President's Column - January 2017

This time of year I always find myself thinking about resolutions for the coming year (as do we all), and the fact that we often separate our spiritual resolutions made during the Jewish New Year from the secular resolutions made in January. Looking back, I see that I wrote about this last January, but it’s worth revisiting.

I was speaking recently to a TBT congregant about the challenge of leading a spiritually meaningful life while trying to juggle the seemingly insurmountable tasks required of our secular work day. This might be a little easier for those of us in fields such as medicine, nursing, or teaching, but what for people whose daily lives are more removed from the service of others? Is there a spiritually satisfying way of getting through your email? Of making up a budget? Of carpooling?

Our answer, obviously enough, can be found in our liturgical tradition, in the practice of gratitude. Our tradition teaches us to be thankful for just about everything: the light of day, the gift of waking up to a new day, the miracle of our bodies, the food we eat, not to mention the loved ones in our lives and our many personal comforts. While it may initially seem trite if you are not used to approaching gratitude in this way, it can be very grounding and orienting. I urge you to give it a try. Here’s a tip - I do it when I’m sitting in traffice; I find it turns a personally frustrating experience into an opportunity for reflection.

This year, instead of groaning about waking up early, I’m going to try to be more thankful for the gift of two legs to run with, the gift of hearing as I pop my iPod headphones into my ears, and the gift of yet another year to try (hopefully more successfully this year), to exercise. If I don’t get in better shape physically, at least I will get into better shape spiritually!

Happy New Year, and L’shalom,
Stu Weinzimer, President

Rabbi's Column - January 2017

Dear Friends,
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s words continue to instruct:
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

It is our job to focus on the light and love; our job to create light and to reach out in love. That is why I am thrilled to participate in a Hartmann Institute conference on Martin Luther King Day on "Jews and Muslims in America Today: Political Challenges and Moral Opportunitiees." Notable speakers include Representative Keith Ellison from Minnesota, the first elected Muslim to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, and Jeffrey Goldberg, the Editor-in-Chief of the Atlantic. It is much easier to talk about the needed friendship between Jews and Muslims than it is to engage. Engage we will as we religious leaders seize the opportunity to sit in a room filled with Jews and Muslims, to focus on the moral obligations and political challenges that face our communities today.

The month of January also means a new president for our country. Donald Trump will become President Trump on January 20th. I wish him every success. May he have the wisdom and the courage to lead and guide our country in a way that improves the lives of us all, most notable the poor and disenfranchised; may he usher in an era that strengthens our country and the entire world.

The day after the inauguration I will be in Washington, D.C., participating in the Women’s March on Washington. Nancy and I will be there together to encourage our President and all our governmental leaders to champion women’s values, values that coincide with Reform Jewish values: equal rights, equal pay, and equal dignity, equal access to quality health care, including the right to make that most critical of personal health decisions regarding abortion.

As we venture into this new era of American life, we are guided once again by the words of Dr. Martin Luther King:

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

I implore each of us to stand always on the side of justice and of truth.

L'Shalom
Rabbi Stacy K. Offner

President's Column - December 2016

As winter approaches, we all have a tendency to "hunker down." Perhaps it is some vestigial behavior arising from an ancient and primitive time; as food became scarce, and the hours of daylight diminished, there was a good reason to stay inside, out of harm’s way. Or perhaps it is a more adaptive response to the vicissitudes of Shoreline weather: our beautiful, crisp, golden days of late giving way to cold, wet, wind, and slush.

No coincidence, then that our main winter holiday, Chanukah, is a celebration of light. Not just actual, physical light, but also spiritual light. It takes light to beat back the fear of the dark, and it also takes light to bring people together, whether it is in work of rededicating the Temple, our rejuvenating our synagogue, or in the weekly rhythms of prayer, study, and community. There is an underlying fundamental relationship between light and gathering. Not just moths, but we too are drawn to a flame.

There are many opportunities to gather in the light here at TBT, even in the dark of winter. For those of you who do not have to navigate the "December dilemma," and will be in town on Friday, December 30th, we will have a fun 7th Night of Chanukah here at TBT, at which time we will gather and light our Shabbat and Chanukah candles. But we also have many other ways to gather together and bring light to each other - worshipping together on Shabbat and sharing the light of our Shabbat candles; performing acts of social justice and being ethical lights to our community and world; and learning together, illuminating the texts and narratives of our Jewish tradition.

My wish and hope for you, as we come to the end of our secular year, and prepare for the next, is that you come out and join us for all that we can bring to each other; for whatever our building surrounds and our activities promote, we are, after all, a holy community, bringing each other into our light.

L'Shalom,
Stu Weinzimer

Rabbi's Column - December 2016

Dear Friends,

Chanukah is a wondrous holiday in its simplicity. We light candles and gaze upon the light. We add one more candle each day, increasing the light, the beauty, and the joy. While those candles are burning low we need to pause for a moment to remember why it is we light those candles. Some 2,000 years ago a King reigned in Syria who took control of the land of Israel. He insisted that the Jewish people observe the Greco-Syrian customs of the day. He denied us the right to practice our own religion. He went even further and made sure that our holiest space in the world would be desecrated. Pigs were sacrificed on the altar in an effort to destroy not only the Temple, but the spirit of the Jews.

Instead, it did just the opposite. It enflamed the Jews. It returned us to our core. The Maccabean

rebellion went on for three years, after which time they returned to the Temple, cleaned and refurbished it, and rededicated it to Jewish life.

It is for this act of rededication that the holiday of Chanukah was named. "Chanukah" means "to dedicate."

Rededicating Jewish holy space is what we will be focusing on this year at TBT. We hope to have our own "Springtime Chanukah" when we rededicate our own Temple on our 40th Anniversary in May.

Looking forward to celebrating Chanukah with you and reflecting on the dedication of the Jewish people and the rededication of TBT.

L'Shalom,
Rabbi Stacy K. Offner

President's Column - November 2016

I’m sitting in my sukkah this morning, thinking about a lot of things - the beauty of our natural world, the passing of the seasons, the fragility of life, and mostly about gratitude: gratitude for living in a place with such abundance, gratitude for my health and the health of my loved ones, and gratitude for all of you at TBT who made these past High Holy Days so special, who enabled me to "step out of time" and really focus on the work of teshuvah.

Gratitude for the Rabbi, who led us so thoughtfully through our prayer and challenged us so eloquently with her words; gratitude for the Cantor, who led us so beautifully in song, who transported us to places with music and the spaces in between the music; gratitude for our choir, Walter Stutzman our accompanist, Josh Stern our cellist, Patti Smith-Romanski and Chad Hardin, for their beautiful rendition of our Kol Nidrei; gratitude for Jason Gaines, who educated us and revealed to us startling new ways to think about the Torah; gratitude for our beautiful flower arrangement, lovingly donated by members of our congregation; and gratitude for all the readers, chanters, Torah holders and dressers, who in your participation, remind us that teshuvah is indeed a communal act.

I am especially grateful for a number of people who were perhaps less visible to you, but were vital to the successful conduct of our High Holy Day worship, who behind the scenes, or downstairs with the kids, or outside in the parking lot, ensured our safety, comfort, and peace of mind: Douglas Agranov, our lead usher, and his crew - Al Goldberg, Jonathan Levine, and Dick Whelan; our "on-call" medical team, Drs. Dan Greif, Dan Jacoby, John Foggle, and Lynda Rosenfeld, who were ready to provide valuable assistance as needed; Jason Gaines, Suzy Frisch, and Kate Rothstein, who with Karen Goldberg and Stephanie Condoluci (our youth group advisor) and a small batallion of Salty BBYO kids, kept our young ones engaged during our Parallel Youth Services; and Ted Langevin and his crew of parking ushers, including Joel Galvin, Ken Rosenberg, Josh Copel, David Harding, Mark Bluemling, Jack Srebnik, David Sokoloff, John Lesage, Scott Casper, Bill Lee, Phil Goldberg, Walter Spigelman, and David Kaplan, and representatives from the Madison Police Department, who kept us all moving but not colliding; and for the Pauls, Beckmans, Baggishes, Grebels, Zollshans, and Meyers, who ended our fast with an amazing array of yummy Yom Kippur comfort food.

And finally, our absolutely indispensable and dedicated TBT team - Kim Romine, Bonnie Mahon, Len Dwarica, and Dyanna Green, who work so diligently every day to do whatever has to be done whenever it has to be done, with enthusiasm, competence, and grace. You truly enrich our home with your commitment to us.

B’shalom,
Stu Weinzimer

Rabbi's Column - November 2016

As I write this column for November, I am still awash in the majesty and imagery of our High Holy Days. I can’t quite let go of them just yet, so permit me to begin this column with a THANK YOU to all of you who came with open hearts and open minds and ready souls. The intensity of sitting in shul for just about 24 non-stop hours is boggling. The words, the prayers, the readings, the presence of community all around, each do their part in making us truly reflect upon our lives. I hope that you were inspired to incorporate some of the important messages into your own life.

Being in synagogue all day with nothing else to do and no interruptions is actually quite a luxury - more than ever, in these days of non-stop beeps and texts and schedules. Of course this was a luxury created by so many people here at TBT that made our Holy Days possible. I must take a moment to praise our staff. We are truly ‘teammates.’ A big round of applause goes to our Administrator, Kim Romine and our Office/Clergy Assistant,

Bonnie Mahon, both of whom worked non-stop to make sure we were ready for the holidays.

Our volunteers were incredible. Thank you to Lisa Leventhal for all you did to make sure we had a wealth of participants involved in the service. Thank you to Doug Agranov and all our Ushers. Thank you to Shaun Glazier for the most spectacular floral arrangements. Thank you to our medical team: Dan Jacoby, Dan Greif, Lynda Rosenfeld, and John Foggle for allowing us to rest easy knowing you were on call for us. Thank you the entire Board of Directors for being wonderful Greeters.

Thank you to Sam Rader for an incredibly inspiring sermonette, inviting all of us to go through the portals of holiness. Jason Gaines led a fabulous study session on Cain & Abel. His reputation is growing as the library was full to overflowing. All our Torah and

Haftarah readers prepared and chanted with loving care.

Our Children’s Programming was better than ever - thanks to Kate Rothstein, Suzy Frisch, and our magnificent Salty BBYO youth group, led so wonderfully by our Salty Advisor, Stephanie Condoluci. Thank you to Judy Merriam for hosting our Tashlich Service and opening up the power and beauty of the shoreline waters for us to ritually cast away our sins, led ably by Cantor Margolius.

To Ted Langevin and the Parking Lot Crew - you are the first welcome as we enter, and welcome us you do! Thank you, thank you. Len and Dyanna are such a blessing - they are more than ‘custodians;’ they are a part of our TBT family. Bennett Paul and the Break-the-Fast crew provide a spread worthy of the wait until that last blast on the Shofar - thank you Eli Sherer and Jen Silva.

Cantor Margolius, now in his fourth year here at TBT, only gets better and better and better. He is truly an expert in Jewish liturgical text, and he combines that with a beautiful voice and a caring spirit. And the choir! Just breathtaking. With Walter Stutzman on the piano, and sometimes Stu Weinzimer, who also doubles as our fearless president, life is good.

How blessed we are! And now we look onward to November: our Scholar-in-Residence Weekend 11/12/13, our Interfaith Thanksgiving Program with all the community churches and our synagogue, and so much more. Peruse your Shofar, see for yourself, and come and join us.

L’Shalom,
Rabbi Stacy K. Offner

President's Column - October 2016

We are right in it now. As this column reaches you we will probably already have spent the evening together for Erev Rosh HaShanah, and perhaps the morning as well. I wonder if Rosh HaShanah calls to mind for you what it always does for me: the great duality of our calendar. On the one hand, the circle of the year: the seasons change, and we roll around to begin the cycle again. But on the other hand, the linearity of time; we are writing our own history, both individually and collectively, and while each year reassures with the opportunity for a "fresh start," it also reminds us, warns us, that time is passing, and with it, opportunities.

It seems a fitting time for me to reflect on our accomplishments this past year as a community, and our ongoing challenges. There were joyous and hopeful times: we welcomed new families, celebrated life cycle events, prayed, and learned together. We helped a Syrian family negotiate an arduous move to a new home on the Shoreline. Our amazing clergy and staff have led us, supported us, and cared for us. Our Board has wrestled with and agreed on, policies and procedures designed to foster inclusiveness, safeguard our financial future, and live the principles of Reform Judaism in all our interactions. But we have also missed opportunities as well: failed to connect with some in our community who continue to feel alone, isolated, unwelcome, or uninvited. We have missed opportunities to grow, either spiritually, ethically, or interpersonally. We have had wonderful ideas but have not always delivered on them.

TBT is, as we all are, a "work in progress." While we can’t roll back the time we have lost, we can use the opportunity presented by the New Year to commit to our goals of making TBT a place where you feel connected, engaged, sometimes challenged, and always welcomed. With your help, we will continue this work together.

L’Shanah Tovah Tikateivu - May you and your loved ones be written in the Book of Life for a good New Year.

Stu Weinzimer

Rabbi's Column - October 2016

October 1, 2016

Dear Friends,

Finally! The New Year is upon us. If it seems like forever since last New Year...this time...You are right. Yes, technically they fall at the same time every year, but this last year was a leap year and we inserted an entire extra month into the year. So it has been 13 months rather than 12.

Did you know that the Jewish calendar is the only calendar in the world that is both solar and lunar? The Christian calendar is solar and the Muslim calendar is lunar. The Jewish calendar revolves around the cycles of the moon, but we do make seasonal corrections according to the sun - assuring us that while Rosh HaShanah can come as early as the beginning of September or as late, like this year, as October - you can rest assured that our New Year will always be a Fall holiday.

There is so much to consider this Fall as we turn from the Jewish year of 5776 to 5777. Our music will be transportive; we are so grateful for Cantor Margolius and all he does with his heart, his soul, and his vocal cords.

The sounds of the shofar, the sounds of the choir, the sounds of your chairs shuffling on the floor, all bring a tinge of excitement to the crisp Autumn air.

I am delighted to share these sermons with you:
Erev Rosh HaShanah: "Commanded to Hope"
Rosh HaShanah Morning: "The Art of Civility"
Kol Nidre: "The Sin of Certainty"
Yom Kippur Morning: "Opening Doors"

Our holidays would not be possible without the extraordinary behind-the-scenes work of our
Administrator, Kim Romine and our Administrative Assistant, Bonnie Mahon. They help to make this new year sweet.

L’Shana Tova Tikateivu,

May you and your loved ones be written in the Book of Life for good health, much happiness, and a good year ahead,

Rabbi Stacy K. Offner