May 2002 - אִיָּר .. סִיוָן תשס״ב Iyyar..Sivan 5762

I am sitting at my desk agonizing over what I can say in these difficult times. Always the optimist, I look at the present crisis in Israel and I try to imagine positive outcomes. Can there ever be peace after so much destruction, after so much hate and distrust? The answer has to be that there is no alternative to peace. So I try to imagine what a world would look like if there was peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. It would have to be a world not only without bombings and reprisals, it would have to be a world were the two most highly educated peoples will work together as equals striving to erase the damage of the past five decades or more. It would have to be a world of mutual trust and cooperation as the combined economies of two peoples rapidly take the lead in that corner of the planet.

Peace is possible between Israel and her neighbors. It will just take work building that world. It would also be a world where and hate and revenge were no longer taught or justified. It would be a world where essential dignity, freedom and security are valued and understood by everyone. This world of peace would begin with combined classes of elementary school students and continue through university dialogues and cultural exchanges. This world would be one in which every religious claim is treated equally and respected. (This does not mean that anyone has to abandon a personally held religious belief, but it does mean that no one has the right to invalidate or challenge someone else's belief.) In this peaceful world the rest of the Arab world will make good on their promise to recognize Israel and establish political, cultural and economic relations with her.

And now for the hard part. In the world of peace that I envision, the Israelis will pick their leaders (even if I do not like their parties or personalities) and the Palestinians will choose their leaders (even if we do not like their history or personalities). These elected leaders will make an agreement with ill-clad guarantees, but more importantly these agreements will begin the process of rebuilding crushed economies and broken hearts. In this world of peace, Jews living in Palestine will be Palestinians and Palestinians living in Israel will be Israelis. Those who want to trade places to return to the country in which they would be included in the majority will be welcomed immediately. In order to move to become a member of the minority, the government on a limited yearly basis must grant permission. In a world of peace, Jerusalem, the city of peace, will be shared by two nations who value its holiness and its wholeness. When I pray for peace this is what I ask God for. I believe the only hope for peace is to be able to imagine it. I pray that your dream for peace, my dream for peace and all other dreams for peace will come to fruition speedily and in our day.

Amen!

—Rabbi Harry A. Manhoff, Ph.D.

Shavuot Worship and Tikkun Leil - May 16th, 7:00 PM

Shavuot is the holiday on which we thank God for giving us the Torah at Mount Sinai, fifty days after we escaped from Egyptian slavery. We celebrate Shavuot at Temple Beth Sholom with a brief worship service and then a Tikkun Leil, a night of study. This year Rabbi Manhoff has selected the Book of Ruth for the focus of our study. The study will be called: Who and Why Was Ruth? Some consider Ruth to be the first convert to Judaism, but the rabbi has pointed out that this idea creates impossible halakhic problems. Others consider her devotion to her mother-in-law, Naomi, to be exemplary, but was it? Why was Boaz so anxious to marry Ruth? Did Ruth seduce Boaz? All these questions and more will be the basis of the Tikkun Leil. Bring some sweets to share, or bring a beverage, and we shall study until we have had our fill.

Confirmation on the Second Evening of Shavuot - May 17th, 8 PM

The annual Confirmation will be celebrated on May 17th at 8:00 PM, on the second evening of Shavuot. Irene Amster, Matt Feldman, Rachel Osias, Anat Reichenberg and Jason Valenzuela will be honored on that evening. Please join us our congregational family to celebrate this special occasion.

May 5th - Hillel Gala

Would you like to support Jewish life at UC Berkeley? In these difficult times, it is especially hard to be identified as a Jew on the campus. The answer to many of the problems faced by Jewish students at Cal is the UCB Hillel. Hillel is hosting an Italian Kosher Gala on Sunday evening, May 5th. It may be a little late to attend the Gala, but you can certainly send them a donation for an ad or just to make a donation for Jewish programming and religious life on campus. Call Ilene Weinreb, 540-5666, or Kathy Krohn, 482-1856, to offer your help.

Tefilat haShavuah

May 5 - Torah Study Blessings
May 12 - Barukh she-amar
May 19 - Nishmat
May 26 - Psalms 145 - 150

April

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June