Lech Lecha Ritually?
When Avram was instructed by God to leave his homeland, the land of his birth, the house of his parents, he embarked on a journey of uncertainty, of transition from the fully familiar to that of the unknown, from a life of passed down tradition and routine to one which he and his family would develop anew.
Any change in circumstance, especially those largely beyond our control, is challenging. Thinking of how we will rebuild our routines once COVID is no longer the threat it remains today often seems overwhelming.
Such perhaps, is the reality of Beth David. Our current transition is one which is not easy for clergy, lay leadership or members. At the same time, it is also an opportunity for us to explore and experiment, to encourage ourselves to give serious thought about what the next stage of our community will look like.
Last Shabbat, we shared with those present at the minyan, either in-person or virtually, a plan for the coming weeks and months. We will continue to conduct services, run programs, and strive to remain connected in a variety of ways with the same values of inclusiveness and sensitivity.
We also wish to specifically find ways on Shabbat, under the current reality of having to wear masks, sit as we do, and physically and safely distance ourselves, of making the service as meaningful and enjoyable as possible. We have already made changes several times to the service over the past 18 months in trying to adapt to changing circumstances and be considerate of both those present as well as those joining us virtually. And let’s face it, this duality of minyan presence and attendance is here to stay.
Admittedly, not all the changes have been to the satisfaction of all, and therefore we are constantly looking for ways to tweak the service based on our specific needs and the experience of other congregations.
This experimentation and exploration will not necessarily indicate any permanent ritual changes in our practice, as we collaboratively deliberate and discuss our future, but rather a means to see what works best and appropriately in these challenging days, right now. We also welcome suggestions from you, the membership, both here in the sanctuary and at home, with the full awareness and understanding that many of your needs may be shared, but some may be quite different. We also look forward to working with the newly reconstituted Ritual Committee, capably chaired by Dianne Rubinoff and Naomi Nemirov, with ample member representation.
What practical implementation will there be for now?
- Firstly, we will conduct a Shabbat service that will conclude at approximately 11:15. We have tried different length services for the past year and a half and feel that this is the optimal arrangement.
- Pesukei d’Zimra will be shortened significantly. We will continue to include select pieces, perhaps on a bit of a rotation basis, and those which allow for participant singing, but will encourage you, if important, to do these opening psalms on your own, before we begin in community.
- We will adopt the triennial system of Torah reading. You should know that this well-recognized 3-year cycle is used in most Conservative congregations in North America and has its origins in ancient times during the Rabbinic period. We look forward to studying this with you in greater depth on another occasion.
- We will also continue with our current Amidah practice of not reciting the repetition, although we may occasionally vary that.
- And as with any elements we do not include in their entirety, we certainly invite and encourage you, as always, to find the balance between following the program as is and doing things at your own pace and inclusion.
- As we are currently without a regular pulpit Rabbi, we look forward to inviting guest darshanim to share their thoughts and knowledge with our community on Shabbatot in the coming year, including from Beth Tikvah as we continue to explore the potential merit of a merger of our two congregations. We would even welcome suggestions for a guest darshan, based on personality or topic.
- We will also give greater emphasis on some Shabbatot to music, to study, to liturgy, all to share the many varied values of our tradition, both familiar and creatively new.
- Will it be comforting and embracing? That is our goal. Will this be disorienting? To some. But we will do our best to find the balance between those two experiences. Your regular feedback and suggestions will be of great importance in achieving that.
When Avram and Sarai left Haran and headed “to the land which God would show them”, they most certainly used as foundation their recollection, experience, and familiar habits and traditions to begin their new lives, but they most certainly did some things quite differently, and tried things they hadn’t thought of before. The world is grateful and a better place for their efforts.
Shabbat Shalom
Michael Rubin
mrubin@bethdavid.com
