Here’s a special video from Rabbi Alex filmed at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College:
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| Parashat Sh’lach L’cha |
Torah Thoughts Shelach
This week I spent time at RRC, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, in Wyncote, PA, for a meeting of Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association. This was a place that was very important in my Jewish formation and where I really found my voice as a Jewish communal leader.
Back in 2004 when I graduated from RRC, my classmates and I focused on this week’s Torah portion, Shelach, with its powerful story of the spies sent to scout out the land of Israel. I especially liked the metaphor of the grapes the spies brought back with them, so big and juicy that they required two people to carry one cluster. Grapes were incredibly important in the ancient world, providing wine for sacred occasions, cakes for meals, and, because water was scarce, a safe way to quench your thirst.
As a new rabbi, I felt like a new cluster of grapes ready to sweeten Jewish life in America. Today I see grapes differently, they represent for me the moments of meaning when Judaism sings with purpose. This could be in synagogue, or at home, or anywhere along the way. How special it was to have Rabbi Mason and Patty back with us last Shabbat. That was one such moment. Judaism is so much more than prayers and teachings, it is about lived, true experience carried by our ancestors to us. May it continue to nourish our lives,
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex
p.s. – Mazel Tov to newly minted rabbi Rayna Grossman, RRC class of 2017 and proud Buffalonian and member of CSS. May she bring many moments of sweetness to the Jewish community.
Last Updated on 06/16/2017 by wpadm