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I often wonder about the origin of certain traditions that we tend to take for granted. Souvenirs, for example. Everyone knows that when you travel to a special faraway place -- or even a place that is not so far away -- it is customary to bring back with you assorted items from that special place. Often, these items are given as gifts. Perhaps this custom of bringing gifts following a trip arose as a way of helping to assuage the traveler's guilt for being away. Or perhaps its aim was to allow those at home to somehow share in the traveler's experience. Whatever we might speculate to be the origin of this custom, the reality is that when I left Costa Rica at the end of September, I left heavy-laden and well-prepared to participate in it.
In my bags (including the one I bought the night before I left when I realized the luggage I brought would be insufficient) were many beautiful items characteristic of Costa Rica. But nothing in my suitcase could ever adequately convey to my friends and family the most important aspect of my experience abroad, namely, the love and spirit and dedication that is Congregation Bnei Israel.
I want to thank most sincerely all the many members of the congregation who made my visit possible, and all of you who worked so hard to make it successful. But more important, I want to remind you to never take the gifts in your own midst for granted.
Bnei Israel is a very special place, where mitzvot are taught and debated and practiced. Perhaps the most important mitzvah practiced by the Bnei Israel community, however, is the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim, of being an open, inclusive, welcoming community. Newcomers who attend services at the synagogue are greeted warmly and sincerely, and "the regulars" are made to feel like family. In some ways, this mitzvah precedes all the others, for by drawing people into the synagogue, you draw people into Jewish life, and by drawing them deeper into the joys and challenges of Judaism, you do nothing less than hasten the coming of the Messianic Age. Really.
As you move further into the coming year, I know that you will continue to practice this important mitzvah. I pray that you will never forget how important it is, not only to Bnei Israel, but to Jewish life and Jewish continuity everywhere. You are a gem of a community -- don't be afraid to shine!
L'Shalom,
Rabbi Peter Schaktman
Thirty seven years have gone by since then and now blending and learning from other cultures is easier for me. But I still love to watch football games on TV ; with maturity, I gained an appreciation for the passion that sports give the spectators and the beauty of team playing. Whether American football, soccer, baseball, or volleyball is your favorite sport, I hope that all of you have experienced the thrill of seeing a team you care for play a good game.
Belonging to a religious congregation is a serious responsibility in my life. It is not a game, but it does provide a lifelong passion for those who immerse themselves in the interplay of faith, ritual, and community work. When I joined the Jewish people and helped form our Congregation, I felt fully committed to work to make my group stand up and win. I have always felt like a team player in B'nei Israel. Sometimes I have led the team, sometimes I have followed, but always I have felt the strength that comes from being part of a group.
The past High Holidays were a fine example of team work among us. Our religious leader for the services, Rabbi Peter Schaktman, with ability, taste, and knowledge guided us through the rituals. With his quiet mood and clear thinking he won our hearts. Our Ritual Committee gave him the backup support to carry out his job. The members of this Committee are Pilar Elkin, Jody Bonilla, Marty Feigen, Moshe Benzaquen, and Gonzalo Vega. As Chairman, Pilar was untiring in organizing, and making sure that the services were carried out as planned. Pilar, Marty, and Jody distributed the honors that were bestowed upon every member of the Congregation. Moshe read from the Torah and once again proved to be a powerful Baal Shofar. Gonzalo delighted us with his strong voice and his warmth. The members' participation in the rituals was higher this year than in previous ones. Yes, there were members that had confirmed their participation and were not present for honors - and we hope they are shamed into not doing this next year - but the record crowd provided willing substitutes for the readings and activities.
Our Sisterhood, led by Sarita Waltersdorfer and with the ever present help of Alicia Familier, organized the refreshments that gathered us around the table to talk and get to know each other. Kathya Benzaquen took care of the Rosh Hashanah dinner and the reservations for the services. Roberta Haynes was very patient in setting out the chairs in the synagogue. Howard Krangle and Max Berman linked us to the security systems that we used. Our Treasurer, Erik Zango, carried out the difficult task of making sure that everyone paid and because of his diligence this High Holidays account was closed earlier than ever and with a profit for our Congregation.
Tashlich was led by our Youth Group with the help of Jenny Rodriguez and Mario Podcaminsky. The heavy rain did not dampen our spirits and standing by the river with candles and umbrellas was a moving experience for those in attendance.
Sukkot was organized by the Jennifer Sossin Hebrew School and it seemed to me that we have never had so many little ones running around. The children's orchestra that Deborah Singer began to assemble will one day be our pride and joy. Jody Bonilla, Elena Dybner, and Deborah Singer were on hand at all times to work with the children to create our traditional Sukkot decorations.
Marvin Sossin tackled the most important task of asking for funds so that we will finally have the facilities that we need and deserve. At this time I can't give a number for the amount raised because pledges are still coming in, but we feel confident that soon we will be able to go ahead with our plans. Our thanks also go to our fans abroad, like Claire and Joshua Jacobs, who sent contributions.
With Rabbi Schaktman, Erika Keibel and Jonathan Liebembuk had their B'nei Mitzvah, Rafael Cordero became a member of our faith, and Dina Akerman and Jose Rosenkrantz were married under the chupah that Max and Eunice Berman donated to us. Many of our members helped in rehearsing the students, forming a Bet Din, going to the mikvah, even driving the Rabbi back and forth. Hours of work and satisfaction. On being asked to help in an event, Bil Fischer thanked Pilar for the honor she gave him in requesting his participation.
I am probably missing the names of many who helped. My apologies, it is not my intention to leave you out and in your hearts you know that all of us benefited from your giving your time and care to the Congregation.
Now that my term as leader of this team is coming to the end, I look back at the year passed and I am very moved. We did commit some faults, guess I was sacked a few times, but we did well as a team. I had the help of a wonderful group of players, they did the work. For one reason or another, some members did not work, but they were there as participants. Maybe next time around we can bring more people off the bench.
During the High Holidays 5760 we nurtured each other and in the process provided the opportunity for all of us to feel part of this beautiful Liberal Jewish Congregation. Even if many of us come from other countries, other backgrounds, other Jewish philosophies, we blend in and we belong ; there are no outsiders in B'nei Israel. We are a winning team. May this spirit of camaraderie, accomplishment, and faith always prevail. May we have a year of health, peace, happiness, and success.
Hilda ten Brink
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Popcorn aside, going to synagogue is a lot like going to the movies. Both involve traveling to a special building where a carefully scripted drama unfolds. In both cases, moreover, we are called upon to transcend our inclination toward disbelief in order to be engaged by the experience. In the case of film, we are asked to be engaged emotionally by what is, after all, a fiction. In the case of prayer, we are urged to perceive the world and ourselves in a fashion much different from what we are used to. In the world of prayer our income, intelligence, looks and style of dress are all irrelevant. Our willingness to share our thoughts and emotions with God is what matters.
As anyone will testify, the transition into the world of movies is infinitely easier than moving into the world of prayer. This is because a film asks nothing of us other than passive participation. The movie is a creation unto itself which we watch and to which we react. Prayer, on the other hand, is participatory. We are provided with a script, music and choreography and are then expected to make these elements meld and come alive.
How are we to achieve this transition? Two of the techniques used in film are lighting and zooming in and out. In theaters the lights are dimmed during coming attractions and then darkened as the feature film comes on. While this undoubtedly is done in large part to improve our vision, it also has the effect of making what we see on the screen the only visual reality available to us. When a movie begins, the camera generally surveys a broad landscape and then focuses on a particular person or place that will be the center of the story. At the end of the movie the process is reversed.
Similar means of transition exist within prayer. For them to be effective, we must be aware of their existence; because prayer is participatory, we must employ them actively to transport ourselves into the spiritual domain of prayer. In short, we require kavannah. There are many moments of transition within prayer. Let's look at just two, one very much like the film technique of darkening the lights, the other like zooming in and out.
Our liturgy consists of both biblical citations and prayers composed by Jews at various points in our history. These two components represent two different modes within prayer. The prayers are instances of us addressing God, while the scriptural citations and readings are God speaking to us. Perhaps the most well-known scriptural reading in our liturgy is the Shema, consisting of two paragraphs from Deuteronomy and one from Numbers. It is a long-standing custom that as we end the composed blessing immediately before the Shema, we cover our eyes and keep them covered through the recitation of the first verse. Why?
One way of understanding this act is as a transition from the many to the one. In the first paragraph of the Shema, the Torah declares God's oneness and calls upon us to love God. But can we believe in the presence of this unseen God? As long as our eyes are open we are acutely aware of the diversity of the world we live in. We see distinct people and objects, and we are aware of ourselves as separate beings from all that surrounds us. Where is the God of oneness in all this?
Covering our eyes makes visual perception unavailable to us in the same way that the darkened theater shuts out visual reality except for the film. All we can see in this case, however, is an undifferentiated darkness and we are reminded that there are ways of seeing that involve our souls rather than our eyes. What we then see, if we focus our hearts, is the One from whom all springs and who embraces all of creation with love. We are not alone in the darkness; we are surrounded by God's loving presence. With this spiritual vision we are ready to recite the words of the Shema with kavannah.
A second example of transition is taking three steps forward immediately prior to reciting the Amidah. At this point in the liturgy we are moving from talking about God to talking with God. "Amidah" literally means "standing": in this case, standing before God. How do we prepare for this conversation; specifically, how can we be confident that the God to whom we are praying is truly present?
It is in order to feel ourselves in God's presence, I believe, that we take three steps forward. I think of them as a spiritual Copernican revolution. During most of my waking hours I see myself at the center of existence. This is a healthy and existentially necessary perspective. As Hillel is reputed to have said, "If I am not for myself then who will be?" When I pray, however, I am called upon to view myself in a radically different way. I am not the fixed point around which all else revolves. I am merely one of God's satellites, launched in order to fulfill a mission that I must strive to become aware of through study and prayer. I am but a temporary manifestation of God's eternal reality. The three steps, like the camera that zooms in, move me out of my self-centeredness and into connectedness with a reality that includes and transcends my own. Not only is God's presence now felt, it is also clear that my own presence, my own reality, is inextricably linked to God's.
The three steps and the transformation of consciousness they trigger are important not only because they put my relationship to God into proper perspective, they also transform the very nature of my prayer. I may have approached prayer as a consumer, seeing my prayers as an opportunity to ask what God has done for me lately and to present my list of requests. The three steps help me reconfigure myself as a servant of God, for whom the essential question is not "How can I get what I want?" but rather "What is it that God wants of me?" The three steps transform the Amidah into a meditation on God's will and an attempt to unite with that will.
Both of these examples of transitions in prayer involve choreography rather than language. The texts of our liturgy are also rich with moments of transition. For example, the morning blessings move us to an awareness of God's blessings manifest in ourselves. The beginning of Pesukei de-Zimra evokes awe and wonder at the world around us. The end of Pesukei de-Zimra and the blessings before and after the Shema evoke God's saving presence in history. Both the words and the movements of prayer, then, are rich with opportunities to transform ourselves and thereby bring us nearer to God's presence, which both comforts and commands us.
Prayer, like film, offers entry into a new world.
Unlike film, however, prayer offers not the world of entertainment, escape,
comedy or drama, but the world of self-understanding, of knowing what our
place is in the world. Our liturgy provides the means for achieving this
insight. It asks of us only a meditative mind and a willing heart.
This was all intended by God, all part of His plan.
Gray clouds float up above
It begins to drizzle
A rainbow appears.
This was all intended by God, all part of His plan.
Different colors, different faces, different nationalities
But we are all one, under God.
This was all intended by God, all part of His plan.
The sun sets to the West
And the world goes to sleep.
And this was intended by God.
L.K.
M.N.
Forgiveness and repentance go together in my mind. You can have one without the other, but they are more meaningful together. If someone asks for forgiveness, forgive them. It means that that person has repented and is saying sorry. By forgiving them, you feel good because you know you are doing the right thing and making someone else happy, and you are relieving the other person and taking a heavy burden off their shoulders. Repentance just isn't the same without forgiveness by its side.
M.F.
E.L.
At the recent Worldwide Convention of Reform Rabbis in Puriscal, the following blessings, intended to replace the current blessings over wine, bread, and the Sabbath candles were unanimously rejected, with the recommendation that they again be considered for approval around the halfway point of the new millenium.
A cruise ship sinks and three men make it to an uninhabited
island.
The first man, a Christian, tears two branches from
a palm tree, creates a cross, and prays to the Lord to be saved from the
island.
The second man, a Muslim, pulls several fronds from
the palm tree, created a mat, kneels facing Mecca, and prays to Allah to
save him.
The third man, a Jew, falls asleep under the palm
tree.
The other two can't understand how this man could
remain so calm and serene and ask him how he could be so at ease.
He answers: "Two years ago I gave $1,000,000 to
the Jewish Federation. Last year I gave $2,000,000. This year I pledged
$3,000,000. Don't worry ... they'll find me."
CALENDAR 5760 for SALE !Price : 2,000 colones |
Bulletin B'nei Israel Congregation
Editor: Inés Baum
October 1999