Reminder: Looking forward to seeing everyone at Mitzvah Day, this coming Sunday, October 13th from 10AM-2PM at Camp Oakhurst. Come do a mitzvah and make a difference with your Torat El family.
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I keep a “note” on my iPhone with interesting articles, websites, or blog posts related to Judaism and synagogue life. The other day I was looking through some of the links that I had copied into my list when I came across the following post from Rabbi Hayim Herring. The essay is entitled Don’t Mistake Old For Obsolete and describes the collective wisdom and gifts to be found in our synagogues through our older members.
Below is an excerpt from the article:
Certain words can evoke powerful emotionally biased images, but our mental perceptions of these words are often far from their realities…. Our images of words lag behind their realities because of major changes in technology, medicine and societal values. And that’s equally true of the world “old.”
“Old”-frail, chronically ill, forgetful, dependent, disoriented and declining… sadly, that is experience of some of our elderly population. A line in a prominent prayer recited on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur addresses this portion of the elderly population: “(God), do not cast us out when we are old, do not abandon us when our strength fails.” When you’ve lived a long life, it’s cruel to be metaphorically placed on a shelf and only dusted off from time to time like some museum relic.
But old age is not created equally. There are many people who are old and incredibly vibrant-but still too often ignored and alone…..
We need the prayer, “(God), do not cast us out when we are old, do not abandon us when our strength fails,” for the frail elderly. But we could also use a second version that reads, “People-do not judge us as useless because we have slowed down, do not dismiss us as obsolete because we lack the latest iPad, for we have acquired abundant experience and of life wisdom.” From my incredibly good fortune of having ongoing contact with parents, friends and mentors who are in their late 70s to early 90s, I can tell you that they love life, they are inspirational in how they live it, and you can’t Google their knowledge of the human heart. You gain it by spending time with them….
A challenge to congregations:
To read the entire article, click here:
Keeping this article in mind, if you fall into this age category, please e-mail me to share your thoughts and reflections on this essay and the questions below. If you know a member of our congregation who falls into this category but is not reading this message- please ask them these questions and invite them to call me in the office to discuss their thoughts (732) 531-4410.
1. What would you like to see from your synagogue family that we do not currently offer?
2.In what ways would you like to become more involved and how would you like to contribute to our sacred community?
Having a multi-generational congregation is one of the strengths and blessings of our congregation. Our tradition teaches that the Hebrew word for “old” (zaken) stands for “zeh kaneh chochmah (this person has acquired wisdom through their life experience).” As we continue to build a vibrant, dynamic and meaningful kehillah kedosha, sacred community, it is my hope and prayer that we continually work together to honor, care for, and learn from these precious members of our congregation.
**There will be no Tuesday Morning Torah next week as I will be away at the USCJ Centennial conference. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you when I return!