Reb Jeff
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First Post!

2/2/2011

 
The first psalm in the book of Psalms begins with the word, “Ashrei,” which means, “Happy.”  Yes, the beginning of Judaism's oldest collection of prayers begins by telling us that we should be happy.

The psalm goes on to say, “Happy are they who do not follow the advice of the wicked, who do not stand on the path of sinners, and who do not keep company with scorners. For the Torah of Adonai is their delight and they speak of it day and night.  They are like trees planted by streams of water, who bear fruit in season and whose leaves never fade, and all that they do prospers” (Psalm 1:1-3).

Happiness, says the psalm, does not come from arrogance, selfishness or cynicism. Rather, it comes from living a life of wisdom and balance, reverence and appreciation. The psalmist compares a happy person to a tree that draws only what it needs from the world around it, and which produces only what is natural for it to produce in the time that it is meant to produce it. The psalm makes no promises of superabundance, of conquests, or of any pleasure beyond simply living in harmony with ones surroundings.

Does any of this sound to you like a good formula for happiness in today's world?

So many people in contemporary American society feel unhappy and they don't even understand why. A poll by the Pew Research Center in 2006 showed that only a third of Americans consider themselves to be “very happy.” Fifteen percent say they are “not too happy,” and half reside in the murky, in-between place of “pretty happy.” Sadly, the most prosperous and successful society on earth—perhaps the most materially prosperous society in human history—can only get one-third of its population “very happy.” What gives?

The reason, perhaps, is that—as the psalm suggests—we are looking for happiness in all the wrong places. Nearly from birth, the message that we hear in our society is that happiness comes from wealth, status, professional success, and the fulfillment of our desires. How many people pursue that vision of fulfillment only to find that it leads them to emptiness, isolation and a feeling that life is meaningless?

I'm starting this blog because I know that today's Jews need Judaism. They need a tradition that points to a way of living life that leads to happiness. I believe that we are beginning an era in which Judaism will be reborn as a tradition that allows people to find the joy of being part of a community, the joy of celebrating life's sacred moments, the joy of being a part of the natural world, and the deep and difficult fulfillment of finding meaning and purpose in life, even when life is hard.

I know that some are skeptical that authentic Judaism has such a message within it. In previous generations, many Jews ran away from Judaism because they were taught that Judaism was primarily about fulfilling obligations that they found irrational, and of mourning a sorrowful history that left them feeling wounded and depressed. They need to know that Judaism, from its most ancient roots, is not about those things.

In my own generation, I know that many Jews were taught that Judaism was primarily about intellectual inquiry, ethical living, and a scientific approach to our historical past. Believe it or not, that is the primary model of Judaism I was taught in rabbinic school only eleven years ago. We need to remember, that Judaism, at its essence, is more about the life of the spirit and soul than it is about the life of the mind. You don't need to be a PhD to be happy—and happiness, not intellect, is what the psalm says we should strive to achieve.

So, here is my plan. We need a new Judaism that puts joy back in the core of our people's mission. We need religious schools that teach children to feel great about being Jewish. We need synagogue services that make people feel the ecstasy of coming close to God. We need adult education programs that provoke self-examination, and that help people make choices to live more mindful and fulfilling lives. We need life-cycle events—baby namings, bar and bat mitzvah celebrations, weddings, and, yes, funerals, too—that make people feel that they have been touched by a moment of ultimate meaning in their lives. That's what I mean by Jewish joy.

I don't think that getting there is easy. Anyone who has ever asked a sanctuary full of Jews to stand up and dance in the middle of a service knows that there is a lot of resistance in the Jewish community to the kind of changes I am advocating. But it needs to happen.  I'd like to hear your best ideas on how to transform American Judaism so that it will draw from the sweet waters of Torah and bloom with the fruit of joy.
Ron Rutstein
2/3/2011 12:47:59 pm

Good luck Jeff! I think we all need this!

Olivia Mattis link
2/3/2011 12:58:59 pm

You're such a good writer and you ask just the right questions. That's already 2/3 of the way there! Best of luck in your new venture, my friend. Olivia

Amy Tarshis
2/3/2011 01:22:50 pm

I've found this type of joy, largely within the Torah observant community, definitely among the Chasidic communities and for women, largely through Chabad though even the small Reconstructionist Synagogue hidden behind Scarsdale's Village Hall is a welcome change from the "Decaf" Judaism that does nothing to stir the soul. The power is within The Torah, likened to water, it's the ONLY thing that inspires me AND is infinite in it's wisdom. I say that if you're Rabbi/Synagogue ain't "doin' it for you", then search high and low and do not rest until you find it because we're here for a reason, time is ticking and our lives have to mean more than just existing to pay the bills, do the mundane. Ultimately, it's a Gd-sized job but it's said that if we make an effort, a Divine Force will lead us the rest of the way. NJOP and Chabad offer free learning opportunities online, it's never too late!

RebJeff link
2/3/2011 02:46:42 pm

Amy, Kol Hakavod! I'm delighted that you've found joyful Jewish communities that have brought meaning and soul nourishment to your life. What I want to do with this blog is to foster a conversation about the specific approaches, experiences, techniques and practices that can bring fully caffeinated Judaism (I love the metaphor) into every shul. It's not enough to tell people to dump the shul that doesn't work for them. Many Jews -- including the Jews where I live -- don't have so many choices. Chabad works for some, but it is unacceptable to the vast majority of American Jews. (That's a subject for another time). Our mission should be to help every shul and every rabbi to find their own way to create Jewish experiences that are profound, meaningful and joyous. Tell me about the specific experiences you have had that could be used to stir up the soul-dead Judaism you lament.

Rachel Barenblat link
2/4/2011 05:30:59 am

Welcome to the blogosphere, Reb Jeff! And kol hakavod to you on this lovely first post. <i>We need a new Judaism that puts joy back in the core of our people's mission. </i> Amen v'amen!

Tara Jacobs
2/4/2011 06:28:42 am

Thank you for sharing such uplifting words with us!

Tony Bellows link
2/4/2011 09:30:48 am

Pointed this way by Rachel on her Velveteen Rabbi blog. A wonderful post.

Ilana DeBare link
2/4/2011 10:56:37 am

Bruchim haba'im to the blogosphere! I was also pointed here by Rachel B. I'm on the far side of the continent in Oakland, CA, where the only ice right now is in our refrigerators, but look forward to following what you have to say. (My own blog is at http://midlifebatmitzvah.wordpress.com) --Ilana D.

alma levin
2/4/2011 10:59:19 am

Thank you for this Reb Jeff. I am one of those Jews who have found Judaism too decaff as you so aptly say, and much too focussed on the intellect, obedience and a tragic history.

Ilana DeBare link
2/4/2011 11:00:42 am

(more) If I may respectfully make a suggestion... you might want to add a line/button on the blog that allows people to email you directly if they have something that is more an individual question than a comment. Maybe it's there already, but I didn't see it.

Seth link
2/4/2011 03:02:25 pm

Lovely. The world could always use more happiness, which I think would be a lot easier to find if people just let themselves look for it.

Randall Miller
2/4/2011 04:44:35 pm

What a nice beginning RebJeff. Your call rings true to me. Let us gather sparks together. Through joy we will find healing, and growth in our Judaism. Through joy we will find torah, and through torah joy.

Susan Le Gresley
2/4/2011 11:18:31 pm

Dear Jeff, I got sent your post by a christian friend. I found my heart and soul leaping for joy at reading your first blog. Please continue this call from the heart of God. Despite the tragedy of history and all that has gone before, the truth for me is that your God is my God too. My Father in Heaven and on Earth, throughout eternity, within each moment, and my own joy. Yes I have come to know and trust in God through the Christian West, and through the person of Jesus, who many christians don't seem to grasp as being thoroughly Jewish. Please forgive me adding my voice to you blog, but it comes with deep thanks and gratitude, as it represents a valuable message to all of us.

Kyndra link
2/5/2011 01:00:16 am

Welcome to the blogoshpere, Reb Jeff, I was pointed this way from Velveteen Rabbi. I think that lack of joy is something that Christians need as well. Zephaniah 3:17 is translated in the KJV to says that"God joys over us with singing", yet we are very lacking in joy.... K

Susan Le Gresley
2/5/2011 02:41:06 am

Thinking about your questions Rabbi Jeff, and reading Kyndra's comment that, (I guess she means) we christians experience a lack of joy too. Christians have been struggling to re-invent 'Church'. We have ended up without a corporate sense of identity by having the schisms. I think it's important to embrace the idea that a profound experience of the presence of God can be felt in an ultra orthodox worship, or in the most liberal and modern context. This is when God speaks to the heart of his people and they respond to him without reservation. I see myself as both 'Person' who is responsible to that voice I recognise speaking to me, and 'People' with a sense of corporate identity. Yes traditional corporate doctrine that has been taught as a foundation is essential. This is the 'anchor' being dragged when the storms of changing opinion blow, and makes sure the corporate body stay safe in the knowledge of God. Experiencing an up close relationship with God has been a battleground for me! Thank goodness for Jacob's battle with God. I have contended, shouted at, and when all else has been lost, held on to God like a child holding on to railings. I got smashed, toasted, torn apart, and re- built. I even got a 'new mind'. Trusting God is not about traditions or doctrine, it's a choice that has to be made over and over again in all kinds of situations. I am still here, and have a sense of who I am, and feel at peace with myself because of this incredible journey of life God took me on. Joy is a moment, like ecstacy, yet when experienced is a knowledge that can't be erased. Perhaps like caviar, you only need to taste it once to always know what it's like! Perhaps not knowing what real natural God given joy, or spiritual ecstacy is like, is why we search in the wrong places. A new 'style' of worship doesn't lead to a new experience of God, just a new experience of worship. I know that each of us has the ability to know God, I think we seriously have to want to know God before he reveals himself to us. For me, I was told about Him by other people, and each one seemed to know him differently. I got so frustrated by this, I just told God that if he was realy there he had better make sure I knew he was for real. All I can say is that is not a 'dare' you want to make lightly.

Reb Jeff link
2/5/2011 03:50:07 pm

Thank you so much to everyone who responded to my first post! I really am humbled to get such a great response to my first effort and very pleased at the interesting and insightful things you've had to say. I just want to affirm that this is a forum for everyone who wants to partake in a constructive conversation about making Judaism a more joyful experience. Although my focus is on Judaism, I think I have a lot to learn from people from different faith traditions, too, and I welcome their insights. It goes without saying that I welcome helpful comments from people from the full range of the Jewish spectrum—Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Renewal, Hasidic, Neo-Hasidic, secularists, humanist, atheist, undecided and, most of all, just plain Jews!

Rick
2/6/2011 04:27:14 am

This is exactly why I am so surprised, so happy to be in the process of converting. My generation was awash in a sea of secular Jews that were more than happy to leave the faith. What I love about the chance to come to CBI is that the light of G*d is seen and the beauty of the Torah is celebrated. Why not have more joy? more fun?

Frank link
2/13/2011 05:20:47 am

Reb Jeff,

You say, "Anyone who has ever asked a sanctuary full of Jews to stand up and dance in the middle of a service ".

You should know that Chassidim often do so spontaneously, without being asked to do so, whatever circumstances they find themselves. It can be during prayer time, although then they find the right moment, either before or after, because communion with G-d, in itself is a joyful experience not be be belittled by suggesting it can be cast aside for now; During meetings; During meals, as when many guest show up for a Friday night meal, etc.

Just wanted to put in my Chassidic 2 cents. Wishing you and all of yours a happy Adar, wherein joy is the very theme of this long two-month stretch.

DavidL
2/14/2011 07:41:52 pm

Hi Jeff, Good luck with this work. Growing up in a "secular" congregation, left me being pretty uninterested in Judaism. it sounds like what you want to create will go along way to bringing joy and connection back into one of the oldest religions. During the coming changes this will be very important work.


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