The Charlotte Jewish News -October 2011 - Page 24
The Days of Awe: Spiritual Magic
Temple Or Olam is blessed
with a boy whose wide-open
nature is a constant reminder of
what really matters in this world.
The child has autism.
He tells us exactly what is on
his mind. He is without guile. He
does not know subtexts.
Recently, he led a prayer at a
Kabbalat Shabbat service. When
the last notes had been sung, he
announced to the congregation,
“This was the best prayer ever.”
Everyone in the room smiled
and nodded: It was the best prayer
ever. The boy had told us so. He
had spoken truly,
c.. Abracadabra!
Abracadabra is an Aramaic
phrase. Each word in the phrase
mirrors cognate words in Hebrew.
TTie first part of the word, abra
means “I create.” The second part
of the phrase, “cadabra” means
“like I speak.” When you say
“abracadabra,” you are saying, in
effect, “What I speak, I bring into
being.”
What are the Days of Awe if not
the opportunity to understand -
deeply - that by speaking, we cre
ate?
In Pri Ha’aretz, Rabbi
Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk
wrote with exquisite tenderness
about the power of speech. His
commentary on Parsha Vayera
states: “And he who speaks,
behold this person is creating new
l^5avens and new earth like that
which was at the beginning of cre
ation: ‘By the word of the LORD
Rabbi Barbara Thiede
the heavens were made’” (Ps.
33:6). Humankind is likened to
the Source of All Being, though
Menachem Mendel reminds us:
All true speech comes from the
Holy One of Blessing. True
speech is holy speech. Holy
speech is the manifesta
tion of divine shefa, ^
divine spirit flowing into
the real world. We our
selves are channels for
the Holy One. According
to Targum Bereishit, the
birth of humanity that we
celebrate each year on
Rosh Hashanah was
immediately accompa
nied with God’s loving gift of our
capacity for speech: “There was in
the body of Adam the inspiration
of a speaking spirit, unto the illu
mination of the eyes and the hear
ing of the ears.” The Holy One
fashioned humanity through
divine speech in Genesis 1. God’s
L
own creation inherited the capaci
ty to create, like God, through
speech.
What would godly words
sound like from human beings?
Surely we know. They would be
words of truth and possibility, of
kindness and understanding, of
forgiveness and atonement. They,
would be the very words of love.
This year, during Temple Or
Olam’s High Holy Days, we will
consider the power of our words.
A new year opens wide before us.
Let us name the things we must
make. By articulating those
things, by naming them through
prayer and reflection, we can
make them real.
Abracadabra.
Temple Or Olam is a Jewish
Renewal community that serves
Cabarrus county and parts of
Mecklenburg county
(including University
City, Davidson, and
Huntersville). We support
the full participation and
empowerment of all our
members regardless of
denominational back
ground, financial means,
age, or sexual orientation.
We encourage heartfelt,
easy access to all things Jewish.
For more information, please
visit our website, www.or-
olam.org and subscribe to bur
mailing list. You can also email us
at info@or-olam.org, or call 704-
720-7577.>>
Installation of Rabbi
Jonathan Freirich and
Cantor Mary Thomas
Join Temple Beth El for the
installation of Rabbi Jonathan
Freirich and Cantor Mary Thomas
on Friday night, November 4 at 8
PM. Through a moving service
O
0
Rabbi Jonathan Freirich
with inspired guest clergy to lead
us, Beth El will formally welcome
these bright and dynamic clergy to
our congregation. Rabbi French
has already enriched Beth El with
his learning and warmth as has
Cantor Thomas inspired us with
her voice and wisdom. Charlotte
is blessed to have both these new
leaders and invites you to join in
celebrating their place in our com
munity.
The installation speaker will be
Rabbi Myra Soifer, Emerita of
Temple Sinai in Reno, NV. For 25
years. Rabbi Soifer led Temple
Cantor Mary. Thomas
Sinai in Reno. In the 1970s, she
was among the first women clergy
to be ordained in the world. In the
1980s, as a visionary in that day,
she started an interfaith clergy
group that together studied and
examined social issues. For two
and half decades, she has been
activist and advocate for human
rights. Some of you, who are
longtime Charlotteans, might
remember Rabbi Soifer as she
served Beth El as a student rabbi
in the mid-1970s.
In addition to the spoken
words, the music of the evening
will also lift the occasion to high
er and holier levels as a guest
musician will join us to make the
celebration and ceremony of
installation complete. ■
A special time and place
just for mother ond child
to spend quality time
together in a warm Jewish
environment
Mondays 9:15 - lais am
October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
November 7, 14, 28
December 5, 12
Ages
iO-24 MTl
Led by Morah Jayme!
Creative Movement & Art
Jewish Songs &Themes
Social Development
Parenting Tips & Discussions
Schedule your
personal tour today!
704 364 8395
lnfo@JpsonsardiStOrg
Located afthe
Jewish Preschool
onSardis
6619 Sardis Rd.
♦
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To register or for more informaTFonplease
call the preschool office 704.364.8395
or visit our website www.JPSonSardis.org
The Jewish Preschool on Sardis
jpSOnsardi$.org S-Star Preschool
Early Childhood Development & Jewish Discovery