A quarterly publication from Tifereth Israel
June - August 2024
Iyar - Av 5784
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The Rabbi's Study
Rabbi Raphael Kanter
As part of my classes, I always try to ask the following question: What is your takeaway from this class? I believe that it is always important to distill the essence of the things you have learned. So as I head into retirement and leave the pulpit at Tifereth Israel; I wish to share with you six hard won takeaways from 27 years at Tifereth Israel Congregation.
1. Speak truth to power. What does this mean? It means that the truths, to be the truth must be worth fighting for; and speaking up for a truth is the essence of being a Jew. In the morning service, look at how many times the word truth appears in the service. It is clear how important truth is to tradition. This does not mean what we believe is a truth. A truth has facts and data, and time devoted to study; and if at the end of this it means protesting the institutions that ignore or suppress the truth so be it. Let’s look at civil rights, for many the civil rights battle was over. The Black Lives Matter movement showed us that the prejudice that continues to exist in the structural aspects of the justice have not gone away and are a continuing issue. This has been much studied and there is no doubt about it especially based on the latest research on policing of minority communities. To address discrimination takes time and focus to weed it out of the system.
2. Freedom of the pulpit is vitally important. I may have said things over the years with which some of you may have disagreed. If you felt my words were insulting or were directed at you personally, then I apologize and ask your forgiveness. It was not my intent to insult or attack anyone on a personal level. On the other hand, if it was just my stance which upset you, then I was doing what any person in leadership should, which is to take a stance on issues of moral concern. Allowing each rabbi to speak their conscience based on Jewish values is a vital part of the job. If congregations are going to penalize rabbis for criticizing the American Government and/or it leaders or the Israeli government and/or its leaders with censure or worse then you cannot be a community committed to a vital Jewish tradition. Obviously as I have been here for over two decades I am grateful for this community that values free and energetic discussion.
3. Jewish life has to be grounded in deep and ongoing study. Prayer is important and texts of liturgy in Hebrew communicate the soul of what Jewish life is about. Whatever level Jewishly you find yourself, you must strive for greater knowledge in all Jewish texts and grounding in Jewish living. The minute you stop growing as a Jew you have an ossification of Jewish life. Each one of us must grow as a Jew in text, in prayer, in acts of lovingkindness, and each is scaffolding to the other in Jewish living. What a Jew emphasizes in his/her life is up to the person and their particular soul. For some action and acts of lovingkindness are their life blood but it should never be seen as the only important aspect of being a Jew. We have to always see Judaism as a multi-aspect spiritual discipline.
4. Questions and conversation are the essence of Jewish life. We must always encourage questioning and conversation no matter how difficult. We live in times where people shy away from difficult conversations or discussions that are with someone he/she do not agree. We must be able to talk with those we differ with ideologically, whatever the subject - politics, abortion, Israel. But at the same time we must respect the person who espouses views different from our own no matter how wrong you may feel those views are. I hope Tifereth Israel Congregation will remain a place where such conversations continue to take place and always with Kavod, respect.
5. Alliances with groups in our community are important. I have always admired the tolerance and acceptance of Jews in this area of the country. I would hope that my rabbinate was one where talking with other faiths and meeting communities outside of our own was a priority and important in the fight against anti-Semitism. We cannot pretend that we do not need such alliances for they strengthen us and the greater community as well.
6. Minyan matters. Daily prayer is a discipline that has fallen out of favor in many circles. But all traditions have spiritual disciplines that are followed on a daily basis. Anyone who meditates knows that for it to be effective it must happen regularly. Minyan assures that Jews are coming into community regularly if not daily. It is no secret that this was and is a vital part of Tifereth Israel's identity. Regular convening for spiritual communion remains a life blood of a religious institution's vitality.
Finally, I wish to thank the leadership and the staff of the synagogue for their support and energy in my work over these many years to keep Tifereth Israel moving forward and a Kehal Kodesh, a holy community.
Psalm 90:17 says:
May the peace of the Lord our god be with us; may the work of our hands last beyond us, and may the work of our hands be lasting.
Let me bless you, my congregation, by saying- may the peace of our God be with you and may the work of your hands as a vital Jewish community be ongoing and be lasting. Amen.
Rabbi Raphael Kanter
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Notes from the Cantor
Cantor Nathaniel Schudrich
As we approach the holiday of Shavuot, the day we celebrate the revelation at Mt. Sinai, I would like to share with you a story…
In the beginning, there was only G-d. The world was unformed and all was null and void. G-d was lonely and decided to bring life into this universe. Through G-d’s word, life would be formed and the world as we know it would begin. The Almighty wanted to bestow the honor of being the first letter in the act of creation to the first letter in the alephbet. G-d went to the Aleph and asked, “would you please be the first letter as I begin this journey of creating the world?” The Aleph was so overwhelmed by this privilege and felt so humbled, that it could not speak. It stood there silently in front of the Almighty, knowing that it was not deserving of such a great honor.
The Almighty moved onto the next letter in the alephbet, the Bet, and asked, “would you please be the first letter as I begin this journey of creating the world?” The Bet turned to her left, opened wide and shouted with glee, “I would love to help you in this great endeavor! Anything that you ask of me I shall be happy to do.” G-d took the Bet in hand and with her at his side, spoke the first word in our Torah – Bereshit. And with that, G-d created this beautiful world that is ours. G-d was so happy with Bet’s willingness to serve, that he made sure that all blessings would begin with the letter Bet “baruch”, and that all houses would be built based on the Bet “bayit”.
When all was done, and the world was completed, G-d sat back to rest and reflect on what had been done. G-d was pleased at what she saw. During this time of reflection, G-d thought back on the interaction with the letter Aleph. The Almighty realized the beauty in Aleph’s modesty and humility. G-d understood that it was not out of lack of willingness to serve, but rather out of its feeling of being unworthy to take on such a great task, that brought the Aleph to be dumbstruck. G-d wanted to honor Aleph for it’s great humility and understanding of holiness. And so, when it came to reveal himself to the newly freed Children of Israel, G-d found a way to honor Aleph. With the nation gathered around Mt. Sinai, G-d began to speak the words that we know as the Ten Commandments. G-d took Aleph by the hand and spoke the first word, “Anochi, I am”. And with this, G-d rewarded Aleph as the first letter in the Ten Commandments.
As we continue our spiritual journey together on earth, and once again remember the revelation at Mt. Sinai, Melynda, David, Pam, Asher, Ezra and I would like to wish everyone a happy Shavuot.
Cantor Nathaniel Schudrich
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Executive Director's Corner
Kate Rose, Executive Director
As we embrace the warmth and light of the summer season, I want to share some updates and reflections with you.
A Fond Farewell to Rabbi Kanter
It is with mixed emotions that we say goodbye to Rabbi Kanter at the end of June. Rabbi Kanter has been an integral part of our community for 27 years. We are grateful for not only his leadership, but for his knowledge and teachings, which have enriched the lives of many. We are grateful for the Rabbi's contributions and wish him the best in his future endeavors! Please join us in expressing our gratitude and bidding a heartfelt farewell during our Shabbat service and Kiddush luncheon on Saturday, June 29th.
Thank You to our Board of Directors
We want to thank everyone on the Board of Directors for all of their work over the past year. Special thanks to all of our outgoing board members for their service and dedication to our congregation. Also, thank you to outgoing President Martin Levin for navigating us through the Covid pandemic and helping us to get our doors back open as quickly as possible. WWe appreciate your efforts!
Embracing the Summer Season with Outdoor Services
With the arrival of summer, we are thrilled that our outdoor services will continue. These gatherings allow us to enjoy the great weather and experience the beauty of our surroundings while engaging in prayer together as a community. Our outdoor services have become a wonderful tradition, and we hope you’ll join us at one of our services this summer! Keep an eye on your email for more details!
Celebrating a Personal Milestone
On a personal note, I would like to share that May 22 marked my one-year anniversary as the Executive Director here at TI. This past year has been incredibly rewarding, and I've really enjoyed getting to know so many of our congregants and their families. I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support and I have received from our community. Together, we have collaborated on new ideas, navigated challenges, and celebrated successes. I look forward to walking into this building every single day and continuing this wonderful journey with the TI community.
Looking Ahead
As we look forward to the activities and services planned for the summer and into the fall, let us come together as a community. Your participation and engagement are what make our synagogue a vibrant and welcoming place for all, whether that’s leading a service, joining a committee, volunteering at an event, offering your computer skills, or showing up for a service so that we have a minyan. If you have an idea for a program, let me know! Do you have a special skill or talent that you’d like to teach our community? Let’s talk about setting up a class! Is there a class you’d like us to offer? Send me an email!
Thank you for your continued commitment and support to this community. May this summer bring you peace, joy, and spiritual growth.
Kate Rose
Executive Director
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A Presidential Greeting
Martin Levin, President
As I write my final column for the Israelight, I think back over the past 4 years and all the changes we've had and the ones we will have in the future.
I first want to express condolences on the passing of Deborah Roher. She served the congregation in a number of important positions over the past 15 plus years, most recently as Vice President. Her contributions will be missed.
We have accomplished much over the past four years, and it is time to turn the reins over to our incoming President, Marty Weinstein. You will find that he is deserving of the same loyalty and confidence each of you have given me over the past four years.
Take Care,
Martin Levin
President
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Tifereth Israel Congregation
145 Brownell Ave.
New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 997-3171
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