‘A wonderful alliance’

From left, Rabbis Fine, Roth, Woll, Tow, and Zeilicovich participate in a community study session in March. Richard Michaelson

In March, five local rabbis came together in Fair Lawn to teach about Pesach. The session not only drew a large crowd, it heartened those who champion greater cooperation among area religious leaders.

“Programs like this strengthen everyone,” said participant Rabbi Neil Tow of the Glen Rock Jewish Center. “They allow us to get to know each other, sharing, hearing what each of us has to say.”

Rabbi Baruch Zeilicovich—whose synagogue, Beth Sholom in Fair Lawn, hosted the pre-Passover event—noted that it was nice to have “this sense of togetherness. The more united we are, the better chances there are for education. It sets a great example for our children and youth.”

In September, the five rabbis will join forces once again, this time to usher in the High Holy Days. On Sept. 13, Rabbis David Fine (Temple Israel and JCC, Ridgewood), Ronald Roth (Fair Lawn Jewish Center/Cong. B’nai Israel), and Jonathan Woll (Progressive Havurah of Northern New Jersey) will join with Zeilicovich and Tow to reconstitute what Woll called “a wonderful alliance.” The rabbis will discuss “What’s ‘Nu’ in the New Year.”

Rabbi Randall Mark, president of the North Jersey Board of Rabbis (NJBR), pointed out that the idea for localized study sessions was first raised following the success of the board’s “Sweet Taste of Torah” community learning program. The NJBR’s third “Sweet Taste” will be held in February.

Mark noted that while plans have not yet been finalized for a local symposium in the Wayne area, he is working to organize a pre-High Holy Days session at the Gerrard Berman Day School in Oakland. So far, he has enlisted Rabbis David Bockman (Cong. Beth Shalom, Pompton Lakes), David Saltzman (Lakeland Hills Jewish Center, Wanaque), Ellen Bernhardt (Gerrard Berman Day School, Oakland), and Joshua Cohen (Temple Emanuel of North Jersey, Franklin Lakes).

At the Sept. 13 study session, to be held at the Fair Lawn Jewish Center/Cong. B’nai Israel, the five rabbis will tackle different aspects of the High Holy Days.

Exploring “U-n’taneh Tokef—Fate and Freewill,” Zeilicovich will ask questions such as “Do we believe in destiny?” and “Is everything already set and arranged ‘above’ for things to happen ‘below’?” He will also question whether the concepts of free will and fate are mutually exclusive.

In a session entitled “Viddui—Confession: For Whose Good?” Woll will examine the purpose of congregational and personal confession.

“That we do it is in keeping with the scheduled ritual. That we get it is something else,” he said, noting that he hopes to take the audience on a “short journey—about eight minutes—from pietistic confession to making one’s personal contribution to restoring equanimity and harmony in the world.”

Roth, who will speak on “The Binding of Isaac,” a Rosh Hashanah theme, said he will explore the relationship between generations as depicted in the biblical text of the Akedah and rabbinic commentary.

“I will look at a midrash and then bring various depictions of how one generation relates to the next,” he said. “The events of the 20th century have added their own modern midrashim to the question of what it means for a father to be willing to bring his son to a sacrificial altar.”

During the segment, he said, “We will read poetry and look at some examples from the visual arts asking what these texts and interpretations mean for our generation.”

In a presentation exploring the Avodah service, Fine—who calls this service “one of the most difficult sections of the Yom Kippur liturgy” — will ask what connection we can make with the detailed account of the ancient Temple service. For example, he said, “Where is the spirituality for us in the detailed account of the ritual of the High Priest?”

“These often glossed-over latter pages of the machzor can become central to the yearnings of our hearts,” he said.

Looking at the issue of fasting, particularly at the words of Isaiah in the haftarah (the prophetic reading that follows the reading of the Torah) — “Is this the fast I want from you?” — Tow will point out that Isaiah’s prophecy “is a sobering reflection on what it means to fast during the holiday. Isaiah challenges us to extend the meaning of the fast into the realm of social justice. Also, through fasting, we become more aware of the way we speak to one another and the way we approach Shabbat throughout the year.”

In his presentation, he will ask questions such as “How will we think about the fast this year? How can the fast of Yom Kippur affect the way we enter the New Year? How can we use the Yom Kippur fast to open our hearts and minds to social justice issues in the community and world?”

Woll noted that the participants hope to schedule study programs for as many festivals as they can.

“Obviously, Sukkot is going to get short shrift because of time, but we will announce a calendar after the High Holy Days,” he said.

The Sept. 13 study session is free and open to the public. It will begin at 8 p.m. For more information or to make a reservation, call (201) 796-5040 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).