Gift by Gift

Rosh Hashanah 5778 / September 21, 2017

Dot by dot.

In 1984, Stephen Sondheim’s Pulitzer-, Tony- and Olivier-award-winning musical Sunday in the Park with George –  opened on Broadway.  It tells the story of a fictionalized version of the French pointillist painter, George Seurat and how he immersed himself in his work and what led him to create his most famous painting, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.”

At one point, the character tries to explain what goes into his art:

“Bit by bit, putting it together…piece by piece – only way to make a work of art.  Every moment makes a contribution, every little detail plays a part. Having just a vision’s no solution, everything depends on execution: putting it together-that’s what counts!”

I am sure all of us here have had some experience attempting to put something together…either yourself, a friend you may have helped, your child, your grandchild…perhaps it was a piece of furniture …maybe you have attempted to assemble some intricate toy for a birthday or for Hanukkah.  What about the culinary artists among us?  Ever attempted to follow a complex recipe in the hopes of creating an impressive dish for a festive event?

Let’s be honest…we have all tried to follow directions…sometimes we don’t pay close enough attention…and when you have extra parts at the end or realize some key ingredient was left out…. the final product just isn’t right…not fully complete. Directions, though we often feel we can ignore them – (granted, some do this more than others) have a purpose.  They help us to put together a wide variety of things – often disparate and disconnected – and create something greater than the sum of all its parts.

Line by line.

Many people, when making these kinds of remarks to a congregation during Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, have a tendency to quote a specific parsha – Terumah  – a parsha with which I have a special connection   it was the one I read when I was first called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah.  And surprisingly, given the frequency of its use during this time of year, it is totally unconnected with the liturgy for the high holidays and is normally read in February or early march.

The word Terumah is usually translated as “offering” – literally something that is uplifted, elevated to a higher status.  But most often, it is translated as “gifts.”  And therefore, it is a fitting definition for these remarks.

In Terumah, God gives Moses very specific details to then share with the Israelites  — as to what materials they should use to build his sanctuary –acacia wood, gold, silver, copper, wools of sky blue and dark red, precious and semi-precious gems, and more.

This parsha not only described the wide variety of materials to be used for the Sanctuary – God also gave very clear and specific directions for how the sanctuary was to be built…specific steps and measurements…how many cubits tall…how many cubits wide …what to build first, what came next…..how to use the gold, wood, gems —  in many ways, Terumah is among the earliest recorded instruction manuals.

Like all instructions – these helped bring together various elements to form a greater whole.   The “gifts” the Israelites brought to construct the sanctuary and make it beautiful – came together to help the whole community – the whole of the people Israel.

Link by link.

I gave the D’var Torah at the Board Shabbat last week and was asked to include some of those remarks today. So for those of you present at shul last Shabbat, I apologize for the rewind. And the plagiarizing of my own words.  But as Tom Lehrer, that famous Harvard mathematician and songwriter in the 50s and 60s said, “Plagiarize – that’s why the good lord made your eyes!  So, don’t shade your eyes – plagiarize – only be sure please, to call it research!”

I discussed that we are all part of a greater whole…a bigger picture – a community.

And like the people Israel were all asked to bring their gifts to the table to create their community and sanctuary    we too must bring our gifts to the table to sustain ours. Each person has a part to play…. Everyone is a part of putting together the greater whole.

All members of the BZBI community, and BZBI itself, have their own unique gifts and stories. We cannot tell our story by sharing only one facet – only one gift.  This amazing gem of a synagogue has so very many  – from our congregants, our staff, our clergy, our volunteers, our donors, even to the three synagogue communities that came together to form BZBI – all have brought gifts to add to the greater whole  – to support our collective BZBI story.

Part by part

My personal story at BZBI began eleven years ago when I needed to find a place to say Kaddish for my father.  I walked through the doors of this amazing place, was welcomed and knew at once, I had not only found a place to say Kaddish, I found a home. BZBI gave me that gift.

After that specific need for BZBI had ended, my involvement was sporadic at best.  I sometimes came to shul on Friday nights, sometimes on Shabbat morning…but without any regularity.  I helped with projects here and there when asked…but I am sure few knew who I was and I only recognized faces…I did not know many names.

I was not being an active part of BZBI’s story…and I was doing nothing to support the synagogue by withholding the gifts I could offer.

With the announcement several years ago, that the synagogue was engaging in a second rabbi search, it hit me that I had missed the entire first search….and I realized that I had a choice – stay on the periphery of the synagogue or step up, get involved, make my contributions and connect with a place that I knew could be central to my life.  And it has.

I became a regular attendee of Shabbat morning services and Sunday minyan – I began to truly connect with other members of the community – I played numerous games of Jewish geography and found countless connections to family, friends, Har Zion temple where I grew up, even through work.

I joined the ritual committee   I helped form the Keshet committee striving to make BZBI a more open and welcoming home for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender & questioning Jews   I contributed the gifts I possessed when I could – giving my time as a volunteer, my skills as a marketing and publicity professional, and giving financially at the level I could. I slowly began to see how my gifts were adding to those of so many others in supporting the greater whole    I was finally putting it together.

Gift by gift.

As we start this new year, I ask you to think about stepping back – so you can see how all the different parts of synagogue activity here creates this greater BZBI community    think about where each of you can fit in or fill in a gap to get engaged (or more engaged) with this hopeful, connected and committed space.

There are so many opportunities here – what do you want to do?  What gifts can you add to the bigger picture?  How can you look at the heavenly instructions for creating a sacred community and see what part you will play?

If you need suggestions … ask other BZBI members or any of the board members, or the rabbis or our amazing staff….we are all here to help you engage with BZBI more, but it has to begin with you.

I am honored to serve on the board   and in the capacity as fundraising chair, assure that BZBI generates the financial support and resources to discover new gifts, new members of our community and new ways we can continue to be the open and welcoming heart of conservative Judaism in center city.

“ounce by ounce. Making the connections. Small amounts working on the vision night and day.”

Please consider supporting Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel with a gift.  Whether it is a gift of your time, a gift of your professional expertise, a gift of your knowledge, a gift of your connections to others who may want to join our shul, or a gift of your resources – all these gifts – at whatever level – help to make BZBI the home it is for us all – the place where we belong.

L’shanah tovah u’metukah –  May you & your families all have a happy and sweet year.