Rabbi's Message — May 2008 Dear Friends, A love story... A timeless, unending love story…This is the story of Israel and the Jewish People. I remember when the seeds of this story were planted in my own life, and how they came to blossom. I recall how this true love weathered the storms of passing decades, growing, maturing and casting out new seeds of love. As a child, I didn’t realize that my father’s stories of adventures in American Zionist Camps in the ‘50s and his spirited, contagious renditions of “Zoom Goli-Goli” and other Israeli folk-songs were opening the connections between my mind, heart, soul and the Land of Israel. Growing up, family trips to Israel to celebrate my Bat Mitzvah and my brothers’ B’nai Mitzvah opened my heart and my eyes to the wonder of the Land and the Lives of our People in Eretz Yisrael. At the same time, as a non-orthodox American teen-ager, these trips also opened my eyes to confusing contradictions between my life at home in the U.S. and life in Israel. My brothers read Torah at the Wall, why couldn’t I? I sat with them in shuel at home – why in Israel was I virtually in another room where I couldn’t even see the ark? Why could my brothers go practically everywhere in shorts, when I needed to put on skirts? Why did Palestinian children and Jewish Israeli Children attend separate schools? Why were there beggars in Jerusalem? Visiting Israel during college and living in Jerusalem during my first year of rabbinic studies deepened my understanding of the complexities and contradictions of Israeli history and society, even as it deepened my commitment. Today I believe that a mature love of Israel, celebrating her awesome, strong, divine spirit while acknowledging, and finding appropriate responses to help guide her through her troubles is more valuable to us and to Israel than love-with-blinders-on; similarly in our own lives, long term, committed love – loving our partners “warts and all” is more valuable than puppy-love or the infatuations of youth. I love Israel because it is my second home. Its ancient story is woven into my soul and its modern story is woven into my life. Its words are delicious in my mouth and its scenes are feasts for my eyes. When Israel rejoices, I rejoice and when she stumbles, I slip. Jerusalem of Gold is my Jerusalem, and yours, and please G-d our children’s’ to love and share forever, just as we can love and share it from half way around the world. I first explored Israel over 30 years ago, and began my rabbinic journey there in earnest over 20 years ago. I’m absolutely thrilled to lead my first congregational trip there this summer and beyond excited to share this land that I love with people of TOR who I love. I know we’ll come home with deeper, richer connections to our Holy Land, and to one another. A few spaces for the trip this July are still available, call the Temple for details! While we may not all travel to Israel together this summer, we can all celebrate “Israel at 60” this month. Across our Reform Movement, the weekend of May 9-11 is “A Time to Rejoice… Reflect…Renew…” Our newsletter cover shares some of the opportunities available to celebrate your connection to “Israel at 60.” Be part of the learning and celebrations…discover new dimensions of your relationship to Israel, and renew your love and commitment to our second home. May we, and Israel, together, go from strength to strength! L'Shalom, Rabbi Sheryl Nosan-Blank