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In the Book of Deuteronomy we encounter wonderful expressions of the love of God for the People of Israel and the demands that derive from that love together with the warnings that repeat and are reiterated lest “we forget” ADONAI our God. However, with this there is some rather extreme language relating to the conquest of the land of Canaan and its inhabitants compared to the other books of the Torah. An example of this is found in the beginning of our portion for this week, “You must destroy all the peoples ADONAI your God gives over to you. Do not look on them with pity and do not serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you” (Deut. 7:16). And more, “ADONAI your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. But ADONAI your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed. He will give their kings into your hand, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them” (Deut. 7:22-24).
These verses are difficult for those with a liberal perspective, indeed in general. But lest we assume that the Israelites were exemplary and superior to the other peoples, the text states, “After ADONAI your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, ‘ADONAI has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.’ No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that ADONAI is going to drive them out before you. It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, ADONAI your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” (Deut. 9:4-5). It was not because of the Israelite’s righteousness that they found themselves at the border of the land in order to inherit it; it was due to God’s will. Israel was a kind of experiment for God in the world of humanity and the land of Israel was to be the laboratory. It was already stated in the previous portion, Va-Ethanan, “For you are a people holy to ADONAI your God. ADONAI your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured people. ADONAI did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because ADONAI loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deut. 7:6-8).
And in this week’s portion it is written, “And now, O Israel, what does ADONAI your God ask of you but to fear ADONAI your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve ADONAI your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe ADONAI commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? To ADONAI your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet ADONAI set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For ADONAI your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. Revere ADONAI your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name” (Deut. 10:12-20).
- Why did God choose Israel and what do you think is its mission?
- How do you understand the meaning of “עם סגולה/treasured people”? How do you personally deal with the difficult passages about the Canaanites peoples?
- If the land of Israel is the laboratory of the experiment of the people of Israel in the world, what is the meaning of this experiment?
In Parashat VaEthanan Moses stands on the heights of the mountain and speaks to the Israelites, “At that time I pleaded with ADONAI, ‘ADONAI, O God, You have begun to show to Your servant your greatness and Your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works You do? Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.’ But because of you ADONAI was angry with me and would not listen to me. ‘That is enough,’ said ADONAI to me. ‘Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see’” (Deut. 3:23-28).
Below his eyes stretched out the land, and Moses knew that he would never be able to enter it with the Israelites. Despite this he said to them, “Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that ADONAI, the God of your fathers, is giving you. Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of ADONAI your God that I give you” (Deut. 4:1-2). And more, “ADONAI was angry with me because of you, and He solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land ADONAI your God is giving you as your inheritance. I will die in this land; I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land. Be careful not to forget the covenant of ADONAI your God that He made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything ADONAI your God has forbidden” (Deut. 4:21-23).
Then Moses warns the people, “ADONAI will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which ADONAI will drive you. There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell” (Deut. 4:27-28). And he continues, “But if from there you seek ADONAI your God, you will find Him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to ADONAI your God and obey Him. For ADONAI your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which He confirmed to them by oath” (Deut. 4:29-31).
At the end of his life – from the heights of Pisgah – Moses understood that he would not achieve all that he sought in life, all the goals that he set for himself when he began his journey with the Israelites so long ago. But, without despair and without rancor, he accepted his fate with faith and, in Deuteronomy 6, for the first and only time in the Torah, he utters the most important words in Judaism – the Shema.
- What lessons to we learn about the measure of success and failure in life rom the story of Moses and from Parashat VaEthanan?
- The heights of Pisgah serve as a metaphor for perspective. There are different times for perspective in a person’s life. Recall a “Pisgah” event in your life.
- How do you understand the meaning of the Shema in light of its context in our parasha?
In Parashat Devarim Moses begins his last speech to the Israelites. He recounts to them their journey from Egypt through the wilderness to the borders of the land of Canaan. For forty years Moses led the people, and now he turns to remind them where they have been together. Forty years! Why such a very long time?
According to Professor Nechama Leibowitz the generation that left Egypt was weak and lacked the courage necessary to conquer the land. In fact, when they actually saw the inhabitants of the land they became afraid and said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are” (Num. 13:31). So now, the second generation following the Exodus from Egypt has arisen and the situation has reversed – now the people is strong and fearsome, “Give the people these orders: ‘You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. Do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own” (Deut. 2:4-5).
Rashi explains that the words “They will be afraid of you, but be very careful…” in this way, “What is meant by careful? Do not provoke them…”. It is clear that the Torah is suggesting here that the Israelites are strong and that the inhabitants of the land, even the descendants of Esau, fear them. And more, perhaps there is a warning here that we should understand that there is danger in possessing an abundance of strength, just as there is danger in being weak.
- Why did Moses open his speech by recalling the people’s journey?
- In your opinion, were the forty years that the Israelites spent in the wilderness for their benefit or a form of punishment?
- Would you agree that there is danger in a situation when you have an abundance of strength? If so, in how?
Jerusalem, June 2, 2010
It has been a very difficult past few days here. Since making Aliyah in 2005 Wendy and I have experienced the evacuation of Gaza, two wars and numerous incidents (terrorist, military and diplomatic), but none has left me with the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and the ache that I sense in the deepest part of my heart as a result of the events of May 31st. The facts surrounding what happened in the early morning last Monday are obscured and obfuscated by tendentious reporting and opportunistic blame-laying. But the results are not in dispute. Nine people are dead and dozens lay injured in hospital. And, Israel is being singled out for condemnation for its actions in preventing the ships in the so-called “peaceful” Gaza aid flotilla from reaching port in the Strip. Meanwhile, the leaders of Hamas are declaring “victory” in this latest round in the struggle.
Here in Israel it is personal, very personal. While all of these events were unfolding, we got a call from one of our best friends. They were at a convention in Turkey and wanted any information from the Israeli news that we could give them. They were worried for their own safety, but they were also concerned because their 18 year old daughter just received her draft notice. Also, one of the teen’s friends was a commando in the force that intercepted the flotilla and everyone was worried about the safety of our children as well as the wellbeing of all on the ships. Luckily, our friends were able to get a flight out that night – on a Turkish Air flight with an incredibly hostile cabin crew, even in first class. They didn’t feel safe until they landed at Ben Gurion airport. These events are not abstractions in Israel, they touch us personally, all of us.
The tragic loss of life combined with the disastrous diplomatic and public relations repercussions have all created a heavy shadow that has blotted out whatever light of hope was emitted from the tenuous indirect peace negotiations between the Netanyahu government and the Palestinian Authority of late.
And, what about the facts as they emerge? For too many people, unfortunately, it does not matter that the flotilla itself was intended to be a provocation. The fact that the Turkish organization IHH, one of the main organizers of this “peaceful” aid mission is a known radical movement with ties to al-Qaeda and other radical Islamic movements does not appear to faze those who condemn Israel. Nor do statements such as those by IHH head Bülent Yildirim who on April 7, 2010, told a press conference in Istanbul that the flotilla would be a “test” for Israel. He said that should Israel oppose the flotilla it would be considered “a declaration of war” on the countries whose activists arrived on board the ships (IHH website, April 7, 2010). In a fiery speech given at the launching of the Mavi Marmaris on May 23, he said to Israel, “Handle this crisis well. If you prevent [the flotilla from reaching the Gaza Strip] you will remain isolated in the world and harm yourselves” (IHH website in Turkish, May 23, 2010). And, what about the disturbing videos of the commandos (with paintball guns slung over their shoulders) being dragged to the deck and beaten by rod-wielding activists as they repelled down to the ships from the helicopters before any weapons could be drawn. Where are the cries of outrage and concern?
In the days leading up to the confrontation, the Israeli news media was filled with reports on the progress of the flotilla as it made its way towards the Gaza coast. So, too, there were reports about the elaborate preparations that the authorities had undertaken to receive the activists when they were to be disembarked at Ashdod. It all appeared to be so well-planned and efficient. Careful planning would surely mitigate any problems and demonstrate that Israel was conducting its affairs in a responsible and legal manner. But then the operation went into action with our sea commandos, among our best and most disciplined fighting forces. And something went wrong, horribly wrong. On all but one of the ships in the flotilla everything went according to plan. Only on the Mavi Marmaris was there violent resistance (and just how violent can be seen in the videos). Who started the violence? What exactly happened? Was excessive forced used? All these questions – and many more – remain to be answered. How they are asked and by what means is a critical answer in and of itself and will test the moral fiber of the international community. That is part of the problem. That is why things are so gloomy here in great measure. Quite frankly, we do not trust the international community to be fair and impartial. Not when it comes to judging Israel. Already, there is condemnation without consideration, judgment before all the facts are in.
Hamas and its supporters knew this before the first ship pulled out of port. They won this skirmish before the first blow was struck (by either side). This was a win/win situation for them and they knew it and they will play it to the hilt (and have been doing so already).
In an honest inquiry, there will be many questions that our own leaders will have to answer, these include why approval for this operation appears to have by-passed normal channels and was given the go-ahead by the seven-member security cabinet instead of the ministerial cabinet usually charged with such decisions. There seems to be a lot of passing-the-buck here and and a great deal of finger-pointing when looking for people to blame for what was obviously an ill-conceived operation. What kind of internal inquiries will take place and when? Hubris on the part of this government played a big role is this tragic drama to be sure. But Israel is a democracy with a free press and already serious questions are being raised from diverse perspectives.
As promised, more ships are on the way, including the Rachel Corrie, due here by the end of the week. What will the Netanyahu government decide to do?
And the tragedy is that the real victim of all this is the peace process, such as it is. The so-called “peace activists” on board the ships in that flotilla are the enemies of peace as far as I am concerned. Their actions have done more to setback the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians as 100 Kassam rockets fired into the heart of Ashkelon. If their goal is to end the siege of Gaza, they could work for the release of Gilad Shalit and that would end the blockade immediately. That would save lives, not destroy them or put them in jeopardy. They could also work towards the peace process and yes, pressure Israel to make peace, calling upon their governments to exert whatever influence they have to move along the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. That would do more to end the blockade of Gaza than intentionally provoke confrontations.
But, unless the world listens, really listens, to the voices of those who want peace and not to the voices of those who want to make a point, I am not very optimistic. So far the point-makers on all sides are winning, at the expense of the peace-makers.
So, that is why I have been so depressed these past few days and why I have been at a loss for words until now. That is until another close friend told me that words may be the best way to combat the forces that have been stifling my thoughts. And there you have it. No time really to organize my thoughts carefully or to chose just the right phrase, but I have attempted nonetheless to express how at least one person living here feels. I still pray for peace and believe in its possibility. I just want to feel hopeful again.
Shalom from Jerusalem.
By Rabbi Heidi Cohen, on June 1st, 2010 The weather is warm, the breeze is welcomed, and the sky is dancing with colors from yellow, to orange to reds. With a summer night like this, who wants to be inside?
TBS summer services take place in the beautiful Sukkah plaza overlooking a large grassy knoll. The evening begins with cheese, crackers, fruits, vegetables, and of course, delicious cookies. What makes it even sweeter is the opportunity for friends and family to gather together and share in the week’s adventures.
Guitars and singing welcome everyone together for a special Shabbat service. We, like those in Tzfat, look out toward the setting sun and welcome the Sabbath Queen, and we welcome one another as we immerse ourselves in a much needed day of rest and friendship.
Our summer Shabbat series under the stars is the perfect way to kick off your weekend. We have everything from Barbeques to movies on the lawn. There is time to nosh and time to shmooze.
So put away the heels and the suits, don your favorite summer Shabbat outfit and join all your friends under the stars at TBS.
By Rabbi Heidi Cohen, on May 14th, 2010 ARZA expresses concern about yet another incidence of violence that concerns all of us who endeavor to see the cause of pluralism and respect for all streams of Judaism that become a reality in Israel. On May 12 Noa Raz was attacked at the Be’er Sheva Central Bus Station. (See embedded article below)
Over the past several months this kind of violent behavior has escalated. It is abhorrent that physical harm is threatened and perpetrated against anyone of non-Orthodox streams of Judaism who chooses to observe rituals and worship in their preferred manner. The disrespect shown by the haredim to women and to other Jews who do not worship as do the haredim is intolerable. We must continue to rally for pluralism and egalitarianism, to insist that the Government of Israel not be held hostage by those who claim to be the only “legitimate” Jews, and to continue to educate that how one chooses to worship is a private, not a State-mandated matter.
Watch for further updates related to this issue as they become available.
From: Women of the Wall (on Facebook – May 13-2010)
MAY 13th — Noa Raz, a Conservative Jew in her early thirties who lives and works in Tel Aviv, was physically assaulted early Tuesday morning by an ultra-Orthodox man at the Central Bus Station in Be’er Sheva for having the imprints of tefillin (phylacteries) lines visible on her arms.
She had woken up several hours earlier to pray and wrap tefillin, as is part of her daily routine. “I’m very pale, so the tefillin lines are still visible for hours afterward,” she said. While she was waiting for the bus to arrive, an ultra-Orthodox man in his forties stood next to her and stared at the lines on her arms. He asked her twice if the imprints were from tefillin. She ignored him at first, then admitted they were. At that point he grabbed her hand and began to kick and strangle her while screaming “women are an abomination.” She struggled, then broke free and ran to the bus which had just pulled into the station.
There were several bystanders present, though Noa Raz stated that the assault happened so quickly that none had time to react.
Raz arrived in Tel Aviv and sent out a message about the assault on Twitter. Dozens of people responded urged her to go to police to report what had happened. Raz contacted the police the following day, fearing that a similar incident would happen to another woman.
The Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) has been working with the Be’er Sheva Police and has insisted they treat Raz’s assault as the hate crime that it is. To this end, IRAC has demanded that the proper resources be allocated in the search for Raz’s attacker, that security camera tapes be reviewed, and that the Chief of Police for Israel’s Southern District be personally involved.
Anat Hoffman, Executive Director of IRAC, stated that the assault on Noa Raz for wrapping tefillin “should not be seen as an isolated incident, but as taking place within an atmosphere of growing violence toward and intimidation of women who seek to pray freely and equally. Too often these acts of violence are tolerated. The fact that this man thought it acceptable to attack a woman for performing a religious act in private is an example of the escalation of violence targeted against women and against religious pluralists in Israel. We at IRAC are pushing the Israeli police to take this investigation seriously.” She added, “Noa, a member of Women of the Wall, is expected to join us tomorrow for Rosh Chodesh Sivan.”
And from the victim herself as published by the Masorti Foundation for Conservative Judaism in Israel:
| The mitzvah and its “punishment”
By Noa Raz
“He came closer and asked again, in a loud voice, ‘Is that from tefillin?’ I couldn’t ignore him anymore, so I answered, ‘Yes. What do you want from me?’ He forcefully gripped my left arm and started kicking me.” Noa Raz was attacked by an ultra-Orthodox man because of her religious beliefs.
Every morning I get up and pray shacharit, with a tallit and tefillin, as God has commanded us. As a Masorti (Conservative) Jew, it is absolutely clear to me that these mitzvot – to pray, to put on a tallit, to lay tefillin – apply to every believing Jew, including Jewish women.
I am used to hearing offensive comments regarding my religious beliefs, from “Conservative? What’s that?” to “You’re not even Jews, you’re heretics.” Unfortunately, I am also used to reading news about the religious violence that is raging in the country. It starts with violence against the Women of the Wall, moves on through the growing number of public bus lines where men and women must sit separately, not to mention the ultra-Orthodox opposition to the emergency room construction at the Barzilai Hospital due to some suspect bones, and where will it end up? I am not so sure that I want to know.
But however much I may be used to and aware of all this, it did not help me this last Tuesday morning, when a Haredi man, with hateful eyes, decided to attack me because of my belief in God.
“Woman, abomination, desecration”
It was 7.30 in the morning, quiet on the streets. I had stayed over at a friend’s in Beersheva. We got up. I donned my tefillin. We prayed. I took my tefillin off – very routine. We left the house and I made my way to the bus station. All I was thinking about was how I could squeeze in a few extra hours of sleep before work, but things didn’t quite pan out that way.
A few minutes after I got to the station, I noticed an older man, in Haredi garb, standing and staring at my arm. A few more seconds went by until he realized that his stare was not transmitting his message clearly enough. He leaned over towards me, pointed to the ruddy stripes on my arm, those that linger on the skin after taking off tefillin, and asked, “Tell me, is that from tefillin?” I ignored him, but he asked again: “Is that from tefillin?” Again, I ignored him, but he moved in on me, stood right in front of me, and again asked, in a loud voice: “Is that from tefillin?” I couldn’t ignore him anymore, so I looked at him and replied, “Yes. What do you want from me?”
To be truthful, I was sure that as soon as I would answer him, he would spit out some curse, turn around and leave. But I was mistaken, he had just started. He forcefully gripped my left arm and simply began kicking me. Of course, he didn’t forget to scream out a concoction of words such as “woman, abomination, desecration,” and more.
At first I just froze. I didn’t understand what was going on. But after a few moments I came to my senses. I struggled with him to free myself and ran for the bus that had now arrived. I felt completely alone. The place was not busy, but there were some people around. Some looked on with interest, others turned away. Only one woman shouted back at him, “Leave her alone, already.” I don’t want to think what might have happened had I not managed to get away.
The strong dominate, women are humiliated
This is not a story about a man attacking someone at a bus station. It’s not even a story about violence against women. It’s a story about religious violence. It’s a story about attacking a person due to his/her faith, due to his/her will to serve God in his/her own way, in private, according to his/her outlook, according to his/her understanding of the Holy Torah.
The problem does not only lie with that man, the attacker. It lies with those who educated him, with his leaders who shamelessly and violently talk out against any religious practice that is not Haredi. It lies with those who brought him up and nurtured him in an atmosphere in which it is permissible to say, without blinking an eyelid, that Conservative Jews are not religious, that someone from a different ethnic group is a cockroach (some Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox parents recently referred so to Sepharadi girls who they did not want their daughters to study with), that there is only one sector (extremely austere) that decides who is a Jew.
We live in a country where the strong dominate and where women are humiliated. As our society becomes more ultra-Orthodox, more extreme, these boundaries become clearer and more frightening. Pluralistic Judaism, in its various hues, works day and night to change this situation, through egalitarian and inclusive synagogues, life-cycle events for all, including everybody.
In my view, these movements are saving the Jewish-democratic character of the State of Israel, and this is beyond their role in the international, public relations and educational arenas. But our country, the one that is supposed to defend us from madmen and false messiahs, as well as cultivate positive and progressive forces, this country is shooting us in the foot time and again.
We can protest against the Haredim every day, but they are not the only guilty ones. They are Haredi; this is how they believe and they have the right to believe this way. It is the State that is also guilty of violence, for authorizing their every rampage; and we just carry on and keep quiet. If we don’t wake up to what is happening around us, we will very soon find ourselves living on the corner of Meah Shearim and Tehran.
On Tuesday evening I returned home after work. A Chabad van was parked at the corner of my street, surrounded by hassidim. I like the Chabad people, most of them are respectful of their fellow man. I have had the chance to have fruitful conversations with them, despite our fundamental disagreement. Fear paralyses, even me. Of course, the man who attacked me is not a representative sample, but to kick somebody just because she prays to God? From here to pulling out a knife, the way is very short. It makes me wonder who among us is the real Jew.
The author is a member of the Masorti Movement. She has filed an official complaint with the police. |
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By April Akiva, on April 28th, 2010 An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth—what does Judaism really have to say about crime and punishment?
Parashat Emor ends with the story of a half-Israelite man who pronounces God’s name in blasphemy while engaged in a fight with another Israelite.
And Adonai spoke to Moses, saying: Take the blasphemer outside the camp; and let all who were within hearing lay their hands upon his head, and let the community leadership stone him (Leviticus 24: 13-14).
Did stoning really take place during the times of the Hebrew Bible and would a merciful God really have commanded humans to take the life of another as punishment for disrespect of the Divine? Is God trying to sternly warn the people or does God really want the Israelites to stone the man to death?
The text continues with a seemingly contradictory message from God:
If anyone kills any human being, that person shall be put to death…If anyone maims another: what was done shall be done in return—fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth…one who kills a human being shall be put to death” (Leviticus 24:17-21).
Aren’t the Israelites, who stone the man to death at the end of the parashah, committing murder? God commands an act of capitol punishment but then immediately goes on to talk about the ramifications of killing another human being. Did the Israelites misread God’s mixed message? Does God attempt to retract God’s anger and wrath in verses 17-21?
While capitol punishment is a concept illustrated in the Hebrew Bible, we learn from our sages that it really didn’t happen—at least in rabbinic times. If one can be certain of anything in a discussion of Judaism’s views regarding capital punishment, especially those held in a public forum, it is that the following statement in the Mishna (Makkot 1:10) will be quoted:
A Sanhedrin that executed [more than] one person in a week is called a “murderous” [court]. Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya states: “[More than] one person in 70 years [would be denoted a murderous court].” Rabbi Tarfon and Rabbi Akiva state: “If we had been members of the Sanhedrin, no defendant would ever have been executed.”
Why then, might the biblical text, illustrate capitol punishment? It’s for each of us to answer.
By Temple Beth Sholom, on April 1st, 2010 By Rabbi Shelton J. Donnell
When I first came to Temple Beth Sholom to begin my tenure as rabbi in July of 1991, little did I know that my first big challenge was waiting for me just a few short months away. After the initial honeymoon period and the heady and hectic experience of my first High Holy Days at my new congregation, we soon got word that our long time administrator, Doris Jacobson was moving on. Doris had been a stalwart of the congregation and had seen us through many difficult times. She mentored me through my first days at Beth Sholom and I had come to rely upon her for support and good counsel. The Temple Beth Sholom board, the staff, in fact the whole congregation asked in disbelief, how could we ever replace Doris? In fact, the answer was very near at hand.
Susie Amster was relatively new to our congregation. Soon after she arrived in Orange County, Susie was tapped for leadership and brought onto the TBS board. Before long, she was made Vice-President of Membership. Susie brought her dynamic personality, great organizational skills and love of Judaism to every task and challenge presented to her as a member of the TBS board. When the opening for temple administrator came up, Susie was ready to enter the professional world. There was just one drawback ― Susie had no experience in synagogue administration. Sure, she had worked with many administrators before and she certainly knew about Temple life, but that was always as a volunteer, but could she handle professional Jewish life? Untested and untried when it came to the intricacies of the day-to-day running of a congregation, was she a match for TBS? It was a gamble, both for the TBS board and for Susie. Fortunately for all of us, a visionary board and a confident Susie Amster saw the potential beyond the pitfalls and Susie became the new TBS adminstrator and the rest is “herstory.”
To our great pride and benefit, Susie Amster has developed into a nationally recognized leader in the field of synagogue management. She has served on the board and leadership of the National Association of Temple Administrators and has received awards for her innovative and outstanding contributions to the field. Temple Beth Sholom has grown and prospered in great measure as a result of her guidance, grace, and great personality, all of which have made Susie an invaluable part of the TBS family. For me, during my years as rabbi of Temple Beth Sholom, Susie was always a faithful support and source of good counsel. Above all, she was my cheerleader, and a constant source of encouragement and one of the main reasons why serving Temple Beth Sholom has always been such a source of blessing. Susie has always been a partner, working with her rabbis, lay leaders, staff and congregants to make Temple Beth Sholom the soul-filled place and warm spiritual home that it is.
Susie and her husband Bruce have raised their children Sharon and Adam, Lisa and Julie in the same spirit of community dedication and love of Judaism. In Proverbs 31, the Woman of Valor traditionally recited on Shabbat, in speaking of a talented and industrious woman it says that “Her children stand and bless her; her husband praises her.” They do for Susie, and they will along with the whole TBS family!
How wonderfully fitting it is that Temple Beth Sholom salutes Susie Amster on April 24th. The gala event will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will include dinner, dancing, a silent auction, cash raffle, wine raffle and more. Reservations can be made by contacting the Temple Beth Sholom office at 714-628-4600 or RSVP Online at http://www.tbsoc.com/fundraiser/rsvp.html. Join us in saluting Susie Amster.
By Juliet Friedman, on March 31st, 2010 Good morning Mam,
I bring word of thanks and appreciation from here in Iraq. With my busy
schedule and clutter of happenings here i have lost contact with the
nice family that had written me here. I wanted to thank
her for the care package that she had sent me and to let her know that i
was safe and working hard. If it is possible for you to pass along my
message i would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much for all the
time and caring you and the families at the temple have extended you
myself and my fellow soldiers, it truly means so much us here and has
been a great moral booster in this time that we are away from our
families and doing what is necessary. I look forward to hearing back
from you soon.
Very Sincerly,
SPC Valverde
Army Strong!
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