Open That Window

Last Rosh Hashanah

Dear friends,

Like a switch that’s been clicked, the season of opening windows has arrived in New York. The heat isn’t bouncing off the sidewalks, the AC is relaxing, the sweet disruption of summer abates. This week, in a moment of internal combustion I opened the window for some air. I got more than I bargained for. A car drove by slowly, blasting an Israeli religious pop song (yes, that’s a genre!).

“Even in the hiddenness within the hiddenness the Blessed Holy One exists.
Behind the difficult things you are going through too - I stand.“

Of course the song from back home would jump at me through the open window to the Brooklyn streets.

The following morning I opened up the Tanach, or Old Testament randomly, looking for some guidance. On the page in front of me are the dying words of the prophet Elisha, known for his ability to return the dead back to life:

״פתח חלון לקדם״
“Open the window to Kedem.”

Kedem is a rich word. In ancient times it meant the east. Now means the ancient. And can also be understood as “the time before.” Open a window to the ancient, the prophet urges, to the east, the land of the ancestors, to the rising sun, or here on the east coast, to the ocean.

That’s an apt description of the month of Elul, our time of opening the heart before the new year, which we’re currently in. We can work on opening that window to the ancient on our own, but it’s easier in company. During the next few weeks we have some fun opportunities to do that through our pre-high holidays chevrutahs, or learning groups. You’re all welcome to join them, or even jump in for one night if that’s what you can pull off.

Learning with these beautiful teachers, who each in their own way teeter on the verge of the deep, is a one of a kind experience.

The chevrutah on Martin Buber’s book Meetings will be led by a finely balanced father-son act. Jim Ponet, rabbi, poet, intentional madman will be joined by his philosopher son, Dr. David Ponet who has the impressive talent of clothing the visceral in the language of the mind. Together they will bring us into Buber’s world of I-Thou relationships, and through Buber’s stories help us understand “the secret of the smile that has been lost,” which Buber identified on Theodore Hertzl’s mother’s lips the one time they met.

Michael Posnick, theater director turned Buddhist teacher and preacher of the “eyn sof” will work with us on the ever-elusive task of listening to ourselves. Through a range of texts from different traditions, and meditation exercises, Michael will ask us the simple question: Who is listening?

Our musical leaders, Yonatan Gutfeld and Dana Herz will bring us together to sing some of the songs we will sing these High Holidays. There’s nothing better to combat loneliness and anxiety than singing together. Let yourself sing and you’ll have fun. (They'll also be there to lead music  next Friday evening for Shabbat at First Presbytarian Church.)

Ori Aguila is a death doula, artist and Jeweler who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from her indigenous roots into a conversation around the life-affirming practice of holding space for death.

Finally, the wonderful Elana Ponet has been mining the bible and midrash’s stories about women, and bringing them into our conversations at the Shul for over two years now. Elana will invite us to hear these feminine voices from within our sadly patriarchal tradition.

All the info for these opportunities can be found HERE.

Let’s crack open that window.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Misha