Rosh Hashanah 5775/2014

What a summer.
One never knows what tomorrow will bring, but I certainly wasnt expecting the tumult of
this summer. Between the war in Israel and Gaza, the unfolding events in the Ukraine, the
Islamic State terrorists, and the tragedy of Ferguson, this summer has left me in shock.
It would be easy for us to focus on despair, to give up on the world and hunker down,
withdrawn into our own small space of life. I have always been an optimistic person,
believing that human beings are capable of such kindness that we are truly capable of being
partners with God in perfecting our world.
To be honest, this summer I have felt some of that optimism drain from my spirit, it feels
like a darkness surrounds the world and that we may be in it for some time. Yet, even when
the world looks so dark, even when there are videos circulating of beheadings and rockets
and dead children on the streets of Missouri, even then our tradition tells us not to despair.
We humans have done horrible things to each other and to Gods creation, but Judaism
always holds on to the optimistic truth that we can be better. It is certainly the core of what
we are doing here today and next week on Yom Kippur. Yes, we can make tshuva, we can
return to the best of ourselves and the rest of the world is also capable of doing the same,
the doors of returning are never really closed.
But, sometimes remembering the best of ourselves in the midst of the worst of our world
feels unattainable. It is not. But it takes work. So, rather than use the next few minutes to
bemoan the state of the of the world, Ive decided to use the next few minutes to recall the
things we are getting right, the times when freedom has prevailed and our community, the
community of the United States and the global community have gotten it right.
So, here are the top ten moments of the Jewish year of 5774. Im sure there will be
disagreement so feel free to send me an email later, just dont heckle me now.
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Number 10, and remember this list moves in order from least to most important. The
iPhone. Every once in a while technology changes the world and we humans are great at
perfecting technology. Even thousands of years ago our ancestors figured out they could
make cutting tools with things like flint stone and obsidian. Ever since we began to
develop culture and artifacts of that culture, technological innovation has been the core of
our advancement. The inventions of the telephone, the television, and the computer have all
changed the way human beings live. It was only in 2007 that the iPhone was invented, but
it and other smartphones have certainly changed how we work, play, and communicate in
ways that we still dont understand.
Today, the world is in our pockets. We are always available and always informed. Some of
us may bemoan the nature of communication in the 21st century and some revel in it, but
either way, the smartphone and the iPhone in particular have changed the world. I begin
my countdown list with the iPhone as the newest one just went on sale last week.
Number 9. From a smartphone to a smart man. Number 9 is Pope Francis. I suppose there
is a certain kind of humor that we are group of Jews praying in a Protestant church and now
I am talking about the Catholic Pope. I remember in the first few weeks following the
Popes election, Pat Brosnahan, our beloved administrator and my resident catholic who
passed away two years ago, said to me, You know, rabbi this guy might just turn the
church around. While the Church has plenty more work to do, I tend to agree with Pat,
Pope Francis just might change the face of the Church forever.
Pope Francis has made decisive statements, shifting the focus of the Church from judgment
and condemnation to profound caring and acceptance. Pope Francis has asserted himself in
the global community in more than just symbolic ways. I was profoundly touched that he
hosted President Shimon Peres and President Mahmoud Abbas after the peace talks led by
Secretary Kerry deteriorated.
With an estimated 1.2 billion Catholics in the world, it is Pope Frances dramatic personal
actions that could potentially have the most impact on the world. Weve seen Pope Frances

kneel in front of prisoners to wash their feet, he has worked toward reconciliation with
other Orthodox Christian sects, and he sometimes even calls people on the phone who
write him with their troubles. There is a lot of work to be done, as is true for all of our
faiths, but I believe the Pope is on the right track. Certainly, as a religious leader myself, I
look to the Pope these days to see what he is doing on the social justice front. It is nice to
know that the Jewish world has a partner in the Vatican these days.
Number 8. The ALS challenge. Just in case there is someone here who is unfamiliar with
the ALS ice bucket challenge, it consists of filming oneself pouring a bucket of ice cold
water on ones head and challenging a few of ones friends to do the same. As a part of the
challenge one pledges to make a donation to the ALS foundation and if one fails to take the
challenge one is meant to donate $100 to the ALS foundation.
I know that there has been some controversy about the ALS challenge, especially once the
challenge was a few weeks old. There are always going to be people who suggest that
people arent actually doing enough. In todays world, probably thanks to our iPhones, this
is called hashtag activism. But, the ALS ice bucket challenge had one goal, to raise money,
and it did, over 100 million dollars. Most people probably didnt learn much about ALS by
taking the challenge, but it certainly raised awareness.
For these reasons, I think the ice bucket challenge is wonderful. Sure, it leads the masses
into thinking that they have done something significant, but challenges like these are not
about the individual contribution, they are about the viral contribution and that has surely
been effective. So, if you havent donated to the ALS foundation yet, go for it and maybe
even throw a bucket of ice on your head while you are doing it.
Number 7. I think this year could be called, the year of the LGBT community. Certainly
more than any other year in my lifetime, more has changed for the LGBT community than
ever before. Much of American society has transitioned from an awareness of the LGBT
issues to all out support of the community. I am happy to say that Reform Judaism has

partnered with the LGBT community for quite some time and has been outspoken of its
support for full and equal rights with the straight community.
Just over a year ago, the Supreme Court stuck down the Defense of Marriage Act. Since
June of 2013, 17 states have witnessed their laws declared illegal by judges. It is a striking
change in a very short amount of time. Before 2003 there were no states that allowed same
sex marriage. Today, there are 19 states that allow same sex marriage, 14 more where
judges have issued rulings in favor of same sex marriage, though they have been stayed as
the laws move through the appellate courts, 3 more states have broad protections for the
LGBT community, using terms like unions and domestic partnerships.
Clearly these numbers still have room for improvement, but we are heading in the right
direction when it comes to freedom and acceptance in this country for the LGBT
community.
While legal battles are wonderful to see moving in the direction of more freedom, it is what
people do on the ground that matters most. I know I am not the only person in the room
that witnessed a profound moment on television a few weeks ago during the NFL Draft.
When the St. Louis Rams drafted Michael Sam, he became the first openly gay player in
the NFL. It is the openness of his sexuality and the ability for Sam to display his love for
his boyfriend on television that says so much about how far weve come as a country. Of
course, we will only know we have reached a real milestone in the history of the United
States and in the pursuit of freedom when issues like gay marriage and gay football players
are no longer headlines, but just accepted as our new reality. I eagerly wait for that day.
Number 6. Lets keep with the sports theme for a moment. Mone Davis. What a
sensation! For those unfamiliar with Mone, she was the 13-year-old pitcher for the
Philadelphia Taney Dragons in the Little League World Series. There were a few things that
made Mone stand out on the diamond, of course, there is the obvious, she is a girl and she
is only one of 6 who ever had a hit in the Little League World Series. She is also the only
girl to ever throw a shut out game in the World Series. Yes, Mones sports stats are

impressive and I do hope we see more of this young girl in the years to come, but it is her
sense of self that I find most inspiring.
After seeing an interview of Mone and reading some of her quotes in the press, I not only
find her mature and compelling for her age, but she is also funny. For instance, when
talking about the predicted fame that she would encounter at the World Series, Mone said
in Sports Illustrated, People were like, 'Oh, there are going to be people running up to you
taking pictures and I thought it was going to be a bunch of little kids. But its grown-ups!
And thats, like, creepy,
I understand why Mone thinks it is creepy. What Mone doesnt understand is how she
inspires so many people, even adults. Mone is doing something so many of us have
dreamed of doing and not only that, she is busting down stereotypes and glass ceilings at
the same time. While watching Mone on CNN, she responded to a question about media
attention with the kind of tenacity that few people possess. The interviewer asked Mone,
How are you handling questions from the press that you might not want to answer or
requests for interviews that you might not want to give. Mone looked at the interviewer
and matter of factly replied, I just say, no. I wish more people would learn to just say no.
Number 5. Not everything worth talking about is happening to famous people or people in
the news, things are happening right here at Temple Beth David as well. Just over a year
ago, one of our younger members, Emi, asked if she could create a program modeled off of
Mishkan Israels Life is Delicious. Emi wanted to create this program as her Mitzvah
project for her Bat Mitzvah. Along with her mom, Shari and her sister, Zoe, Emi created
cooking it forward. Every month, Emi, her family, and many other volunteers at TBD
prepare meals and deliver them to Masters Manna in Wallingford.
As an estimate, Cooking it Forward has prepared around 500 meals to date and is
continuing to cook up a storm.
As most everyone here knows, Cooking it Forward is not the only way that TBD is
addressing food insecurity. Just this season, our Mitzvah Garden, with Larrys amazing

leadership and the devotion of many here today has produced nearly 1,500 pounds of
produce, and the garden is still producing. Both of these programs are incredible ways our
community is having an impact on the wider Connecticut community and they are as
important, as transformative, and as powerful as anything else on this list. Temple Beth
David is touching the lives of hundreds of people outside our congregation, we are making
real impact and effecting people in very personal ways.
Number 4. We are frighteningly close to a worldwide Ebola epidemic. While the epidemic
is nothing to celebrate, the curing of at least two American doctors who had Ebola is one of
the best things that happened this year. I am not interested in getting to philosophical
conversation about access to this new antidote and why these doctors were chosen while
thousands in Africa die. As we know, there are limited supplies of the antidote and the
FDA, along with drug companies are doing what they can to ramp up production so that
there will be wider availability of the serum. It is a miracle of human ingenuity that we
have hopefully found a cure for Ebola and when trials are over and the serum is widely
distributed, people all over the world, but especially in Western Africa can sleep a bit more
soundly at night.
Number 3. So many of us take the opportunity to visit our national parks whenever we can.
We know the benefit of having our earth preserved as close to natural conditions as
possible. Yet, many of us forget that most of the earth is covered by water rather than land.
Over the last few years, there has been a recognition that we need to do more to protect our
oceans, both to preserve their natural beauty and to ensure their health, which has been on
the decline for some time. While President Bush was in office, he created four maritime
monuments and preserved some 87,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean off-limits to
development and much fishing, this was some of the most significant marine preservation
in many decades. This summer, President Obama announced that he plans to expand the
monument in the Pacific to 782,000 square miles. The oceans are essential to our survival
on earth and protecting them is in our self-interest. For the staggering number of miles

President Obama is trying to protect, I believe this is one of the best things that happened
this year.
Number 2. All politics aside, ensuring the American public all have health insurance is one
of the best things that happened this year. Providing healthcare, including preventative
care, are core Jewish values. 800 years ago, Moses Maimonides wrote about this in his
Mishneh Torah, it is also codified in the Shuchan Aruch. Having healthcare in a city is one
of the ten requirements for any community. For far too long, too many Americans and
especially children did not have health insurance and so did not seek assistance from
doctors when they were sick. Today, by law, no one in America may be without health
insurance. This is a good thing and this is a Jewish thing.
Number 1. As some of you may know, I am a fan of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. He
was a giant of 20th Century Judaism and helped shape the Conservative and Reform
movements of today. My father-in-law, Larry, likes to tell a story about Heschel that I will
share with you now. His lectures, at universities and seminaries, in churches and
synagogues, would begin the same way. He would lean over the lectern and announce:
"Ladies and gentlemen, a great miracle has just occurred!"Members of the startled audience
would immediately cease talking, lean forward wondering, what miracle could have
happened? What miracle did they miss? He would then continue,"Ladies and gentlemen, a
great miracle has just take place...the sun has gone down."Now they would look at him
strangely, some taken aback, incredulous, others might snicker at the strange man with the
long beard and prophetic manner. Then he began to speak, and as he spoke, you began to
feel deeply embarrassed that the sun had gone down, and you didn't stop to notice. What
part of us has been surrendered when the sunset no longer inspires?
Weve spent the last 15 minutes talking about the wonderful things that happened this year.
There is much to celebrate. I would like to leave us with this final thought. For each of us,
every moment, every second that ticks by is pregnant with amazing possibilities. The sun
rising and the sun setting are reminders that we are still here. The world is still here and
there is still work to be done. The amazing things that have happened this year were

created and shaped by people, people just like you and me. When we live with a sense of
wonder and awe and when we hold on to the enduring truth that the world can be better
tomorrow than it is today, the possibilities for that tomorrow are endless. Lshanah Tovah
Umetikah. May it be a happy and sweet year for us all.