Two Types of Freedom

Imagine sleeping late for the most important appointment of your life! According to Jewish tradition, that is exactly what the Jewish people did the morning they were to receive the Torah at Mount Sinai. To make certain that this doesn’t happen again, many Jewish communities stay up for an all-night study session the first evening of Shavuot (Erev Shavuot). This special tradition, called a Tikkun Leil Shavuot, hopes to ensure that the Jewish people make it to their Mount Sinai meeting on time.

Shavuot, also called the Festival of Weeks, is the second of the three Festivals of the Jewish year. Like many Jewish holidays, Shavuot has both agricultural and religious significance. Shavuot celebrates the harvest and dedication of the first fruits of the agricultural year and the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. For this reason, Shavuot is also often called both Hag HaBikkurim (Holiday of the First Fruits) and Hag Matan Torah (Holiday of the Giving of the Torah).

However, the connection between Passover and Shavuot is perhaps the most important aspect of this holiday’s celebration. Passover celebrates the escape of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. But what happened after that miraculous escape at the Sea of Reeds? Seven weeks later, the Israelites stood at Mount Sinai and were given the Torah. As Passover celebrates physical freedom, Shavuot celebrates spiritual freedom through the covenant made between G-d and the Jewish people millennia ago.

Unfortunately, Shavuot often falls during the summer and many people forget about this celebration altogether (There is no excuse this year, as Shavuot is at the end of May). Additionally, Shavuot may be less “memorable” because it doesn’t have a unique experience as part of its celebration. Sukkot has the sukkah, Passover has the Seder, Purim has the costumes, and Shavuot is primarily a synagogue based holiday exactly at the time when synagogue attendance starts to wane in the summer season.

Nevertheless, participating in a Tikkun Leil Shavuot is a great way to throw you into Jewish learning and provides a great opportunity to become re-inspired to explore Judaism anew. I have participated in all-night study programs that explore everything from classical biblical texts to the growth of the Israeli wine industry. With a diversity of learning experiences, everyone has the opportunity to stay engaged and awake. Plus, all-night learners really feel a sense of accomplishment if they make it to dawn on Shavuot morning.

Study is central to the Jewish people. Jewish study is not about mastering knowledge; rather it is about using what is learned to affect how we live. We study the Torah all year, every year because the work that we put into study has the potential to transform our lives. This is why Ethics of the Fathers reminds us that the process of Torah study is to “turn to it, and turn to it again, for everything is in it. Pore over it, grow old and gray over it. Do not budge from it. You can have no better guide for living than it” (Avot 5:25). Take some time this year to study our tradition.


Shavuot begins the evening of Tuesday, May 18, 2010, the 6 Sivan 5770. For more information about Shavuot, check out www.myjewishlearning.com.

After Passover: Celebrating and Commemorating the Modern Jewish Experience

With Passover having just ended, the celebrations and commemorations of the modern Jewish experience are just around the corner. These holidays, Yom HaShaoah (Holocuast Memorial Day), Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) and Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day) become the community’s focus as Israel begins its 62nd year. Not surprisingly, these holidays have an interesting and not so straightforward history.

Yom HaShoah was established in 1951 as Yom HaZikaron LaShoah u-Mered HaGetaot (Holocaust and Ghetto Uprising Remembrance Day) but the name was changed soon afterward to Yom HaZikaron LaShoah u-LaGevura (Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day). The Israeli government considered several dates on which to establish this most solemn of days. Originally, Yom HaShoah was to be set for the 14th of Nisan, the anniversary of the beginning of Warsaw ghetto uprising, in order to express the complete purpose of the day, which was to also pay tribute to Holocaust heroism. However, more traditional segments of Israeli public objected to this date on the fear that it would create conflict with the celebration of Passover that begins just one day later. The date ultimately set as the 27th of Nisan. Nevertheless, Yom HaShoah is still not a universally accepted holiday. Segments of the ultra-Orthodox community do not recognize Yom HaShoah and continue to commemorate the Holocaust on Tisha B’Av, the day established by the Rabbis to mark other tragedies of the Jewish people including the destruction of both the First and Second Temple.

The commemoration of Israel’s fallen soldiers and civilians, who have given their lives in defense of the nation, was originally held on Israel Independence Day. It was not until 1951 that the idea of having a separate memorial day, preceding Yom HaAtzmaut was suggested to the government. It was only in 1963 that the Knesset voted into law what had by that point become the accepted practice of the State. The tone of the day is found in Natan Alterman’s poem The Silver Platter, which describes the sacrifice that Israeli youth, both a boy and a girl, have made so that the State of Israel can be founded. This poem was based on the 1947 statement of Chaim Weitzman that “a nation is not presented with a state on a silver platter.”

Israel Independence Day was established by the Knesset in April 1949. Since its establishment, the State of Israel has debated how to celebrate its birth. How to celebrate this holiday often depends on one’s religious and political orientation. The prayer books of the major American Jewish denominations as well as the official prayer book of the State of Israel each include liturgy designed especially to mark the significance of this day. Other anti-Zionist Jewish groups see no religious significance in the establishment of the State and do not celebrate at all. At the same time, both secular and religious Israelis can also celebrate this day by watching the annual fireworks over the Mediterranean or the presentation of the Israel’s most prestigious civilian honors at a ceremony on Mount Herzl. Nothing characterizes the uniqueness of Israel better than participating in both types of celebrations.

The convoluted history and commemorative practices of these holidays provides us with a window into often fractured nature of the modern Jewish experience. Nevertheless, each of us should take time to explore our personal commitment to celebrating these holidays and by extension the State of Israel. Israel must be part of each of our journeys toward creating a more enriching Jewish sense of self. Take some time to participate in your community's commemorations and celebrations to start you on your way.

Exploring Judaism with a Fresh Set of Eyes

The best avenue to begin an exploration of Judaism may not be a holiday, a course, or a family celebration. It might be at the check-out counter of your local organic food store.

At the end of this month we celebrate Tu B’Shevat, a holiday that has been transformed throughout its history. Often referred to as the “birthday of trees,” Tu B’Shevat was initially the artificial date used by the Rabbis to count the age of trees. If a tree had passed the requisite number of years, its produce was available for food. Later Jewish mystics re-invented Tu B’Shevat as a holiday to connect them both to the Land of Israel and to the levels or “worlds” of creation that brought them closer to God. Zionism has added to Tu B’Shevat’s transformation by connecting the planting of trees to the establishment and development of the State of Israel. Today institutions like the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life and Hazon have helped to transform Tu B’Shevat into a day to recognize Judaism’s concern for the environment.

Although never called by the modern terms of green politics or ecology, Judaism has always had a serious concern for the environment. This concern is discussed throughout the Torah and the rabbinic literature. In the Bible, the most commonly cited ideas can be found in the Book of Genesis (Chapter 2, Verse 15), which discusses the role of humanity in cultivating and protecting the Earth, and in the Book of Deuteronomy (Chapter 20, Verses 19-20), which discusses the importance of protecting fruit trees during warfare. In the rabbinic literature, the Talmud discusses the distance that must be kept between our residential areas and environmentally unfriendly trades (Talmud, Baba Batra 25a). It is amazing how Ecclesiastes Rabbah (7:13), a midrashic text from over 1000 years ago, reminds us that if we damage our environment it can never be returned to its original state. These concerns are captured with the following teaching:

At the time when G-d created humanity, G-d took him around the trees of the Garden of Eden, and G-d said to him, “Look at My works! How beautiful and praiseworthy they are. Everything that I have created, I created for you. Take care not to damage and destroy My world, for if you damage it, there is no one to repair it after you.”

Concern for the environment is not an exclusively Jewish issue but how we voice, challenge, and act on this concern can be infused with a Jewish sensibility. By doing so, we grow both as environmentalists and as Jews; exploring our religious tradition side by side with our concern for issues of the broader world. This merger of interests has the potential to help to make Judaism a more meaningful experience.

If environmentalism is not one of your priorities, consider a path of Jewish exploration that begins not with an overtly Jewish experience but with a concern for something close to your own heart. Judaism is a civilization that has something to say about every human endeavor. When you find a personally meaningful topic seek opportunities to explore the Jewish avenues within it. Your journey might start at an unlikely place, but in that hides the opportunity to explore Judaism with a fresh pair of eyes and a new perspective.

The Power of Adult Jewish Learning

Most Jews end their Jewish study either at Bar/Bat Mitzvah or Confirmation age but their Jewish lives continue to evolve. Just as you wouldn’t end your general education at age thirteen, you shouldn’t end your Jewish education at that age either. Adult Jewish learning is part of a life-long process of growth that will help you advance in your Jewish journey.

Being Jewish is like learning to play piano. The piano is considered the easiest instrument to learn but one of the most difficult to master. Judaism is a great faith for children, with rituals that make our tradition tangible even for the youngest in our community. However, Judaism is a text and idea based religion that demands time and maturity to explore to its fullest. Adult Jewish education programs allow you to explore Judaism with a new pair of eyes, bringing with you the skills and life experience needed to examine these discoveries.

Most adults interested in Jewish study are unsure where to begin. The Talmud, the central rabbinic text of the Jewish tradition, which boasts over 12,000 pages, is often likened to an ocean. To begin Talmud study, you jump in and make your way through the language, ideas, and arguments of the texts. Adult Jewish study can begin the same way, with learners navigating their studies through topics that interest them. Although this is a traditional way to approach Jewish learning it is not necessarily the best for a new student. The challenge of this approach is that it can often leave a learner frustrated when there are still gaps in his or her knowledge. Another method of study is one with a defined curriculum, which guides the learners systematically and comprehensively. Programs such as these will often include textbooks and series of graduated courses that help a learner build a strong foundation.

Organizations across Houston, including my own, offer both kinds of programs. As a new learner, you should definitely consider which type of program best serves your educational goals. Most importantly, you should not delay in getting started, or feel frustrated when the study seems overwhelming. Yalkut Shimoni (863), a medieval anthology of midrash aggadah, teaches: Do not say, "I cannot master the entire Torah and observe all its commandments." Think upon the following parable: A king asked two men to fill a deep pit. The first, upon looking into the pit, exclaimed in despair, "How can I fill so deep a cavern?" The other, a wise worker, said, “What concern of mine is it that the pit is so deep? I am hired by the day, and I shall, therefore, perform my work each day." G-d says to us: "What concern is it of yours that the Torah is so extensive and that there is so much to learn? You are hired to do My work from day to day. All that I expect of you is that you perform, each day, a full day's work in the study of the Torah.”

Our tradition has countless teachings on the value and reward of study. Most educators agree that Jewish learning at its best is a transformative experience. Adult Jewish learning is certainly an intellectual challenge, but should not be just an exercise of the head. Jewish learning should also exercise your heart and your hands. In Rabbi Tarfon and Rabbi Akiba’s debate between the competing values of study and practice, the rabbis determine that “study is greater because it leads to practice.” This rabbinic paradox suggests that the two are indivisibly linked, and what begins in our head will also shape the way we live our daily lives. Adult Jewish learning has the power to do just that and there is no better time to hit the books!

Exploring our Jewishness

Welcome to Jewish Living and Learning, a new blog on discovering Judaism at the intersection between Jewish study and exploring Jewish art, music, literature, dance, film, and everything else that makes Judaism a great civilization.  Let's get a conversation going about how to connect with Judaism in a way that is personally meaningful and might encourge others to do the same.  As the Co-Director of the Center for Jewish Living and Learning at the Houston JCC, I am always trying to create experiences for others to engage in Jewish self-discovery and often don't take the time to reflect on those experiences myself.  I hope that this blog will do just that - and that you will add your thoughts to mine.