Rabbi Margie was away for our August Shabbat service and while we always miss her when she is gone, this did pave the way for Rose Spitzer to lead us in prayer before heading off to her freshman year at Clark University. As usual, Rose did a great job including delivering a great d’var, which she has graciously offered to let me share with you below. We will miss Rose and her exceptional contributions to our community. I understand that she is already taking Clark by storm.
Best,
Jen
president@shaareishalom.org
Shabbat – August 19
D’var by Rose Spitzer
Shabbat Shalom. As many of you know, this is my final Shabbat before I embark on my life as a student at Clark University. Looking back on my life as a part of the Sha’arei Shalom community, I appreciate how much I have learned and all of the opportunities I have had to grow into the person I am today. Clark students, often referred to as Clarkies, follow a motto, “Challenge Convention, Change Our World.” After sitting through quite a few seminars already with this phrase as the theme, one would think I would be quite tired of it; yet, it speaks to many different areas of my life and resonates with many people.
This week, Jews all over the world are celebrating a sometimes, overlooked holiday, Tu B’Av, translated to “the fifteenth of the month of Av”, just as Tu B’Shevat is the fifteenth of the month of Shevat. While some celebrate the holiday similarly to how we celebrate Valentine’s Day, many use this time to celebrate relationships with people in their families and appreciate members of their communities. In speaking to the theme of community celebration, I believe that Clark’s motto, “Challenge Convention, Change Our World” fits perfectly. Let’s break it down into its two parts. Challenge Convention. The idea of challenging norms and moving outside of the comfort zone is something that embodies us as a congregation here at Sha’arei Shalom. At Sha’arei Shalom, diversity has turned into the one thing that we all share. Rather than keeping services exactly the same, week after week, as a community we often adapt our services to create a peaceful and inviting space for everyone to enjoy. I have had the pleasure to help in changing the convention of how our Hebrew School students graduate from the Hebrew School and continue in being a part of our community. In seeing how members of my own Hebrew School class drifted from our community post-graduation, I was thrilled to take this past year’s B’nai Mitzvah class under my wing to push the boundaries of what happens once Hebrew School is over. Together we have discussed some of the ups and downs that are associated with the lifecycle progression and created a safe place to bring up the confusing or fragile components of religion, that may be difficult to bring forward to an adult or clergy. I am proud to say that through this journey with them, I have not only learned more about how teens navigate this process but also built friendships with them, for which I am truly grateful.
The “Change Our World” part of the motto is something that may seem as though it fits more easily with the idea of “love for our world” in Tu B’av. We often learn about changing or repairing our world, Tikkun Olam, in ways such as recycling, or lending a helping hand. Making the world a better place can be as simple as giving a compliment, or giving someone a shoulder to lean on when they need to cry or someone to laugh with when they need a community with whom to celebrate.
After I lead a service or tutor a student people ask me, “Have you ever considered being a Rabbi?” I tend to respond, “Thank you, that’s very kind but nope. Not for me.” I will never forget the day our previous Rabbi, Sonia Saltzman, looked at little 12 year old me in the eye and said, “What ever you grow up to be, do it with people – because that is where you shine.” At 12 years old I was over the moon. What a compliment coming from someone I admired so much, both as a role model in my spiritual life, and also an inspiration through her character. I hope in my time growing up here at Sha’arei Shalom, I have been able to pay this moment that Rabbi Sonia gave to me, forward to each and every one of you. As we each continue to do mitzvot for others, through acts of tzedakah and more, I challenge everyone to try and change someone’s world with your words. What may not seem powerful to you may be the sentence they take with them for the rest of their lives.
I do not want this to sound like a bat mitzvah speech, but I would be remiss if I didn’t thank each and every one of you for being my community and helping me to be so ready to embark on my next chapter. I will always consider Sha’arei Shalom my spiritual home and luckily I am not going that far away – so hopefully I will see you all again soon. I would like to thank my Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa and Evan for being so influential in my spiritual involvement as a member of Sha’arei Shalom. I don’t always know exactly how I am going to get it all done, but you all lend a helping hand in making my big ideas a reality. It would be impossible for me to thank each every member that has contributed to my life, but I would like to give a special thank you to Jane Greenstein, Jen Gordon and Lisa Clay. Each one of these women took a leap of faith and trusted me; whether it was to read Torah at High Holidays or B’nai Mitzvah or teach my own Hebrew School class, knowing they have complete faith in me means the world. Although she could not be here tonight, I would love to give a well-deserved thank you to Rabbi Margie. I am beyond grateful that even at 14 years old, she allowed me to have my own voice and opinion. From the time she took me out to coffee so I could ask all the ‘tough questions’ that had been on my mind, to calling me downstairs in my pajamas during Ritual Committee meetings to ask what page something was on in the Siddur or what tune we use for a certain prayer, she always values what I have to say. She has given me countless opportunities to grow into the leader I am today and provided wisdom and guidance throughout each process. Once again, thank you to everyone for coming tonight.
I would like to close with a blessing. May we all create a place within our community for anyone who needs a friend, use our words to motivate each other and to not only expand our comfort zones, but to step outside that zone and take a chance. And let us say, Amen. Shabbat Shalom.