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July 2024
A long hot summer is upon us. At least many of us can escape to an air-conditioned space, but what about those daring adventurers and archaeologists of prior years who spent years in the parched deserts of the Middle East uncovering the wonders of previous civilizations? The first question recalls some of their accomplishments. The second question concerns a common Jewish ritual act that we have all seen countless times but may not know what to do in the special case when a woman is not present.
1. We are living in a golden age for archaeology, thanks in large part to new technology and techniques. The findings oftentimes have radically changed today's perceptions and appreciations of past cultures. Which of these amazing discoveries is generally conceded to be the greatest archeological discovery of the last century:
A) the excavations of Jericho, which unearthed more than 20 settlements dating back 11,000 years,
B) the uncovering of 20,000 tablets in the library at Nineveh, the ancient Assyrian capital,
C) the finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls, or
D) the discovery of Hezekiah's tunnel underground in Jerusalem?
2. Lighting of the Sabbath candles is one of a small number of mitzvot that are traditionally reserved for women. But is this an exclusively female obligation? What if the woman of the house is away on business or visiting a sick relative? What is a male partner or family member supposed to do? Then there is the case where there is no woman at all in the house. What then? Finally, what is expected for a single male living alone (i.e. a bachelor)?
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May 2024
The news of late has not been uplifting, but we still have much to be thankful for. Spring has sprung and our days are getting longer. So here is a lovely and timely question, drawn not from the teachings of the great Jewish scholars and academics but from the material of one of our Hebrew School’s Gimel (third grade) class. What do the following have in common: lighting the first candle on a holiday; having a thirteenth birthday; eating the first peach of the year; going to seder; hearing really good news; or seeing a friend for the first time in thirty days? All of these events provide an occasion to do something special. What is that something? If we cannot figure it out at first, perhaps we should ask (or at least think like) a third grader.
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February 2024
As we wend our way out of the dreary New England winter, the month of March is brightening our days – with more daylight, the joyous holiday of Purim, and more. This March has a very special treat for Beth Elohim congregants. On March 9 Anthony Russell will be returning to Massachusetts to perform just down the road at Temple Beth El in Sudbury. Anthony departed Acton a few years ago when he and his husband Mike Rothbaum, our Rabbi David’s predecessor, moved to Georgia when Mike became the religious leader at Bet Haverim in Atlanta. Anthony’s path into Judaism was – to put it mildly – unparalleled, even for someone with his exceptional music talent and creativity. Today he is in demand at synagogues, concerts, and Jewish music organizations literally around the world. He has had performances both in the US and internationally, including in Toronto, Montreal, Mexico City, Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk, Symphony Space in New York City, the Kennedy Center in DC and many festivals across the United States and Europe.
So the two questions below are all about Anthony.
Which of these musical genres are *not* included in Anthony’s various performances - Yiddish, klezmer music, opera, early 20th century Jewish music, Russian folk music, Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) music, African-American music, Yemenite music?
After converting to Judaism, Anthony made Aliyah to Israel to study Yiddish at a distinguished university. Which university?
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January 2024
On Monday, January 15 we celebrate the national Holiday honoring the birthday of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most influential Americans of the past century. Our Congregation has a wonderful tradition of hosting a breakfast celebration for the wider community. This year will be the 22nd annual Martin Luther King breakfast at Beth Elohim and will feature a very special speaker who has had a great impact on education for Boston students.
A half century ago, Dr. King’s leadership and oratory inspired the country and fueled the still unfinished civil rights movement. His words struck a deep chord with African-Americans, and also among Jews, many of whom eagerly joined his cause. Some even died for it, like Andrew Goodman and Mickey Schwerner, murdered by the Klu Klux Klan during the hot Mississippi summer of 1964. Black-Jewish relations were never stronger than when Dr. King was the undisputed leader of the civil rights movement, before his 1968 assassination in Memphis. Besides inspired leaders and workers, however, community organizations also need money to make an impact. Were Jewish people as generous with dollars as they were with sympathy for the civil rights cause?
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