Comments Delivered Rosh Hashanah Evening
1 Tishre 5767

Some of you have already heard the reasons my husband and I decided to move to Tucson from San Francisco.  Said briefly, we were looking for a change in our lives.  We wanted to settle in a medium-sized city that was warm, flat, had a university, and had a thriving Jewish community.

One day exactly a year ago sitting at my computer, I suddenly—out of the blue—had the thought:  “What about Tucson?!”  I have no idea why I had that thought:  We did not know anyone here.  Neither of us had ever been here.  Still, the idea appealed to me.   But I wondered if there were any Jews in Tucson, so I typed into Google “Jewish Tucson.”  To my amazement, the first hit was a site called “JewishTucson.org.”

At this point I could say “the rest is history,” but I want to share with you what I saw when I looked at JewishTucson.org.  The first thing I saw was a well-done web site, which in itself made a great first impression about the community.  I went straight to the listing called Community Directory, and from there looked up “synagogues.”  Once again I was amazed:  there were twelve congregations listed.  That’s more than in the city of San Francisco! 

I sent my husband an email that day:  in the body of the email I put only a link to JewishTucson.org, and in the subject line I simply said, “OK, check this out.”  When I got home that night he said, “So let’s go there.”  Now I can say:  the rest is history. 

Last December we publicly announced our decision to move here in the summer.  Several months later, in the spring, Rabbi Aaron requested a year’s sabbatical.  Chaverim’s leadership contacted the Reform Movement who—knowing I was moving to Tucson—suggested that the congregation see if I would be available to fill in for the year.  I said “Yes,” and here I am, here we are.

I tell you all this by way of introduction:  first, to introduce myself and how I came to be standing on the bima here tonight.  And also by way of explaining how I found myself last month at Shalom Tucson. 

The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona—which sponsors JewishTucson.org—also sponsors Shalom Tucson.  This event welcomes Jews who are new to the community, and on that day there were at least several dozen newcomers attending.  Chaverim was represented by Sheila Peress our president, Dina Afek one of our Vice Presidents, Hilary Lyons our educator, and me.  When we arrived we learned that only one person from each congregation—preferably the rabbi—was to give the attendees a brief description of his or her synagogue.    

Now, when I found myself at Shalom Tucson with just three minutes to describe Congregation Chaverim, I had been in Tucson for several months.  I had already met a good number of congregants, had heard about the congregation’s recent and earlier history, and had spoken with members of the wider community about the “Jewish scene” here in Tucson.  Given my previous experience of Jewish life in various parts of the country, I felt I had a sense of who we are and our place in this community.

I also had a sense of what many American Jews are seeking, based on local and national studies that have tried to identify who we are and what we want. 

For example, there is a book called Finding A Spiritual Home that addresses this subject. This book, by Rabbi Sidney Schwarz, has a section called “The Hunger” (page 19).  In it he describes what he thinks contemporary American Jews are looking for in terms of religion and spirituality.  See if any of these desires hit home for you personally.  And see, also, if any seems to describe our congregation. I certainly think that Chaverim fulfills many of these hungers. 

Speaking for many contemporary Jews, he says (and I paraphrase):

• We want a synagogue that is welcoming of diversity, that moves beyond the two-parent with two children family to singles, interfaith, elderly, divorced or single-parent, multi-racial, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community. 
• He also says American Jews are looking for a synagogue that helps us wrestle with the real religious questions of faith, conscience and social responsibility. 
• In addition, American Jews don’t want prayer by rote, or being told what our religious practices should be.  We are looking for ways to connect our own life with a sense of larger purpose and meaning.  Many of us have looked outside the Jewish community, to ashrams, yoga retreats, self-help groups, Buddhist meditation, and so on.  Or we have been swallowed by the secular culture, thinking Judaism has nothing special to offer us.  We want a Jewish place, a synagogue where our yearnings can be addressed and engaged.
• We also want a place where we can combine our search for spiritual fulfillment with our commitment to do the work of social justice.
• We want to be empowered in our Judaism.  American Jews are literate and informed, and not as willing as our ancestors to receive passively teaching and instruction from rabbinic leaders.  We want to be actively engaged, not passive spectators.
• Rabbi Schwarz concludes this list with one more thing that is particularly relevant for Chaverim.  He says that we—that is, American Jews—are looking for a synagogue experience that encourages relationships among congregants, where we are known by the rabbi and professional staff, where we have a sense of belonging, even a sense of family.

I think many synagogues these days are trying to respond to these various “hungers” that Rabbi Schwarz describes.  As I listened to the rabbis at Shalom Tucson, it was clear that most synagogues have the same general offerings:  Shabbat services, religious school, social justice projects, adult education, and lots of committees.  Of course there are differences too, in terms of congregation size, denomination, physical building and location.  And these are things that potential members have to take into account. 

What I chose to do with my three minutes at Shalom Tucson was convey what makes Chaverim unique.  We are like other congregations in that we offer the basic things one would expect, yet we are truly special in wonderful ways. 

Some of you here tonight know the history of this congregation from personal involvement going back to the very early days.  Others of you have surely heard this history.  This congregation began thirty-some-odd years ago as a havurah, a small group of people who wanted to celebrate Jewish life together.  There was no building, no rabbi, no formal organizational structure.  Everyone just pitched in and did what was needed to be done, from creating prayerbooks, to teaching the children, to leading services, to finding places in which to hold those services.  And everyone knew everyone.  It was a true community.  Chaverim:  a community of friends.

This was clearly a style of Judaism that appealed to people, and over the years the size of Chaverim has led to certain changes, perhaps inevitable changes.  For example, we now have our own building and a professional staff.  But we have not abandoned those very things on which Chaverim was founded. 

This congregation likes to be outdoors.  Tomorrow we have Rosh HaShanah on the mountain—a highlight of the year for many congregants.  Later this year we will have “Blue Sky Shabbat” services at a beautiful Tucson outdoor setting.  We have a community garden.  The religious school makes a point of going on outings, like the intergenerational chaverot apple-picking last Sunday.

And we have not forgotten our roots.  At the heart of this congregation are the chaverot, the smaller groups of individuals and families who celebrate together, learn together and support each other throughout the Jewish year.

What for me is most wonderful about this congregation is the spirit of participation.  Try to guess how many congregants have been involved in putting together these High Holiday services, from planning meetings, to leading services, to schlepping supplies, to greeting, to helping in the parking lot, to reading Torah, to singing in the choir, to placing ads in the newspaper, and much more.  I’ve counted:  over 70 congregants have actively participated to make our High Holidays happen.  This is extraordinary.  I came from a large congregation where the staff did all the planning and all the work; the congregants just needed to show up.  I think about the saying of our sages:  “According to the effort is the reward.” 

I am aware that the congregation has recently gone through a time of uncertainty and transition.  My hope--and my intention--for this year is that we look toward the future, toward coming together as chaverim, as friends and as members of this special community.  We are all here l’sheim Shamyim – for the sake of Heaven.  We are here to bring holiness into our daily lives.  We are here because Judaism speaks to our hearts in times of joy and times of sadness.  We are here because this congregation offers something we can’t find anywhere else.  May the new year, 5767, be a year of coming together, a year of healing, a year of celebrating all that makes Chaverim such a unique and exceptional congregation.

May each of us offer our own special gifts, that together we may build a holy place.