New Faces of Judaism: Weekly E-Newsletter
Wednesday, December 28, 2005-Tuesday, January 3, 2006
Happy Hanukah!!! 27 Kislev-3 Tevet 5766. (updated 12/26/05)
______________________________________________________________________
Brief Message from Rabbi Gartenberg
This Sunday join me for our Shaarei Tikvah-Gates of Hope-Hanukah celebration for persons with special needs. We will gather at Temple B'nai Torah in Bellevue at on Sunday, January 1st at 4:00pm for fun and fellowship. Shaarei Tikvah is a program that reaches out to persons with special needs, their families, and to the entire community to share the joy of the festivals. This is a joint program of Panim Hadashot, Jewish Family Service, SAJD, and Temple B'nai Torah. Please join us to generously share in the Hanukah spirit.
Hanukah is more than a holiday for kids. It is a fascinating chapter in Jewish history and the history of religion. Matyrdom was introduced to the world by the Jews of this era and conversion as a religious activity emerged in Judaism (and in world religions) during this moment in history. Why? For those of you who would like to explore the meaning of Hanukah in Jewish life and history, I invite you to my home Beit Midrash for a discussion and exploration of texts on Hanukah on Shabbat afternoon, Dec. 31st at 1:15pm. Hanukah will never be the same. LINK
Panim Hadashot Activities This Week:
Sat. 12/31 1:15pm Havruta: Interpersonal Jewish Learning: The Non Jew in Jewish Tradition LINK
Celebration: Jan 1. 4-6pm: Shaarei Tikvah- Gates of Hope Hanukkah Celebration for Developmentally Disabled persons and the community. LINK
Some Upcoming Panim Hadashot Activities
Study: Jan. 19-22nd Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller, Bierman Scholar-in-Residence on Jewish Spirituality in Contemporary Judaism. LINK
Rabbiblog: Thought Provoking Pieces from Rabbi Dov Gartenberg
This week: The Big Alef and A Wrestling Community.
Support the Groundbreaking Work of Panim Hadashot. Become a Haver-Friend LINK
_______________________________________________________________________
Panim Hadashot, New Faces of Judaism, is a new endeavor of Jewish learning, celebration, and outreach. Our website is at www.panimhadashot.com. Panim Hadashot is the winner of the Levitan Innovation Award and is endorsed by the Union of Reform Judaism and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Panim Hadashot is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Founder and Rabbi, Dov Gartenberg: rabbidov@panimhadashot.com or 206 525-0648
To contact us: Call 206 280-3715 or email dorothy@panimhadashot.com. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send request to dorothy@panimhadashot.com.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Retrospective on the High Holidays
Retrospective on the High Holidays
From Rabbi Dov Gartenberg
10/17/05
More than 300 persons attended a variety of experiences. These included a groundbreaking Rosh Hashannah Seder, unique interactive learning sessions on the theme of Teshuvah with the Gottmans, a sustained exploration of two great texts, the Binding of Isaac and the Book of Jonah, and a unique Kol Nidre Service for the Ambivalent with a forum on prayer and belief. I know that these experiences departed from the standard offerings of these Days of Awe, so I particularly appreciate that there was so much interest in our groundbreaking approach. We welcome feedback from all of you who attended, since it helps us to refine our approach and strengthen our vision.
I want to share with you briefly the vision that animates what we are doing not only on the High Holidays, but throughout the year. We focus on the great traditions of the Jewish sacred feasts and on the heritage of learning and text study. We believe that gathering people around a table for a Shabbat or festival celebration or linking people together around the study of a great texts enhances a sense of common heritage among Jews. These activities capture what we love about Judaism: joyful sanctification of everyday life , reverence for learning and questioning and serious inquiry on life’s important questions.
With the Rosh Hashannah seder we experienced how a feast can prepare us for the new year. We shared with everyone gathered there a feast for all the senses, grounded in distinctive Sephardic traditions - a joyful welcoming of the new year with family and friends.
We offered the interactive learning sessions on Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur exploring the great spiritual themes of these days in direct, thought-provoking, and engaging ways. Many people shared with me how these sessions opened their minds and helped them connect to others through shared study and reflection. For me sharing these texts with you is a mitzvah, for it helps connect all of us to the ongoing conversation of a living tradition that is so full of life, wisdom and relevance. We believe that these sessions engaged minds, but most of all, touched hearts.
Panim Hadashot is an experiment, an attempt to infuse our Jewish lives with new energy and to instill love in people for Judaism’s enduring and greatest traditions and values. We present Judaism with pride and insist on its relevance. We present Judaism with openess, questioning, and humor. We do so with a respect for the diversity of Jewish expression and beliefs. We hope you will continue to support our efforts to engage people with our vital tradition. We invite you to attend our Fall programs, to consider volunteering, or extending financial support by becoming a Haver-a friend of Panim Hadashot.
Please call me with your feedback, ideas, and interest. Please feel free to contact me at rabbidov@panimhadashot.com. or 206 525-0648. We invite you to be on our e-newsletter list through which we send timely announcements and thought provoking pieces. To sign up contact, Dorothy Glass at Dorothy@panimhadashot.com or 206 280-3710.
From Rabbi Dov Gartenberg
10/17/05
More than 300 persons attended a variety of experiences. These included a groundbreaking Rosh Hashannah Seder, unique interactive learning sessions on the theme of Teshuvah with the Gottmans, a sustained exploration of two great texts, the Binding of Isaac and the Book of Jonah, and a unique Kol Nidre Service for the Ambivalent with a forum on prayer and belief. I know that these experiences departed from the standard offerings of these Days of Awe, so I particularly appreciate that there was so much interest in our groundbreaking approach. We welcome feedback from all of you who attended, since it helps us to refine our approach and strengthen our vision.
I want to share with you briefly the vision that animates what we are doing not only on the High Holidays, but throughout the year. We focus on the great traditions of the Jewish sacred feasts and on the heritage of learning and text study. We believe that gathering people around a table for a Shabbat or festival celebration or linking people together around the study of a great texts enhances a sense of common heritage among Jews. These activities capture what we love about Judaism: joyful sanctification of everyday life , reverence for learning and questioning and serious inquiry on life’s important questions.
With the Rosh Hashannah seder we experienced how a feast can prepare us for the new year. We shared with everyone gathered there a feast for all the senses, grounded in distinctive Sephardic traditions - a joyful welcoming of the new year with family and friends.
We offered the interactive learning sessions on Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur exploring the great spiritual themes of these days in direct, thought-provoking, and engaging ways. Many people shared with me how these sessions opened their minds and helped them connect to others through shared study and reflection. For me sharing these texts with you is a mitzvah, for it helps connect all of us to the ongoing conversation of a living tradition that is so full of life, wisdom and relevance. We believe that these sessions engaged minds, but most of all, touched hearts.
Panim Hadashot is an experiment, an attempt to infuse our Jewish lives with new energy and to instill love in people for Judaism’s enduring and greatest traditions and values. We present Judaism with pride and insist on its relevance. We present Judaism with openess, questioning, and humor. We do so with a respect for the diversity of Jewish expression and beliefs. We hope you will continue to support our efforts to engage people with our vital tradition. We invite you to attend our Fall programs, to consider volunteering, or extending financial support by becoming a Haver-a friend of Panim Hadashot.
Please call me with your feedback, ideas, and interest. Please feel free to contact me at rabbidov@panimhadashot.com. or 206 525-0648. We invite you to be on our e-newsletter list through which we send timely announcements and thought provoking pieces. To sign up contact, Dorothy Glass at Dorothy@panimhadashot.com or 206 280-3710.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Panim Weekly Newsletter: Dec 14, 2005
New Faces of Judaism: Weekly E-Newsletter
Wednesday, December 14, 2005-Tuesday Dec. 20, 2005
13-20 Kislev 5766. ______________________________________________________________________
A Word from Rabbi Dov Gartenberg: Support the Innovative Work of Panim Hadashot
Panim Hadashot-New Faces of Judaism-was formed a little over a year ago to change Jewish life in the Pacific Northwest. Our efforts can be summarized by an explanation of our name, New Faces-Panim Hadashot. In the Talmud the term is used to refer to a new face, a new person who must be invited to a the feast of a bride and groom. The presence of that new face, who was not present at the original huppah (the wedding ceremony), makes it possible to hold the party and to bring joy to the couple.
In Jewish life today we must invite new faces to share in the joy of Judaism. But our Jewish community has often failed in this holy task. The Jewish community is weakened by an astounding rate of disaffiliation and an even greater rate of disengagement. The Jewish community is perceived by disconnected Jews (and many people on the inside) as insular, unresponsive and uninspired.
Panim Hadashot was created to offer an alternative by restoring the role of hospitality, Shabbat in the home, and the love of learning Torah back to the center of Jewish life. Hospitality, in Hebrew-Hachnasat Orchim- is regard for the other and the sharing of the bounty of life with them. Shabbat in the home is the capacity to bring rest and sanctity to our personal lives buffeted by overwork and stress. The love of learning Torah is the capacity to find meaning and spirituality through the great Jewish texts and insights that have inspired Jews for generations.
These three values are reflected in our various programs. Recently I received this letter from a host who participated in our Shabbat around Seattle program:
"Our family struggled for years while the children were growing up to have the kind of Shabbat experience we had the evening you brought Panim Hadashot to our home. Gone were the stress and fights we remember from those years. They were replaced by a sense of joy and peace, singing, laughter, and involvement. You helped create the most beautiful Shabbat experience my family has even known in our home.
I am inspired to recreate the experience on Friday nights in the future. You gave us the roadmap and the tools so that I feel confident that we can achieve that goal.
We are also grateful to you for introducing us to the new faces who joined us at our table that night. It is remarkable how much richness it adds to the experience to also make new friends with people whose background and life experiences are so different from our own. "
I hear this kind of feedback from so many who participate in our programs and outreach. We have also received acclamation from the community through many awards and endorsements including the honor of being the first recipient of the Levitan Innovation award. Our pluralistic approach to Judaism is reflected by the endorsement of the Reform and Conservative movement organizations.
I am writing to all of you to ask you to give a year end donation to help Panim Hadashot continue and expand its work. You may easily and securely do so online at this LINK to our website. Our you may send a donation to Panim Hadashot/ PO Box 15151, Seattle, WA 98115.
We hope you will share our vision and assist us in bringing a 'new face' to Jewish life in Seattle.
Shalom,
Rabbi Dov Gartenberg
Panim Hadashot Activities This Week:
Sat. 12/17 1:15pm Havruta: Interpersonal Jewish Learning: The Non Jew in Jewish Tradition LINK
Sat. 12/17 4:00pm Discussion: Jewish Boundaries with non-Jewish relatives. LINK
Some Upcoming Panim Hadashot Activities
Celebration: Dec. 24th: An Evening of Jewish Song LINK
Celebration: Jan 1st: Shaarei Tikvah- Gates of Hope Hanukkah Celebration for Developmentally Disabled persons and the community. LINK
Study: Jan. 19-22nd Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller, Bierman Scholar-in-Residence on Jewish Spirituality in Contemporary Judaism. LINK
Rabbiblog: Thought Provoking Pieces from Rabbi Dov Gartenberg
This week: The Big Alef and A Wrestling Community.
Support the Groundbreaking Work of Panim Hadashot. Become a Haver-Friend LINK
_______________________________________________________________________
Panim Hadashot, New Faces of Judaism, is a new endeavor of Jewish learning, celebration, and outreach. Our website is at http://www.panimhadashot.com/. Panim Hadashot is the winner of the Levitan Innovation Award and is endorsed by the Union of Reform Judaism and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Panim Hadashot is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Founder and Rabbi, Dov Gartenberg: rabbidov@panimhadashot.com or 206 525-0648
To contact us: Call 206 280-3715 or email dorothy@panimhadashot.com. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send request to dorothy@panimhadashot.com.
New Faces of Judaism: Weekly E-Newsletter
Wednesday, December 14, 2005-Tuesday Dec. 20, 2005
13-20 Kislev 5766. ______________________________________________________________________
A Word from Rabbi Dov Gartenberg: Support the Innovative Work of Panim Hadashot
Panim Hadashot-New Faces of Judaism-was formed a little over a year ago to change Jewish life in the Pacific Northwest. Our efforts can be summarized by an explanation of our name, New Faces-Panim Hadashot. In the Talmud the term is used to refer to a new face, a new person who must be invited to a the feast of a bride and groom. The presence of that new face, who was not present at the original huppah (the wedding ceremony), makes it possible to hold the party and to bring joy to the couple.
In Jewish life today we must invite new faces to share in the joy of Judaism. But our Jewish community has often failed in this holy task. The Jewish community is weakened by an astounding rate of disaffiliation and an even greater rate of disengagement. The Jewish community is perceived by disconnected Jews (and many people on the inside) as insular, unresponsive and uninspired.
Panim Hadashot was created to offer an alternative by restoring the role of hospitality, Shabbat in the home, and the love of learning Torah back to the center of Jewish life. Hospitality, in Hebrew-Hachnasat Orchim- is regard for the other and the sharing of the bounty of life with them. Shabbat in the home is the capacity to bring rest and sanctity to our personal lives buffeted by overwork and stress. The love of learning Torah is the capacity to find meaning and spirituality through the great Jewish texts and insights that have inspired Jews for generations.
These three values are reflected in our various programs. Recently I received this letter from a host who participated in our Shabbat around Seattle program:
"Our family struggled for years while the children were growing up to have the kind of Shabbat experience we had the evening you brought Panim Hadashot to our home. Gone were the stress and fights we remember from those years. They were replaced by a sense of joy and peace, singing, laughter, and involvement. You helped create the most beautiful Shabbat experience my family has even known in our home.
I am inspired to recreate the experience on Friday nights in the future. You gave us the roadmap and the tools so that I feel confident that we can achieve that goal.
We are also grateful to you for introducing us to the new faces who joined us at our table that night. It is remarkable how much richness it adds to the experience to also make new friends with people whose background and life experiences are so different from our own. "
I hear this kind of feedback from so many who participate in our programs and outreach. We have also received acclamation from the community through many awards and endorsements including the honor of being the first recipient of the Levitan Innovation award. Our pluralistic approach to Judaism is reflected by the endorsement of the Reform and Conservative movement organizations.
I am writing to all of you to ask you to give a year end donation to help Panim Hadashot continue and expand its work. You may easily and securely do so online at this LINK to our website. Our you may send a donation to Panim Hadashot/ PO Box 15151, Seattle, WA 98115.
We hope you will share our vision and assist us in bringing a 'new face' to Jewish life in Seattle.
Shalom,
Rabbi Dov Gartenberg
Panim Hadashot Activities This Week:
Sat. 12/17 1:15pm Havruta: Interpersonal Jewish Learning: The Non Jew in Jewish Tradition LINK
Sat. 12/17 4:00pm Discussion: Jewish Boundaries with non-Jewish relatives. LINK
Some Upcoming Panim Hadashot Activities
Celebration: Dec. 24th: An Evening of Jewish Song LINK
Celebration: Jan 1st: Shaarei Tikvah- Gates of Hope Hanukkah Celebration for Developmentally Disabled persons and the community. LINK
Study: Jan. 19-22nd Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller, Bierman Scholar-in-Residence on Jewish Spirituality in Contemporary Judaism. LINK
Rabbiblog: Thought Provoking Pieces from Rabbi Dov Gartenberg
This week: The Big Alef and A Wrestling Community.
Support the Groundbreaking Work of Panim Hadashot. Become a Haver-Friend LINK
_______________________________________________________________________
Panim Hadashot, New Faces of Judaism, is a new endeavor of Jewish learning, celebration, and outreach. Our website is at http://www.panimhadashot.com/. Panim Hadashot is the winner of the Levitan Innovation Award and is endorsed by the Union of Reform Judaism and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Panim Hadashot is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Founder and Rabbi, Dov Gartenberg: rabbidov@panimhadashot.com or 206 525-0648
To contact us: Call 206 280-3715 or email dorothy@panimhadashot.com. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send request to dorothy@panimhadashot.com.
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
The Big Alef
"He had a dream; a stairway was set on the ground and its tip reached to the sky, and angels of God were going up and down on it." Genesis 28:12, Jacob's dream as he slept on his escape from Esau.
One of the hallmarks of Torah study at Panim Hadashot is to enable people to interact with the text of the Torah. I have two aims when doing this teaching. First, with every passage and verse of Torah that we study, I seek to anchor people in the world of commentary and reflection of Jewish tradition. What did previous generations say about this text? What illuminations or standards of behavior did they see emerging from it? What divided them about how to apply the meaning of the verse?
Second, I seek to give opportunity for people to join in the ongoing conversation about Torah. By giving people a sense of the ongoing conversation on the verse I invite all those who study to join in that conversation, regardless of age or background. This invitation to participate makes the Torah come alive.
The beauty of this approach is that it can bring people closer to the Torah regardless of age. This past Shabbat I led a Shabbat afternoon Torah reading for families. We read the beginning of the new portion, Vayetze (Gen 28:10ff). I asked the parents and the children the meaning of the ladder to heaven. Why were the angels going up and down? Asher, age 7, wanted to offer his view of the ladder amidst the many suggestions. He told us that the ladder was actually the letter alef. Angels were going on one side and down the other.
That big alef of crossing ladders was for me the highlight of the session. I was grateful for hearing a Hiddush-a new insight, and also happy that Asher felt so comfortable to imagine Jacob's ladder. I hope that Asher learned that the Torah is a source for loving creativity and imagination.
Rabbi Dov Gartenberg
December 6. 2005
One of the hallmarks of Torah study at Panim Hadashot is to enable people to interact with the text of the Torah. I have two aims when doing this teaching. First, with every passage and verse of Torah that we study, I seek to anchor people in the world of commentary and reflection of Jewish tradition. What did previous generations say about this text? What illuminations or standards of behavior did they see emerging from it? What divided them about how to apply the meaning of the verse?
Second, I seek to give opportunity for people to join in the ongoing conversation about Torah. By giving people a sense of the ongoing conversation on the verse I invite all those who study to join in that conversation, regardless of age or background. This invitation to participate makes the Torah come alive.
The beauty of this approach is that it can bring people closer to the Torah regardless of age. This past Shabbat I led a Shabbat afternoon Torah reading for families. We read the beginning of the new portion, Vayetze (Gen 28:10ff). I asked the parents and the children the meaning of the ladder to heaven. Why were the angels going up and down? Asher, age 7, wanted to offer his view of the ladder amidst the many suggestions. He told us that the ladder was actually the letter alef. Angels were going on one side and down the other.
That big alef of crossing ladders was for me the highlight of the session. I was grateful for hearing a Hiddush-a new insight, and also happy that Asher felt so comfortable to imagine Jacob's ladder. I hope that Asher learned that the Torah is a source for loving creativity and imagination.
Rabbi Dov Gartenberg
December 6. 2005
A Wrestling Community-Rushkoff's Critique of Contemporary Judaism
Rabbi Dov Gartenberg, Dec. 6, 2005
One of the original visions of Panim Hadashot was the revitalization of the Beit Midrash-the house of study-as a living Jewish institution. Douglas Rushkoff, a media critique, wrote a no holds barred critique of contemporary American Judaism called Nothing Sacred. The first time I read the book I could not stand it. But that was when I was a pulpit rabbi. I reread it last month and found it prophetic and extremely timely. Below is an excerpt which conveys the need for the 'Beit Midrash'.
(p.227)The beit midrash, "house of study," was developed in the Second Temple period as a component of the synagogue. While the function of synagogue was to offer an opportunity for community worship beyond centralized Temple rites, the beit midrash was dedicated exclusively to the study of text. The synagogue liturgy was really just a substitute for sacrifices. The beit midrash gave Jews and, eventually, non-Jews alike direct access to the original source material informing the mythology, halakhah, rituals, and worldview that constitute Judaism. The talmudic sages stressed that Torah study takes precedence over synagogue worship, going so far to say that "if you are new to a town and learn of a synagogue, walk there. If you learn there is a beit midrash, run."
This emphasis held for quite some time, and although the Yiddish word shul acutally means "school," the unique role of the beit midrash was eveentually subordinated to that of the sanctuary. By the modern ere, beit midrash came to mean the library attached to the synagogue, where the most motivated members could seek out the resources they needed for independent study. As Jews lost direct access to Torah and grew increasingly disconnected from the spirit of inquiry, services became more about creating mood than inspiring the quest for knowledge and sense. Well-meaning rabbis were forced to fit morsels of Jewish education into their sermons , which took on the tone of moralizing homilies rather than points of intellectual or spiritual departure. People began to think of synagogues as a place to hear answers instead of a place to find new questions.
In order to fuel a renaissance in participatory Judaism, we will need to reverse this trend and reinvent a beit midrash for our age. If everyone's point of view is to matter, then everyone must be given the basic tools they need to generate an informed opinion. Although the private study of sacred texts and their commentaries can take a person a long way, part of the Jewish mandate is to wrestle not just with 'Torah, but with one another. There is no such thing as personal revelation or individual enlightenment in Judaism....Juduasim does not offer transcendence from the real world or the body through spiritual practice....This is meant not to promote materialism or a fixation on the sensual, but to maintain Judaism's emphasis on life-this life, real life-as the locus of our concern. Study must not be a retreat from community, but a way to forge one. (emphasis mine)
One of the original visions of Panim Hadashot was the revitalization of the Beit Midrash-the house of study-as a living Jewish institution. Douglas Rushkoff, a media critique, wrote a no holds barred critique of contemporary American Judaism called Nothing Sacred. The first time I read the book I could not stand it. But that was when I was a pulpit rabbi. I reread it last month and found it prophetic and extremely timely. Below is an excerpt which conveys the need for the 'Beit Midrash'.
(p.227)The beit midrash, "house of study," was developed in the Second Temple period as a component of the synagogue. While the function of synagogue was to offer an opportunity for community worship beyond centralized Temple rites, the beit midrash was dedicated exclusively to the study of text. The synagogue liturgy was really just a substitute for sacrifices. The beit midrash gave Jews and, eventually, non-Jews alike direct access to the original source material informing the mythology, halakhah, rituals, and worldview that constitute Judaism. The talmudic sages stressed that Torah study takes precedence over synagogue worship, going so far to say that "if you are new to a town and learn of a synagogue, walk there. If you learn there is a beit midrash, run."
This emphasis held for quite some time, and although the Yiddish word shul acutally means "school," the unique role of the beit midrash was eveentually subordinated to that of the sanctuary. By the modern ere, beit midrash came to mean the library attached to the synagogue, where the most motivated members could seek out the resources they needed for independent study. As Jews lost direct access to Torah and grew increasingly disconnected from the spirit of inquiry, services became more about creating mood than inspiring the quest for knowledge and sense. Well-meaning rabbis were forced to fit morsels of Jewish education into their sermons , which took on the tone of moralizing homilies rather than points of intellectual or spiritual departure. People began to think of synagogues as a place to hear answers instead of a place to find new questions.
In order to fuel a renaissance in participatory Judaism, we will need to reverse this trend and reinvent a beit midrash for our age. If everyone's point of view is to matter, then everyone must be given the basic tools they need to generate an informed opinion. Although the private study of sacred texts and their commentaries can take a person a long way, part of the Jewish mandate is to wrestle not just with 'Torah, but with one another. There is no such thing as personal revelation or individual enlightenment in Judaism....Juduasim does not offer transcendence from the real world or the body through spiritual practice....This is meant not to promote materialism or a fixation on the sensual, but to maintain Judaism's emphasis on life-this life, real life-as the locus of our concern. Study must not be a retreat from community, but a way to forge one. (emphasis mine)
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