Reflecting on Israel

The big joke of the year-in Israel amongst my classmates hit its peak during the Purim Spiel when someone impersonating me stood up and said, “Hi, my name is Matt Cohen, song leader and membership coordinator of Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in Cleveland Ohio…” It was a very telling moment for me because that’s when I realized how much this place has become a part of me. I brought Fairmount Temple with me wherever I went. I constantly measured the level of spirituality of prayer services I had attended or lead by the level of spirituality I would attain within the walls of this building. I constantly longed for the sense of community that I felt here whenever I entered into the open doors of this community. When I felt down or discouraged, even at times doubtful of my ability to become a Rabbi, I was uplifted by the encouragement and strong support I have from my family here in this community, a community I call home. Now here I am, back at home.

When I deplaned in Cleveland two months ago I felt as if I had simply closed my eyes and upon waking, had more knowledge about Bible, Liturgy, Rabbinic Texts, History, proficiency in Hebrew, a few life-long friends and so many memorable experiences. The year of living and studying in Jerusalem was surreal. I look back at the pictures of my wife Erin and I standing in the backdrop of the Old City and it is hard for me to believe that place was our home for a year. When I look at the pictures I realize how much I had at my fingertips. For 2000 years the Jewish people longed to return home and yet here I was, walking to and from school everyday as if I were in any city, surrounded by Jews, of course. Here I was, a 25 minute walk from the center of the monothesitic world within the old city walls and yet I can count on my two hands how many times I found myself within her walls during the year. The entire biblical history of the Jewish people took place within walking distance of my apartment and yet I knew it was there anytime I wanted to see it. Here I was in a land plagued by violence and spilled blood for countless generations so that I may live freely as a Jew, yet I seldomly found myself grateful to safely make it to and from destinations. It was so easy to be a Jew. so easy to make the walk to the Old City a few more times, so easy to get a Kosher meal, walk around wearing a Kippah, pray in any synagogue, observe Shabbat, walk down Ben-Yehudah Street and shop for Judaica, eat falafel, and enjoy the Jerusalem atmosphere. I realized it was so easy to take it all for granted.

I was told before I began my undergraduate studies at Ohio State that some of the best educational opportunities will be gained by the hands-on experiences outside of the classroom. Instead of speaking to you about my daily regimen, work and study schedule, Historical sites and class trips to some of the most beautiful places in Israel, and the world, I will highlight the experiences that most shaped my perspective of world Jewry and the ones that I will continue to pass on and value throughout my life as a Jewish leader and member of the Jewish community.

Erin and I were afforded two very unique opportunities to venture outside of our comfort zones and see first-hand how Jews from other parts of the world live. The first opportunity was a weekly community service project in which we were assigned to a specific family in an Ethiopian absorption center just 10 minutes from Jerusalem. In Israel Ethiopian immigrants are given two years to settle in, learn the language and culture of Israel, and hopefully gain a sense of independence. The children go to school while the parents attend Hebrew and Judaism classes. Only some of the men are fortunate enough to get low-paying less-desirable jobs. Needless to say, many of the adults have a difficult time learning the new language while the children typically pick it up very quickly. This creates a challenging family dynamic in which the role of head-of-household lies in the hands of the children. The new immigrants’ reality is that they are completely segregated from Israeli society and have few opportunities to advance socially and economically. While all I had to do was pack my bags and show up on Israels doorstep, these families sacrificed everything they had in their native country to make a better life for themselves in Israel.

The family we were assigned to consisted of a mother, father and their 3 amazing daughters. Any given week there were at least 10 children from the neighborhood in the small 2 bedroom apartment and it took us quite a while to figure out which daughters belonged to our family. Unfortunately the language barrier was a bit too strong to communicate with the parents of our household and my Hebrew was certainly put to the test while communicating with the children. As time passed I was better able to translate for Erin.

The task was simple, we were to arrive at their home once a week for 2 hours and just spend time with the family. We had some art supplies and games for the kids but we made do with what we had. What Erin and I considered minimal and cheap kept the children occupied for hours week after week. Soon we learned it did not matter what we brought each week, whether it was a coloring book, paper airplanes, or a ball, what mattered most is that we made the effort to make these people feel loved and a part of Klal Yisrael. The smiles on the children's faces were priceless. Each week when the kids walked us back to our van, insisting they carry all of our belongings, it brought tears to my eyes. It was difficult to say good bye to our family at the end of the year. My time with family showed me first hand how so little can go such a long way but even more so, how important it is to recognize all Jews as part of Klal Yisrael.

This leads me to the second significant experience of the year. As many of you know, Erin and I along with 40 of my classmates and significant others traveled to various communities throughout the Former Soviet Union in order to help Jews celebrate the Passover holiday. We thought that we were their only link to the Jewish world, that we would be bringing Judaism to the lost people of the FSU. The many months we spent preparing and planning for this trip could not have possibly prepared us for what we experienced over the 8 days. The reality of the Jewish World of the FSU set in immediately following our second Seder in a town called Kerch.

From the moment we walked into the synagogue we recognized that this was not a struggling Jewish community. In fact, this particular congregation had over 1000 members. The synagogue had just about everything we have here at Fairmount Temple, community programs, weekly Shabbat and holiday services, a religious school, and even a beautiful museum that Jews from all over the country come to see. The only thing lacking in their community was a Rabbi however, we met and worked with Marina, the young lady who runs all of the Jewish programming and was just as, if not more capable than us to lead her community Seder. Prior to the Seder I leaned over to Erin and told her how odd I feel to be here, this community really does not need us. We lead the Seder along side of Marina and everything went smoothly. At the conclusion of the Seder an elderly woman stood up and said, “I just want to thank you so much for remembering us.” And that’s why we were there, not necessarily to bring our traditions and practices but to show them that they are a part of Klal Yisrael and we remember and recognize them.

The Rabbis taught, “Kol Yisrael arevim zeh lazeh”, All Jews are responsible for one another. It is so critical that we make every effort we can to recognize world Jewry. As I have seen first hand, so little can go such a long way. It did not matter what games and toys we brought to the Ethiopian children or which traditions or proper Seder formats we brought to the FSU. What did matter were our open hands and hearts extended to our fellow Jews outside of the mainstream Jewish world. Kol Yisrael arevim zeh lazeh begins by remembering and recognizing all Jews as authentic members of Klal Yisrael. Even more so, we must strive for “Kol echad arevim zeh lazeh,” Everyone is responsible for one another. May it be God’s will that we continue to have the resources and knowledge in our community to lend a helping and loving hand to all of Gods creations throughout the world AND may we always recognize and appreciate all that we have right here at our fingertips.

Shabbat Shalom

(Sermon delivered at Friday Evening Services, Fairmount Temple, 8-3-07)