Please CLICK HERE for Rabbi Schoenberg's Erev Shabbat Message
Pinchas

Please click here for Rabbi Schoenberg's Erev Shabbat Message

I am thrilled to be starting as your Interim Spiritual Leader. I look forward to meeting you personally, and getting to know the people of this community. I am only sorry that I begin my time here in the middle of a pandemic. 

One of the tasks I set myself when I accepted this assignment was to prepare a kavannah, a prayer intention, for every Shabbat morning service. Then Covid happened. I'm still preparing my kavvanot, but the time of quarantine, not being able to daven with people around, has made me think even more about prayer. I'll share what I've been thinking with you.

Have you noticed the robins lately? It seems like there are a lot of them. Actually there hasn't been a dramatic rise in robin birthrate this year. We're just seeing more of them close up. Less human activity, less traffic. makes them bolder. 

It's late Saturday night in a bar in the Jewish section of town. A man and a dog walk into a bar. The man orders a slivovitz for himself, and for his dog, a beer in a dish.

Ush'avtem mayim b'sasson, mimay'ney ha-y'shu-a, you will draw water in joy from springs of salvation. It's a great song to dance the hora to. It's also in the Haftarah for Yom Ha-atsma-ut, Israeli Independence day, the day on which I'm writing this.

How quarantine and trust intertwine is so complex. Here's the text from this week's Torah portion, talking about mold in the walls of a house, that got me thinking about it. [Leviticus 14:34-37] "The owner of the house [noticing red or green streaks in the walls] shall come and tell the priest saying, 'Something that looks to me like a plague is in my house.' 

April 22, 28^th day of Nisan, is Holocaust Remembrance Day. Though I doubt I have anything to say about the Holocaust that hasn't been said before, I'm compelled to write about it. I hope my compulsion will shock you too into thinking about it. It's so easy to slide away from the Holocaust in our minds...

Thanks to our current plague, we are in a sha-at d'chak, a time of crisis. Not only because we are worried about those whom we love, but also for the holiday, we really want to be together with family and community. 

Remember the joke? An old curse says, "May you live in interesting times." Thanks to the corona virus we're in the middle of as "interesting" a time as any of us can remember.  However, it's good to be mindful of another adage to set against the "curse:"

I'm writing this in reaction to the fear that has been generated about Corona virus. Many of those to whom I've spoken are of two minds. I've heard and share respect for the necessity of being very careful in the face of a disease that is extremely contagious and whose effects are not yet well understood.

When I teach people about the tradition of Judaism, and I need to explain what are Mishnah, and Talmud, I say something like: First there was the Torah. Torah has lots of instructions, but they're not always so clear. So the wise, beginning with Moshe, were forced to invent interpretation strategies.

"Build me a sanctuary," said God. It was the culmination of God's creation that God would have a pied-a-terre in the finite realm. Designed for human operation, the sanctuary would be a sophisticated piece of spirituaI tech ware that would initiate a easy, user-friendly interface between humans and the divine.

I am often asked "What do you think is the essence of Judaism?" Usually my response is based squarely on a quote from this week's Torah portion. In Exodus 24:5-8 we readers are given front-row seats at the ritual that Moses performed to confirm the Israelites in the covenant that God had proposed to them on the mountain.

Every so often we read in the Torah a verse or two that grabs us and won't let go. This week I was moved anew by Exodus 19:4-6, "I lifted you up on eagle's wings and I brought you to me...and you will be a treasure for Me from among all nations, for all the earth is Mine. And you will be for Me a nation of priests and a holy people..."

The sadness we feel at Rabbi Feldman's z"l passing is still with us, as it will be for a long time. And yet this Shabbat the Torah reading schedule inexorably brings us to Shirat Hayam, the Song of the Sea.

Almost all rituals that initiate candidates into a defined group involve saying something. When someone comes forward to be a citizen of the United States they take an oath of allegiance. New police swear an oath to never betray their badge, their integrity, their character or the public trust.

I am always amused, and at the same time horrified, by the account of the third plague. "Aaron held out his arm with the rod and struck the dust of the earth, and vermin came upon human and beast. All the dust of the earth turned to lice throughout the land of Egypt.

I know from my conversations this week, that many people have concerns about the statements from President Trump about the Jewish people.

If we can think back over the 70 years of TJC history, we have so much to be proud of. In my time at TJC, I have heard many stories about the early years and the challenges our founders faced as they created a synagogue in Princeton when the Jewish population was much smaller than it is today.

When I was a child, I remember Thanksgiving being a one day holiday - maybe two if you count that I did not have to go to school on Friday also. Now it seems that Thanksgiving has become a week-long celebration that begins earlier.

One of the things I am most excited about this year is my ninth grade Hebrew High School class. Our group is focusing on learning other religious traditions through a Jewish lens and we have already encountered some great people.

Earlier this week, I went to visit my parents. They are doing well and still in New Jersey, getting ready to head to Florida after Thanksgiving. Thank God, my parents and healthy and doing a lot with their time.

How many of us remember that when we were younger and people were uncomfortable talking about something they needed to say, they would whisper the difficult word.

The Jewish People have many important rituals related to the end of life; prayers that we say, candles that we light and readings that we share. To me, one of the most powerful is the Yahrtzeit - a ritual around the anniversary of the passing of a loved one and a ritual that can be quite powerful to observe, especially on the first anniversary.

On Yom Kippur I shared a personal story with the congregation about my friend Seth who recently passed away. Until he died, I was not aware that he suffered from depression and mental illness.

One of my main goals for this year is to work more closely with our teens as we work to create our New Hebrew High School Program - #SULAM. I know from personal experience how critical the teen years are to someone's Jewish development and I want to do all that I can to help our teens continue to feel connected to TJC.

Beginning tonight we are going to all be part of an incredible phenomenon. We are about to recreate an experience that the Jewish people have followed in some form for over four thousand years.

A young man was about to graduate from college. In his affluent neighborhood, it was a custom for graduates to receive a new car as a gift from their parents.

Growing up in in Southern New Jersey, my family was active in our small synagogue. I have many vivid memories of powerful experiences in that congregation on Shabbat and holidays and it was during those moments that I first began to think about being a Rabbi.

In a recent study group, someone asked me about my favorite part of the Rosh HaShanah service and I was quick to answer the Torah Reading for the Second Day because it is perhaps the most intriguing story in our entire Torah.

My mind has been on kids this week. It is the end of the school year and the beginning of the camp season so it is a season that gets us to think about children and what is best for them.

I sat with someone this week to talk about some personal issues she is facing. I did my best to be listen and be supportive. She was questioning God and wanted to know if God listens to our personal prayers.

The other day, I attended an event celebrating the accomplishments of a local Jewish Day School. It is the school my children attend, the Golda Och Academy in West Orange NJ.

Every year when I am invited to speak at our Multi Faith Thanksgiving Community Service, I search for a new reading or prayer related to gratitude and appreciation. Over the years, I have found many including some that go back to Biblical times.

I know that it is a holiday weekend and that many people will be away. However, if you are in town this Shabbat, I encourage you to join us on Shabbat morning.

It is graduation season. If you have a graduate in your family or if you plan to attend a graduation in the coming days, I wish you Mazal Tov. Graduations are significant moments in the lives of both the graduate and the members of the family.

I had a teacher who once said among the most important qualities every Jew needs to do is be a story teller. Think about how many of our traditions are about telling stories - Jewish history, the weekly Torah Reading, holiday observances and so much more.

This past week, I attended the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington DC. It was a powerful time to be in Washington, especially in light of some major news stories.

On Saturday night, I am heading to Washington DC to be a part of the AIPAC National Policy Conference as I do every year, but this year things feel different.

Our hearts go out today to our Muslim friends who are experiencing tragedy once again with the attack on the mosque in New Zealand. Nearly 50 people have lost their lives and so many people are feeling the emotional pain and devastation of the attack.

I am very concerned about the rise of anti-Semitism in our country including all of the major news stories related to anti-Semitic statements made by public officials.

There is a well-known verse found in the Book of Deuteronomy that has been on my mind a great deal this week. Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof - Justice, Justice shall you pursue.

My daughter Dena is in twelfth grade at the Golda Och Academy, the Jewish Day School in West Orange NJ. This past week, she and her classmates completed all of the school work for the year and departed for a three month experience in Israel.

This weekend a group of students and teachers of our Hebrew High School program are in New Orleans, LA as part of our Siyyum Tichon Community Service Trip.

I received a very nice message yesterday morning from a thoughtful member of the congregation. In light of the terrible cold, she wanted to know if we had a way of checking in on members of our congregation who may have specific challenges because of the weather.

Years ago, I worked in the national office of a Jewish youth organization overseeing a summer travel program and many other educational endeavors. One program brought together over 1,000 Jewish teens in a major city for a week over Winter break.

I remember years ago when one of my Rabbinic mentors said that music can touch the heart more so than the spoken word. I can think of countless times in my life when I know that to be true.

I am struggling with the increase of hate speech in world. I know the power of speech and how words can build up and how words can destroy. I understand the freedoms and rights we have as Americans, but I also know the obligations we have as Jews.
 

I want to share with you the plans for tomorrow morning's service in the hope that you will join us. As much as we love to celebrate with our Bar and Bat Mitzvah families, I find the weeks when there is no Bar or Bat Mitzvah allows me to be a bit more creative.

I really enjoy the time I spend with small study groups. I am currently leading a few different groups of adults that come together, mostly once a month, to read a text together and share our own thoughts and responses to the text.

For the past 30 years a group of women have gathered at the Kotel to pray every month on Rosh Chodesh. This group, Women of the Wall, organizes this service every month on Rosh Chodesh to honor the connection women have to this minor holiday and to come together to pray, read from the Torah, sing, dance and celebrate together.

Many of us have been focused this week on the devastating news of the fires in California. It is so hard to believe the devastation, the loss of life, the homes destroyed, the stories of entire towns wiped out and so much more.

As a sports fan, I am intrigued by something that I notice now when I watch NFL Football games. In addition to watching the game and rooting for my team, I notice that the player's uniforms and other things around the stadium have a connection to a monthly theme.

I admit to you that I have been walking around in a bit of a cloud this week. It has been so hard to accept the news of the shooting at Congregation Tree of Life in Pittsburgh last Shabbat.

On behalf of The Jewish Center of Princeton, our President Linda Meisel and the lay leadership and staff, the multi-generational Jewish community in Princeton and beyond Princeton, we are grateful to be here.
 

It has been such a difficult few days as we all watch the news stories and reactions to the attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.

All of us have such a heavy heart tonight as we learn more about the horrendous attack on the synagogue in Pittsburgh.

It is said that when we do the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim, visiting someone who is ill, we take away 1/60^th of their illness.

I had a very powerful experience yesterday that took me a bit off guard. I attended the Commencement ceremonies at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.

In my 13 years in Princeton, working alongside clergy members from other religious traditions, I have learned many lessons. There is one in particular that I want to share with you today.

We Jews have a thing about counting. There are times when we need to count and there are times when we should not count. We need to count people to make sure we have ten for a minyan.

I have said many times that singing is much more emotional than speaking - music can touch the heart much more deeply than the spoken word.

This Shabbat is a unique time in the Jewish Calendar - it is the Shabbat between Yom HaShoah and Yom HaAtzmaut. It is the Shabbat between Holocaust Remembrance Day and the Israel's Independence Day.

Every year I am asked for new ideas for activities and discussions at the Seder. Some good Haggadot include some ideas.

As we prepare for Shabbat and continue to think about our Passover Seders that will begin one week from tonight, I want to share a text with you that could spark a good conversation around your Seder table.

I am proud of our young people and I am impressed that teenagers across the country organized rallies and walkouts in their schools to demonstrate their views on the increasing level of gun violence in America today.

I hope that everyone is okay after the storm. I know that many people were affected by the storm; some people had trouble driving, some people lost power, some people were stuck inside their homes for a few days.

As I read all of the stories of the Superbowl and I listened to many interviews with the players and coaches after the game, I discovered an inspiring story.

Ever since the news of the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, I have been feeling at a loss for words.

As I read all of the stories of the Superbowl and I listened to many interviews with the players and coaches after the game, I discovered an inspiring story.

This Shabat is Shabbat Shirah because during our Torah Reading tomorrow morning, we will read the Song of the Sea...

This past Monday, I attended the Princeton Community Interfaith Service celebrating the life and legacy of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the First Baptist Church of Princeton...

My mother in law recently shared an online article with her children that contained a lot of wisdom...

Recently, a Rabbinic colleague and I debated about whether it is okay for US Rabbis to criticize Israel from the bimah. We agreed we have the right to do that but it must be factual and respectful...