president

We are living in a strange time when the criminals are the ones not wearing masks, when rioters (unmasked) urged on by our would-be Pharaoh stormed our nation’s capitol building carrying and wearing symbols of hate that glorify slavery, insurrection, and the Holocaust, and nearly half of the US population believes that the virus that has killed nearly 2 million people worldwide and keeps us from gathering in person is a hoax perpetrated by a deep state.  Just when we need our families and friends and community the most, we are physically separated by Covid-19.  Anxiety and fear are actually rational responses to our current circumstances and hope can be difficult to maintain.  

However, I still cling to hope.  I believe that the Jewish values that served our parents and ancestors will give us guidance and get us through these challenging times. I believe that we gain strength from and are comforted by our TBH community and with  commitment, resolve, and creativity we will not only survive, but thrive. 

We are Temple Beth Hillel.

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when?   -Rabbi Hillel

Following the death of my stepmother, a Holocaust survivor, I felt that the responsibility to tell the cautionary story of the Shoah fell to my generation and to me.  I decided to produce and direct The Diary of Anne Frank at Rosemead High School, a majority minority school east of Los Angeles.  The challenge was to get the students to make an intimate connection with a young girl and her family who died long before they were born and in a faraway land.  I knew that group of kids was special, but was still surprised when every member of the cast gave up a Sunday to visit the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.  We were fortunate that we arrived just in time to hear Elizabeth Mann, a survivor, tell her story that brought the entire audience to tears.  While we exited Ms. Mann hugged each teary eyed student and gathered the cast together.  

“I want you to promise me two things,” she said.  “Never give in to hate, because hate and fear caused all of this. And never lose hope, for without hope even in my worst times in the camps, I would not be here today.”  

Although we are living in a difficult time, I remember the advice of Elizabeth Mann who survived the very worst of times.  I refuse to lose hope.  I know that our amazing community will survive our challenges and emerge from this pandemic stronger and more appreciative of each other.   

We are Temple Beth Hillel.

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when?   -Rabbi Hillel

So, what’s next? What will our post pandemic future look like? I suspect that things will not return to our pre pandemic normal. I hope that we have learned from our experiences and we can use this hard- earned knowledge to move forward and create a new normal. I suspect that Zoom and other forms of distance meeting will remain part of our lives, not as a tool of necessity, but rather as a tool of choice. I imagine some TBH events employing a hybrid of in person and virtual means, but I have no idea how that will work. There are issues that we will have to work on together and unknown challenges ahead, but I am confident that we will solve these issues, overcome our challenges and emerge even stronger than ever. As a start, if all goes as planned, by spring our internet service will be connected by fiber optics which will give us the bandwidth to stream from our synagogue, increase our security with more cameras, and more. I choose to be excited about our future.
For now, as 2021 begins with our Shabbat service tonight, we will stay together while safely distanced until we are sure it is safe to gather in person. Religious School classes will resume, Rabbi Dean’s Adult Ed classes will continue, Cantor Shayndel’s Torah Trope classes will begin, and preparations for our first Purim Spiel in many years are progressing toward a Zoom presentation. We have been and will be facing the challenges of Covid-19 with determination, creativity, persistence, and faith.

We are Temple Beth Hillel.

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am not for others, what am I?
And if not now, when? -Rabbi Hillel

Even with the worst of the pandemic expected in the coming months, with two approved vaccines there is hope for a better summer and hopefully in person observances of our High Holy Days next fall. Meanwhile, we remain committed to everyone’s safety and will continue with online “virtual” services and classes.
On February 21, we are planning to present a Zoom reading of Beware the Ides of Adar: A Shakespearean Purim Spiel by Deborah Bodin Cohen in cooperation with Actors Ensemble of Berkeley. It’s a fun telling of the Purim story using the Bard’s words. More information will be coming soon including how TBH members can participate.

Stay safe. We will get through this.

We are Temple Beth Hillel.

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am not for others, what am I?
And if not now, when? -Rabbi Hillel

As I am writing this, boxes of food are being delivered to schools in our Richmond/San Pablo community.  Yes, even in the midst of a pandemic, Food for Thought happened.  

We knew this year would be difficult.  We knew that our usual methods would not work.  We didn’t know how we could safely pack and distribute the food in this age of Covid-19.  We thought we would have to scale back our efforts and help fewer families, and many of us doubted whether we could help at all.  We doubted whether the schools could distribute the food in the usual manner since students are distance learning.  

We had many valid reasons to give up this year, but we didn’t because we knew that this year the need is greater than it has ever been.  

While we are celebrating Hanukkah and the faith of the Maccabees, we can celebrate that our Food for Thought committee, led by Jeff Romm, had the faith to push on, believing that the considerable obstacles that we faced would be overcome even when we had no idea how that would happen.  And it did happen.  Thanks to the overwhelming efforts of TBH, our partner communities, our volunteers, and our generous donors, we provided food for 400 families.  Our small Hanukkah miracle happened. 

 We are Temple Beth Hillel.

 If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when?   -Rabbi Hillel

It seems ironic that as we celebrate the rededication of the Temple, we can not safely gather at our Temple Beth Hillel to share our joy and latkes.  I often love irony as a source of humor and/or dramatic tension, but not so much in this case.  I do find it interesting that Hanukkah often comes right before the darkest days of the year, the winter solstice, and this year the predicted darkest days of the pandemic.  I like to believe that our Hanukkah lights represent our faith that as we transition from winter to spring to summer that the darkness of this pandemic will fade just as the darkness of winter becomes the light filled days of summer.  

Meanwhile, let’s have fun Sunday evening as we celebrate Hanukkah together while safely apart and don’t forget to join Cantor Shayndel Tuesday evening for Sacred Sound Healing.

We are Temple Beth Hillel.

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when?   -Rabbi Hillel

We seem to be in a classic good news, bad news situation.  Multiple vaccines are almost here.  That’s the good news.  Cases of Covid-19 infections and deaths are rising and a long winter of sickness and death is predicted.  That’s the extremely bad news.  We need a bit of a miracle.  The first doses of the vaccines may be available this month, but they are not nearly enough to end this pandemic.  Does this remind you of anything this time of year?  What if you substitute oil for vaccines?    נס גדול היה שם Nes Gadol Haya Sham, a great miracle happened there.  Is another miracle possible?  Is there an end to this pandemic in sight?  I like to think so.  This year as we celebrate the Hanukkah miracle socially distanced from many of our loved ones and our community, I will hope for a medical miracle.  I pray that we will all stay healthy and will be able to safely gather together in our sanctuary to observe the High Holy Days next fall.  Meanwhile, as we maintain our hope, I know we will continue to adapt to our present circumstances, support each other, and prioritize the health and safety of all members of our community above everything else. 

 We are Temple Beth Hillel.

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am not for others, what am I?
And if not now, when?   -Rabbi Hillel

When we halted in-person activities in March I doubt any of us thought we would still be quarantining 8 months later, but unfortunately we are.  There is some encouraging news regarding vaccines, but with the current spike in Covid-19 cases we are still a long way from reopening.  I am thankful that technology allows us to stay connected while safely apart.  I know it is not a great substitute for gathering in person, but at least we have this substitute as flawed as it may be.  We are still a small and mighty congregation that is creatively adapting to our present circumstances.  Join us for Shabbat services and candle lighting.  Participate in Saturday morning Lay Led Torah Study.  Enjoy the Hanukkah celebrations we have planned.  Help us with Food 4 Thought.  Let’s stay connected and support each other, our TBH community and our Richmond/San Pablo community. 

We are Temple Beth Hillel.

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when?   -Rabbi Hillel

What a difference a week makes – or does it?  Although I view the election results as positive, they were not the repudiation of hate that I was hoping for.  This election will not force the xenophobes, racists, and anti-Semites back under their rocks.  We must assert our humanity by valuing all of humanity and continuing our fight for social justice.  

Food 4 Thought is looking for volunteers to help in a particularly challenging year.  Laura Taub sent a request for volunteers this past week.  If you are available and willing any time Saturday, December 12, through Wednesday, December 16, please contact Laura for more information.  It seems appropriate that these dates are during the eight days of Hanukkah.  During our festival of lights let us do our part to chase away the darkness of hunger and hate. 

We are Temple Beth Hillel.

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when?   -Rabbi Hillel

I’m writing this Wednesday afternoon after a very troubling Tuesday night and anxious Wednesday morning.  The election results are still unknown and I am hopeful for a good result, but I am troubled by how many voted for fear, cruelty, and hate.  Rabbi Dean wrote above that, “How we treat the stranger, the alien, and the one in need reveals our true character.”  Based on that standard, I question the true character of far too many individuals and of this nation.  I am aware of this country’s history of xenophobia, racism, and anti-Semitism, but I hoped that these could become relics of the past.  Today, it is hard to hope after half the voters approved of separating children from their parents and keeping them in cages.  Even as troubled as I feel today, I know that my sanity requires me to cling to the little  hope I still have.  We can find comfort in the strength of our TBH community, and together work toward transforming the remains of our collective hope into our continued work toward justice.  Mercedes sews remnants of fabric into beautiful quilts.  Perhaps her hobby serves as a metaphor for our hope.  Let us piece together the remnants of our hope and rededicate ourselves as a community and individuals to social justice.  We have sandwiches to make for GRIP and a particularly challenging Food 4 Thought distribution happening next month.  Let’s get to work. 

We are Temple Beth Hillel.

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when?   -Rabbi Hillel