Voices of WRJ: Yom Kippur

We are in the midst of the High Holy Days-the days of awe, the days of repentance. Kol Nidre is upon us! As each of us sit in our seats with our respective congregations throughout North America and beyond, we will read our beautiful liturgy, we will listen to the haunting melody of Kol Nidre and we will have an opportunity to reflect and repent for our transgressions of the past year. So I begin my Shabbat message to all of my dear friends at WRJ, and I want to sincerely apologize if I have in any way hurt you and truly ask for your forgiveness. It occurs to me, that in the siddur, our dreams and aspirations are addressed in a unique manner. Instead of focusing on the broader picture, we spend much of Yom Kippur dwelling on the details of life. We count our sins both individually – there are 44 different sins expounded in al chet – and we count our sins categorically – there are 8 different sin offerings and punishments mentioned immediately afterwards. We speak of reward and especially punishment for these sins in detail. “Let us proclaim the sacred power of this day for it is awesome and full of dread.” So begins unetanah tokef written by Kalonymus ben Meshullam, a famed 11th century Jewish liturgical poet in Mayence. It continues with ‘who shall live and who shall die’, and it mentions the various methods of death to the point where we even distinguish between those who will die by strangling and those by stoning. Is there really a difference and does it really matter? What’s the lesson here? Some might say that the purpose of the prayer is to convey that we are rewarded for good behavior and punished for bad. However, our personal experience tells us that life doesn’t operate that way. Nonetheless, this poem is meant to strike us with fear with three ways to avert the severe decree - the penalty of death. They are prayer, charity, and repentance. This rabbinic teaching speaks in general terms of what one must do to avert the consequences of sin.  Perhaps the poet was trying to teach us a moral lesson - the lesson that what we do in this world matters. Even the little details matter. And though we may not be able to appreciate how it matters, it does -- it matters wholeheartedly! Perhaps, the poet was trying to teach us something beyond the theological; in a world where we cannot really know our purpose for being here, we can gain meaning in our lives by attending to the small details in our lives – by working to make the world a better place. In January of 1913, the WRJ journey began. As we celebrate our 100 years of existence, as with most milestones, we reflect. I have often wondered in awe as to why WRJ has been so successful. Was it because women were empowered to raise their voices for social justice and equality? Is our success due to the camaraderie of women in our sisterhoods? Is it because we learn and pray together? I believe it is everything combined. We have built upon our successes over the decades.  Our women’s groups are our blessing. But that blessing also imposes certain responsibilities on WRJ and on each of us. The book, Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, brought out some challenging insights. Let me share some of my thoughts with you… Lean in and join WRJ in our mission. Lean in and be part of our Centennial milestone. Lean in and be an active participant in your women’s groups. Lean in and be the best leader you can be. Lean in and have your voice heard and counted. In our sisterhoods, in our congregations, in our communities, we must continue to create a culture of opportunities where women are encouraged and motivated to ‘lean in.’ We are on the cusp of turning the page into WRJ’s next century. We, the women of WRJ, will continue the forward movement and continue to strengthen this historic and significant organization. We are dedicated, talented women who are committed to our continued success. It is now our turn to continue what our matriarchs started and put our vision to work because it matters and it matters wholeheartedly! At Ne'ilah, as you listen to the beautiful sound of the shofar think about what you do that matters. Let’s continue the journey together and ‘lean in’ to attend WRJ’s 49^th Assembly and Centennial Celebration December 11-15 in San Diego.