Action Committee project alone. It will only happen if you are partners in it. As you leave the service today, you will receive a brief questionnaire. It will take literally 3 minutes to fill out. Your response will determine what programs or tasks we focus on as a synagogue.

We know that Temple Emanuel can be a leader in our community by walking the walk as well as talking the talk. God created a beautiful world for us to live in and gave us the laws to make that world sustainable. We human beings, like our ancestors before us, have violated God’s law and jeopardized that beautiful world. We didn’t know. But now we do. It is our job to be a light unto the nations – a compact fluorescent light for all to live by.

Rabbi Jordan Millstein