Our Singing Congregation

Last week, as we do almost every week, we ate lunch on Shabbat, and stayed for a while to do a Shabbat- related activity. While most weeks we discuss something interesting or unusual about the weekly Torah reading, last week we sang Shabbat Zemirot.

The atmosphere was already conducive to singing. Our choir, under the able baton of Ben Isecke, added to our davening pleasure with a few short selections. Since I wanted to continue the feeling of spirited singing, I brought out our Zemirot booklets so that those who stayed would enjoy a few special Shabbat songs.

For me, singing Shabbat songs always brings back a certain magical feeling. I recall growing up in a synagogue, a large percentage of whose members came largely from Europe. These were mainly survivors of World War II, who had made their home in Yonkers, New York. They brought with them a rich history of songs they had learned from their communities, most of which had been wiped out during the Holocaust. They had every right to be melancholy; bitter. But, these people, who attended every Shabbat morning, and every Shabbat afternoon, came armed with something that surpassed the horrors of war. They came with an indefatigable faith in the Jewish way of life. They knew it was up to them to make sure to pass along that which they remembered from Europe. And, I was the beneficiary of that mission.

Every Shabbat afternoon, about an hour and a half before the end of Shabbos (I often use the Ashkenazic pronunciation, because that is the way they pronounced it, and that particular inflection is quintessentially "Jewish" for me), we would gather for the afternooon (Mincha) prayer, followed by Shaleshudes" (Seudah Shelisheet, in modern Hebrew, though that hardly rolls off my tongue that way the European phrase does).

After enjoying a light meal of herring, tuna fish and egg salad (lox was too expensive!), the men (it was always men, since they each felt a personal obligation to ensure a traditional minyan) began to sing Shabbat melodies - Yom Zeh Mechubad, Baruch El Elyon, Tzur Mishelo, and several others. It was impossible not to get caught up in the singing; it was vibrant, enthusiastic, and, towards the end, a bit sad, as all of us understood that the end of Shabbat was near, and we would have to wait another week before we could gather and capture the spirit of Shabbat.

But those were magical times; opportunities for me to glimpse a tiny fraction of glorified Jewish life..... I often wonder if our dogged pursuit of intellectual rigor in Conservative Judaism hasn't left us suspicious of expressing heartfelt passion. Moreover, the number of non- Orthodox people interested in observing Shabbat has not increased, further reducing the possibility of transmitting these gems. As we get further from the lifetimes of European Jews steeped in tradition, will their melodies and songs disappear with them, as well ?

I hope not. I'll continue to do my part to teach some of these melodies and Zemirot to those who are interested. Maybe some of my "students" will teach others, as well.

On the Importance of Kashrut

Several months ago, I taught an introduction to Judaism course. Several of our own YJC members enrolled, and came to understand deeper significances of Jewish tradition.

One class was devoted to Kashrut. Among the salient ideas I tried to get across is that Kashrut is far more than what they generally assume. Most people assume that since the Bible commands Jews to observe Kashrut, it is an ancient “ritualistic” or “religious” practice. Of course, this is true.

What many people do not grasp, however, is that this is a superficial understanding of what Kashrut is all about. Even supposedly religious Jews often miss the ethical aspect of observing Kashrut, keeping its rules only because the Torah commands it. While this is certainly a valid reason to keep it, and, perhaps, even laudable reason, it doesn’t go far enough in explaining why Kashrut is an ETHICAL IMPERATIVE. By this, I mean, that anyone who considers himself an ethical person, will, once he understands the ethical aspects of Kashrut, be forced to admit that, from now on, eating non-kosher meat is, simply put, unethical.

As a most basic example, the Torah forbids Jews from eating an animal which has died a painful death. This means, that, unless an animal has been slaughtered by a shochet, or ritual slaughterer, the chances are high that the animal has suffered prior to its death. Those seeking actual proof of this are advised to review the site: www.shechitauk.org . The London Board of Shechita, established more than 200 years ago, explains in detail each of the slaughtering methods used in the industry, and explains why shechita is superior to them all. The main reason cited, over and over, is that shechita is the quicket, least painful way for an animal to die. Only when we can be sure that we have taken the animal’s life as rapidly as we can may we eat of said animal.

The Conservative Jewish movement has launched a program, Magen Tzedek, which examines laws immediately relevant to Kashrut, well beyond the treatment of animals. Concerns such as the welfare of the workers who attend to these animals are equally important, and Judaism has a great deal to say about them. Magen Tzedek is gaining momentum, and the Rabbinical Assembly just issued a statement supporting the work of the Rabbis who initiated this excellent project.

I hope that even those who have never considered observing the rules of Kashrut will want to find out more about the ethical imperative behind this mitzvah; if not for God, then for the animals.