This month, I was excited and fortunate to attend the URJ Biennial in Washington, D.C. Among the many opportunities to study Torah, access resources for our congregation, mingle with rabbis, friends, and family (and let’s not forget the shopping!), I was thrilled to experience a Shabbat service unlike any other I’ve ever attended. Praying in a room with 6000 other Jews is truly indescribable. There just aren’t words to convey the feelings and the experience. The closest I can come to describing it to you is with one word:
inspirational.
Knowing that each person in the room came to that moment together because they care about Judaism and about the Reform Movement; knowing that we were all connecting to something larger than ourselves and to each other – it was incredible and so inspiring!
Lately, we’ve been lacking that kind of inspiration at our TBI Shabbat services. Our pews are becoming emptier and emptier, and it’s not just that we’re in the cold, dark months of the year. Many of you have shared with me that you aren’t finding the spirituality or the “spark” or the connection that you’re looking for. I have shared this with the Ritual Committee and we have been discussing how to address these concerns. On Friday January 6, over warm soup and bread, the Ritual Committee would like to invite you to share your thoughts about worship in our community – your likes and dislikes, what you’re looking for and what keeps you from showing up – anything you want to share with us will be helpful in our efforts to make services at TBI a reflection of what you, our members, are looking for.
It is my sincere hope that together, we will be able to accomplish this goal, but one thing I know for sure is that no matter what changes we make to the worship service, or what new music or teachings we bring to it, one inspirational component will be missing unless YOU provide it…and that’s YOU!. Just by coming out on Friday nights or the occasional Saturday morning, you have the ability to inspire and be inspired.
One of the things I love about praying in a room full of people (and for what I’m talking about now, 50 people is just as good as 6000), is the energy generated by people being together, and the sound of the music when multiple voices are singing together – sometimes in harmony – and the inspiration I get when I wonder what the person next to me is thinking or praying about. Seeing others engaged in prayer reminds me of why prayer is so important. It motivates me. It encourages me. Especially when I’m having a bad day or going through a difficult time in my life, and I’m not really feeling like praying much – being around other people who are praying, gives me the little boost I need to get back into it. Or, at the very least, makes me feel like maybe someone in the room is praying for me, if I’m not able to pray for myself just then.
Often, it doesn’t matter who is leading the service or what songs they’re singing, or whether or not I like the
siddur being used. What matters to me are the people surrounding me, and connecting to them, if nothing else. I imagine it might be the same for many of you, and if so, it won’t matter what innovations the Ritual Committee and I come up with, if you’re not there.
Jewish tradition tries to provide other incentive that I should probably remind you about. Foremost, is that without a
minyan (10 Jewish adults), we can’t say Kaddish. This might not matter to you until you are the person who shows up to say Kaddish for a parent, spouse, or loved one and find that you cannot, because not enough people have gathered. I’m sad to say that happened recently to one of our members. I was deeply saddened by that. Additionally, those of us who did show up were not able to engage in the mitzvah of reading Torah, and the member who dutifully showed up for their assigned Aliyah, never got the chance to be honored as promised.
Being a member of a Jewish community carries with it an obligation. We are dependent on each other to fulfill many of the
mitzvot of our tradition. For some, that’s enough incentive to get us out on even the coldest Friday night. For others, more incentive is required. But whether you’re looking to inspire or be inspired; whether you’re asking “what will it do for me?” or “what can I do to help?” I hope this has been a useful reminder.
There may be lots of things we need for successful worship – but mostly, we need you.
L’shalom,
Rabbi Gottlieb
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