C O N G R E G A T I O N
	Netivot Shalom
	January, 2002 Tevet / Sh'vat 5762

From the Rabbi
Tu Bish'vat, God and the Xerox Disposal Problem

By Rabbi Stuart Kelman

So, with that in mind, if you would like to conduct a Tu Bish'vat Seder in your own home or with friends, stop by and pick up a Haggadah written by Claire Sherman (or even one that has been translated into Spanish for our sister congregation in Santiago de Cuba). Both have clear instructions for your own do-it-yourself celebration.

For us as a congregation, there are other issues to ponder as we consider our new home and just how "green" we are to be. What precipitated this column was the question that was asked about our current practices of photocopying, in specific, our paper recycling procedures in the office. More specifically, I want to respond to this issue in the format of sheylah v'teshuva, question and response. At the outset, I need to thank Barbara Bibel and Nathan Martin who helped me with the research and the writing of this responsa.

Question: Is the recycling of photocopies of sacred texts that contain the name(s) of God permissible at Netivot Shalom?

Answer: Historically, Jews bury sacred texts such as Torahs, siddurim, chumashim and Talmud in a genizah, a small room that often was a storeroom adjacent to a synagogue. The genizah of Cairo, for example, discovered in the 1800's by Solomon Schechter, gave us an enormous amount of texts, which significantly advanced our understanding of medieval Jewry. Today, the more common practice is to bury these sacred texts in a Jewish cemetery either in a separate plot or with people.

Specifically, the question of what needs to be placed in a genizah is related to four different mitzvot:

1. It is biblically forbidden to actively destroy or erase one of the seven holy names of God (Deut. 12:3-4, and Sifre Deut. Ad loc.)
2. A Torah scroll that has become worn out needs to be buried next to a Torah scholar (Meg. 26b)
3. There is an additional prohibition against destroying biblical books (Shab. 115a) (Later on, Talmud and Midrash were added.)
4. It is forbidden to toss or throw biblical books (Eruvin 98a), which means they must be treated with respect.

With the advent of printing, and more recently, photocopying, the sheer volume of materials has grown to enormous proportions. This growth has direct impact on the ability of the community to dispose of large quantities of sacred material in existing genizah space.

With regard to photocopying, other questions arise.

1. What type of "destruction" is prohibited? Indirect erasure seems to be permitted (Shab. 120b)
2. Is there a difference between books written by hand and books "written" by a printing press or a photocopy machine? Today, most rabbis agree that printed bibles and other sacred texts are holy and cannot be destroyed though they do not have the same degree of sanctity as a Torah scroll.
3. When exactly does a page of bible or other texts become holy? Galleys, for example, were never intended to be used; hence they may be discarded. Photocopies, on the other hand, are legible and intended to be used.
4. Does the law change given the current circumstances - i.e., the meteoric growth of paper consumption in modern society. In the United States alone, approximately 25 million tons of printing and writing paper are produced each year, much of which winds up in landfills. The United States Environmental Protection Agency reports that paper and paperboard make up the largest component of solid waste by weight, over 40% of all municipal solid waste.

In the early part of the 18th century, Rabbi Jacob Reisher ruled that large barrels of holy books and pages which were left standing in a cemetery and were being stolen or used as toilet paper, should be burned in private and the ashes be placed in a clay jar and buried next to a Torah scholar. Large bags of books and pages were actually reported to have been found in recent years at Har Hamenuchot in Jerusalem. Rabbi Solomon Freehof in a Reform Responsa (Solomon Freehof, in New American Reform Responsa, 1980) rules that recycling is merely an extension of burning and is therefore permissible. In 1991, the Central Conference of American Rabbis ruled that while "historically great care was always taken with the name of God and every effort made to protect texts" by placing them in a genizah, this method "did not prevent the ultimate destruction of the texts". They further argued that that the real task was that of protecting the text from improper use, which would be offensive.

Ecological values such as the saving of natural resources and baal tashchit, the prohibition of wanton destruction come into tension with the desire to protect texts that contain God's name. Furthermore, one may reuse mitzvah objects (Shab. 117b) such as lulavim (put away and used to burn chametz before Passover), the etrog (poked full of cloves and used for Havdalah), old tzitzit (used as bookmarks), olive oil (hung in a container in a Sukkah and then used for the Chanukiyah), a talit used as a chuppah (and then given to the groom.) [Rabbi Binyomin Adilman, "Recycling in Jewish Tradition", The Jewish Student Research Center, (JSOURCE), Jerusalem, 2001.]

In a teshuvah for the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly Law Committee in Israel, Rabbi Chaim Wiener brings four opinions [Rabbi Chaim Weiner: "The Disposal Problem of Photocopies of Bible, Siddur, Talmud, and Midrash". in Responsa of the Va'ad Halakhah of the Rabbincal Assembly of Israel V 44 5570/5752. Rabbinical Assembly, Masorti Movement, Jerusalem: 1992, pp xxiii-xxv, 65-72]:

1. Rav Chayim David HaLevi ruled that a book with one of the seven names if God cannot be recycled. As for texts that do not have the name of God, he is unclear. As for newspapers that have God's name, they can be recycled.
2. Rav Shavty Avraham HaCohen Rappaport at Yeshiva Har Zion rules that it is acceptable to recycle the paper of sifrei kodesh (sacred texts). His reasoning is that one is not throwing away a text when it is put it into a collection bin, so one is not liable for purposely throwing away a text. The new paper that is made from recycled material is a totally new thing (davar chadash legamrei) by throwing them into a receptacle.
3. Rav Moshe Feinstein (with regard to Rav Rappaport (above) rules that it is permissible to recycle texts without the seven names of God again because there is no direct cause of loss of the texts (ibud bayadayim) by throwing them in a receptacle.
4. Rav Uri Dasberg notes that in a recycling facility, different types of papers are separated. Therefore one can't say that the workers who separate cannot identify sacred texts. He therefore recommends recycling pages that only are thrown away from printing houses.

Rabbi Chaim Wiener concludes, "Books are "holy objects" which are more sacred, but if we are already desperate enough to ignore their holiness and burn them, it would be preferable to recycle the paper...."

In conclusion, it is permissible to recycle photocopies of sacred texts that contain the name(s) of God at Netivot Shalom, provided that these pages are placed in a designated recycling container and that this container is specifically given to a designated recycling agency.

President's Letter

By Debby Graudenz

Though I'm sure there are science fiction authors out there who have written futuristic novels about this new millennium, none of them have entered our collective psyche the way either 1984 or "2001: A Space Odyssey" did. So here we are in January, 2002 - facing uncharted territory in a very new way. There will be no looking over our shoulders to watch for Big Brother, smiling smugly when we realize that he doesn't even exist. Instead we are faced with an increasingly uncertain world.

There are a couple of ways that I deal with existential dilemmas when presented with them. One of them is incredibly simplistic and practical - I'll clean out a closet, reorganize my recipes, or wash the kitchen floor. Golda Meir used to clean and shine her "kumkum," her teakettle. Another is to spend more time while davening and during the Torah reading, reading each word and sentence more slowly, trying to extract more meaning and, yes, comfort. And another is somehow a combination of the first two, finding something meaningful in my life and devoting my time and energies to that.

Our Netivot Shalom community is moving into uncharted territory. We've never owned a building before, never embarked on a Capital Campaign, never before been so physically attached to the greater community. Can we feel overwhelmed by it all? Of course we can. But there are many ways, practical, spiritual and a combination of the two, that we can help ourselves feel more grounded and organized. Devoting some of our time and energies can help with the confusion and concern about the world in general, and with the anxiety that many of us feel when buying a new home - and it helps our community as well. We pride ourselves on the participatory nature of our shul. That participation comes in many forms: volunteering to sit on a committee, taking an adult education class, giving a drash, being a Shabbat Greeter, reading Torah, being a shaliach tzibur, sponsoring a Kiddush, making a carefully considered pledge to the Capital Campaign, and making other donations to Netivot Shalom at times of simcha, or in honor or memory of someone. The beauty and strength of a community like ours, to borrow from Karl Marx, is "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."

B'Shalom,

Debby Graudenz

US policy to Israel Post September 11th

We are honored to have Yossi Amrani, Israeli Consul General, Ernest Weiner, American Executive Director of the Northern California American Jewish Committee, and Kenneth Cohen, president of Lehrhaus Judaica as our main speakers.

We will show two videos, "Jihad in America" and "Teaching Children to Hate", followed by a discussion of these videos. Dani Kopstein of AIPAC and Riva Gambert of The Jewish Federation will lead workshops on media response and dealing with anti-Israel bias in the media.

Please join us for the first community meeting of the newly organized Israel Action Committee of the East Bay (IACEB).

Date: January 13, 2002
Time: 2:00-5:00 p.m.
Place: BRJCC, 1414 Walnut Street (between Rose and Vine Streets)
Admission: $5 general admission. No one will be excluded for lack of funds. Contributions to IACEB are gratefully accepted.

Jewish Heritage Tour to Spain

The Weinberg-Levine family would like to thank Rabbi Kelman, all, of the daveners, and the many people who brought food and emotional sustenance during shivah for Joanna's mother, Doris Kudisch

Mature Mavens

The Shul library was enlivened by the festivities of the Mature Mavens Chanukah celebration! Our potluck event featured delicious homemade latkes (thanks to Dina & Bob Beck), salads, desserts, and sufganiot. Thanks to Rita Stein for her inspiration and for coordinating the many details to make our Chanukah celebration a success! We sang Chanukah favorites, songs, including Claire Sherman's alternative version of the dreidle song.

The Mature Mavens send lots of loving wishes to Jean Bradman, in honor of the simcha of her son's wedding. We also send her a wish for a refuah shleima during her recovery from knee surgery. We also send lots of loving wishes for a refuah shleima to Shoshanna Meir during her recovery from surgery.

Netivot Shalom Chanukah Party: Latkes, Music & Fun!

Do You Want to Make Shabbat A Bigger Part of Your Life?

I'm looking for others who want to form a chevrah, a support group, to help one another in our goal to not work on Shabbat and deepen our Shabbat observance. Please call me for more details and discussion of how to make this a reality. Robin Braverman 925-979-1998.

Thanks to all of those who sponsored kiddush in December
December 1: Carla Cassler and Dean Kertesz
December 8: Ellen Peskin and Ben Heschen
December 17: Andrea Altschuler and David Finn, in honor of Sam becoming a Bar Mitzvah
December 22: Brenda Goldstein
December 29: Ann Swidler and Claude Fischer in honor of their 25th anniversary

Thirteen Reasons To Sponsor Kiddush At Netivot Shalom

1. To honor someone's birthday
2. To celebrate a graduation
3. To celebrate an anniversary
4. To honor your teachers- extra points for religious school class!
5. To celebrate a birth of a child
6. To have a "seudat Mitzvah" in honor of a Bar/Bat Mitzvah
7. To celebrate an aufruf
8. To celebrate an engagement
9. To honor someone you respect, maybe love
10. To welcome your friends arriving from afar
11. To bid farewell to your friends traveling afar
12. To thank someone who helped you
13. Just because you are part of a community, and this is what we do for and with each other!

The Making of a Costco Kiddush Queen or King

Okay, shoppers, get ready. The first place I go is straight to the back. In front of the butcher are refrigerated cases. There are large jars of herring, very reasonably priced at something like $4.29 a jar. Three or four of those are plenty. Buyer be ware: the herring jars are right by jars of oysters, so make sure you look at the label of each one. Also in those refrigerator cases are blocks of cheese - I usually pick up a block of cheddar and a block of Monterey Jack. I think they run about $5.99 a block. Then I take them home, cut them up into cubes, and put them in ziplock bags to bring to the JCC. You can find tubs of hummus, pesto and spreads in those same cases. And there are even packages of ready-made guacamole in those same cases. Hummus, guacamole, etc. run between $3.99 to $5.99 a tub/package. Judging by the last Kiddush I put together, 3 tubs of hummus are better than 2. One package of the guacamole (which has 4 plastic "envelopes" of ready-made guac inside) is usually enough.

Back in that same area are the fruits and vegetables. Depending on the time of year, what they have that day, and the type of Kiddush you're planning, you can pick up packages of broccoli flowerets, small carrots, fruits, etc.

While you're in the back of the store, and if you've decided not to go to another store, swing to the very back and pick up drinks. Again, there are flats of individual cans of soda, individual bottles of Calistoga, and large jugs of juice. If you're going to get big bottles of soda, plan on 4-6 at least for a regular Shabbat. If you're doing the flats of individual cans/bottles, plan on at least 2 flats.

Turn your cart around and face the front of the store. On the right hand side, about half to two-thirds of the way up, are the aisles with the crackers and cookies. I usually pick up a large box of Breton crackers - there are 4 or 5 packs of crackers in the large box. There are round plastic tubs of Honey Almond cookies (not expensive, and quite tasty), as well as large packages of Oreo's, Mrs. Field's chocolate chip cookies and others to choose from. For the last Kiddush I did, I had one container of the Honey Almond cookies and one big package of Oreo's.

If you decide to go the chips and salsa route, those items are in the same general area as the crackers and cookies. I usually look in those aisles, as well as in the aisles right by the check-out lines for any extras: candy, nuts, etc.

This is a really basic, yet satisfying, Kiddush that you can "throw together" at a cost of between $75 and $100.

Summary of Board Meeting of 11-29-01

Berkeley Montessori's design is now on exhibit and the congregation's Site Task Force is this evening meeting at the Montessori school and will reconvene at the shul offices later this evening. The congregational Site Work Group is continuing on track.

Individuals who are not members and who purchased High Holiday tickets will be contacted to see if there is interest in joining the Shul.

Brad Rudolph, who took a leave of absence from the Board because of his mother's health problems as well as an employment change, will not be returning to the board. His position will have to be filled by someone else.

Debby reminded the Board that the Shul will celebrate its thirteenth year of existence in 2002, and would it not be a great occasion to make a fundraising Bar/Bat Mitzvah for the occasion. The 10th year celebration was a joyful occasion and she believed that celebrating the Bar + Bat = Bart Mitzvah would be great event. The date would be June 9, 2002. And we could even raise money for the Shul!

After some discussion it was decided that Debby would approach the coordinators of the previous celebration, Claudia Valas and Denise Moyes-Schnur along with Janet Harris to enquire of their interest in coordinating the celebration. Pauline Moreno, Rena Dorph M/S. The vote was unanimous in favor.

Long Range Planning Committee - Debby Graudenz

Rena Shared with those present her experiences in being involved with the Shul's finances and in working with two treasures. She recommend the coming together of the Treasurer as the point of reference for all finance activities, with designated Chairs for specific responsibilities reporting to the Treasures as the overall financial control officer for all Shul financial responsibilities.

Picture the Treasurer as the constitutional officer for all finance responsibilities and below him/her in no hierarchical order would be a:
Budget Chair
Special Dues Arrangements Chair
Money Management Chair
Fundraising Chair
Building Treasurer/ Finance Chair

Rena's recommendation, with descriptions of responsibilities for restructuring the financial management of the Shul, was discussed and accepted. Future Board/ Committee Candidates would be sought out who filled these talents/skills.

It's getting to be that time of year again, when visions of Haman, Esther & Mordechai dance in your head .... It's (almost)
PURIM!

This year, send your favorite friends and relatives a super Purim treat: beautiful Mishloach Manot baskets! These lovely baskets are each hand packed and decorated by Netivot Shalom students and parents. All you have to do is decide who gets the goodies, write out a check, and send it to the shul in an envelope marked "Purim". If you'd like to send one basket or several, we'll take care of it; just let us know who it's from and who the lucky recipient is, and we will do the rest.

Chai Basket: $18
Chai v'chetzi Basket: $27

All baskets include assorted and numerous sweets and treats, with the Chai v'chetzi basket having about one-and-a-half times as much as the Chai basket.

Make checks payable to Congregation Netivot Shalom, indicate "Purim Basket".

Delivery is free for local destinations (Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, Oakland). A charge of $5.00 will be added for mailing within the U.S.

All orders must be received & paid in full by February 1, 2002. Order forms are available from Lorraine in the Education Office.

All proceeds will go to support Netivot Shalom's Youth and Family Education Programs. (As in past years, all Netivot Shalom members will still receive Mishloach Manot from the shul.)

Sender(s):
Name_______________________________________________

Address______________________________________________

City / State / Zip_________________________________________

Phone_______________________________________________


Recipient(s):  (Feel free to send to more than three!)
1. 
Name_______________________________________________

Address______________________________________________

City / State / Zip_______________________________________

2.
Name_______________________________________________

Address______________________________________________

City / State / Zip_______________________________________

3.
Name_______________________________________________

Address______________________________________________

City / State / Zip_______________________________________

For more information and/or if you'd like to help with a really fun project, please call Karen Friedman at 528-0728 or e-mail newsletter@netivotshalom.org.

Letter To the Editor

At first, nothing particular came to mind. But upon further reflection, it dawned on me why this joke is so funny, if not liberating to many Jews, and why there are so many funny Jews (both professional and lay) disproportionate to our numbers in the population.

To me, this isn't a joke about the most simple Jew outsmarting the most exalted Catholic. Rather, it's a joke that reverses centuries of Catholic dominance over Jews, which resulted in horrors for the Jewish community and individual Jews, i.e. the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the position long officially held by Catholicism that Jews killed Christ. This joke encapsulates the brilliance of any minority's humor against the dominant majority. While it is very difficult, if not impossible to marshal political or military power against a majority that is subjugating a minority, many minorities have been able to turn to humor in their "assault" against dominant forces, which reverses the role of dominator and repressed. As such, we get jokes that in this day and age, when Jews enjoy access and power in nearly all arenas of life, seem anti-Catholic, but to my mind, reflect the historical reality and pain of centuries of subjugation. To me, that's the brilliance of this sort of humor - it allows the joke teller and the listener to escape from the dominance, if momentarily, of prevailing forces (including those that are now historical), and have a good laugh while they're at it.

So I'm still sorry that Meghan was hurt by the inclusion of this joke in the newsletter, but I hope my take on it puts the joke in a slightly different context.

Andrea Altschuler

Letter From Jerusalem

Security's an Every Day Thing

By Jerry Isaak-Shapiro

"Is it something to do with the Palestinians?" is what he asked; what I heard was, "do we need to be worried about being here? Will this explode into something larger, one in which we too could be engulfed just for having walked this way?" "No. It's just a traffic accident," the type of fender-bender that inflames passions whether you're on the corner of Market and First in San Francisco, or Rivka and Ein Gedi in Jerusalem. Relieved that it was just a case of bad driving, we walked on.

But all too often, it's more than lousy driving. A week later, I'm on the balcony putting the finishing touches on the sukkah (pre-fab, built to fit any porch in Israel), when there's a very loud BOOM and a thick, black cloud of smoke in the sky. Two blocks from our home, in front of the bank in which we wait to have our monthly statement deciphered for us, a car bomb explodes. The first thing you hear are the car alarms, then the sirens, then the calls from friends who know where you live or even where you bank. This time, damage is only to cars and property no one is injured or killed. I had a momentary existentialist dilemma: continuing to secure our sukkah to the railing of our balcony seemed so pedestrian. Yet after receiving and making the "are you alright?" calls, after checking in with the news to determine if there's anything or anyone else we should know about, what was there to do? Car bomb or not, Sukkot would be here that evening. So I finished building what is sometimes referred to as a sukkat shlomecha a shelter of peace. Our first Sukkot in Israel was terrific, and if I do say so myself, we had a particularly sturdy sukkah this year.

A recent New York Times op-ed referred to the "Israelis' near-obsession" with the hourly news. Anyone who has visited Israel for a significant amount of time knows what happens or what used to happen every hour on the hour: the beep-beep-beep, and the hush as everyone strains to listen to the hourly news recap. Yet today, many Israelis choose not to listen in at 12:00, 1:00 and 2:00. Some have stopped reading the paper (a near-heresy here), and others choose to listen only after their children are asleep. Western news junkies that we are, we haven't gotten to that point yet. But while my first reaction to the Times' piece was indignation ("Is it an obsession to be concerned about life-and-death matters your own life and death?"), my second reaction was simply, "the Times should really update their stereotypes."

Much is made of the irony that in Israel, one's purse or backpack is checked before one enters a mall or store, while in the States, bags are checked upon leaving the store (or at least they used to be, before September 11). But there's more to it than that. One of the most bizarre things someone (from the West) can be asked I'm still not used to it is, "Slicha adoni, yesh l'cha neshek?" ("Excuse me sir, but do you have any weapons [on you]?") Trunks are searched before entering the parking lot, shoppers pass through metal detectors on their way into the mall, and it's all part of the fabric of daily life.

Yet security concerns take their toll in insidiously powerful ways. There's the internal calculus one goes through getting onto the bus or when waiting in line at the post office. A quick scan of those around you: It's not so sunny out, why is he wearing sunglasses? Does that package belong to someone? It's kind of warm, why the jacket? All of these and some other thoughts no card-carrying Western liberal would be proud of go through your head as you take the bus to town. Try as you might, you develop your own profile, which often as not makes very little sense in the real world.

A case in point: it occurred to me that I could feel more at ease when surrounded by other kipa-wearing riders; that at least I didn't have to worry about them. Foolish. Naïve. And dead wrong. Three weeks ago two people were killed and four injured by a Palestinian who had dressed in the black coat and black velvet kipa uniform that I had previously assumed was an all-clear sign. And as for thinking that as long as I was amongst those in an IDF uniform things were OK that too turned out to be wishful thinking. Two weeks ago, a member of Islamic Jihad, dressed in an Israeli army uniform, killed two before being killed, by an off-duty soldier out of his uniform.

The moment of a terrorist attack is horrific, with loss of life, limb and property. Yet the aftermath and the "in between" time take their own toll. The daily cost, the mental tension and social strain: these are the shock waves that ripple out from the actual attack; running to call and e-mail friends and family not to worry, that you were nowhere near "it." The silent profiling that seeps, unbidden, into your consciousness. Even lowering the standard by which a tragedy is measured "none killed, couldn't have been that bad" slowly but inexorably erodes your personal protective layer of civility.

There are many in the West who facilely say that Israelis need to dig deeper, to not succumb to the dark side. But the premise is all wrong. The powerful, affirming and very conscious act of not surrendering is repeated every day, in ways small and large. Saying this discards none of the shortsighted or wrong-headed actions of government or individual. Yet the unsung heroes are the vast majority who keep the wolf at bay, who accept the fear but reject the hate. It is a testament. And it gives me hope.

Jerry D. Isaak-Shapiro

Jerry Isaak-Shapiro is a Jerusalem Fellow, currently living in Talpiot, Jerusalem, with his wife, Debbie, and their two children, Joshua and Naomi.

COMMITTEES

From the Ritual Committee
Halacha And Kavanna: Point/Counterpoint

By Josh Gressel, Ritual Committee Chair And Seymour Kessler

Seymour Kessler has been one such advocate, helping me with research and encouragement. One Shabbat he approached and asked me: "Nu, what are you writing about this month?" "Kavanna," I answered ("How Do You Hold a Moonbeam in Your Hand?" July/2001). "Kavanna," Seymour said, with a dismissive wave of his hand, "is a bit of New Age mumbo-jumbo."

I was both amused and intrigued by his response. How could a man whose opinion I respect so lightly dismiss something that's so important to me? I asked him to write up his views on this. What follows are his letter (excerpted for space with his approval), and my response to him. Anyone else who is interested is welcome to join in this discussion by e-mailing me at adirhu@home.com.

Dear Josh:

When it comes to kavanna the dialectic of subjectivity and objectivity come to the foreground. On one hand, there are as many individual ways to pray and to meet with the idea of God as there are human beings. On the other, are the strictures of halacha and the ancient traditions which, after millennia, assume halachic status in ritual. There is a current tendency to believe that one ought to approach religious practice on the basis of feelings rather than on the basis of rational thought. If it feels good, it must be right and it must be what God wants. Such beliefs have led to excesses which have been destructive to traditional Jewish practices and to alterations in the significant meaning of certain prayers.

"Feeling good" is not a basis upon which to approach prayer. Judaism isn't against feeling good, but it gives far greater weight to obedience to commandments that often run counter to human nature and personal desires in the food, sex and other departments. The Torah's vision of holiness and of the capacity of the human being to achieve holiness has never been in step with Western ideas of how human beings should be in the world. Therein lies its mystery, its strength and its beauty. It is certainly out of phase with the contemporary stance of moral relativism and other intellectual ideologies that champion subjectivity over eternal truths.

The Torah tells us: "You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy." This injunction provides the foundation for the fulfillment of all the mitzvot. Let's get more specific.

The fulfillment of any mitzvah requires two elements: first and foremost, pe'ulat hamitzva, that is the technical performance of the required action in a way and at a time carefully prescribed by halacha and second, kiyyum hamitzva, the appropriate internal effects of the prescribed action. Notice: the action is performed first and the appropriate "feelings" and state of mind follow. This is a central aspect of Judaic belief which is deeply embedded in Torah teachings. It has its foundation in how the Israelites originally accepted the Torah at Sinai by saying "Na'aseh v'nishmah," "We will do and we will obey." From this we can learn that one must hasten to fulfill a mitzva and in fulfilling it properly we will open ourselves to the opportunity to experience the appropriate emotions and feelings associated with the mitzva.

There is a distinct sense of difference in one's inner state (and one's subsequent actions) when a mitzva is performed in its prescribed way. Lighting Shabbos candles at their specified time leaves one in a considerably different spiritual place than when they are lighted at a time of our own convenience (as, for example, when a group we have invited to our home, sits down to dinner well after darkness and Shabbat has set in). When hearing bad tidings, we do not stop to conjure up the feelings of loss and grief we might feel. Rather we say immediately Baruch dayan emet (Blessed is the true Judge) and thus fulfill the mitzva appropriate to that occasion.

In U-Vikashtem mi-Sham, Rabbi J.B. Soloveitchik, z''l argues that in reciting the various brachot one is required to say when we observe natural phenomena (e.g., seeing a rainbow, hearing thunder, etc.) or when we derive a benefit from the natural world through eating, drinking and so on, we transform the natural order into "a supernatural world, a world of marvelous mystery" at the moment of speaking the words of the bracha. We speak, with the intellectual understanding of what we are saying and our perception of our internal and external world becomes transformed. That is kavanna. Kavanna, then, is not the prerequisite for the fulfillment of a mitzva, it is a consequence of the actions attendant upon its fulfillment.... Seymour

Dear Seymour:

Let me begin by agreeing with you. I too often take the "feel good" approach to mitzvot (such as not lighting Shabbat candles on time) and, aside from performing far fewer mitzvot because of that, I also feel less good because of it. The "feel good" approach doesn't always lead to feeling good, which is why, I suppose, we have to have these laws in the first place. We are given a roadmap (for the Jews, the mitzvot) for how to live our life because none of us is smart enough to get it right on our own.

I also share your difficulty with the moral relativism of our culture. You and I both received extensive training in the secular mental health field [editor's note: Seymour and Josh are psychologists]. Were you ever taught morality or ethics with psychology? I certainly wasn't, and when I sit with a male client who says he's not visiting his child because he needs to "take care of himself" or a woman who justifies her infidelities to her husband because he "doesn't meet her needs" my secular training only prepares me to side with them and hope they will find their own morality with my "unconditional positive regard" (a truly beautiful piece of Christian theology channeled through Carl Rogers).

The Jew in me, however, is outraged. I deeply believe there is no contradiction between religious morality and psychological health, that it is not good for people to do the wrong thing, and that there is such a thing as "wrong" and "evil."

The "but" in my rebuttal is with myself, not with you, for I have long had an internal debate on this very issue. If the method of mitzvot you describe works well for you, I have no quibble. I have tried in the past to apply it to myself, and it inevitably turns me into a self-righteous, unhappy prig who is a poor example of a religious person and a pain to live with. Abraham Joshua Heschel refers to this imposition of religious principles without regard to internal experience as "religious behaviorism." I must admit, however, that this happens to me not just with religious observance, but with anything I get compulsive about: exercise, diet, work, etc. I "should" do this and I "should" do that and since I have a lot of self discipline I do them whether I want to or not and that's when I become so obnoxious.

You began your letter mentioning the "dialectic of subjectivity and objectivity." I think the word "dialectic" is key here, because it is in the ongoing back-and-forth of the two that we can find the balance of halacha and kavanna. I think each of us falls someplace on the halacha/kavanna continuum and it's part of our spiritual work to find out where. It sounds like you fit more on the halachic side. I'm definitely more on the kavanna side. I recognize the danger of falling into "I'm okay-You're okay" moral relativism by just saying we each need to find our own spot on the continuum. I'm not sure I have an adequate response for how to prevent that from happening. Perhaps what's necessary is that each of us asks ourselves uncomfortable questions. Am I really doing all I should be doing? Are you fulfilling the mitzvot in spirit as well as in form?

In other ways as well my personal experience seems to be the reverse of yours: when I have a deep experience of the Divine through kavanna, I am naturally drawn to want to perform more mitzvot. I began keeping kosher following a kabbalistic meditation by Abulafia on the Tetragrammaton. that took me very deeply someplace. In that place I realized that keeping kosher is a method of spiritual purification for Jews; that each person needs a certain level of kashrut observance depending on their place on the path; that to artificially impose glatt kosher standards at the place I am is the equivalent of a beginning skier buying the most expensive ski equipment available simply to "look good" - it's both a waste of effort and counterproductive to spiritual development because there's so much ego involved. What I got in those few seconds of contact has sustained my ability to keep kosher in a healthy way (by this I mean not overdoing it for reasons of ego) for many years now.

I want to end with a quote, again by Heschel. He's speaking of halacha and aggada. I'm going to use aggada as the rough equivalent to kavanna, in that it refers to the spirit (rather than the law) of Judaism:

To maintain that the essence of Judaism consists exclusively of halacha is as erroneous as to maintain that the essence of Judaism consists exclusively of aggada. The interrelationship of halacha and agadda is the very heart of Judaism. Halacha without aggada is dead, aggada without halacha is wild....

Halacha speaks of the estimable and measurable dimensions of our deeds, informing us how much we must perform in order to fulfill our duty, about the size, capacity, or content of the doer and the deed. Aggada deals with the immeasurable, inward aspect of living, telling us how we must think and feel; how rather than how much we must do to fulfill our duty; the manner, not only the content, is important....

Obedience to the letter of the law regulates our daily living, but such obedience must not stultify the spontaneity of our inner life. When the law becomes petrified and our observance mechanical, we in fact violate and distort its very spirit. (Abraham J. Heschel, Between God and Man, pp. 175-76, emphasis original).

Thank you, Seymour, for caring enough about me, the congregation and Judaism to write your letter. May our dialogue continue.

Josh

Social Action Committee Report
Getting Ready for Sukkot Early

By Cyndi Spindell Berck

Some of you may have received calls from Jon Klein, who is coordinating Sukkot in April this year for Netivot Shalom. Please understand that the Social Action Committee has made a deliberate decision to minimize any fundraising that might compete with the building fund campaign. The one exception is that we have to raise funds to cover our own activities.

Sukkot in April requires a contribution of $3,000 per each housewe work on. The deadline for pledges is January 7. Last year, we did not come up with $3,000, and "shared" a house with another Jewish group that was able to come up with more money (but fewer volunteers).

If we can't raise enough money for our "own" house, we can share again. But we on the Social Action Committee think that it would be a great community building exercise to contribute all of the money (and all of the dozens of volunteers) necessary to fix up a house in our new neighborhood. A "house" of our home near a "home" of our own?

We also need volunteers for April 28. Anyone with construction skills is especially needed.

Understanding Islam

Imam Khalid Siddiqi, director of the Islamic Education and Information Center in Newark, California, spoke of Islam's belief in the oneness of God and of humanity.

The word "jihad" really refers to a struggle for personal transformation, other speakers explained. Compare this concept to that of Jacob's struggle with God, suggested Rabbi Andrea Berlin of Oakland's Temple, Sinai. Anyone interested in reading Jon's write-up of this event is welcome contact me for a copy.

Calling All Environmentalists

Help with Energy Bills

Blood and Marrow-A Gift of Life

Sunday, January 13, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Temple Beth Abraham, 327 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland. A reservation is required to donate blood (call 832-0936), and please bring your photo ID.

Tuesday, January 15, 2002, 2:00-8:00 p.m., Temple Beth El, 2301 Vine Street, Berkeley. Contact Dina Cowan at 528-0609 (cowand@pacbell.net) for information and reservations.

Click against Hunger

NEWER New Meeting Date

News from the University Avenue Site Work Group:

By Joe Meresman, Site Work Group Chair

While there are several biblical references to "neighbors," the Mr. Rogers song "it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, won't you be my neighbor?" seems to best capture the theme of Site Work Group activity that began over the past month. With the site design and preliminary planning complete -- a process marked by close cooperation between the Site Work Group and the congregation - we have started to reach out to our future neighbors and the larger community around the University Avenue site.

Our closest neighbor will be the Berkeley Montessori School, which has purchased the lot immediately adjacent to our own, currently occupied by the Santa Fe Bar & Grill restaurant. The SWG and its Montessori counterpart have established a good relationship, and have reached an agreement in principle, soon to be formalized in a Memorandum of Understanding, to develop each site in the spirit of a shared campus, including common and/or mutually accessible outdoor space such as parking, gardens and play areas. This will allow both of us to maximize the available outdoor space, and will also address City of Berkeley concerns around traffic patterns and neighborhood aesthetics. As an example of this spirit of cooperation, the SWG viewed the designs and models submitted by the five architects bidding for the Montessori project, and provided feedback to Montessori, which they will take into consideration when making their final architect selection.

In the surrounding area, Rabbi Kelman has joined with SWG members to establish a relationship with several nearby churches and religious organizations. We have introduced ourselves to various neighborhood associations and have been attending some of their standing meetings. December and January will see open community meetings, which will give residents of the area a chance to meet us, ask questions and voice any concerns, which we will need to consider as we proceed to submission of official plans to the city. We are pleased to report that up to now, our reception by the community has been positive.

On the subject of outreach, I would like to remind you that all Netivot Shalom members are welcome to attend Site Work Group meetings. For 2002 we plan to meet on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the shul office. The schedule is subject to change required by holidays and special events, so it would be a good idea to confirm the meeting with me or any member of the site work group if you are interested in attending. You can get the name and contact information for SWG members from the office.

At the Annual Congregation Meeting in February, the SWG will present general status and ways in which you can participate in upcoming phases of the project. Until then, please continue to watch this space for more exciting developments on University Avenue, and as always, feel free to contact me at MeresmanJ@aol.com.

EDUCATION

Adult Education Chair Prepares to Step Down
By Jonathan Heinstein, Adult Education Chair

The interaction of collective and individual study opens a path that makes Judaism viable for me. The repetitive, almost redundant acts that we perform for the sake of kashrut, Shabbat or prayer admit of the thoughts and intentions of other Jews, and other Jewries. This historical continuum of a people is accessible to all of us through study. It leads me away from the fallow and unsatisfying approach which asks what Judaism can offer me, where my personal comfort zone may be. I am as self-absorbed as the next person, so I seek a Judaism that challenges my insular world with an array of spiritual types, with a rigorous intellect nurtured by a variety of cultures.

There is something about historical Judaism that is more materialistic than its counterparts. The time, the place and the act are strictly defined. It was this extreme specificity of content that led the Rabbis to be skeptical regarding the possibility that the nations might one day adopt Jewish monotheism. Jews have their own antidote to what has been called keva, or permanence. It is a pedagogy of learning in which the debates and controversies of the past are not simply rehearsed or reviewed. Old wounds are opened again, the concluding logic of a halachic debate is refuted, and competing scenarios are fully funded.

Do You Know What You Asked For?

Come and Learn Hebrew!!

Beginners will learn to read the text of the Shabbat Amidah, recognize the form of the blessings, and acquire a rudimentary vocabulary. Intermediate learners will study the text in depth, master the vocabulary, and gain a familiarity with the form and syntax of the prayer.

Wednesday evenings, January 16 through March 20, 7:30 p.m. At the shul offices for 10 sessions. Taught by Wendy Rosov, Yosefa Raz, Rachel Heinstein, Jerami Goldschen and guests. Free to members of Netivot Shalom, $50 for non-members.

One-on-One Hebrew Lesson for Beginners or Intermediate Students

The adult education committee will match up individual students wanting to learn Hebrew on a one-on-one basis ongoing. This is free and can adjust to your schedule. Call Robin Braverman 925-979-1998

Jewish Ethics: Case Studies from The Bible

This course will focus on careful reading and analysis of Biblical cases that challenge basic principles of ethical behavior. The cases presented examine present ethical issues of a social, political, and business nature, as well as religious problems involving the relationship between humans and God. Events such as the story of Dina (Genesis 34), The case of The Golden Calf (Exodus 32), the Rape in Givah (Judges 19, 20) and David and Bat-Sheva (Samuel 11) are some of the cases which we will discuss in class. Rabbinic and other responses to these events will be presented and discussed as well. In addition, we will study Torah laws which promote ethical conduct, fairness in business, and dignified political behavior.

Text: The Bible 8 sessions: Mondays, 7:30- 9:00 p.m. starting February 11, 2002 (except Presidents' Day). Site: Congregation Netivot Shalom, 1841 Berkeley Way (at MLK), Berkeley Dierections/parking: 549-9447 Tuition: $85; $65 for members of Alameda co-sponsors.

Nitzhia Shaked, MA, holds a degree in law from Hebrew University and worked for the Israeli Supreme Court. She has a Master's degree in Jurisprudence from Harvard and is a member of the California Bar. She is a professor in the Judaic Studies department at San Francisco State and also teaches at Midrasha, Lehrhaus, and other venues. Nitzhia is a Wexner scholar.

Co-sponsored by Congregation Netivot Shalom and Lehrhaus Judaica.

Contact person: Sanne DeWitt (510) 845-2098

Learner's Minyan for 5762

Midrasha

10-12th grade choices include: Two Jews, Three Opinions: Debate and Judaism, Unsolved Mysteries: History, Memory and the Holocaust, What's Bothering Rashi: Part Two, Exodus, Life and Death in the Tanach, How do I Deal With My Parents?, Parshat HaShavuah, Mama Said (There'd Be Jews Like This:)Jewish Feminist History , The Feminist Muse: Jewish Women Poets Through Time, Kesher Aleph: Israel, A Present That Opens to the Past, Kesher Bet: The American Jewish Experience, Comparative Judaism, and Ethics in the Bible.

8th and 9th grade choices include: Jews on Stage, Jewish Writers from Around the World, Creative Writing for Fun and Service, Ess, Ess Mein Kind: Eat, Eat My Child, You Be the Rabbi, First Person Holocaust Memoirs and Hollywood Meets Pirkei Avot. In addition the 8th grade Gesharim core (Ethics and Action) and 9th grade Etgar core (Jewish Identity) continue this semester.

All Grades are offered: Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Hebrew, Advanced Hebrew Two: Poetry and Pop Music, Classical Hebrew Texts, Micography: The Art of the Tanach, Fought (Using) the Law: Jewish Social Activism Today, Expressing Exodus: Multimedia Midrash,, and Modern Jewish Thinkers.

As you can see, it looks like a great semester. And thanks to so many of you who have contributed to our annual fundraising appeal. The response has been very gratifying.

Shari Rifas & Steven Bond,
together with Maggie Bond,
thank Congregation Netivot Shalom
for inviting Maggie to be called to the Torah
in celebration of becoming a Bat Mitzvah
on January 19, 2002


Michael Ranney & Shelly Million
Invite you to join them on January 12, 2002
as their daughter, Rachel,
Is called to the Toarh
as a Bat Mitzvah.


David Wollins & Yonit Levy 
invite you to join them 
on February 2, 2002
as their son, 
Jonathan Levy-Wollins
is called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah.

Will your child turn 13 in 2004?
If so, and you have not yet heard form the Netivot Shalom Education Office, please contact Lorraine in that office immediately! We are setting dates for B'nai Mitzvot and you must speak with Lorraine in order to secure a date for your child. Education Office: 549-9447

Alef-Bet News....

After reading The Shabbat Lion, a wonderful folktale set in Algeria and its environs, we were inspired to make various Shabbat and Havdallah-related items. We have made a challah cover, a candle holder, and a besamim jar! Thanks to Rebecca Callahan for running the spice errand, and to Seth, our wonderful aide! Also, thanks to Nomi, who taught us a Ladino Chanukah song, along with a Hebrew one.

New words:
Shemen = oil
Besamim = (post Shabbat) spices
Leviva = latke = potato pancake
Chanukah = Chanukah
Chanukiya = the menorah or lamp used during Chanukah
Nerot = candles
Sevivon = dreidel = spinning top

Shabbat B'Yachad Reaches Out to Cuba

My 4-1/2 year old daughter can now add Cuba to the short list of countries she knows the names of (Israel being at the top of that list) thanks to a wonderful tzedakah project organized as part of Shabbat B'Yachad's annual Chanukah celebration. This year the children, from babies to kindergartners (plus a few older siblings) each brought a baby gift for Betty and Abilio Farin, young members of our sister congregation in Santiago de Cuba who are expecting their first baby in January. At one of the "activity stations," the children and their parents gift-wrapped these presents, covered them with fancy bows and stickers, and attached a card and family photo labeled with the children's names and ages. We went through a lot of sticky tape! Some of the children had made cards at home. Displayed at the table were photos of the soon to be young parents, Betty's parents (her mother Eugenia is the President of the shul), a map of the U.S. and Cuba with an arrow showing the route from Berkeley to Santiago, and some information about Betty's family and the history of the shul. And wandering around the room was one of the SBY dads with a video camera, recording children and parents introducing themselves to Betty and Abilio and wishing them well in English, Spanish, or Hebrew.

But the "activity" at the tzedakah table went well beyond gift-wrapping. The children were full of questions about the name and gender of the baby (neither of which is known at this point), whether someone will drive these presents to Cuba (June Safran will be bringing them in suitcases), who Betty is (a 20 year old nursing student and active member of Hatikva and its dance group), while the parents wanted to know what is our connection with this shul, how large it is, what its history is, and how we got connected with it. Upon learning that the shul was founded in 1924 by Sephardic Jews from Turkey, one father shared that he believed that his grandfather was one of them! Suddenly our connection with the families of Hatikva seemed very close.

Tzedakah projects like this are so wonderful in that everyone benefits: Betty, certainly, by receiving much needed baby items; the children, by being given the chance to do a real mitzvah; and the parents, by getting to feel a direct connection with the larger Jewish community, particularly with our sister congregation in Santiago. It is nice to feel that a little piece of Shabbat B'Yachad will be in Santiago de Cuba.

TEFILAH SCHEDULE

SATURDAYS 
All services are held at the
Berkeley-Richmond 
Jewish Community Center
1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley

Torah Study 	9:00 a.m. 

Shabbat Services	9:45 a.m. 

Meditative Minyan, 
3rd Shabbat
January 19 	9:30 a.m.

Learner's Minyan, 
2nd & 4th Shabbat
January 12 & 26 	9:45 a.m.


For Children & Parents:
Shabbat B'Yachad (pre-school),
2nd & 4th Shabbat
January 12 & 26 	11:00 a.m.

Shabbat Shelanu (grades K-2),
1st &3rd Shabbat
January 5 & 19 	 11:30 a.m.

Children's Service 
for K-2nd grade 	 (2nd & 4th Shabbat) 		11:30 a.m.
for 3-6th grade 		10:30 a.m. 
each Saturday, unless otherwise indicated

WEEKDAY MINYANIM 
All services are held at our offices,
1841 Berkeley Way, Berkeley
Morning Minyan	Wednesdays	7:15 a.m.
Rosh Chodesh Minyan	
Rosh Chodesh Sh'vat, 
Monday, January 14	7:15 a.m.

TORAH STUDY
SCHEDULE FOR: 

JANUARY

5
Torah Study of Shemot with Nitzhia Shaked

12
Torah Study of Va Era with Nomi Seidman

19
Torah Study of Bo with Nitzhia Shaked

26
Torah Study of Be Shallach with Esther Brass

Yahrzeit List

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO:

MAZAL TOV TO:
Mort & Marilyn Markowitz on the birth of a grandson to their children Jonathan & Sarah Markowitz

CONDOLENCES TO:
Joanna Weinberg on the death of her mother, Doris Kudisch
Judith Lieberman and Michael Leiberman on the death of their father, Jerome Lieberman
Jay Goldman on the death of his sister, Nancy Koenigsberg
Ralph Kramer on the death of his brother, Norman

DONATIONS To Netivot Shalom

Adult Education
Anonymous

Automobiles
Marcy Whitebrook

Books & Ritual Objects
Xenna Brenna for books for our library

Building Fund
Linda Blachman & Jurgen Bernhardt in honor of Blair Prentice's contribution
Nan & Peter Strauss on the birth of their grandson Emmett Jackson Howard
Susan Seeley
Diane & Edwin Bernbaum in memory of Doris Kudish
Josh & Noga Gressel
Barbara Bibel
Ralph & Hadassah Kramer
Carol Robinson & Arthur Gould in memory of Turi Adams' grandmother
Sharon Richards in memory of Doris Kudisch
Deena Aerenson & Steven Glaser in memory of Doris Kudisch
Chauncey & Shirah Bell, Karel Koenig & Fran Quittel in gratitude for Jan Fischer's High Holy Day Torah covers made in memory of Don Fischer

Etz Hayim
Kenneth Schnur & Denise Moyes-Schnur in honor of Emma & Noah Schnur

General Fund
Robert & Gabriele Edwards in honor of Hannah Friedman's first birthday
Kenneth Schnur & Denise Moyes-Schnur in honor of Josh Buchin's birthday
Elana Reinin & Marshall Platt in memory of Stephen M. Platt
Allen Samelson & Judith Lieberman in memory of Jerome Lieberman and in honor of Avi Samelson
Joan Bradus
Esther Kelman in memory of Herman Russian
Deborah Raiken & Charles Korn in honor of the marriage of Gwynn Simon & William Schwartz
Paul Hattis & Elizabeth Samelson in honor of Avi Samelson's bar mitzvah and in memory of Jerome Liebermanz

Rabbi's Discretionary Fund
Diane & Edwin Bernbaum in honor of Elana Kelman's Engagement

Torah Study
Laura Stern-Grossmann & Knut Grossman
Robert Feldman
Carl Sanders

Yamim Noraim
Peter Samis thanks for Yom Kippur services

Youth Education
Douglas Berman & Billie Romain

Yizkor
Alison Jordan