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The Long Hot
Days of Summer No more pencils, no more books! School is out, and no matter our ages, there is a natural tendency to look at the summer as a period to slow down. Even if we have been out of school for years, our thoughts are more likely to turn to play. In years gone by, this attitude reflected itself in much of Reform Jewish congregational life as well. Many people, including the rabbi, were gone for vacation, and the activities of a temple would slow down to a bare-bones existence. It was often joked that, ?God went on vacation,? in the summer. While I wouldn't presume to speak for God on the matter, I can certainly say that our communities suffered for the loss of activity over the summer. In years gone by, many Reform congregations had to fight for a minyan over the summer. I am happy to say that this is no longer the case. One holiday that we are steadily reclaiming is Tisha B'Av. Falling in the middle of July this year, Tisha B'Av is a holiday that has had historically low observance among Reform. The holiday is not one of rejoicing, but of mourning, as it commemorates the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in ancient Jerusalem. By tradition, Tisha B'Av also marks the day that the Romans destroyed Betar, the last city to hold out droning the Bar Kochba Revolt. Jews were expelled from England in 1290 and from Spain in 1492 on the same day. One of the bloodiest days of the Chmielnicki Massacres of 1648 occurred on Tisha B'Av, as did the outbreak of World War I in 1914. With all of these tragedies, one would think that this was a day better forgotten. This is not the Jewish way. Instead, we gather in an act of remembrance and mutual consolation on the day that contains more of our historical woes than any other. Tisha B'Av, along with Yom Kippur, stands as the only full day of fasting in the Jewish calendar. The day is spent as a sort of communal shiva: when we gather at Temple, we sit on low stools or on the floor, we don't dress up in excessive finery, and we spend our time remembering the deceased. The text that we read is Eicha, Lamentations, which tradition holds was written by the prophet Jeremiah who lived through the time of the First Temple's destruction. It is the most moving evocation of grief that we have in our Bible, and the process of reading it out loud and listening to the words has the power to transport us and allow us to feel the enormity of past events that we ourselves did not witness. I encourage everyone to join us in the reading of Eicha, and the observance of this important commemoration. If you have observed the holiday before, you know of its power. I you haven't, come and discover it. Of course our summer opportunities are much greater and varied than Tisha B'Av. Our Adult Education Academy, Tot Services, and Chardonnay Shabbats will continue throughout. Ecclesiastes wrote, "Ein kol chadash tachat hashemesh, There is nothing new under the sun." This summer at Temple Emanu-El we can all prove him wrong. |
