Yup, my husband is a Chabad Rabbi, I am a Chabad Rebbetzin. And I detest those denominational titles. Have I gone mad? Have I rebelled? Maybe in the philosophical sense of today's world.
Today's world demands labels.
Labels make us feel important, belonging.
I live (not in a home), in a town-house/condo/gated community...
I drive (not a car), a Mazda/Lexus/Honda...
I go (not to College) to Moorpark/Harvard...
I am (not a Jew), Reform/Orthodox/Conservative*.
When we can label ourselves (or better yet, buy membership to really own our label), we don't just feel important, we become "more Jewish."
But here's the good news: You don't have to do anything to become "more Jewish." You don't have to pay membership, or have a huge bar mitzvah. That is because your Jewishness is your essence, not something that you can become more of or less of. What you can do is express it, through Torah and mitzvot. Some express it constantly -- some once in a while -- some once a year!
Because our Jewishness is our essence, there is no Jew that is more Jewish than another, it is simply a part of us that can never be destroyed. In a bizarre way, the Nazis knew this. It infuriated them. It fueled their attempt to rid the world of this irritatingly stubborn people with immortal souls. It didn't matter if one tried to denounce his Judaism, or even convert, the Nazis reminded them, once a Jew, always a Jew.
This essence reveals itself differently among us. From the agnostic woman who is suddenly griped with fear, realizing that her children are getting older and have not yet had a Jewish education, to the vulnerable elderly man who hasn't been to Shul in sixty years who is grateful when he is assigned to a Jewish doctor, to a little toddler who reaches up to kiss a faraway mezuzah, to a carefree teenager who cranks up the radio volume when she hears news of Israel, we all have these revelations-many of which we can't quite explain to others, let alone to ourselves. But for it to be more than a mere flickering flame in the darkness, to fully reveal this precious essence, to fully experience and celebrate it, we have Torah and mitzvot to do**.
There are three types: Some that do some mitzvot, some that do a bit more, and some that do yet more.
So who am I then, you ask? I'm exactly like you and the 14 million others on this planet:
I am simply, a Jew.
*While these denominations were created with good intentions-to make Jews feel that they belong, and unite them, it has only served to divide us, for now one often feels that he does not "belong" in a shul other than his own, because he is not Reform/Orthodox/Conservative.
Good morning – honorable Supervisors – Chair of the Board Supervisor Foy. Thank you for giving me the great honor to present you with a Moment of Affirmation.
On this very date, the 23rd of Elul, in theJewish calendar….which is based on a lunar cycle …to the day almost at this very time that I’m speaking to you …7 years ago… a small murderous gang killed over 3,000 Americans and changed the way we look at the world
Just 11 days ago our communities were rocked to the core with news of the terrible train collision - this is a tragedy that has touched so many in our community –
What is our reaction to be in face of such evil as to what happened on Sept. 11th and what is our reaction to be to the tragedy that happened just 11 day ago?
If you want to get rid of darkness…
You don’t sweep it away…
You light a candle…
America is a kind country built on principles of kindness and justice …May G-d grant you all the wisdom and the courage that all your decisions and work on behalf of the public only bring the light of kindness.
We will find comfort in the building and growth of this wonderful, beautiful and safe VenturaCounty.
I would like to conclude with an ancient Jewish custom – next week we celebrate the Jewish New Year – the birthday of our great grandma Chava/ Eve and great grandfather Adam…In preparation for this day for the entire month leading up to it we sound a Shofar…A ram’s horn… the Shofar symbolizes a cry from the heart without words.
…Blow Shofar
G-d bless you all …and thank you for your service.
For many, cooking for a large crowd can be daunting. The key is organization!
At least two days before the dinner:
Make a menu
It is a custom to include the following foods in our Rosh Hashanah meal/s: Apples dipped in honey, round Challahs, the head of a fish, carrots, a "new" fruit (one that you definitely have not eaten in the last six months), and honey cake
Include page numbers on your menu list next to recipes you are not familiar with
Make a shopping list with menu in hand
Include storage plastic containers and ziplocks, papergoods, decorations, etc.
Time to go shopping!
At least one day before:
On clean, dry, organized counters, sort through your groceries, pots and pans, baking utensils, etc.
Using your menu/recipe list as your guide, put out all necessary measuring cups, etc. and group each recipe's ingredients together. This will cut down on a lot of searching time; your ingredients will be easily accessible, ready for use
Start on all of the involved, time-consuming recipes first. (This way, you can start on other recipes during waiting times. For example, if you are making Challah, you will have two hours after making the dough, while you wait for it to rise).
Put all dirty utensils in a small plastic bin of hot water and soap. This will keep the dishes in a compacted space, and much easier to wash when you're ready
On the day of:
Set your table so that it's one less thing to worry about later!
Finish cooking
Put drinks in the fridge
If you have extra counter space, put out serving plates and utensils you will be using during the meal
I had the great honor to address the VCBOS and to commemorate the Yartzheit of those that perished on September 11th. The 23rd of Elul on the Jewish calendar, marks seven years to the day of that tragic time in our history.
For many of us, we lose touch with the primal, "primitive" faith of childhood due to disappointments/baggage from the past. Some might just call it getting more sophisticated, growing up.
A reporter once described the Lubavitcher Rebbe as having the "faith of a child." One unfamiliar with the Rebbe might assume him to be very simple, unsophisticated--how "intelligent" can the faith of a child be? But that is one of the countless things that are unique about the Rebbe: He had a brilliant, extremely deep, sophisticated understanding of Torah and vast worldly topics, endured many hardships, and yet managed to maintain a constant, pure, untainted faith in G-d.
So how do we stop our past-not to mention our present-from tainting our faith in G-d? By constantly increasing in our learning and mitzvot,* which taps into the strength of our G-dly soul, which forever contains the faith of a child.
*Judaism teaches that it is action that leads to faith.
I looked up, watching my small son Zalman run on the playground equipment high above the ground. I held my arms up and out, challenging him to jump down into them. His face broke into a big smile and, trusting my security with every fiber in his little being, allowed himself to literally fall/jump--straight into my arms.
What would happen, I wondered, if we trusted with every fiber of our being that G-d truly will take care of us, our loved ones, our needs--specifically during the times in our lives when we are faced with fearful jumps, or generally, when we dwell on the disconcerting fact that we have no control over our fate? Perhaps we wouldn't be as fearful, it wouldn't bother us as much that we have no control, we'd be at peace with our vulnerability, because G-d is there to catch us.
Did you ever notice the intense urge Jewish people have to get out on Saturday Night?
The reason for this phenomenon is because on Shabbat a Jew recieves an extra soul which leaves when the Shabbat does. This leaves a feeling of emptiness that needs filling. That is one of the reasons why we sniff something delicious (i.e. cloves) at the Havdalah service-to put us into a good mood again.
Over the past few decades, many temples-including the more traditional ones, like Chabad-have added more and more English text to the High Holiday prayerbook.The Chabad prayerbook really is the best of both worlds:It contains the unabridged, original version that was created thousands of years ago by various esteemed rabbis, poets, and sages, and offers it both in complete Hebrew and complete English, side by side.While many of the prayers are recited out loud in English, the majority of them are recited in Hebrew.
This is something that we should all savor, regardless of one's level of familiarity with our holy language.Just think, the very words the cantor and/or congregation are chanting are the very words that the Jews recited during the Spanish Inquisition in 1478 as Marranos in hiding, and during the Russian Pogroms in 1821 in a time of terror.When we sing as one "Avinu Malkeinu, Our Father, Our King...", we are singing the very song the Jews in Auschwitz sang on Rosh Hashanah as they held onto their faith and each other.
For some of us that are more comfortable reading and understanding English, it enables us to experience the prayers with our minds.
For all of us listening to these timeless, divine Hebrew words said by millions of Jews in millions of different circumstances, it enables us to experience the prayers with our hearts and souls.
Why do we eat pomegranates on Rosh Hashana? I've seen it explained that "we should be full of mitzvos and good deeds like the pomegranate is full of seeds." But there are other fruits that are full of seeds. Couldn't we eat something a little tastier than a pomegranate?
Answer:
Many people tell me that they are not involved with Judaism because they don't want to be a hypocrite. Why come to shul for Rosh Hashana if I don't go the rest of the year? How can I fast on Yom, Kippur if I don't keep Shabbos? What's the point of putting on Tefillin in the morning if I then eat a non-kosher breakfast? You can't pick and choose, they say.
This is wrong. While it is true that we can't pick and choose, nevertheless the non-observance of one mitzvah does not cancel the observance of another. Because mitzvos are like the seeds of a pomegranate.
Most fruits have a little cluster of seeds somewhere in their centre. But the pomegranate is full of seeds, and every one of those seeds is self-contained. Each seed is encrusted in its own little bulb of fruit. It has its own distinct place, separate from all the other seeds.
A mitzvah is the same. Every mitzvah is a universe unto itself, with its own spiritual power and its own unique blessing that it brings. Just because you don't keep some mitzvos does not mean you shouldn't keep others. Each mitzvah you do plugs you in to eternity, connects you with the Divine, and takes you higher. Every mitzvah is a unique opportunity for your soul to touch heaven. The mitzvos that you don't do shouldn't allow you to miss this opportunity.
This is why the Talmud says, "Even the most disconnected soul is full of mitzvos like a pomegranate." A good deed has eternal worth, no matter who does it. So if you find yourself doing one mitzvah when you still don't do others, you are not a hypocrite. You are a holy pomegranate.
Did you know that the largest producer of Kosher wines in the world is right in our back yard at Herzog Wine Cellars of Oxnard? These wines are delicious, certifiably Kosher, and support the efforts of California winegrowers to adopt sustainable winegrowing practices. Try some of these holiday wine pairings for a perfect New Year’s feast:
·Baked Fish – 2007 Special Reserve Zin Gris or 2006 Special Reserve Chardonnay
·Beef Brisket- 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon or 2005 Special Reserve Merlot
·Roast Chicken - 2006 Sauvignon Blanc or 2005 Merlot
·Honey Cake/Fruity Dessert – 2006 Late-Harvest Chenin Blanc or 2005 Late Harvest Riesling
If you have a healthy head and brain, everything else is also healthy.
The way we act during the 48 Hours of Rosh Hashanah affects the entire year. So stock up on blessings of health, wealth and Nachas – Join Chabad for Rosh Hashanah!
Looking for older posts? See the sidebar for the Archive.
Profile
Rabbi Chaim Bryski
Rabbi Chaim Bryski attended rabbinical college in Morristown, NJ and Johannesburg, South Africa. He completed his Rabbinical Degree (Smicha) in Brooklyn, NY, at the Central Rabbincal Seminary. He moved to Thousand Oaks in 2001 to establish and direct the Thousand Oaks Jewish Center
Rabbi Bryski's areas of expertise include Jewish Law, the Talmud, and mysticism. He has extensive experience teaching Kabbalah and has lectured in many U.S. cities as well as South Africa and the former Soviet Union. He is also an Affiliate Director of the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute-Thousand Oaks branch, and teaches on a variety of topics.
Rabbi Bryski enjoys leading inspirational tours of "Chasidic" New York and Eretz Israel. He enjoys hiking, nature and teaching Judaism. He is excited to share the relevance and wisdom of Judaism with those who are unfamiliar with it.
He and his wife, Rebbetzin Shula Bryski, are the proud parents of five children. Rabbi Bryski loves to take his children camping and on outdoor trips.
Rebbetzin Shula Bryski
Shula Bryski was raised in Crown Heights, New York, and attended Seminary in Melbourne, Australia. She studied early childhood education and earned a teacher’s certificate. After completing her studies, Rebbetzin Shula led a music program that instructed young children in the Yiddish language through music. She taught over 200 children each week with the innovative use of instruments, drama, and song.
Rebbetzin Shula moved to Thousand Oaks eight years ago together with her husband to establish and co-direct the Thousand Oaks Jewish Center. She enjoys programming its Women's Circle programs and is also Director of the Hebrew School. Her warmth and experience combine to make her an effective teacher and motivator.
In her free time, Rebbetzin Shula enjoys playing with her five children. She also enjoys writing, and playing and teaching piano.
Nice Jew Looking for Work Do you need help in your business? I need work!
Allen Dennis Cohen: Available part-time as a qualified buyer & seller with management skills. Founded & operated American Breaker Company 1974-1998 (sold in 1998).
Broker/distributor, commercial & industrial electrical products
Produced sales in excess of $2.5 million in sales annually. Founded AFN: 1984 – Present: Buy, sell & trade precious metals, coins & jewelry etc. Contact Allen @ 805-701-6309
When we can label ourselves (or better yet, buy membership to really own our label), we don't just feel important, we become "more Jewish."
custom – next week we celebrate the Jewish New Year – the birthday of our great grandma Chava/ Eve and great grandfather Adam…In preparation for this day for the entire month leading up to it we sound a Shofar…A ram’s horn… the Shofar symbolizes a cry from the heart without words.
brilliant, extremely deep, sophisticated understanding of Torah and vast worldly topics, endured many hardships, and yet managed to maintain a constant, pure, untainted faith in G-d. 
to literally fall/jump--straight into my arms.
How about education in general? Is it knowledge that we want our children to amass or is there something more? 
The reason for this phenomenon is because on Shabbat a Jew recieves an extra soul which leaves when the Shabbat does. This leaves a feeling of emptiness that needs filling. That is one of the reasons why we sniff something delicious (i.e. cloves) at the Havdalah service-to put us into a good mood again.
