Five Thursday mornings with Rabbi Meir

Starting Thursday, January 10, 11am

Whether we're asking life's biggest questions (why are we here, what is our purpose, the horror of evil, our mortal essence) or remembering fondly our university studies of history's most important thinkers, join Rabbi Meir in our study of Martin Buber and Emanuel Levinas.  This journey into the lives and minds of two of our greatest 20th Century, Jewish thinkers will be enriching and uplifting.  

We will focus on the following texts, all of which are available on-line.

Martin Buber, The Way of Man (http://www.pendlehill.org/images/pamphlets/php106.pdf)

Martin Buber, Hasidism and Modern Man (The Way of Man is included in this book), http://www.amazon.com/Hasidism-Modern-Man-Martin-Buber/dp/1573924601

Emanuel Levinas, Nine Talmudic Readings, http://www.amazon.com/Nine-Talmudic-Readings-Emmanuel-Levinas/dp/0253208769

Please try to read The Way of Man (at the above link) for the first class.

Happy New Year to all,

Meir

Rabbi Meir's Friday Night (Parashat Va'Yishlach) 
Dvar Torah on the UN Vote on Palestine 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 11AM 
MEN'S GROUP (CHOCHAMIM)

Dear Friends,

I hope you all are well, that you had a wonderful thanksgiving and that December brings much good cheer.  We meet this coming Sunday morning at 11am.  Saturday night is the first night of Chanukah, so Sunday morning we'll be in our first day of Chanukah.  Surprise, I'd like to think about our question -- "What do we want to tell our children/grandchildren . . . " through a Chanukah lens.

A primary idea or question we'll talk about is: "If/when have we ever felt like the underdog, the small and powerless one?"  That was the situation the Maccabees found themselves in, in 165 BC.  The Hanukah story offers two very different kinds of ideas.  

What advice do we have for our grandchildren on this subject?  We will look at a few Chanukah texts and also pages 192-195 of our Heschel article, which can be found through my blog, below.

I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.  May this Chanukah season be filled with light and warmth and passion.

Chag urim sameach (a happy and luminous holiday to all),

Meir

The Individual Jew and His Obligations, (part 1) Abraham Joshua Heschel

The Individual Jew and His Obligations, (part 2) Abraham Joshua Heschel

NOVEMBER 17, 

4PM-5:30PM

RABBI'S  SHABBAT 

AFTERNOON TISCH 

Israel, the Galilee, is coming to Great Neck.  Are there any idealists left in Israel?  Are there any young Israelis committed, determined to fulfill the ideals and values of the founding giants of Modern Zionism?  YES!

Meet Gilad Perry, Kibbutz Eshbal and Dror Israel, the Educator's Kibbutz Movement.  With his love of people, his passion for Israel and the founding Zionist vision, and with the music of his soul and guitar, we will be blessed to spend Shabbat afternoon with Gilad Perry.

For a wonderful YouTube about the work of Kibbutz Eshbal, see

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwiCXMcAVB0&feature=plcp

LISTEN TO RABBI MEIR'S YOM KIPPUR SERMON ON ISRAEL

TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 13, 7-8:30pm, 
at TEMPLE BETH-EL of GREAT NECK

Join me and Tara next Tuesday night for a lecture and conversation with Dr/Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman.  Dr. Hoffman is one of the most sought-after Jewish thinkers today.  Like Abraham Joshua Heschel, Lawrence Hoffman devotes his time to exploring life's biggest, most challenging and uplifting questions.  I absolutely promise that the 90 minutes you spend with him will be extraordinarily rewarding and worthwhile.  Please, please join us for this wonderful opportunity.  

One additional note -- Tara and I think alot about what it means to be your rabbis.  One thing we're clear about is that our job is to provide you with as many opportunities as possible that will nurture, inspire and challenge you in your life's journey.  Part of our obligation to you is to make TBE a place of truly compelling experiences, experiences that will uplift both the intellect and the soul.  We are certain that Dr. Hoffman will serve that role.  

Dr. Hoffman is a Professor of Liturgy at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where Rabbis Rudin, Davidson and Feldmans were all ordained.  In addition, he is the author and editor of many, many books.  His most recent book is One Hundred Great Jewish Books: Three Millennia of Jewish Conversation.  

, 

OCTOBER 20, 4PM, RABBI'S TISCH, TBE

OCTOBER 20, 4-5:30pm

ISRAEL IS COMING TO BETH-EL. 

MEET DR. YAKIR ENGLANDER 

OF HEBREW UNIV & NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

   October 20, 4pm: Dr. Yakir Englander of Jerusalem is bringing to Great Neck a "not-to-miss experience". The black hat chasidic world meets the best of the snobby academy meets the sacred vision of Jewish and Palestinian families coming together.  There's nothing like the "Shabbat tisch" that Yakir grew up with.  With his violin-playing, story-telling, melodies and profound insights into Torah and Israel, Dr. Englander (of Hebrew University and Northwestern University) will take us on a journey through Israel that is sure to dazzle us all.

Return Your Israel Bookmark to TBE &

LISTEN TO RABBI MEIR'S YOM KIPPUR 2012 SERMON!

  

OCTOBER 21, 9AM, SUNDAY MEN'S GROUP

Hi Sunday Morning Friends (chochamim),

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday morning, Oct. 21 at 9:30am.  The meta-question we will ask this year is: "What do we want to tell our children and grandchildren about (multiple 
subjects) ?"  (i) About the essence of life; (ii) About what it means to be a Jew versus an American;  (iii)  About why am I a Reform Jew; (iv) About the role of community in life;  (v) About where we came from, the significance of our family history; (vi) About what we would want in the 'ethical will' we might write to our children and grand-children; (vii) About the Holocaust; and lastly, (viii) About who might say kaddish for us.

At the end of last year, we briefly encountered the wonderful essay by Abraham Joshua Heschel, entitled The Individual Jew and his Obligations.  I want us to begin the year with that essay.  For our first gathering, Sunday, October 21, 9am, please read this essay (which can be found at the blog link below) and select two or three passages that you find powerful.

Click on this link to find the essay by Abraham Joshua Heschel, entitled The Individual Jew and his Obligations.  Enjoy!


Meir