What does it mean to be a rabbi in a community that was established fifty years ago?
What does it mean to be a rabbi in a community that was established many years before I was born?
What does it mean to be a rabbi in a community with history, stories and heritage?
To be a rabbi at Kehilat Moreshet Avraham means to be surrounded by\ diverse and resourceful members, to constantly meet founders, old friends and new friends, each and every one of whom is blessed with talents and knowledge and with a fascinating life story. All these come together into one big and multifaceted story – the story of a traditional community that grows in Jerusalem and serves as a Jewish cultural center for the residents of the region. A story of Judaism of outreach and bridging between different sectors of society, alongside a commitment to Torah as a way of life. The story of a community that holds a house of prayer, a beit midrash, a social center and a center of Hessed.
I want to share with you a little story about a question that was addressed to us when we took office – in a case where there are no Levites in the synagogue to wash hands for the Kohanim, should the firstborn wash the hands of the Kohanim instead? We checked the sources and indeed discovered that The “Chida” (a well-known Rabbi from the 18th century) brings such a solution. We excitedly told the person who asked the question about the discovery, and in response he turned to us and said, I know the sources, but what do you think? That's what it's like to serve in a community where it takes more than a shelf to hold all the books written by its members.
The passing years have laid a solid foundation for growth and expansion. Kehilat Moreshet Avraham reaches the Jubilee celebrations with momentum. In the past year, the community held ongoing activities: programs for the holidays, an active beit midrash in Hebrew and English, seminar meetings with guest lecturers, tours of the neighborhood and Neve Tzedek. We also provided a local response following the 7th of October: we opened the synagogue bomb shelter and offered a rich educational program to neighborhood children throughout the winter. We also helped distribute food and collect for those in need and blood held blood drives.
All this was made possible thanks to the dedication of the entire community. I also want to give special thanks to the community staff: Martin the office coordinator, Jeremy and Phil the maintenance supervisor and Yaar, our children's counselor. A special thanks also to the dedication and involvement of the volunteers from the vaad, and to all those who volunteered to help and support one another and the community’s initiatives. Thank you everyone, without this personal involvement we could not have been so active.
This festive event is the first of a series of events marking the Jubilee of KMA.
I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join us as we continue our festivities.
I Recommend everyone to open their diaries!
In the coming month of Elul, we will take a communal Shabbaton marking 50 years of the community, on Saturday, Parashat Ki Tavo, September 20-21 at the youth hostel in Ein Gedi. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet the community and spend Shabbat together with prayers, meals, workshops and lots of good vibes. I invite everyone here to register and join us. We thank the Masorti movement whose support helps us hold the Shabbaton.
In addition, we congratulate Rabbi Benjy Segal on the publication of his commentary on the Book of Lamentations, and with it the conclusion of his series of commentaries on the Five Scrolls. This annotation illuminates new faces and indicates the unique character of each of the scrolls. We congratulate you, Rabbi Benjy, on the completion of this project and may you to continue and go from strength to strength. A launching event will be held at the synagogue at the beginning of July.
The Dor L'Dor: Incubator for Young Judaism at Moreshet Avraham was dedicated to the memory of my grandfather, Rabbi Arnold Goodman. In this project we address the young audience with educational content and activities in the community. Plays, stories, art and music workshops All this and more are offered to the families of the community and the neighborhood. Our audience consist of religious, secular, traditional and ultra-Orthodox. As part of this project, we renewed the beit midrash and designed it to combine a library, a conference room and a children's area in one space. We are currently working on a community children's prayer book that will help us strengthen children's prayers and invite them and their parents to become familiar with the prayers and weekly Torah portions. The launching event of the children's siddur will conclude the jubilee celebrations for the community.
For fifty years, Moreshet Avrham has been growing strong roots everywhere. Like Abraham, our forefather, who planted an Eshel tree in Beersheba, and built a center where every tired person came to revive his or her soul. In this way, we respond to his legacy and build our community so that it will meet the needs of our members and the needs of the local public. Together we raise a voice of faith, of healing and connection in Jerusalem, Israel and the Jewish world
The founders had great courage in the shadow of the Yom Kippur War to establish a new and vibrant community. I bless us with this courage, in this fiftieth year, to continue to grow and build even during the tragedy, when our hearts are in deep mourning. May we know how to strengthen and support each other in these difficult times – and just as we hold hands during times of terror, so we will hold hands on days of celebration and joy soon in our day.
