Shabbat Blast

This Shabbat we say goodbye to our mother, Sarah. Ironically, Sarah dies in this portion which is named, Chayei Sarah (the life of Sarah). Sarah is an important figure for the Jewish people. She is revered as our first matriarch. She is buried along with Abraham in the Cave of Machpelah. People visit her grave and the grave of our matriarchs and feel like they are visiting the portion of the soul of the Je. They hold a special place in Jewish history. And as we consider them, we must ask ourselves about the changing nature of the role of women throughout the Torah, over the course of history and in our communities today.

This Shabbat I am focussed on how the Jewish people relate to women, specifically in leadership roles. This focus comes on the heels of another announcement from the Rabbinical Council of America, the rabbinic arm of the Orthodox Union, which firmly stated that they will never endorse the ordination of women as rabbis in position of leadership. There have been an array of reactions. I have included a few videos and articles below for you to explore how this is being received. This is a topic that is important to me, for obvious reasons and perhaps not as obvious reasons.  We must ask ourselves the tough questions: What are our comfort zones? What does it mean to be a Jewish women? What does it mean to have tradition and change?

It is my belief that we have a tradition that encourages us to push the envelope, to challenge our thinking while also striving for continuity. Please join us tomorrow while I speak about this topic from the bima.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Bernstein

1. Statement from the RCA

2. Article

3. Video Response

Don’t miss out on these opportunities!

1. Kid’s Fest, our BJC kids show featuring kids from the community, Sunday, November 8th. This is perfect for kids of all ages. Come early for the vendors and prizes and fun food and stay for the show at 1:00 PM.

2. Kristallnacht program at Congregation Ohav Shalom, Saturday night, November 7th, 7:30 PM.

3. Grandparents and Special Friends Shabbat with a Family Friday night Shabbat Service and dinner. November 20th. Services are at 6:30 with dinner at 7:15. Please note that there will be no 8:00 PM service this evening.

www.BellmoreJC.org