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Open Letter to Religious Leaders on Family Planning

This week, I signed onto this letter in my capacity as a Rabbi. The letter was circulated by the Religious Institute, a multifaith organization dedicated to advocating for sexual health, education, and justice in faith communities and society.  Learn more about Reform Jewish perspectives on Family Planning and Reproductive Justice.

Open Letter to Religious Leaders on Family Planning

As religious leaders, we are committed to helping all people thrive spiritually, emotionally,
and physically, which includes their sexual and reproductive health. Millions of people ground
their moral commitment to family planning in their religious beliefs. Most faith traditions
accept modern methods of contraception, and support it as a means of saving lives, improving
reproductive and public health, enhancing sexuality, and encouraging intentional parenthood.
Even within faith groups that limit or prohibit such services, the religious commitment to
freedom of conscience allows couples to choose contraception to intentionally create their
families. While there are strong public health and human rights arguments for supporting
domestic and international family planning programs, here we invite you to consider the religious
foundations for affirming safe, affordable, accessible, and comprehensive family planning services.

A DIVINE GIFT

Religious traditions teach that sex and sexuality are divinely bestowed gifts for expressing mutual
love, generating life, for companionship, and for pleasure. From a religious point of view, sexual
relationships are to be held sacred, and therefore should always be responsible, mutually respectful,
pleasurable and loving. The gift of sexuality is violated when it is abused or exploited. Accessible,
safe, and effective contraception allows for a fulfilling sexual life while reducing maternal and
infant mortality, unintended pregnancies, abortions, and sexually transmitted infections.

SACREDNESS OF FAMILY

Our faith traditions affirm that parenthood is sacred, and therefore should not be entered into
lightly nor coerced. Families in their diverse forms are best upheld in environments where there is
love and respect, children thrive, and women’s welfare is protected. It is unacceptable for society to
impose limits on family size or to discriminate against those who choose not to be parents.

MORAL AGENCY

Every individual is a moral agent with the right and responsibility to make their own decisions
about procreation, including family size and the spacing of their children. These rights should be
accorded equally to all persons regardless of geography, marital status, sexual orientation, gender
identity, disability, class, or race. Men and women are equally responsible for contraception and
for procreation. Religious institutions have a special role in helping adolescents develop their
capacity for moral discernment about relationships, contraception, and procreation. We believe that all persons should be free to make personal decisions about their families and
reproductive lives that are informed by their culture, faith tradition, religious beliefs, conscience,
and community. Decisions about which methods to use must be based on informed consent about
medical and health risks. The decision to use or not use contraception must always be voluntary.

SACRED TEXTS AND TRADITIONS

Our sacred texts are silent on modern contraception. Yet, in the creation stories the world
over, the Divine fashions humans intentionally in relationships and families. Family planning
is thus a key part of the narrative of many sacred texts.
Scriptural stories honor and welcome diverse families, the care of children, and moral and
just decision-making. The scriptural mandate to care for the most marginalized and the most
vulnerable calls us to assure access to contraception for all people. The longstanding religious
commitment to social and economic justice requires a commitment to reproductive justice.
The commandment to “be fruitful and multiply” is not exclusive to procreation, but also
calls individuals to co-create a world characterized by justice and inclusion. Our traditions
affirm children as a blessing, not a requirement or an entitlement.

MORAL IMPERATIVE TO ACCESS

In a just world, all people would have equal access to contraception. The denial of family
planning services effectively translates into coercive childbearing and is an insult to human
dignity. We affirm a commitment to voluntary family planning services that includes making
the full range of safe and effective methods affordable and accessible. The family planning
needs of specific populations, such as low-income women, teenagers, immigrants, refugees and
LGBT persons, must be addressed with cultural competence.
Governments must respect individual decisions and assure accurate and comprehensive
information as well as access to services and supplies. Hospitals and health services, regardless
of religious affiliation, must provide or refer to contraceptive services. Services must be offered
without regard to sex, age, gender, income, race, religion, marital status, or sexual orientation.

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

No government committed to human rights and democracy can privilege the teachings of
one religion over another or deny individuals’ religious freedom. Individuals must have the
right to accept or reject the principles of their own faith without legal restrictions. No single
religious voice can speak for all faith traditions on contraception, nor should government
take sides on religious differences. We oppose any attempt to make specific religious doctrine
concerning pregnancy, childbirth, or contraception the law of any country in the world.
Religious groups themselves must respect the beliefs and values of other faiths, since no single
faith can claim final moral authority in domestic or international discourse. Copyright 2012, Religious Institute

CALL TO ACTION

We call on leaders of all faiths to raise a prophetic voice to publicly advocate for universal
access to family planning. We urge religious leaders to:

  • Educate themselves and their faith communities about sexual and reproductive health
    and the need for universal access to family planning. 
  • Compassionately and competently address the needs of their congregants as they make
    decisions about family planning, contraception, and sexual relationships. 
  •  Contact local family planning providers for referrals, mutual training and support, and
    encourage those agencies to acknowledge the influence of faith on clients’ decisions
    about contraception. 
  • Engage in public discourse about the ethical issues involved in research on new methods
    of contraception. 
  • Work within their traditions and denominations to make reproductive health a social
    justice priority. Advocate for increased U.S. financial support for domestic and global family planning
    services through sermons, public witness, and involvement in the political process.

IN CLOSING

Today, as religious leaders, we are called to support universal access to family planning. Religious
leaders and people of faith have supported modern methods of contraception since the early 20th
century. We resist any political attempts to restrict or deny access to family planning services.
Contraception saves lives, promotes human flourishing and advances the common good.

Ethan Goes to Camp Newman: Mainstreaming Kids with Special Needs at Jewish Summer Camp

Meet Ethan through the eyes of his Mom:

Since his diagnosis of autism at age 2, we have worked hard to “mainstream” our son Ethan into everyday activities, schools, sports teams and social situations. At times it has been a struggle for him and for us wanting him to be a normal kid. With a lot of hard work on his part, as well as with the help of a team of behaviorists, speech therapists and a lot of supportive friends and family members, Ethan has blossomed into friendly, outgoing, and independent almost 13-year old.

With his Bar Mitzvah service less than 6 months away, it seemed almost natural for him experience sleepover camp. Thankfully, and with the blessing of our Rabbi Paul Kipnes and Rabbi Erin Mason (Associate Camp Director at Camp Newman), this experience became a reality for him (and us) this past summer, as he spent two weeks at URJ Camp Newman in Santa Rosa, CA.

Kvell with Ethan’s Mom about Ethan’s fantastic experience at URJ Camp Newman:

August 2012

Dear Camp Newman,

My son, Ethan Epstein, was a camper in the first session of the summer at Camp Newman in the Tzofim eidah (unit). You probably remember that we spoke in the spring about his enrollment this summer, as Ethan has special needs that may have been a concern. My husband and I felt that he was more than ready to attend overnight camp and were thrilled with the opportunity for him to attend with his friends from our congregation as well as with Congregation Or Ami’s Rabbi Paul Kipnes and his family.

Needless to say, the experience was more than we ever imagined. From the minute we arrived at the airport (he flew with the camp delegation from Burbank) to the minute he stepped off the plane on his return, the entire experience was a HUGE success! Ethan loved every minute that he was there, and has already informed us that he is planning to attend for a MONTH next year!!!

I couldn’t let the opportunity pass without letting you know how much I thank you and your wonderful staff at Camp Newman. While it is always our hope to integrate Ethan into mainstream situations, we are aware that sometimes certain accommodations need to be made, and we thank you for that. Our goal was for him to make new friends, gain independence, and mature in a loving and spiritual environment, and he achieved (and surpassed) all of these.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for a wonderful and successful overnight camp experience. We look forward to next summer at Camp Newman!

Shalom, Ethan’s Parents

Reform Judaism – especially the Union for Reform Judaism – has a long history of working for full inclusion and openness for people with disabilities and special needs.  

Congregation Or Ami in Calabasas, CA has long been committed to accessibility for individuals with special needs and their families. Our Brandon Kaplan Special Needs Fund helps us integrate people with special needs and their families into all aspects of our congregation. We are also the synagogue for  Chaverim, a program of Jewish Family Service, for developmentally disabled adults, age 18 to 88.

URJ Camp Newman has a dedicated Nefesh team comprised of psychologists, therapists and social workers who are at camp all summer. The Nefesh team helps the counselors and roshim (unit heads) integrate and support all children with unique situations (including emotional, physical, psycho-social and other “special needs”).

5 Meaningful Moments of the High Holy Days

When Congregation Or Ami met at for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur services at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, we celebrated five sacred moments:

  1. Moment of Reflection: As we look back on the previous year 
  2. Moment of Counting: As we count the blessings in our lives.
  3. Moment of Celebration: As we celebrate the creation of the world 
  4. Moment of Jubilation: As we reconnect and recommit to the Holy One of Blessing 
  5. Moment of Looking Ahead: As we consider who we could be (should be) in the year to come. 

With prayer and peacefulness, song and story, sermon and silence, we will encountered ourselves, our loved ones, our memories and our God.

Do you feel prepared now to move into the New Year 5773?
For most of us, the work only begins on the High Holy Days. We take each day continue to reflect, count, celebrate, jubilate and look ahead.

So do the work still, as you walk ahead on the path of life.  Take some time in the days to come, and ask yourself:

  • How will I be blessed this year? 
  • Who can help make my life better this year? 
  • How will I helped improve the world this year? 
  • Where might my connection with holiness and the Holy One deepen? 
  • What need I do to improve my life and the lives of those whose lives touch mine?

Keep pushing forward!

Weaving Social Media into the High Holy Day Services

When the Jewish High Holy Days arrive, is it necessarily more appropriate to log out of our social media apps, or can social media enhance the spiritual experience of these traditional days? Must Twitter, Facebook and texting just pull us back into our own private (even narcissistic) world or can they provide individual connections to a communal religious experience?

Recently, the New York Times reported For Young Jews, a Services says ‘Please Do Text‘ on one synagogue’s experimentation in a service for Jews in their 20’s and 30’s. Congregation Or Ami, always open to innovation, similarly experimented with Facebook, Twitter and texting during this year’s Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur morning services.


What is the Shofar Sounding Saying to You?
As profiled in JTA’s In some shuls, congregants encouraged to keep phones on during services, Or Ami took a leap of faith to engage the faithful:

Rabbi Paul Kipnes [planned] to encourage congregants with smartphones to use Facebook to reflect on the shofar after it is blown for the second time during the service. “Maimonides says, ‘Awake sleepers.’ Most of us hear the shofar and continue sleeping through it,” Kipnes said. “It’s [not] a show, not an alarm clock. I’m saying OK, everybody, sit up, wake up, reflect.”

Given that so much of the High Holidays liturgy is in the collective — “We have sinned” — Kipnes says it is appropriate for congregants to share their thoughts collectively during the service.

“Prayer,” he said, “is not supposed to be a spectator sport.”

On Rosh Hashana morning, dozens of texts, Facebook messages and tweets responded to the question, What is the shofar sounding saying to you? Worshippers responded:

  • It reminds me that I have a chance to redeem my past actions to work toward a brighter year.
  • The shofar sounds like an ancient song coming to us from thousands of years ago.
  • We need to wake up and see what is happening in the world we live in. We are at a tipping point and at stake is the existence of both the State of Israel and the life we cherish.

For the first time in a long time, people did not clap after the sounding of the shofar. Does this mean the invitation to respond by social media turned them inward? It was unclear. While such innovation can be meaningful, such breaks with tradition can also alienate others. We did hear how social media engaged some participants more deeply in the experience. One Or Ami congregant texted after the service, “Thanks so much for today. The texting during the service was engaging.”

There is Holiness When…
On Yom Kippur morning, we twice invited the congregation to interact through social media, promising that their thoughts would become part of the sermons. As LA Weekly reported in Texting During Yom Kippur Services? How One L.A. Rabbi IsBringing Social Media to His Synagogue,

…giving congregants tacit permission to mentally check out of
services was not Kipnes’ intention in bringing social media to the bimah (the
stage); in fact, it was quite the opposite. “Look, worship is supposed to
be an interactive experience, but in many places it stopped being that,”
he explains in an interview.

Before a particularly inspiring prayer-song on kedusha (holiness), we invited worshippers to complete the sentence “There is holiness when…” The responses, shared as part of a drash on holiness, included:

  • When I am with family and friends, people I truly love.
  • When we are humble.
  • When you realize you have wronged another and you then correct that wrong with a right. That is truly holy. 
  • When you wake up every morning and walk out of bed and get ready for the day ahead.
  • When we all come together to pray to the One who gave us the power to pray. 
  • When all hatred fades, when all differences dissolve, when all judgment dissipates, and when we can all look at each other as one under God. 

To Me, the Brit (covenant) with God Means…
Lisa Colton, Founder and President of Darim Online, has been agitating for rabbis to experiment with the Social Sermon, wherein rabbis announce topics ahead of services and invite social media conversation during the week. The sermon that is preached (or the Torah discussion that ensues) on Shabbat, incorporates the discussion that has preceded it. The Covenant Foundation similarly has blogged about grassroots-driven preaching, in Twitter + Community + Jewish Education = Social Sermon.

Marrying the social sermon with our willingness to push the boundaries of traditional prayer, we wove  a d’var Torah in realtime as the congregation responded to the statement “To me, the brit (covenant) with God means…” Since Or Ami like many Reform synagogues reads Nitzavim (Deut. 29-30) on Yom Kippur morning, the slew of social media messages allowed a wide ranging exploration about our connection today to the brit between God and the Jewish people. As worshippers explained, “To me, our Brit with God means…”

  • To stay with it NO MATTER WHAT. To never give up on the truth of our souls. 
  • Dedication to an unbreakable chain.
  • To do the right thing when no one is looking, and to pass down our value system to the next generation.
  • That God does God’s part and we must do ours. 
  • Our covenant is continued, when our Torah breastplate, rescued from the ashes of Kristallnacht, still adorns our scrolls and dances through Jews 74 years later.
  • That we can even question our brit with God.
Is Social Media Integration into Worship the Wave of the Future or Just Techno-Heresy? 
Initial comments following services about these social media experiments during the High Holy Days were overwhelmingly positive (but not unanimously so). Still, we heard that some participants preferred to leave their electronic umbilical cords turned off. So whether Jewish worship is flexible enough to integrate Social Media in an ongoing, meaningful way has yet to be seen. Or as LA Weekly’s Amanda Lewis wrote: 

On a holiday meant to generate inward reflection, does it
make sense to ask congregants to take out their phones but avoid the plethora
of temptations, distractions and push notifications?”

What do you think? Wave of the future or Techno-Heresy?

Commitment to Children with Disabilities Leads to Award-Winning Diane Simon Smith

We schepp nachas (are filled with pride) as we celebrate Congregation Or Ami’s congregant Diane Simon Smith, for her long-term ongoing commitment to families with children with disabilities. Diane has been an integral part of Or Ami’s foundational commitment to inclusivicity, an outlook that has led us to mainstream disabled children in our religious learning programs, in our LoMPTY youth group and to partner with Chaverim, a program for developmentally disabled adults.

The IDEA Infant and Toddler Coordinators Association (ITCA) announces the winner of the 2012 ITCA Regional Parent Leadership Award as Diane Simon Smith from the State of California:

The IDEA Infant and Toddler Association (ITCA) Parent Leadership Awards are given annually to acknowledge outstanding state parent leadership on behalf of the Part C program for infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities and their families. Parents may be nominated on the basis of significant contributions, in either a volunteer or paid capacity, during a specific period of time, or for exceptional efforts over a period of several years. These efforts may range from family support efforts, recruiting and/or training families, serving on committees, working on legislative initiatives etc. 

When her son Andrew was born in 1985, 14 weeks premature, severely disable with cerebral palsy and overcoming tremendous odds to live, Diane Simon Smith promised she would do for him in the world what he could not do for himself. Her son Matthew was born three years later with Fragile X syndrome. Diane immersed herself in the special needs world to advocate not only for her own sons but for others as well. In 1991 she returned to school shifting her focus to marriage and family therapy with a focus on supporting children with disabilities and their families in group settings and individual counseling. Diane developed a specialized private practice working with families of children with disabilities. For the past fourteen years she has run support groups for parents and sibling workshops and has developed two retreats: Healing the Mother’s Heart and The Journey. Diane is an author and presenter about marital relationships, grief and loss, sibling issues and strategies for thriving as they relate to childhood disability. 

A quote from one of the support letters that were received speaks to the outstanding qualities that this award represents: 

“I met Diane several years ago at a retreat she held in Santa Barbara. The retreat was designed to gather women together of all ages, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. The one common thread we shared was that we all had children with special needs. By sharing with this unique group of women for 36 hours, Diane gave us permission to share our most
intimate fears and hopes. Her guidance was outstanding, professional and given from a place of true love and empathy. We were allowed to laugh, cry, vent and share our experiences in a completely safe and healthy environment.”

Mazel tov, Diane, your simcha (joyous moment) is our nachas (pride).

Teach a Kid to Fish, She’ll Eat for a Lifetime

“Thanks for showing me how to fish,” said the 5th grader, as she gave a big hug to Congregation Or Ami member Randy Sharon. For this young girl, and the 26 other kids from New Directions for Youth (NDFY), this was in fact their first time out fishing. In fact, for most, this was their first time on a boat.

The kids, ranging in age from 10 to 16, came from all over the San Fernando Valley. Each participates in NDFY programs. New Direction for Youth believes that “all youth deserve opportunities to grow and learn in positive environments. Intervention in the lives of at-risk youth reduces the incidence of serious and enduring problems that can perpetuate a cycle of poverty, underachievement, and anti-social behavior. Long-term positive results in a youth’s life are most effectively achieved by tending to the basic needs for guidance, support and involvement.”

Helping At-Risk Kids
Their vision dovetails so well with Congregation Or Ami’s foundational commitment to social justice activism. Long committed to projects helping at risk kids, it was quite apropos that Congregation Or Ami would chaperone a fishing trip for these kids. What could be more fun than a beautiful day on a boat out in the middle of the ocean!

Or Ami fisherman extraordinaire Randy Sharon and youth outreach coordinator Kim Gubner organized our participation as part of an annual outing of the LA Rod and Reel Club (which runs a fabulous event). Or Ami partnered with faculty member Patti Jo Wolfson’s non-profit NDFY to bring the 27 kids fishing. Congregants Jeff Frankel, Murray November, Marty Waschitz and I rounded out the Or Ami delegation.

Jovana, Maya and Me
Jovana, Maya and I were paired up toward the back of the boat. I learned that it doesn’t take much to teach a kid to fish. Grab a piece of slimy bait (move beyond the yuck factor), stick it on the hook, drop it into the ocean, and wait for the fishing line to stop unraveling. Two quick turns of the reel and you are all set. Keep your eye on the line and reel it up every so often to check the bait. Then hurry up and wait.

Each of the girls caught a fish or two. Not enough for experienced fishermen, but plenty for a first time out. Although we all were bundled up against the wind, we found warmth in the kids’ smiles. Yes, the joy was clear (as was more than a little seasickness for some of the kids).

What’s the Jewish Angle?

It occurred to me that there had to be Jewish angle to this trip. Googling taught me that so little has been written about Judaism and fishing. One colleague has made a name for himself as the Fly-Fishing Rabbi, while another wrote a series of blogposts on fly-fishing. Someone even wrote a book on Fly Fishing as a spiritual practice. Mostly, more than a few people cannot believe that rabbis, or other Jews, actually fish.

Clearly, we can take meaning from the 13th century’s Rabbi Moses Maimonides who taught that providing someone with the means to take care of herself is the highest form of tzedakah. Similarly, the Chinese proverb explains, “Give someone a fish, you will feed him for a day. Teach someone to fish, you feed her for a lifetime.”

A Blessing
Still, at the end of the day, most of us fishermen and women were just content enjoying ourselves out on the ocean with a really appreciative group of kids. So we say Modeh Ani l’fanecha – we thank You, O God, for the opportunity to provide new experiences and adult role models for these at risk kids. Amen.

7 Things I Learned At Shabbat Dinner from New Friends

Just as Shabbat dinner was mouth-watering, the Shabbat experience was delicious.

1. When you ask some people about their work and what they like about it, you hear some of the most fascinating stories. Who knew that real estate appraising, entertainment accounting, large corporation marketing and bankruptcy law was that interesting.

2. The movie Airplane still is as in appropriate and as funny as it was when it came out back in the previous century.

3. Our hostess makes a delicious brisket, and according to my wife, an out of this world eggplant dish.

4. When you gather people together, light two candles, raise a cup of grape juice or wine, and bless some bread, stories and shared, lives are revealed and wonderful new relationships are easily formed.

5. One can talk about the effects of social media, the future of America-Israel relations, and joys and challenges of raising kids while still savoring chocolate brownies.

6. Give kids a bunch of magic markers, or a dog and a tennis ball, and they can entertain themselves for hours.

7. Shabbat can be so sweet when shared with others!

God Told Moses to Sing a Song, and We Keep Following His Lead: Dispatch from Camp Newman

Josh Friedman sings along with Dan Nichols
Sitting Camp Newman’s Beit Tefilah (camp’s outdoor sanctuary), as singer/songwriter Dan Nichols concertizes with 600 young people, I realized yet again the power of a simple idea: that a song has a better chance of transmitting and preserving significant values than most speeches or sermons do.  Dan Nichols, Congregation Or Ami’s Cantor Doug Cotler, even my Bar Mitzvah student’s Torah portion all testify to this truth. 

Torah Reveals the Power of a Song
Eric Moraly and I sat in the Chadar Ochel (dining hall) after lunch, working on his Bar Mitzvah d’var Torah (speech).  [Eric is one of the 34 members of our Congregation Or Ami delegation to Camp Newman.] We read the translation of his parasha, stopping along the way to elucidate challenging words and ideas. A bright young man, Eric articulately summarized and interpreted his section: God knew that when the Israelites entered the Promised Land, they would begin to follow false gods and forget Torah. So God instructed Moses to write a song – called Ha’azinu – which would remind the people of important Jewish values.

What a concept from Torah: the power of the song.

At Camp Newman, Music Sets the Stage for Everything Else
At Camp Newman, music sets the stage for and permeates everything. We sing at mifkad (morning exercizes), before and after we eat, in the middle of the day, and when it ends. Jewish songs mix with contemporary music which are combined with prayers and eidah (session) songs. It’s as if when we sing, we affirm that we are alive. It is how we express our love of life and it’s blessings.

At the Dan Nichols concert, 600 kids shined with inspired energy. It could have been a concert of any teen idol, except that our kids were jumping around to Jewish songs about tikun olam (fixing the world), tzedek (justice), Israel, and emunah (faith).

Come Quick… It’s Josh
Early in the concert, one of my kids ran up shrieking, “Come quick, it’s Josh!” As I ran down the steps, I caught a glimpse of our congregant Josh Friedman standing up on stage, right next to Dan Nichols. Apparently Dan invited Josh to help lead the community in singing the harmony.

Yup, this 10 1/2 year old kid was “living the dream.” He was up onstage with Dan Nichols – Jewish music idol –  helping him lead a full amphitheater of people in song. It was like being bat boy in the final game of the World Series, pressing the button in Times Square to lower the ball on New Year’s Eve, and starring in your own TV show, all rolled into one. As meaningfully, his bunkmates, rather than being jealous of Josh’s good fortune, joined in to celebrate this moment of simcha (joy). When the highlights of life involve music and singing, we all are that much more inspired!

We Sing Because our Hearts Need It
I thought about our own Congregation Or Ami, whose vision statement declares the centrality of music within its first sentences. Our Cantor Doug Cotler brings original music/lyrics as well as new and traditional Jewish music to our services and celebrations. Doug’s singing invites us into Jewish spirituality; it inspires us, and transforms us. We are regularly inspired to sing even more intensely by the participation regularly of our Or Ami Chorale and our Shabbat Band Jew-bacca.

At Or Ami, we sing because our hearts need it.  We sing because our faith demands it. We sing because we know that music can transmit connection to community and the Holy One, and we desperately desire those connections.

Singing Brings Forth the Best In Us
Like Josh did, like Cantor Doug does, like Dan Nichols is doing, like Moses was instructed to create, music and song so often brings out the best in us – of our values, of our energy and of our joy.  Thanks Camp Newman, Congregation Or Ami and Torah for bringing it all together.

How Camp Newman Influences our Congregation Or Ami

Congregation Or Ami, our Reform synagogue in Calabasas, CA, receives high marks from our congregants and guests alike for the warmth of our community, the creativity of our learning, the depth of our Jewish spirituality, and the intensity of our musicality. As one of the rabbis at Or Ami, I am often asked what is the secret to our success? I’ll point to our amazing Cantor Doug Cotler, the warmth of our Henaynu caring community, and our extensive social action efforts.

As significant – yet less well-known as an influence – are the weeks I spend up at Jewish summer camp.

Every summer for the past fourteen years, my wife Michelle and I have chaperoned a delegation of more than 30 young people up to the URJ Camp Newman in Santa Rosa, CA. I serve as on rabbinic faculty, chairing the West Coast Rabbinic Camp committee, while Michelle develops creative alumni programming for the upcoming year.

Something amazing happens at Jewish summer camp
Camp Newman has a lasting influence on ensuring that Or Ami is an innovative, inspiring Jewish community. At Camp, I teach collaboratively with creative rabbis from all over Southern California, and with motivated college students. Fast paced daily schedules demand creativity, innovation and high levels of responsiveness to the Jewish and interpersonal concerns of the participants. Services must be engaging, learning must be meaningful, and the community it’s must be warm and welcoming. Conversations about Jewish identity and Jewish values permeate the community. Teens dialogue regularly about the reality (or not) of God in their lives and ask that services reflect those struggles. Young people feel loved and accepted (no matter what); older youth buddy up with younger campers. Song sessions and Shabbat services are energized and uplifting.

Each summer, I come home from Camp Newman armed with new stories, creative lesson plans, and implicit (and explicit) critiques of synagogue life. Questions raised by campers form the basis of sermons; they ask everything that most of us are too embarrassed to ask. The unconditional love and acceptance becomes the impetus for inclusivisity at temple for special needs kids, interfaith families, multiracial and multiethnic families, LGBT individuals and families.

Why is Or Ami so successful as a congregation? 
For many reasons, including and especially because Camp Newman continues to rejuvenate and inspire me, Or Ami’s rabbi. Yes, I believe that all of us – Jewish professionals working in synagogues and Jewish organizations – are better and more effective because camp models creative Jewish living.

“I Love Being Jewish”, Declare Camp Newman Campers

Dispatch from Camp Newman, Santa Rosa, CA

Early dinner is over (we have two seatings), and I can rest easy having checked in with every one of our younger campers. From a distance, I watched their interactions with other campers and their counselors; I made sure they are eating (everyone seemed to like the spaghetti and bread sticks; some even had full plates for the fresh salad bar). I look for smiles (there are so many). Then a quick hello, a hug for many of them, and a reassuring “Michelle and I are here and look forward to having fun with you.” (We similarly checked in with the Or Ami campers and staff at late dinner. All are well.)

Now I’m sitting here in the Beit Tefilah (outdoor amphitheater) where the whole camp community has gathered for the All Camp Welcome. After a heartfelt welcome by Camp Director Ruben Arquilevitch, each set of rashim (unit heads) introduced themselves and their eidah (unit). The energy was electrifying as campers broke out into cheering and dancing.

The directors countdown how long everyone has been at camp. They elicit special cheering as the first year campers rise up and are welcomed. As they call out from second summer campers up past ten summers and more, my wife Michelle and I quickly count up our years at Camp. Michelle counts 30 summers at Camp Newman (and its predecessor Camp Swig), which is improbable since she only just turned 34 years old (not really)!

Then, as the energy begins to peak, my ear drums almost burst amidst the cacophony as campers shout out passionately, “I love being Jewish!” It is music to my ears to hear so many young people (and high school and college students) declare the centrality of being Jewish to their lives.

Great summertime experiences.

Yep, that’s what camp is all about: vibrant youthful energy, passionate Jewish experiences, and good, clean fun.

If You’re Leaving On a Jet Plane: 3 Things to Do Before Traveling

Here are 3 Things to Do if you – or someone you know – is going on a trip:

Texting: We have a tradition in our family that when one of us is on an airplane, the last thing we do before taking off is texting the other members of the immediate family, saying. “Taking off, I love you.” Thus, because life has much randomness in it, we take comfort in always sharing words of love, when we depart each other’s company. It ensures that God forbid something happens, the memory will be of love. [Being part of a rabbi’s family, we learn quickly that “here today, gone tomorrow” can happen to anyone, anytime.]

Talking: Whenever we depart on a trip – by plane or by car – I recite Tefillat HaDerech, the traveler’s prayer. I keep a copy in my wallet. I believe prayer works on many levels: I believe that by connecting into the Oneness we call “God,” I ensure wholeness within myself, a heightened awareness, and a hopefulness. Some say the prayer focuses us on what is truly important; others say it beseeches the Holy One to act on our behalf. Sometimes I just like to hedge my bets. [Download the prayer.]

Tzedakah: What else might one do as a Jew or Jewish family when someone you know is traveling? Give a dollar to the traveler and tell him that by accepting this dollar, he becomes your shaliach mitzvah (your representative/agent on a mission of tzedakah or charitable giving). According to the rabbinic sages, someone who is en route to perform a mitzvah is given extra protection.

Leaving on a Jet Plane: Traveler’s Prayer

The Traveler’s Prayer – Tefilat HaDerech – is recited at the beginning of a journey, according to the Talmud. In the prayer, the traveler asks for a safe trip.

Here is a translitered version of the Traveler’s Prayer (from The Transliterated Siddur):

Ye-hi ra-tson mi-l’fa-ne-cha,
A-do-nai e-lo-hei-nu vei-lo-hei a-vo-tei-nu,
she-to-li-chei-nu l’sha-lom,
v’ta-tsi-dei-nu l’sha-lom,
v’tad-ri-chei-nu l’sha-lom,
v’ta-gi-ei-nu lim-choz chef-tsei-nu,
l’cha-yim ul-sim-chah ul-sha-lom.
V’ta-tsi-lei-nu mi-kaf kawl o-yeiv,
v’o-reiv v’lis-tim v’cha-yot ra-ot ba-de-rech,
u-mi-kawl mi-nei fur -a-ni-yot,
ha-mit-ra-g’shot la-vo la-o-lam.
V’tish-lach b’ra-chah b’chawl ma-a-sei ya-dei-nu,
v’ti-t’nei-nu l’chein ul-che-sed ul-ra-cha-mim b’ei-ne-cha,
uv-ei-nei chawl ro-ei-nu.
V’tish-ma kol ta-cha-nu-nei-nu,
ki Eil sho-mei-a t’fi-lah v’ta-cha-nun a-tah.
Ba-ruch a-tah A-do-nai, sho-mei-a t’fi-lah.

Here is a translation (from Twelve Jewish Steps to Recovery):

“May it be Your will, Eternal, My God and God of my ancestors, to lead me, to direct my steps, and to support me in peace. Lead me in life, tranquil and serene, until I arrive at where I am going. Deliver me from every enemy, ambush and hurt that I might encounter on the way, and from all afflictions that visit and trouble the world. Bless the work of my hands. Let me receive divine grace and those loving acts of kindness and mercy in Your eyes and in the eyes of all those I encounter. Listen to the voice of my appeal, for you are a God who responds to prayerful supplication. Praised are you, Eternal, who responds to prayer.”

Adapted from About.com Judaism