Bringing Shabbat to you.....

Shalom y'all!

It is the summer, which would normally mean that life kind of slows down a bit here at TKE.  However, since the High Holy Days are so early this year, this summer will be spent writing sermons, getting ready for the Jewish New Year and focusing on programming for next year.  It is true - I was hired to be part of the TKE team many reasons.  There is ONE primary reason, though - to attract young families!  Now that I have had a great year getting to know so many of you, it is time for me to refocus on that primary goal!

I have a lot of ideas...we have TKE Night Out on the Town - next week we will be going to Red Sky.  We have these monthly events to not only bring us together to celebrate what IS TKE, but also to give your friends a chance to learn about us.  There is also going to be a Mommy and Me playgroup started very soon - more info on that later.  I do have one idea that I would like to get started on...asap!

Do you have young kids?  Do you feel that coming to TKE for services on Friday night sounds like an impossibility?  I am sure you are not alone.  So, here is what I propose.  I would like to begin a program that focuses on bringing Shabbat to you in your homes!  What I am asking for right now is a group of 5-10 families who would host these dinners/programs.  The first event will be at my home...and we will then venture out into the homes of others.  Hosting is easy - and I will help!

We will have these events once a month and eventually I hope that this will lead to many "smaller" groups of gatherings.  Of course, we will begin with dinner...and then follow with some sort of program - whether it be a Shabbat discussion or a short educational program.  These events will be crafted to meet the needs of those who participate.  Questions - shoot me an email: rabbiboxt@kolemeth.net.

Keep your eyes and ears open for more to come!!!

Temple Kol Emeth - Big Enough for me, you and 1000 of your friends!!!

Shalom y'all!

This blog is different.  Yes, there are many things I could write about...certainly the catastrophe that has hit Oklahoma this week is important to address.  My thoughts and prayers are with all of those that were affected...I wish for you a speedy return to "normalcy."

However, this blog is about Temple Kol Emeth and my dedication and renewed focus on growing, growing, growing!!!  Look - the numbers tell me that there is a VERY large % of unaffiliated families in the Atlanta area.  Maybe some of you are looking for the right place.  Maybe some of you are looking for a place where you will meet people your own age.  Maybe you have young children and you want your kids to meet other Jewish kids.  Or, maybe you are in an interfaith relationship and you are unsure of what to do.  Well, I will make this easy for you - come see me!  That's right...Temple Kol Emeth is a very unique and special place.  We welcome all kinds of people...all shapes and sizes!

Temple Kol Emeth is kind of like that "one size fits all" item.  Yep...for 30 years, we have been building a community of inclusion and togetherness.  And, when I tell you that you would feel welcome here...I am 100% serious.  We have a culture of "yes" here at Temple Kol Emeth - in our life cycle events, our services, our classes, etc.  Is there something you want to learn about?  Let us know...want to do an unusual or awesomely new kind of service...let us know!

Family, family, family...that is what we are here at TKE.  This is NOT lip service, it's the real deal.  Ask any of our members/owners and they will tell you.

SERIOUSLY, are you still not convinced?  Ok - do this...come out and check us out.  Check our website for all of our upcoming activities: www.kolemeth.net.  Join us at Yogli Mogli on Johnson Ferry Road Thursday night...celebrate the end of school from 6-8 pm.  Have a great time with your TKE friends and family.  You will NOT regret it.

Questions, comments, thoughts - come see me or you can email me: rabbiboxt@kolemeth.net.

I look forward to welcoming you into the Temple Kol Emeth family!!!

Rabbi Erin Boxt

Another STEP in the Right Direction....

Shalom y'all!

So, I am sure everyone has read about/heard/seen the news regarding the first American Major Sports athlete to "come out" publicly.  My initial reaction to this announcement was:

"I do applaud Jason's courage. However, we must also recognize the bravery and sacrifices of the multitudes of people around the world who find themselves in a very difficult situation every day just because of who they are...let Jason's example lead us to a place where everyone can be who they are in freedom and without being challenged for being themselves."

I was and still am proud of Jason's courage and his decision to publicly announce what he has had to hide for most of his life.  I was left, though, with a feeling of - "What about the others, those who are not professional athletes?  What about those who are not celebrities?  What about those who have suffered and continue to suffer for being who they are?"  

I spent most of yesterday thinking about this blog.  What did I want to say?  Sure - I wanted to show support for Jason Collins and for all of my brothers and sisters in the world who are gay/lesbian/bi-sexual/trans/etc.  Living in Atlanta, Georgia (or just outside of it), I see too often negativity from those who do not feel the way I do.  I also am not one to throw out negativity toward those who disagree with me.  What I do wonder about, what I spend a lot of time thinking about...what will it take for equality to really/truly mean equality for all people?

So there it is.  My intentions are clear (at least to me).  Let me explain.  While I was thinking yesterday, I contacted my good friend Bruce Silverman.  Bruce and I have known each other for a LONG time (about 30 years).  He was a counselor and unit head at Camp Coleman when I was a camper.  He gave me a lot of crap over the years...and we have really grown to be good friends.  So, when he contacts me and asks me to come on his show as "his Rabbi," or "his Padre," of course I do so.  When I have a question about anything related to sports - Bruce is my first line of defense!  

Before I write about our conversation - let me give Bruce his due respect.  You see, Bruce wrote a blog back in February entitled, "Homosexuality in Sports: Who will be the Gay Jackie Robinson?"  Bruce could see the message so clear - someone would come out publicly...and it would be soon.  Here is a link to his blog:

http://silvermanonsports.com/2013/02/12/homosexuality-in-sports-who-will-be-the-gay-jackie-robinson/.

That's right, my good friend the Prophet - Bruce Silverman!

Now, onto the heart of our discussion.  I asked Bruce a lot of questions...focused on one key idea.  Why now?  Why so public?  Why not just wait until the Sports Illustrated article arrived on our doorsteps next week?  And, why, if Jason intended on not making this a "bigger deal," would he be so public?

Bruce's answers were pretty well thought out and made a lot of sense.  If Jason had waited until next week, the article would have been leaked and it would have been a lot messier than just making it public himself.  Apparently, this "secret" has been held by Sports Illustrated for a few weeks - so you have to give credit to them for keeping it secret as long as they did.  Jason Collins - who is that?  Well, he is a journeyman player who has played for a lot of teams and with a lot of players.  Therefore, he is someone well known in the NBA world, but not a superstar.  After all, if a superstar had come out, the news would have been about the SUPERSTAR, rather than the courage of the act of coming out to the public.

So, I guess the question now is: Will this really make a difference?  Yes, there have been many people who have responded in support of Jason: Kobe Bryant, David Stern, Wade Davis (NFL), Grant Hill, President Obama, etc.  This is a great response.  But, will it matter?

Here is part of an article from the LA Times:

"Now that Collins has come out, gay rights activists are hoping athletes will no longer need to choose between truth and a career.


"This is the first domino," said Patrick Burke, a scout with hockey's Philadelphia Flyers and the founder of You Can Play, a group advocating equality for athletes regardless of sexual orientation. "The floodgates are about to open here."


National political leaders, gay rights groups and entertainment icons also spoke in support of Collins.

"Major league sports has remained one of the last bastions of homophobia, but that has slowly been changing,” said L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center spokesman Jim Key in an email. "This announcement has been a long time coming. We're incredibly grateful and proud of Jason Collins for being open about his sexual orientation and for the role he'll play in inspiring [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] youth.”


Aaron McQuade, head of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation sports program, called Collins an "exceptionally courageous man" and quipped that the NBA star was also "honestly, a really great defender."


McQuade and others described Collins as a trailblazer -- the only active player in the five major men's professional sports leagues to come out -- and that others would see his example and the support he gets and likely follow in kind. He said he hoped to see a cascade of professional athletes in the five major sports to follow suit."


I share the same hope for the future. I hope that the goodwill being shown to Jason Collins continues for him. I hope that other professional athletes will see the example of Jason Collins as the opportunity to be who they truly are, not just privately, but also publicly.


But, do you know what I hope for more than anything else? I hope that this will lead each of us to recognize that we are all equal, regardless of sex, color, culture, religion or sexual preference.


That is my ultimate message. May we all see the day when equality = equality.


As it says in Leviticus: Ve’ahavta Lere’acha Kamocha (Leviticus 19:18) "And you shall love your neighbor as yourself."


Kein Yehi Ratzon - May this be God's will!


Rabbi Erin Boxt

What are YOU doing these days?

Greetings friends and family!  Or, should I say How y'all doing?

Anyway, it is the end of April and I am wondering what you are doing - not just this week, but this month, next month, this summer.  Well, let me tell you what I am doing:

Friday, April 26 - Friday Night Live @ TKE
Saturday, April 27 - Celebrating with Adam Singer and Evy Eckber
Sunday, April 28 - Cutting my hair (It's Lag Ba'Omer)
Monday, April 29 - Out on the Town with TKE @ Paper Mill Village

Sunday, May 5 - Last Day of Religious School & TKE Annual Meeting
May 10-12 - Camp Coleman Retreat
June/July - Spending some time at Camp Coleman to visit our TKE kids
MUCH, MUCH MORE!!!

There is so much going on this week, this month and next.  While your kids are at camp this summer, how about taking a class with Sandy Andron and myself?  Or, maybe you can take a Saturday morning or Wednesday morning Torah Study class.  Here in TKE land, we are always looking for more ways to get out there and stay in touch with our people and meet new ones.  Have an idea?  Shoot me an email, call me or send me a text.

Keep your eyes open for some new and amazing programs that will start to be advertised asap!  We are getting ready for a great year.  If you have friends who are looking for a Jewish home...send them our way!

Until next time, B'Shalom,
Rabbi Erin Boxt

When "going home" becomes harder...

I won't lie.  I was not exactly the easiest kid to love.  I was a talker (and I still am), I was a "know-it-all," and I did not really understand many things I was expected to.  What I can say, for certain, though, is that I was surrounded by an extended family that really truly loved me.  Growing up in Columbia, SC, I was surrounded by aunts and uncles, cousins and so many more.  However, some of my fondest memories were spending time with my Nana at her home on Wheat Street.  She was a very important presence in the lives of myself, my brother and sister, my parents, my aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.  Nana was always seen as the strongest.  After all, she was a teacher, a principal and so much more.  Not only did she graduate from college, she pursued and finished post graduate work.  She was rare - and so, so special.

Now that I am the parent of a wonderful 7 year old, I find myself reflecting often of those memories I had.  It is not so normal these days for a child's grandparents to live in the same town.  Sure, grandparents make many, many visits...but for me, it meant so much to have my Nana a 20 minute drive away.  And, when I was a kid, long distance calls really did cost a lot of money.  So, it was awesome to be able to pick up the phone and call Nana without worrying the call would cost an arm and a leg.  We traveled to Myrtle Beach together many, many times.  Nana even purchased a mobile home in N. Myrtle Beach so all of her family would have a free place to stay if we wanted to go to the beach.  So many memories...

A few weeks ago, Batya reminded me that Nana's birthday was coming up.  Immediately I began to think about how I wanted Carlie to know and have a relationship with my Nana, her BoNana!  So, we began to plan for a visit to Columbia.  Well, ever since my Mom died in 2004, whenever we visit Columbia, we always go to the cemetery to visit my Mom, Carlie's Nana.  It truly is a blessing to live so close to Columbia...Ok, we'd leave Saturday morning, drive straight to visit Nana and then go visit Mom.  We always try to work in at least one meal with friends and family (again a blessing to be so close).  Candy, my mom's youngest sibling, emailed me prior to our visit to remind me that Nana was suffering from Dementia ..and she wanted me to be prepared (and also to prepare Carlie).

We told Carlie that BoNana might ask her the same question a few times...and Carlie was a true champ.  She certainly did not mind giving Nana 8 hugs in the 45 minutes we visited with her!    

"One way to conceive of dementia is as a midbar, a wilderness.  For the Israelites, the forty years of sojourning in the midbar after their liberation from slavery were mysterious and difficult: They wandered with few markers toward an unknown destination; they could not sustain themselves without divine help; they were vulnerable to unsympathetic people they met along the way and to the harsh realities of nature; they could not return to the place of their memories, Egypt; and they could not truly imagine what lay ahead." (Jewish Pastoral Care: A Practical Handbook from Traditional and Contemporary Sources, Rabbi Dayle Friedman, pg. 78)

It was truly a wonderful experience to see Nana and to allow Batya and Carlie to hug her and show her how much she is loved.  It really does not matter to me if Nana remembers today that we visited.  It does not even matter if she forgot right after we left.  What Nana is experiencing is much scarier for her than any of us could possibly imagine.  She joked about the fact that she really does not matter much.  It did not even appear that she was bothered by not remembering.  But, how can we know?  How could I possibly understand what she is experiencing?  It is not for me to understand.  What I (and everyone else that loves her) can do is to visit with her, to love her and make sure that she is comfortable.  

Now, I do not for a moment believe that it is any easier for her family to experience this.  After all, we are also experiencing a difficult time.  It may be confusing for Nana...but it is heart wrenching for those of us that love her.  And, it is important that we remember the good times and celebrate with her - even if she does not remember.  She remembers who we are...and by celebrating with her, she is happy then...and that is what matters.  Of course, each of us deals with the realities of our family members in our own way.  And while there are many "right" ways of experiencing these moments with our loved ones, there is a wrong way: We cannot forget.  We must remember for them...we must be their memories and help them.  And, if they are frustrated or angered because they do not remember, we need to be sensitive and remind them how much we care for them NOW.

I had every intention of writing this blog Saturday night - we visited with Nana Saturday afternoon.  However, I was and am still dealing with my own feelings regarding those experiences with Nana.  What I know for sure is that every time I am able, I will take Carlie to visit Nana...so that that connection can be remembered.  Pictures, words, memories...

Rabbi Erin Boxt

An Invocation

Shalom y'all!

I was invited to give the invocation at Cobb County Community Relations Council's "Creating Community Awards Dinner" on Thursday, March 21.  I considered this to be an immense honor for a variety of reasons: 1) I have always tried to live my life by treating all people with the same love and respect I would expect,
2) The most important aspect of my rabbinate is my commitment to social justice,
3) I am still pretty new to the community.

However, there was one more reason.  Henry Hene, one of Temple Kol Emeth's Senior Vice Presidents, was in attendance.  Henry, Chairman of the Board of the Interfaith Habitat for Humanity Coalition in Cobb County, along with many other members of the Board of the Interfaith Habitat for Humanity Coalition, were nominees for one of the Cobb County Community Awards.  Not only have I been blessed to participate with this group, I was even more honored and excited when they were awarded the award for District 2.  Henry, along with everyone else who has been involved with this group, has really gone out of his way to devote his life to seeking understanding and peace among all people.  

Whenever I am asked to give an invocation or a benediction, I think about how I might inspire those who have already inspired me in so many ways.  Truthfully, at least in my opinion, being a rabbi in a community comes with so many honors and blessings (not the least of which is being able to meet and befriend so many people).  For this blog, I decided to include the invocation I gave.  May it inspire you as I have been inspired by the acts and words of so many others!

Invocation – Creating Community Awards Dinner

Cobb County Relations Council

Thursday, March 21, 2013

        Beloved God, tonight, like many nights, is a night to count our blessings.  Tonight we come together to recognize and thank those individuals in our community who have gone above and beyond in promoting a community of peace and friendship.  While we congratulate these individuals and thank them for their good deeds, we are also mindful of those in our community who are still in need, recognizing we still have much to do.

         

        In a world in which there exists so much hatred, so much pain, we often forget to think about all of the greatness also present in our world.  Here in Cobb County, we are able to celebrate the hard working men and women who work to promote a sense of real inclusion.  It is these positive relationships among our different groups that bring us together this evening.

 

One of the most energizing facets of our community is the many opportunities present for people to join together, to pray, to learn together, and so many other ways.  It is in those moments that the differences between our groups are blurred.  Those moments of communal togetherness can help to bring clarity and comfort to even the most confused or hurting.  As we pray together this evening, let us take some time to really listen to the sounds of those around us, satisfying our own needs while fulfilling our obligations to God and to our community.

As we break bread together this evening, I ask God to continue to bless us with good health, friendship, love and blessings. 

I end this evening with a verse from Proverbs:

Proverbs 21:21 - He that follows after righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor.

Amen.

 

Rabbis Coming Together to "Shift"

Shalom Y'all!

When I decided to travel to Long Beach, California for the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) conference, I was full of a lot of emotion.  I was excited, nervous, inspired, intimidated and a little frightened.  This was going to be the first time in my life in which I was going to be in a room full of 500 rabbis...500 colleagues...500 new friends.  Looking over the conference program schedule, I began to become even more excited as I was preparing myself for what would be an amazing learning experience.

Here we are, almost finished with Day 2 of the conference...and I find myself inspired, energized and ready to apply what I have learned in my daily life.  And, yet, we have 2 more full days left...so much more to soak in, so much more to reflect upon.  I do realize that one of the most important aspects of my job/life as a rabbi is the powerful responsibility I have with regards to applying my experiences and knowledge with my congregants.  After all, my experiences will be worth so much more to me if I am able to pass on these experiences and life changing events to those I serve.

And, yet, there is a little bit of this grand conference experience that I claim for my own.  I need to be able to reflect upon this convention...reflect upon the many conversations and ideas that have been presented to me.  I need to be able to think about and decide for myself what I want to teach and share with my community.  The theme of our convention is "Rabbis Leading the Shift: Jewish Possibility in a Rapidly Changing World."  Therefore, it is incredibly important that I AM able and WILLING to share these ideas, thoughts, etc. with my community.  I need to make these decisions, and I know my community trusts me and will allow me to do so.

So, what have I learned or thought about so far?  We have spent a lot of time today speaking about the Jewish responsibility to those in our world - and more specifically to those in our beloved United States who are living in situations less equal to others.  And, yet, I find myself torn between my desire to work with those in our Atlanta community and those in the larger US community and even further to the Global community.  And, thus, these questions make up the bulk of what I am required and what I need to consider and reflect upon.  

Where does that leave me (us)?  Well, the conversation, the shift has begun.  It is up to us as a community to come together and work together.  The first step, however, is my reflecting upon and sharing with my community these thoughts and experiences.  However, I cannot do these reflections alone.  I need members of my community to come together with me to discuss and decipher these thoughts and experiences.

That is where we are - let's continue the shift that has begun!

Kein Yehi Ratzon....may this be God's Will.

Rabbi Erin Boxt