What does history mean to me? (Jewish Thoughts)

Disclaimer: my goal with this blog, at least here in Israel, is two-fold. On the one hand, I want to keep everyone informed of what I'm doing: the places I go, the things I do, etc. On the other hand, I also want to start practicing my Jewish writing: dealing with Jewish issues, especially as I see them and as they relate to me here and now in Jerusalem. I will try to, from now on, distinguish between the two: let's call them "Israel Updates" and "Jewish Thoughts," respectively. This post is one of the latter. I will hopefully update with more generic goings-on (hopefully within the next day or so). Also, be prepared: this post is very long. --Eric

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Today is Tisha B'Av. Literally, it means simply the ninth of (the month of) Av. While the name is unimportant, it has a very significant meaning in Jewish tradition: it is the day that, essentially, all the bad things that happened to the Jewish people happened. This includes, according to tradition: the worship of the Gold Calf; the spies returning from the Promised Land and giving their negative report; the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE; the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE; the expulsion from Spain on August 2, 1492; and the establishment of the first ghetto in Rome on July 26, 1555. This isn't even the full list: there are more things that tradition says happened on this day.

One of the things this day is about is remembering: remembering our past, specifically these terrible events, and then mourning them, too. All of the things on this list, even if they didn't happen on the actual 9th of Av, did happen. They are historically accurate.

But is everything in the Torah historically accurate?

If there is one thing I have learned from my Biblical History lecture, it is that no, the Torah is not historically accurate. While I already knew this, I am finally learning a lot of the details. As my professor, Dr. David Ilan, put it: the further back you go in history, the less extra-biblical sources there are to corroborate the story of the Tanakh. While much of the class is tough and above my head at first (I'm working out the details as I go back and study), it basically looks at history and sees whether or not the Tanakh can fit within it--or not. Unfortunately, a lot of the time it seems not to fit. There are anachronisms, for example: camels are mentioned in the story of Isaac meeting Rebekah, and yet camels did not exist in that area until later. Also, there are plenty of place names that seem not to exist in the spots they are now, or are called by different names, etc. There are other contradictions, too.


Yet at the same time, there is evidence that while maybe the events did not happen exactly as written in the Tanakh, similar events might have, indeed, happened. The Ziggurat of Ur, for example, is a giant tower with stairs that is quite massive--taller than anything else in that region (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziggurat_of_Ur). Its original function was to help the priests get closer and communicate with the gods. Could this not be a distant origin of the Tower of Babel? Also at the Ziggurat, commoners would often sleep at the bottom, and in the morning they would interpret their dreams. Could this not be a long lost memory which eventually became Jacob's Ladder?

These all point to some sort of accuracy in the Tanakh. Are they true stories? Maybe, maybe not, but there seems to be evidence of folk memory--memories passed down from generation to generation, until they were eventually written down. Proto-history, as it is called--that stage before history was written down, but still passed along from person to person.

So with all of this--these contradictions and anachronisms, and these pieces of evidence that only barely give support--can we still find meaning in the Torah? Personally, as a Reform Jew, I believe that the Torah, while divinely inspired, was written by humans. Does this, along with the archaeological evidence, mean that the entire basis of our religion is wrong? And if so, how does that affect my spirituality?

Unfortunately, there is no one, right answer to these questions. At the same time, however, there are many sources of guidance to help find an answer. One such source was a reading for class: "Moses" by Ahad Ha'am, a Zionist and essayist. In this article he talks about great men in history: how over time, their image changes, legends develop, and the picture that is painted is eventually far different from the real man. In today's world of research, archaeology, and historical fact-finding, many scholars try to discover new details about a person. Some think this will change the world's interpretation of him--that if someone discovers something new, such as this famous person didn't really say a famous speech, or that famous person didn't really win as many battles as previously thought, then the world will change and people's views of him will change. To them, it is very important to find out the "truth" behind these great people.

Ahad Ha'am views historical characters differently. For him, it's not the "archaeological truths" that matter--it's the "historical truths." As he says, "Every man who leaves a perceptible mark on that life, though he may be a purely imaginary figure, is a real historical force; his existence is an historical truth. And on the other hand, every man who has left no impress on the general course of life, be his concrete existence at a particular time never so indisputable, is only one of the million..." (I disagree with his view on the common and less famous people, but from a historical perspective, it makes sense.) To him, it doesn't matter if Moses was real or not. Either way, Moses affected generations and generations of Jews, and his influence still affects Jews throughout the world today. So what if he was not real? He has been our leader not just in the 40 years of the desert, but also in the past thousands of years in real life. He is as real as he needs to be.


And so it comes down to meaning. The Torah is not just a history or a genealogy. It takes that history and finds meaning in it. It takes those genealogies and give them purpose. It takes the text and lets you dive in to find a subtext. A history book might tell you what things happened in life, but the Tanakh tells you why things happen in life--yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

So what does this all have to do with Tisha B'Av? Why am I linking these two topics? For me, it boils down, once again, to meaning--what can we take away from this holiday? How can I connect to my past in a meaningful way?

And honestly, I don't know the answers to these questions. This past week has been a time of internal struggle as I think about and develop my thoughts and feelings on this subject. On the one hand, Tisha B'Av is important to me because it connects me to my past, helps me remember those who have suffered before me, and reminds me that I am here today because I am a link in a chain of tradition going back to the first of these tragedies, the destruction of the First Temple, and beyond. While I was not there for the destruction of the Second Temple, I can use this day to try to imagine what it was like to have your whole world, your whole way of life, suddenly change. I was also not there for the expulsion from Spain, but I shudder to think of what it would be like to be forced out of your home and move to a foreign land forever.

Ashkenazic Jews mourning the loss of the Temple. They are sitting
 on the floor and "wailing" (a mournful chant, not real crying).

Yet Tisha B'Av is not just remembering--it's also mourning. Traditional Jews mourn the loss of the Temple. One of our teachers today said that normally we prefer to call HaKotel the "Western Wall," but today it really does become the "Wailing Wall," because so many Orthodox Jews actually do wail--they cry, they weep, they mourn. How can I, as a Reform Jew, mourn the loss of the Temple, when its destruction meant the end of the sacrificial cult--a religious method I am glad to be rid of--and also meant the ascendancy and supremacy of prayer--which I fully support? How can I regret this change, when it means that today's Judaism only exists because of it? Why would I fast (which I am not doing) when, in reality, I am not mourning these events, only remembering and commemorating them? And while yes, they happened in my history and they are part of my past, in reality they happened a long time ago in places (usually) far away.

Sitting on the floor at a Sephardic synagogue.

Last night we had the opportunity to go to a Sephardic synagogue for evening prayers and the reading from the book of Lamentations. And I felt very disconnected from it. While on the one hand I know that this is partially because I do not know Sephardic traditions, and also because my Hebrew is not good enough yet to follow their public reading, on the other hand I also know that I felt disconnected because, unlike them, I am not mourning the loss, just commemorating it.

Lots and lots of people at the Kotel on Tisha B'Av.

We later had the chance to go to the Kotel, where I once again saw hundreds of people mourning the loss. And while this was much more familiar--many were Ashkenazi, and I am quite familiar with the Kotel--I was still disconnected. I was much more interested in watching them mourn than mourning myself.

In conclusion, these are the many questions I have been wrestling with on this Tisha B'Av. There are a lot of them--and I don't know the answers now, and who knows if I will. I suppose my goal of this year is to start building upon these questions, adding to the foundation I already have. Some people have said this year builds the foundation for the future, but I disagree. I already have a great foundation from my Hebrew School days, my time spent at UMass, and my experience working at Temple Sinai. Instead, this year is building the first floor--which is the most important floor, since it contains the lobby and all its first impressions. And so I will study, I will learn, I will go out and explore--and I will look within and explore, too. And the good news is that I've already started; at the beginning of Tisha B'Av I had no connection whatsoever, and now I at least feel something, even if it's not where it might be in the future.


And the journey will not end after these five years. It is my hope that after I am done with HUC, I will be ready to go out on my own with many (but definitely not all) of the answers.

This is my hope--and I am very, very confident that it will come true.

May you have an easy fast and a meaningful holiday.

Orientation, Classes, and More!

Note: I'm switching photos over to Photobucket, which is a long, tedious process, so they're not all up yet. But here are some, and check back for more soon: http://s1170.photobucket.com/albums/r529/EricLAbbott/Orientation/

Well it's been a while since I've updated, and there's a lot to catch you all up on, so let's see what has happened since my last post:

The week of June 9 was orientation, or as the administrators called it, "disorientation." While that is true, I really don't feel too disoriented here. It might be because I've lived in Israel before, or maybe that I am excited and confident for this year, or maybe something else, but nonetheless, I am definitely ready to be here, and ready to learn, and ready to become a rabbi. Some highlights of orientation include: many lectures/speeches by lots of important people at HUC, including Rabbi Dr. Michael Marmur, who is one of the VP's of HUC and lives in Jerusalem, and Dr. David Mendelsson, the head of the Year in Israel; breakfast with Rabbi Dr. David Ellenson, the president of HUC, in his Jerusalem apartment; tours with Israelis; a "Taste of Israel" dinner; a lot of meet-and-greets/icebreakers; discussions on goals/expectations for the years; and Shabbat services led by the student interns, followed by dinner at HUC.

The highlight of the week was Freedom Riders, run by Noa at the IRAC (Israel Religious Action Center). In Israel, and especially in religious areas such as some parts of Jerusalem, there are bus lines that pretty much only serve Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) Jews. Up until a couple of years ago, these bus lines were segregated: men would sit in the front, and women would be forced to sit in the back. While a couple of years ago the Israeli Supreme Court deemed bus segregation illegal, it is still often in effect on these religious bus routes because of social pressures within the community, despite being illegal. So a bunch of students, myself included, did a freedom ride: we got on a bus at the start of a route, and the women in our group all sat in the front. They kept the seats next to them open. In this way, the men would not sit down next to them, and Haredi women would feel empowered and sit in the front. One route that the IRAC has focused on is now completely desegregated, even when there are no Freedom Riders. While as a male I didn't actually get to do much, it was still great to be there as an ally, and we plan on doing it again soon.

After the bus ride we got dinner, then a few of the groups (there were multiple groups exploring different parts of Israel) met up at the Israel Museum, where there were a few exhibits going on, including a wireless headphone party. Everyone received their own wireless headsets, and then the same music was played on all of them, and everyone danced together. The cool part was that if you took off the headphones, you saw everyone dancing without hearing the music. It was awesome and we all want to do it again, maybe even set up our own somehow.

The following week (last week), classes started! For the summer I have three classes: Ulpan (Hebrew) which is about 4.5 hours each day, Sunday-Wednesday. Monday afternoons have Cantillation (learning how to chant Torah, etc.). Wednesday afternoons have a Biblical History lecture, and then Thursdays are also Biblical History: some combination of lecture and lesson. This past Thursday we had a lecture in the morning and a trip in the afternoon, but some weeks there might be only a trip, or other combinations I don't yet know of. All the classes are wonderful so far. Hebrew is tough and maybe a bit above my head, but I'm trying hard and we'll see how it goes; it's already better now than it was on Sunday. Cantillation is good. We went over all the Torah trope, and fortunately I already know half of it. However, I don't know the other half, and some of what I know is wrong, so it's definitely going to be a good class. Biblical History is also great; it's a really fast-paced class (which is a big wake up since I've been out of college for two years), and there's a lot of information. The best part is that the field trips solidify what we learn.

Yesterday I went to Tel Aviv for the day with the majority of the class (probably about 80%, plus SO's). In the morning I went to an artist colony, which was basically a street lined with different art vendors. It was nice, but I didn't really find anything that suits me, and it was sort of pricey, but maybe I'll head back. Then we went to the beach and spent a few hours there. The water was warm, the sun was bright, and everything was great (except one person getting stung by a jellyfish, and the sand burnt your feet). At night we went to Shabbat services on the beach with Beit Tefilah Israeli, a Progressive congregation. It was a beautiful service, and the L'cha Dodi was one of the best/craziest renditions I've seen.

Today, Jay Shir, who is a man associated with HUC who leads hikes, took Elana (another rabbinic student) and I for a hike in the Judean Hills, where we hiked to the top of a hill that used to be a fortress, and also to a shrine. On the hills near the fortress were lots of old remnants of buildings, wine presses, olive presses, etc. Jay had been looking for dovecotes for a few years and hasn't been able to find them, until today when Elana and I found them in what we had thought was a cave. There were also Arab buildings that are essentially just foundations now, since they were abandoned and destroyed following 1948. The shrine actually had three buildings that were built in different ages: the biggest and newest was a shrine to a Sheikh built in the mid-19th century, the middle was built probably about 100 years earlier, and the oldest and smallest, half buried in the dirt, was probably from the Crusaders' time. There was much to learn, and it also helped to reinforce what I learned in Biblical History. After the hike I ate, napped, and showered, and then later was Havdallah, which was student led and organized, and as usual it was great.

Other things that happened throughout the week: I explored more the Old City (nothing new, but enjoyed); bought a cheap guitar so I can practice; went to the Kotel; bought more kippot; climbed and met people at the rock gym here; participated in student led and organized Torah study; and probably more.

It's been busy, exhausting, and tiring--and we've only had one week of classes! But if there's anything I've learned from my time here so far, it's that this is the place for me. I'm surrounded by people who on the one hand are down to earth and awesome, yet on the other hand really want to be here, want to learn about Judaism, and want to be Jewish leaders. I am learning by seeing the things that happened in the Torah, by debating and discussing with friends, and by having everything surround me serve as a teacher. It's going to be a great year.

Shavua Tov!

An Update and a D'Var Torah...

Today is my last full day before I begin the life of an HUC student. While I still don't start classes for a while, tomorrow is the first day of orientation. Not much has happened this past week, now that I am more settled in: I have gone on a couple of smallish tours, hung out with friends, and generally just got more accustomed to life in Israel...which will of course all change when I'm not sleeping in every day and going out every night, once classes begin.

Jeff, Nicole, and I held Kabbalat Shabbat at our apartment Friday night. About 15 people came, and it was fantastic. We led a great service, with Jeff playing guitar (and I assisted a bit), Nicole as the MC, and me giving the D'Var Torah (more on that later). Everyone brought food for a potluck, which was delicious, and then we just sang songs and shmoozed for a few hours. Once again, it was truly magical being in a place where everyone wants to sing and pray together.

Saturday morning I went to Shabbat services at HUC, followed by a nap. This weekend was alumni weekend, and so in the afternoon there was a seminar on spiritual care and counseling. While it wasn't totally relevant to us incoming students who have yet to have any training on counseling, at the same time it was still useful, and I hope to combine it with my later studies on the subject. Following the seminar was a Seudah Sh'lishit, and Havdallah, which was amazing: Rabbi Kenny Chasen led us, along with some HUC students, and then we finished alone after everyone left with some more singing.

So far it's been great--and the year has barely begun! I look forward to learning more and studying with all of my fellow students.

Finally, here's a more organized version of the D'Var Torah I gave Friday night:

Last week's portion was Balak, in which Balak, King of Moab, saw that the Israelites had defeated other kings and so he asked Balaam to curse them. Balaam refuses, saying that he can only do what God tells him to, and so each time that Balaam goes to curse them, he instead blesses them. While traditional Judaism often paints him as a wicked man, because he tries to curse them even though he doesn't, at the same time he is one of only seven gentile prophets.

This idea--that a non-Israelite, or a non-Jew--could be a prophet, really stuck out to me. In my mind, it shows that it doesn't quite matter to God whether or not your are Jewish or not; either way, you can still connect with God; you can still be a good person or not; and you can still find a place in this world or the next.

I recently read a story about a state law that was passed in Louisiana which essentially allows state funding that would normally go to public schools to be put aside for vouchers, which private (including religious) schools can then use to help students attend their schools. Besides the obvious problem of a lack of separation of church and state, the story gets worse: one of the state legislators, upon hearing that a Muslim school was applying for the vouchers, said, "Unfortunately it [the voucher program] will not be limited to the Founders’ religion...We need to insure that it does not open the door to fund radical Islam schools. There are a thousand Muslim schools that have sprung up recently. I do not support using public funds for teaching Islam anywhere here in Louisiana.” You can find articles on the story here and here.


For me, this story reflected the opposite of the message of the parsha: that this legislator, like many in America--and the world--are not tolerant.


On one of the tours this week, Udi, our Israeli intern, took us to a place called Gesher. In Hebrew, gesher means bridge, and the name is very fitting for what they do. Unlike many groups which serve to make peace and find tolerance between Jews and Arabs or between Israel and the outside world, Gesher serves within Judaism: to make peace between secular and religious Jews, between the Orthodox and the non-Orthodox, etc. While I'm not sure how much I will end up being involved with this group, it once again struck me that despite this teaching of the parsha, there is still much intolerance in the world.


There is intolerance, there is bigotry, there is prejudice--and we all can be like this. Even me.


I knew coming into this program that we would all be from different backgrounds. Many students had the "typical" Reform youth: growing up at URJ camps, being involved with NFTY, etc. Many students have had actual full-time jobs at synagogues, and many have had Jewish internships. And many do not fit these categories. Some, for example, might have worked at a rock gym...


Yet despite knowing that everyone would be different and come from different places--and be at different places in their lives--I found myself not as open as I had thought I would be. I judged people based on first impressions; I judged people based on how they interacted during official meetings, or during those sort-of-awkward meeting-for-the-first-time events. Not that I was that bad, but I did let first impressions affect me. And I realized something: while we are all going to be Jewish professionals, we are not there yet. Sometimes we will have to put on an air of professionalism. But right now, when we are together as students--well, then we can relax.


And so for me, this parsha helped open my eyes to the fact that everyone here is different, and yet everyone is equal in God's eyes. That I should not base my knowledge of someone on what little information I have. And my challenge to all of you is to do the same: stop judging on first (or even second or third) impressions; remember you might not know the whole story.


Shavua tov!

All Settled In...and Pictures!

Well as of right now I am finally all settled in! My room is clean and organized, I have successfully bought food at the shuk and supermarket, and I have explored some of New Jerusalem on my own. It's not quite home yet, but it's only been a week.

The experience so far has been amazing--and the program hasn't even technically started for me yet! The thing I was looking forward to most of all this year was being in an environment with other people who have the same passion for Judaism as I do, and so far it's coming true. Friday night we had Shabbat services at another rabbinic student's apartment, and it was self run. Everyone was singing and praying together, and it was wonderful. After praying we had a potluck dinner followed by Birkat.

Saturday morning I went to HUC for services, where two cantorial students led one of the songs. They both did wonderfully. The dean of the Jerusalem campus, Rabbi Naamah Kelman, led services along with a cantor (who's name I unfortunately do not know yet, but she was really nice). It was a great service, there were some melodies I did not know, but that's ok because it's great to learn them. Rabbi Kelman gave a great service connecting Miriam to women's rights to Israeli politics. I wish I remembered more details...I'll have to start taking notes on sermons!

Saturday afternoon was spent relaxing with friends...and watching Star Wars Episodes IV and V, because a couple of students had never seen them!

Saturday night we all gathered at a park that overlooked the Old City of Jerusalem where we held a Havdallah service run by our student interns (4th and 5th year students who are here to help us for the summer). My roommate Jeff helped out on guitar. It was a great service, something that's hard to describe: the feeling of connection I felt with the other students and with Jerusalem. I know this is the place for me and I'm glad to be here.

Havdallah overlooking the Old City

After Havdallah we went into the Old City to find shawarma and I ran into Anas! He's my friend who lives in the Old City whom I met three years ago when I studied in Haifa. We're not close, but I visited him a few times when I lived in Haifa and it was fantastic to see him again.

Sunday was spent cleaning my room (finally...it need a good thorough cleaning) and then going out to a sushi restaurant (no, I didn't order sushi).

My room

Today I visited the rock gym that's located in Jerusalem. It's about a half hour away via bus, but I'm going to borrow someone's bike and see if bicycling there is faster/easier. It's a little cheaper for day passes than RSC but memberships are pricier. The gym itself is pretty good. Smaller than Rock Spot, but the leading is way better--you can lead 50% of the ceiling! They also rate the top-ropes with the French rating system, so that'll be fun to get used to...

Kir Yerushalayim - the rock gym in Jerusalem

A view of Jerusalem from Tayelet

 One last note: I have a lot of pictures from my first week, so you can check them out here: https://picasaweb.google.com/107045988306851522351?feat=email. I'm using Picasa right now, but I'm already 20% full, so I'll be switching to something else for pictures soon. There are pictures of my room and apartment, my trips to the Old City and the Kotel, Havdallah, and more.

And that's pretty much it! The rest of my week will be spent practicing my Hebrew and getting ready for orientation next week.

L'hitra'ot!