As a Reconstructionist community, we are committed to maximizing meaningful Jewish observance for the members of our community. We have a diverse membership, ranging from people who were raised in very observant households, to people who were raised in another faith, or entirely secular. Our religious practices undertake to celebrate and support our range as a community, and to mine the rich Jewish civilization for its contributions to our contemporary lives. Ms. Shul Manners is a gently humorous way to introduce our membership to further understanding of Jewish (and sometimes specifically Adat Shalom-ish) practices.
How can I give a brief, 25-words-or-less explanation about Reconstructionism to my ignorant friends?
Thanks,
A Curious Reconstructionist Reader (on behalf of a soon to be college student who never quite knows what to say and on behalf of lots of other
members who probably are too embarrassed to ask that question)
Dear Reconstructionist Reader:
MSM has sympathy for your plight. Jews especially are always asking her "So what is Reconstructionist Judaism, anyway?" The super-short answer comes at the end of this posting, but, truly, most of these folks really want to know something more like: "How boring is the service, how long is it, and do I have to get there at the beginning?" "Boring" usually translating for them to "how much Hebrew?" For those people, MSM gives the "it's pretty much like a Conservative service" answer, and leaves it there. But for those who really do want to know, MSM has a three part answer; those parts being liturgy, theology and community.
Liturgy. MSM usually tells the curious Jew that Mordecai Kaplan was a Conservative rabbi with some radical ideas. Thus, the service is very similar to a Conservative service with some key changes that reflect his/our ideas about God and community (see below). Expect a fair amount of Hebrew, and people do tend to come in after the beginning and wander in and out at times. For most, there is an honest desire to experience services as an expression of meaning and relevance, as opposed to a necessary obligation to pray, as in Orthodox or Conservative Judaism. (That's not to say that Orthodox or Conservative Jews don't also have a desire for meaning and relevance, but their theology binds them to obligatory prayer in a way that Reconstructionist theology does not.)
Theology. Kaplan was responding to some of the most advanced ideas of his day in the fields of sociology, psychology and anthropology. He thought that postulating a God who didn't follow the natural order (thus, super-natural) didn't make any sense in the modern understanding of the world. He spoke rather of a "trans-natural" God, a Force which is part of the processes of the world, including humanity. (He definitely did not believe, as the joke goes, in no God at all. Oh, you want to hear the joke? "Reconstructionist theology: There is no God, and Mordecai Kaplan is His prophet.")
Community. Kaplan's famous conceptualization of Judaism as "the evolving religious civilization of the Jewish people" is key. He understood Judaism as one civilization among many, not a "better" one. (Thus our liturgical changes about chosenness.) It means also that Reconstructionist communities emphasize grassroots initiatives and participatory democracy as governance, as opposed to rabbinic fiat, so that the community evolves in concert with its members. It also means that Reconstructionist communities value all cultural Judaic expressions; food, language, song, music, art and literature, along with traditional categories like study, prayer, and theology. Naturally, Judaism has certain unique ideas to offer the larger culture, but those ideas are, again, not necessarily "better" than other civilizations' ideas but they're ours, and an organic part of who we are.
I think that should officially answer your curious friends, although there's more to be said. Save this for the serious questioners only, and just let everyone else know they can come to the Bar Mitzvah late, but they should brush up on their Hebrew!
To answer the original question, then, in 25 words or less:
Liturgy: similar to Conservative
Theology: God is a Process, intrinsic to the natural world, not directing it
Community: participatory democracy, with drumming!
22 words...betcha didn't think I could do it!
---- Ms. Shul Manners, aka Loren Amdursky, aka RPC Chair
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Perplexed about Pickup writes: "I was wondering who picks up the siddurim, chumashim and handouts after services? Do we have a professional staff to
do this heavy lifting?"
Another congregant, who shall be known as Craving Quiet, asks about where Schmoozing
Congregants should talk. "Craving" notes that the foyer is an
echo chamber and those in the back of the shul cannot hear when people talk out there.
My dear chevrei:
Ms. Shul Manners understands that you will be shocked, yes, shocked, to find out that our very own ushers are currently the ones who
pick up the printed material and books after the service. We will be working
with the custodial staff to begin to have them do this task. Still, if each of us shelved our own books, and returned papers to
their resting places we'd save custodial time. Ms. Shul Manners is
indulgent of our guests who may not be familiar with our do-it-yourself
ethic, and is aware that often they may be the ones who leave books and
papers behind. Perhaps you have an open hand to carry an extra book out
occasionally. Ms. Shul Manners would be much obliged.
Schmoozing...now there's an easy topic. Not! You know the old joke about the
Jewish guy who says: Cohen comes to shul to talk to God... I come to shul
to talk to Cohen! Well, we're Reconstructionists, soooo.... if we don't come
to shul to talk to God, then what??? Maybe we come to talk to our better
selves? In Hebrew, yet?? OK, I think I'd best leave the theological
implications here to someone else. Suffice it to say that it is a legitimate aspect of
many people's Shabbat lives, and a time honored Jewish tradition, to connect
with friends and community. But still, the service is a time when many long to
hear the still, small voice; to meditate, to daven. Unfortunately our
foyer is an echo chamber that resonates into our sanctuary. The best way to schmooze
is to go into the social hall if there is no Torah School or Tot service
being held there. Ms. Shul Manners finds that the Ladies' Room is also
conducive to a brief bit of catch up while powdering one's nose.
And, yes, of course it's true that we should have sound absorbing
materials in the lobby, and that we should have an inner door to the vestibule. But we
don't right now, so let's all be aware of our challenges and considerate and caring of
our daveners/meditators/pray-ers/cravers of quiet!
----
Ms. Shul Manners
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Wasn't Gabbai Rishon a goalie for the Toronto Maple Leafs?
---- Hockey Fan in Bethesda
Dear Hockey Fan:
The people who stand on either side of the Torah reader and correct any
mistakes are gabbai'im; one calls people up to the Torah for aliyot (Torah
blessings, literally, "going up") and the other one calls out page numbers.
Rishon means first, Sheni...second. But their most important function
traditionally is to make sure that the Torah reader corrects any mistakes he
or she makes, as the Torah is supposed to be read out loud perfectly.
Functioning as a gabbai requires both Hebrew and cantillation knowledge, as
well as a diplomatic ability to support the readers without embarrassing them
when they do make mistakes.
And, actually, Gabbai Rishon was with the Montreal Canadians...don't
confuse your French speaking Canadians with the English speaking ones. I
hear they tend to take offense.
----
Ms. Shul Manners
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Please explain why we sometimes cover our eyes while reciting the Shema,
and at other times we don't.
--- Thank you, Frazzled in Frederick
Dear Frazzled:
When we first recite the Sh'ma (which sometimes refers to the one line
"watchword of our faith" and sometimes refers to the entire part of the
service, which includes the V'ahavta part) in the service , we cover our
eyes. (I often wonder why it's called a "watchword" when it's really all
about listening, but maybe that's just me...) During this time of the
Shacharit (morning service) we are praying. The kavannah (intention) is
meant to be internal, and we cover our eyes to keep out visual distractions.
(See what I mean? No watching...) Many more traditional Jews will pray this
part (meaning Shacharit) of the Shabbat service at home, since it does not
require a minyan, which indicates that it is not necessarily a community
task.
The next time we say the Sh'ma is in the Torah Service. There, it is a
community proclamation, and meant to be said with our eyes open, both
literally and figuratively. Literally, since at this place in the service it
is not so much a private prayer, but a declaration; but also figuratively
with eyes open, because saying this in the public square has often cost our
people dearly.
Other times that people say the Sh'ma traditionally are at bedtime and on
a deathbed. Liminal moments...
So, dear Frazzled, say it with your eyes closed, then with your eyes open!
The very same words allow you to hear the still, small voice and to stand up
for your people proudly and boldly, depending on how you use them. How cool
is that!!!!
----Ms. Shul Manners
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Dear Ms. (all right, all right already!) Shul Manners:
I'm a new member of Adat Shalom. I grew up in a Reform temple in the
1970's where no one wore Talit and a kippah was a rare sight.
While I'm now comfortable wearing a Kippah, I have no idea what to do with
a Talit, when to put it on, how to put it on, what prayers are said, why
people do things like kissing the Tallit. My feeling has been one of
embarrassment about my lack of knowledge in this area, and I would like to
understand the basics.
--- Troubled by Tallit
Dear Troubled:
I'm going to break this one down into several different areas, basically
FAQ's.
First, what is a tallit and why do we wear it?
A tallit is a garment with four corners with fringes (tzitzit) and we wear
it due to the passage in the Torah which we read at every service as the
third paragraph of the Sh'ma. "Speak to the Israelite people and instruct them to make for themselves
fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations...look
at it and recall and observe all the commandments of Adonai...?"
It is usually made of either wool or silk, with knotted fringes at the
four corners. The garment is just there to hold the four tzitzit, which are what makes
it a tallis or tallit. (Tallis being the Ashkenazi pronunciation.)
Who wears a tallit? Traditionally, a tallit is worn only by Jewish men.
However, there are some rabbinic authorities that endorsed women wearing
tallit, and of course liberal and progressive communities today generally
encourage women to wear it.
When does one wear tallit? It is worn at all morning services including
Shabbat and holidays, and by the cantor or service leader anytime he/she is
before the ark, and on Kol Nidre and Simchat Torah (the evening exceptions
to the daytime only rule). At Adat Shalom, it is our policy to require
anyone Jewish, male or female, to wear a tallit when having an aliyah or
carrying the Torah.
A tallit is not worn in the rest room; that's why there are hooks near the
water fountain. If you take it off for a short time, you don't need to
repeat the blessing when putting it on again.
What does one do with the tallit? First there are some customs associated with donning the
tallit. Many people meditate briefly before saying the blessing and putting the tallit
on. A short liturgy for this, which includes a traditional excerpt from
Psalm 104 about God spreading out the sky like a garment, can be found in
our Reconstructionist siddur (prayer book) on pages 142/143.
How to Don a Tallit:
Other customs specifically associated with tallit: complicated maneuvers
that seem to involve twisting your arms behind your back in a way that seems
impossible unless you work for Cirque du Soleil, and whipping the tallit
around so that all of those sitting nearby get rope burns from your fringes.
These are merely optional, and no rabbinic authorities require them.
Seriously, it doesn't matter how you put it on, over your head or from the
side.
During the prayer that calls for bringing the Jews together from the four
corners of the earth (Va'havieynu L'Shalom), we bring the four sets of
tzitzit/fringes together and wrap them around the left forefinger. It is
symbolic of the gathering together from the "four corners of the earth" of
Jews. They stay there until the end of the Sh'ma (not the one-liner Sh'ma,
but that whole part of the service, which includes the paragraphs after the
one-liner and ends with the injunction to wear the fringes). During that
final paragraph, which we say aloud, it is traditional to kiss the
tzitzit/fringes each of the three times that the word tzitzit is mentioned.
At "Adonai Eloheychem Emet", "God is the true God", we may kiss them one
last time, and unwind the fringes.
I'm not that religious, so how can I wear a tallit? Allan Shapiro, our Storahtelling maven, reconstructs tallit wearing for
us. He had always felt that wearing a tallit indicated an acceptance of the
613 mitzvot, and Allan, as most of us in this Reconstructionist community,
does not accept the 613 as binding.
Allan writes most eloquently: "Does that mean the wearer of a tallit is claiming to be in a right
relationship with God? I suggest not. The injunction (Num. 15:39) is
to "recall all the commandments of the Lord and observe them." By
admonishing us to "recall" and not merely to "observe," the Torah
recognizes the gap between what we remember we should do and how we
actually live. The tallit tells the world of our struggle, not our
perfection.
Using my reconstruction, then, by wearing a tallit I am affirming
publicly that I am actively exploring my own connection with
God -- seeking to become aware, from the nuclear memory of my spiritual
being, what I must do to sustain a right relationship with God and
striving to achieve that in my actions. That declaration I can make
with full intention and clear conscience."
Ms. Shul Manners doffs her kippah to Allan.
Oops-what IS tashlich? Ms. Shul Manners forgot to tell you... tashlich is the traditional
throwing away of our sins by throwing crumbs of bread into running water, on
the first day of Rosh Hashanah (unless it is Shabbat when you can't carry
stuff.) It is a custom, minhag, not a law, but a delightful custom
nonetheless!
"I threw a pebble in a brook, and watched the ripples run away
And they never made a sound,
and the leaves that are green, turn to brown" ---Two Jewish Guys Who Went
to Tashlich (or maybe not)
---- Ms. Shul Manners
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I notice that people at Adat Shalom often bend and bow and raise on tippy toes during a service. I know Adat Shalom is really touchy-feely, but is this some kind of yoga workout?
Surprised in Silver Spring
Dear Ms. Shul Manners:
I had a very traditional upbringing, and I remember being taught that one does not bow for the blessing in the Amidah right before the Kedusha. (The Kedusha is the third blessing in the Amidah, the one that is translated "Holy, holy, holy..."---MSM) But at AS folks, including Rabbi, bow. Could you clarify this one for me, and what classical literature does one consult for the answer?
Curious Congregant
Dear Surprised and Curious:
Ms. Shul Manners is happy to let you in on a "secret". Only it's not really a secret: traditional Jewish prayer involves the whole self, all the senses and the kinesthetic self: visualizing, speaking, wrapping in a garment and fringes, hearing and moving. Oh yes, smell and taste come in too---wine and challah, how could it be Jewish without food???? Anyway, this specific question refers to the choreography of the Amidah, which means standing, and is the central prayer of any service, that is done standing up.
At Adat Shalom, we first rise for this prayer at "Tzur Yisrael" (Rock of Israel), at the end of the "Mi Chamocha/Who among the mighty" prayer. We rise at Tzur Yisrael because it is translated "Rock of Israel, RISE UP to the help of Israel".
The Amidah then begins with a brief silent meditation, "Adonai S'fatai TIFTACH (FROM THE WORD LIFTOACH)...Open my lips." Here comes the choreography: many people begin by taking three steps back, then three steps forward, meant to indicate entering into the divine Presence, then bowing left and right. In beginning the Amidah, traditionally, one bends the knee at Baruch, bows at Atah (one siddur notes not lower than the waist, in order not to seem overly pious!) and straightens at Adonai. This same pattern is repeated with the Chatimah, the seal, of the paragraph, which is the end line "Baruch Atah Adonai Magen Avraham V'Ezrat Sarah," Blessed are You, the Shield of Abraham and the help of Sarah". As a side note, according to traditional practice, one does not bow with the "elohay avraham, elohay yitzhak" part since it is bowing to a person, not to God.
Here's the tricky part you've alluded to, Curious Congregant. The second
paragraph of the Amidah, the G'vurot, or Divine Power, is a part where,
traditionally, one does not bow. Why, you ask? Well, I'll do my best to
tell you. But first, a warning. The following special announcement comes
from an oral tradition, since neither the Reuven Hammer commentary on Siddur
Sim Shalom, nor "My People's Prayerbook" by Larry Hoffman has any comment as
to why no bowing here. (Although Reuven Hammer notes that one does not bow
here.) Our own internal source Cantor Rachel, responds to the question with
the following: "The reason that we do not bow at the bracha just before the
kedusha is because that bracha, in the original language is lauding God as
the one who "brings the dead back to life" (m'chayeh hamayteem.)
It was decided that
it was inappropriate to bow to the idea of raising the dead. Of course, in
modern interpretations of this traditional liturgy, these words could come
to mean something other than the literal "bringing life back to the dead"
and could mean, perhaps, enlivening those who are "dead" in spirit or
heart.
In any case, in the Reform and Reconstructionist versions, we do
not say these words, but instead say, "m'chayeh kol chai" - God is the One
who gives life to the LIVING. So, why not bow here as with the other
brachot? On the other hand, why not preserve the custom of remaining erect
for the sake of k'lal Yisrael." Pick your favorite Reconstructionist
logic, MSM says. Rabbi George and Rabbi Fred indicated to me that the ArtScroll
Siddur, a very traditional source, tells one when to bow, but not why. And,
Curious, Ms. Shul Manners is disappointed to let you know that her own
children, who attend a local Jewish Day School, were fully aware of the
custom of not bowing with G'vurot/Power, but had no idea why not. What am I
paying this tuition for?
Ok, let's catch our breath here and take the long view for a moment. We are talking about some very specific practices in tiny, obsessive detail. D'ya have to bow at Adat Shalom? Absolutely not! But in order to reconstruct a practice or find its meaning (or lack thereof) for yourself, you have to understand it fully. Ms. Shul Manners would note that much of life is lived in the dynamic tension between practical detail and gestalt view of relevance and values.
On to the Kedushah/Holiness choreography in the next installment of "Ms. Shul Manners". Stay tuned!
----Shabbat Shalom, Ms. Shul Manners
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I've noticed that there are times when the ushers try to keep people in the back of the sanctuary during Shabbat services. Why do they do this and when does it happen?
Baffled in Bethesda
Dear Baffled:
There are several times in particular during the service when both congregants and officiating clergy require few distractions so that they can concentrate on prayer. Adat Shalom's ushers are asked to hold people in the back of the sanctuary with these instructions: "Late arrivals can participate by standing in the back of the sanctuary and refrain from taking seats when:
The one that seems to be most confusing is waiting until the end of the Amidah. Many people first arrive during that time, and the expectation is that people wait in the back until the end of the Amidah, when we sing (and sway, a "traditional" Adat Shalom custom) for "Oseh Shalom". The Amidah begins with Avot and Imahot, and continues through the Gevurot, the Kedushah and the silent part, which ends with the singing of "Oseh Shalom". This standing and silent prayer is a time for deep reflection and meditation, and some members have noted to Ms. Shul Manners how much they appreciate the lack of distraction.
Those of you who are "of a certain age" may remember a soda commercial some years ago for "the pause that refreshes"...was it Coke? Pepsi? 7-Up? Who remembers? But there are special times in our services that are meant to be "the pause that refreshes"....
Not entering during these times is a matter of respect for both our clergy
and other community members. Please wait patiently until the ushers give
you the go-ahead to enter.
----Ms. Shul Manners
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My husband comes from a secular Jewish background, and feels uncomfortable wearing a kippah. What can I tell him about wearing a kippah at Adat Shalom?
Perplexed on Persimmon Tree
Dear Perplexed:
Well, first of all, he is not alone. We have all kinds of members who never wore a kippah or who saw it only as the province of the "religious" or more traditional Jew to wear a kippah. But this is a misunderstanding of kippah. Kippah is a custom, not a law, and it does not indicate the religiosity of the wearer. It is simply considered a sign of respect for being in a sacred space. In fact, Ms. Shul Manners would note, that it is a PPSD, a personal, portable, sacred device that puts the wearer into his/her sacred space wherever he is, in the blink of an eye, simply by placing it on his head. (Hers, too.) At Adat Shalom, all men are requested to wear a kippah in the sanctuary, including non-Jewish men, as a sign of respect. (You know all those politicians who have their photos taken in a kippah? Well, they are actually practicing proper shul etiquette! And you thought they were pretending to be Jewish, didn't you?) Our ushers will offer a kippah to every male that enters the sanctuary. Our policy also encourages women to wear a kippah for the same reasons. Ms. Shul Manners does believe, and this is her own personal belief, not an Adat Shalom policy, that coming to shul is the highest value and if that means your husband strongly prefers not to wear a kippah but wishes to come anyway, by all means bring him with you! Kippah is not the only way to define sacred space or to show respect. And, oh yes, there isn't anything magic about the 6 panelled satin number with the button----any head covering will do.
----Ms. Shul Manners
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Dear Ms. Shul Manners
Why can't I write a check to the Gift Shop on Shabbat?
Ms. Shul Manners would like to talk with you about rest; she’s yawning at the moment, but covering her mouth so that her cousin, Ms. Manners, won’t be scandalized.
We all know Shabbat is the day of rest; but have you ever really stopped to think about rest? Is rest doing or not doing, active or passive? Ms. Shul Manners has a theory, and it grows out of her minimal knowledge of music. (A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing...) Ms. Shul Manners likes to think of Shabbat rest (Hebrew word “menuchah”), as a musical rest. A musical rest is both an absence and a presence; an absence of sound and a presence of silence. The absence of sound is easy to understand, the presence of silence is a bit trickier. But that silence is integral to the music: syncopation wouldn’t be the same without it; the beats ring in your head during a musical rest. So it is with Shabbat rest, which in its fullest capacity is both an absence of work and a presence of “un-work”.
Maybe that sounds kind of like “the sound of one hand clapping”, but let me be both practical and Jewish. Traditionally, there are 39 categories of work in the Torah that are prohibited on Shabbat. These include things like building a fire, writing, chopping wood, and so on. Over the years rabbinic authorities have answered questions about what is permitted and prohibited on Shabbat using these categories. Thus, completing an electric circuit is like striking a final hammer blow, so it is prohibited on Shabbat. In addition, the rabbis looked at the spirit of these categories of work, and in an overarching way, wrote that the principle of these 39 categories is the principle of not changing the world on Shabbat, either with constructive or destructive intent.
A separate rabbinic principle that affects our answer as Reconstructionist Jews is the differentiation between those who decide knowingly to ignore or defy the prohibitions and those who lead others, especially others who may be unaware, to defy the prohibitions. That is a particularly egregious “sin”. (Sin being a concept that many of us have trouble with, but indulge Ms. Shul Manners for the moment...) While we as Reconstructionists often do not uphold the work prohibitions of Shabbat, we generally accept the principle that people should make their choices with full Jewish knowledge, and that it would be particularly troublesome to lead our community to defy Jewish tradition unknowingly.
One of the things many Jewish people complain about with regard to traditional Jewish practice is that there are so many “don’ts”. Mostly, at Adat Shalom, we have been a community of “do’s”, yet we struggle with the place of “don’ts” in a progressive community. Ms. Shul Manners would like to encourage you to think carefully about the challenge of don’ts. For any official Adat Shalom function, we don’t accept money on Shabbat. We don’t hold committee meetings on Shabbat. In general, we don’t use the listserve for official communication on Shabbat. These are things we don’t do as a community, though all Adat Shalomers are well aware that many members might do them individually. But we are committed to allowing and encouraging the most observant of our community to flourish in their practice, and additionally not to lead our less knowledgeable members into activities that they might not know are traditionally prohibited.
One of the things “don’ts” do is to make space for leisurely “do’s”. Ms. Shul Manners spent some time in traditional communities in her salad days, and found that there is time on Shabbat for singing, for reading, for learning and contemplating, for napping and for eating. (Well, there’s always time for eating...). Ms. Shul Manners herself would suggest to all Adat Shalomers that a regular Shabbat practice helps tremendously with keeping the rest of the week, indeed the rest of the world, in perspective. Ms. Shul Manners would like to encourage every Adat Shalomer to consider what your Shabbat practice would look like, and how it could help you "give it a rest".
----Ms. Shul Manners
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Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation
7727 Persimmon Tree Lane
Bethesda, MD 20817
E-mail info@adatshalom.net
Phone: 301-767-3333 x106 | FAX: 301-767-3340
Shabbat Services: Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.
We are an affiliate of the
Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
and part of the
Chesapeake Region of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
(CRJRF)