Shalom from Camp Newman

Shalom from Camp Newman.

When campers arrive at Camp Newman they are greeted with songs and cheering.

As soon as they come through the gates they know that they are welcome here. The entire staff at camp greet each car and bus and, throughout the afternoon, show as much excitement for the last campers to arrive as they did for the first ones. Coming to camp, whether you are a first time or returning camper, is like greeting an old friend—even before you do anything, everyone is happy just to see you. Campers are applauded like rock stars and their faces light up when they realize all the excitement is for them.

Two of our TAS students— Evan and Jake—are in the Avodah track this summer at Newman, and they worked tirelessly on opening day: cheering, directing parents where to go, unloading luggage, and singing “Heivenu Shalom” all afternoon. TAS alumnus Robert accompanied campers on their bus ride from the airport, singing songs and talking about all the fun to be had this summer. Emily kept campers entertained and happy, introducing them to new friends while they waited for everyone to arrive.

It is a wonderful feeling to arrive somewhere and know it is exactly where you are supposed to be—to be welcomed just for being you. Jewish tradition values hospitality and welcoming guests. Abraham welcomes strangers to his tent, washes their feet, and provides a meal. In midrash, the rabbis elaborated on Abraham’s hospitality, explaining that Abraham rushed to provide for his guests and that he prepared the meal himself. Our tradition recognizes this important part of relationships—how it feels to be welcomed, and how it feels to welcome others. For Abraham, that moment of welcome becomes a holy moment, and he learns that he will have a child. At Camp Newman, that moment of welcome becomes a holy moment, when the pure joy of being in this place together is shared.

Dvar Torah for Hukat by Rabbi Shawna

24 years ago I read from Hukat at my Bat Mitzvah; I revisited it this week while writing the Dvar Torah for the L.A. Board of Rabbis.

You can read it here.

Shabbat Shalom.

Is Confirmation the Answer?

I just read an article in Time about college students being more likely to care about global issues than to empathize with other human beings.

While reading it I thought about this year's Confirmation class, the soon-to-be college students that I know, and how they do not fit the description in Time magazine. This year's confirmands were caring and connected, and went out of their way to try to understand each other.

It made me wonder if Judaism and Confirmation can be an antidote to the lack of empathy that characterizes college students today. Judaism commands us to have empathy; we are obligated to remember how our ancestors were treated in Egypt, and that should shape how we treat other people. If the real problem is lack of personal connection in the age of texting and video games, as the article suggests, then a strong connection to the Jewish community can create the social bonds that help us understand others.

Read the article in Time: College Students Short on Empathy

Then check out the Confirmation 2010 Speeches

[Posted by Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik]

Jewish American Heritage Month

Did you know that May is Jewish American Heritage Month? Check out the official website for more information and biographies of influential Jewish Americans.

Purim at Temple Ahavat Shalom -with MacGruber?

Join us for Purim (and Havdalah!) this Saturday, February 27, from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. MacGruber may not be there... but we promise some very special guests!

Stay for a 21 and over Purim Celebration at 8:15 p.m.; $12 per person at the door (designated drivers are free). Free childcare available!

Win free tickets to the TAS Purim Carnival -- follow us on Twitter and retweet our message to be entered into a random drawing! A new winner every day, through Friday!

Guest Blogger, Rabbi Brynjegard-Bialik:Israeli Army saving lives in Haiti

I have been watching the videos of the Israeli Army field hospital in Haiti; I am so impressed with what the Israeli Defense Force has been able to do so quickly and so well.

CNN has been covering the Israeli response:



This report shows how advanced the IDF field hospital is:

I have also been following the IDF on Twitter; it is incredible what they are able to do, and the lives they are able to save, in the aftermath of the earthquake. There are also some amazing videos direct from the IDF on You Tube.

Posted by:

Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik

Guest Blogger, Rabbi Brynjegard-Bialik:Does the ECEC predict future TAS involvement?

The videos of the "So You Think You Can Shpiel?" talent show are up on the TAS YouTube channel; you can find links to all of the contestants here.

The acts were all great and you can enjoy them again or watch them for the first time and vote for your favorites. When you look at the list of acts you might notice the number of kids performing in the show. During the live performance Debi Chesler, talent show host and ECEC director, pointed out how many of those kids are ECEC alumni. It became a running joke: "yet another talented kid who went to the TAS ECEC; they must have learned it at the ECEC."

While I can not say for sure what the cause and effects are between ECEC graduates and temple involvement, there are several possible conclusions about involvement in Jewish life:

1. Families that send their children to the TAS ECEC are more likely to stay involved with TAS as their children grow up.

2. Children who grow up at TAS get involved in temple activities.

3. Children who grow up at TAS are comfortable enough in temple and in our community to get up on stage and perform for our community.

What do you think?

Posted by: Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik

Guest Blogger, Rabbi Brynjegard-Bialik:Homeless for the Holidays

At the end of this post I’m going to ask you to do something -- but first let me tell you about one of the things I did last Shabbat.

On Saturday afternoon two of my daughters and I, along with 20 other TAS members, visited the homeless shelter run by LA Family Housing in North Hollywood. We went on a tour of the facility, and I was surprised to learn that it is one of only two shelters in Los Angeles that allow families to stay together. In most other facilities the men and women are separated. Boys as young as 12 years old are sent to the men’s section, away from their mothers, even if they have no father to go with them. It is heartbreaking to think of how those families, who are already suffering, are separated. The LA Family Housing facility, because it has private bathrooms in each room, is able to keep families together.

After the tour, our group stayed in the “Teen Room” to work on some crafts with the children living there. We made Christmas decorations and ornaments for the community Christmas tree in the hall. The children from TAS and the children from LAFH quickly made friends working on crafts together. When we finished the crafts we headed to the library to read stories. One of my daughters had made a friend during the glitter and glue portion of our visit, and the two of them squished into a chair to read together. While the library was well-stocked with children’s books, the little girl was thrilled to get to keep for her own some of the books that were donated by TAS families.

On Christmas day, the LAFH food service staff gets the day off to spend with their own families, so we have an opportunity to perform an important mitzvah. Temple Ahavat Shalom and other local synagogues are providing the food service on Christmas and volunteers are still needed. If you are interested, contact LAFH or the Social Action Committee at TAS.

Guest Blogger, Rabbi Brynjegard-Bialik:Fringed Garment

This morning Isaac and I were surprised that we both voted for the same piece of art in a contest by The Jewish Museum in New York. The contest is to promote an exhibit called "Reinventing Ritual: Contemporary Art and Design for Jewish Life"; you can find it here.

The piece we both loved is called "Fringed Garment" by Rachel Kanter. I was drawn to it not just for the beautiful design, but for the statement it makes about women's roles in Judaism. Traditionally women are not required to wear tzitzit or to follow any positive time-bound commandments; over time this has come to be interpreted by some that women are not only not required to observe such commandments, but forbidden to do so. The apologetic argument has always been that women are more spiritual or naturally closer to God and therefore do not need to follow certain ritual mitzvot, and further, women's role in the home is just as important as the man's.

Rachel Kanter's apron with tzitzit attached challenges that notion. If those apologists really believe that women are just as important than of course it would make sense for women to have fringes on their aprons, the symbol of a housewife. I love the contrast -- elevating domestic chores to ritual status, elevating women's domestic roles to religious status.

What makes it even better is the connection to the Talmud. In the discussion about tzitzit and when they should be worn, Rabbi Judah does not consider the wearing of tzitzit to be time-bound, and attaches fringes to the aprons of the women in his house. It is within Judaism, within the Talmud, for women to participate in rituals that are considered traditionally forbidden.

Reform Judaism is not new in allowing women to wear fringes; we are continuing a 1800 year-old discussion about women and mitzvot. What do you do to reinvent tradition to keep it relevant?

Guest Blogger, Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik: More Than the Eye Can See

This fall my family took a trip to Sequoia National Park, where we hiked through Crystal Cave, one of the marble caves found in the park. The cave is about a million years old, and filled with beautiful stalactite and stalagmite formations. On our hike we learned about a new cave recently discovered in the park; it is called Ursa Minor, named for an ancient bear skeleton that was found inside. It?s likely that the new cave will never be open to the public -- too precious for the constant wear-and-tear of human visitors.
What struck me was that these caves have been forming for tens of thousands of years, silently growing underground undisturbed by human beings. These amazing works of natural beauty are just there, whether we discover them or not.
The Torah tells us God gives human beings dominion over the earth. Some have interpreted this to mean that the earth is ours to use as we see fit; others understand this to mean that we have a responsibility to care for the earth. The unexplored cave system in the Sequoias is a part of creation that most human beings will never see; the cave our guide told us about has only been viewed by about 20 people so far, and the park is committed to protecting it from the public, going so far as keeping the exact location a secret. And Ursa Minor is surely not the last such cave system in the world; no doubt more lie underneath the surface of our planet, never to be seen by people.
In a world that we have explored from the tops of mountains to the bottom of the ocean, it is amazing to me that there remain such undiscovered places. As stewards of creation, sometimes the best thing we can do is act like the world was not created solely for our enjoyment.

[Posted by Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik]