T orah P ortion
Turning in Order to See
BY RABBI SHELLY BARNATHAN
Parshat Shemot
PARSHAT SHEMOT contains
a story that we know quite
well — the famous story of
Moses and the Burning Bush.

The narrative begins as Moses
tends the flock of his father-
in-law, Yitro, leads the flock to
Chorev, the Mountain of G-d,
and — well, we all know what
happens next — Moshe looks
and sees a bush that is aflame,
but is not burning up.

The exact words of Moshe in
Torah are, “Asurah Na V’Er’eh
et Ha’mar’eh ha’gadol ha’zeh
... Madua lo yiv’ar ha’sneh?”
“I will turn and I will see this
great sight — why is the bush
not burning up?”
I know that we have each
read this story many times
and have seen many artistic
renditions of the burning bush.

Every time I read this parshah,
I think, of course, it is impos-
sible for a bush be on fire and
not to be consumed. Wouldn’t
everyone notice this and be
curious about it?
A Midrash tells us that this
very bush had been burning for
a long time and, that others,
presumably shepherds like
Moshe, had passed by the bush,
never noticing it. Did these
shepherds miss the burning
bush because they were working
so conscientiously, focusing so
carefully on their sheep that they
didn’t even lift their eyes?
Or were they looking after
their flock with their minds
elsewhere — so consumed with
their spouses, their children,
their health or their homes that
they didn’t even process that
a bush was in flames but not
burning up?
Or perhaps these shepherds
did see the fiery bush, much
like we might see someone or
something in danger, inten-
tionally choosing to pass it by,
thinking that they didn’t want to
get involved, and that someone
else would take care of it?
We’ve all been there — so
focused on our task that we
block out everything around
us, or presumably focused on
our task, but really deep in
thought around our personal
lives, trying to solve this
problem or that. And then
there are those times when we
do notice a serious problem
in the world, and we choose
to pass it by, rationalizing to
ourselves that it is OK not to
pay attention because someone
else will take care of it.

So, what made Moshe
Rabbeynu different from the
others who had passed by the
burning bush? The words of
the Torah give us a clue here.

Moses says, “Asurah” — “I will
turn and I will see this great
sight.” The verb “lasur,” to
turn, is used throughout Torah,
sometimes meaning turning
toward/coming closer, and
sometimes meaning turning
aside/departing from. In which
direction, then, can we assume
that Moshe was turning in his
statement “Asurah Na V’er’eh”?
The Torah grammar helps us
out here. Commentator Abraham
Ibn Ezra clarifies that when sur is
followed by a word starting with
the letter mem, it means turn
from, and when the word el (to)
or a word with the letter lamed
follows the verb sur, it means turn
toward, but our Torah phrase,
Asurah Nah V’er’eh, has neither
the mem nor the lamed following
sur! Ibn Ezra then explains that
Moses’ words, “Asurah Na” imply
that Moshe wanted to do both —
to turn aside from his original
spot in order to turn toward the
burning bush.

CAN DL E L IGHTIN G
Jan. 8
Jan. 15
In his turning, Moshe
demonstrates kavanah, inten-
tionality and mindfulness. He
stops, notices that the bush
is not burning up, and then
chooses to turn to approach
this amazing sight. Moses was
drawn to the bush and felt that
it merited his time and atten-
tion. He was willing to step
out of his regular routine of
shepherding, putting himself
in harm’s way to approach a
bush engulfed in flames.

So, who are we in this story?
Are we the shepherds who
pass by the burning bushes in
our lives hundreds of times
— too busy to notice, too
preoccupied to engage, too
self-absorbed to turn toward
that which needs our atten-
tion? Or are we like Moses,
noticing what is around us,
observing what is unusual and
what is calling for our atten-
tion, willing to step out of the
everyday to notice what G-d
might be asking us to do?
When we notice godly
moments and opportunities in
our lives, we can choose to
turn toward them, answering
with a full heart and with
full presence, as Moshe did,
Hineini, here I am, G-d.

History 22
JANUARY 7, 2021
Hineini — I am here, present,
awake, available, ready to turn
my full attention to that which
is before me that needs to be
done in the world.

May we be blessed to be
awake and aware like Moshe,
to notice the moments in our
lives when we are called to
pay attention, to turn and to
respond, moments in which we
can be leaders and partners
with G-d.

Let us answer Hineini when
we are called, so that we, like
Moshe, might turn to stand
on holy ground, to notice, to
act and to make change in the
world, especially now in this
new year of 2021. l
Rabbi Shelly Barnathan is the
rabbi and founder of Or Zarua, a
co-constructed Jewish community
on the Philadelphia Main Line.

The Board of Rabbis is proud to
provide diverse perspectives on
Torah commentary for the Jewish
Exponent. The opinions expressed
in this column are the author’s own
and do not reflect the view of the
Board of Rabbis.

Cemetery Continued from Page 4
would see a need there, partic-
ularly if they were already
versed in Yiddish,” Peitzman
said. Staller served as the dispen-
sary’s first president. Gartman,
who hailed from a wealthy
German Jewish immigrant
family and started a cigar
factory at Seventh Street and
Passyunk Avenue before going
into medicine, was the first
treasurer. He graduated from
Jefferson Medical College,
now Sidney Kimmel Medical
College, and practiced urology
before going into private
4:35 p.m.

4:42 p.m.

Continued from Page 5
practice nearby at 525 Pine
St. He specialized in treating
sexually transmitted diseases,
was known for providing
care to sex workers and often
lectured at meetings held by
the anarchist-led Social Science
Club. Segal, a widely respected
pediatrician, was another
graduate of Jefferson Medical
College. His obituary in the
Evening Bulletin
stated that “he first established his
practice at Fifth and Queen
streets, where he became a
charity physician, caring for
the poor at no charge.”
The clinic served local Jewish
laborers and immigrants, who
often suffered from work-re-
lated injuries, STDs and
tuberculosis. Women took
their children to be treated for
earaches and colds.

Peitzman said that models
of providing health care to
the poor changed as the 19th
century gave way to the 20th.

The dispensary movement
faded and was replaced with
charity hospitals. In the 1940s,
the Philadelphia Department
of Health formed health clinics
JEWISH EXPONENT
that assumed some of the
work once done by the city’s
dispensaries. Mount Sinai Dispensary
eventually evolved into Mt.

Sinai Hospital, which remained
open until 1997. Some of the
original dispensary founders
remained, and Staller stayed
on as a visiting surgeon. While
the institution they created had
changed, their mission to fill
gaps in the health care system
had not. l
closed gates. Owner Richard
Levy attributed the problems
to the coronavirus.

Levy was pushed by
Jewish Federation of Greater
Philadelphia and state Rep.

Jared Solomon, among others,
to take care of the cemeteries.

Jewish Federation helped
arrange for a landscaping
crew to cut the grass over the
summer, but visitors say the
cemeteries remain in overall
poor condition. l
spanzer@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0729
agotlieb@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0797
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



COMMUNITY NEWS
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia mobilizes
financial and volunteer resources to address the
communities’ most critical priorities locally, in Israel and
around the world.

Building a Safer Workplace
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia Welcomes Ta’amod to Reduce Risk of Harassment
THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER PHILADELPHIA is holding
up a torch to shed light on a pervasive problem that has long existed: workplace
harassment. While the workplace has become largely remote during the
pandemic, the virtual environment has created the space necessary to re-ex-
amine and retool Jewish organizations and institutions through the lens of
faith-based values and ethics.

Teaming up with Ta’amod: Stand Up, a national initiative that combats sexual
and gender-based harassment in the Jewish workplace, the Jewish Federation is
excited to bring its holistic workshops, consultations and resources to the local
Jewish community. Ta’amod is the only legally compliant respectful workplace
training program that uses Jewish values as a framework for deeper exploration
of diversity, inclusion and equity.

“This is a very exciting opportunity for Ta’amod and the Philadelphia Jewish
community as we develop some new content and program offerings for 2021,”
said Nicole Nevarez, national director of Ta’amod. “We hope that we will also
return to in-person communal spaces in 2021, and it is incumbent upon Jewish
communal professionals and leaders to return with a commitment to creating
the most holistic and psychologically safe environment possible.”
Born out of the #MeToo movement, Ta’amod was created in partnership with
the Jewish Women’s Foundation of New York and the Good People Fund as a call
to action to recognize and remedy the growing toxicity for women professionals,
who comprise about 70% of the Jewish workforce. Designed for those who are
invested in mutual respect, the training program imbues the following six Jewish
principals into its curriculum: kavod habriyot (dignity for all human beings),
rachmanut (compassion), ometz (courage), emet (truth), derech eretz (the right
path) and areyvut (community).

Kicking off this community collaboration, all are welcome to attend one
of two launch events, scheduled for Jan. 19 and Feb. 4. During these virtual
sessions, participants will gain a greater sense of Ta’amod’s vision for creating
a healthier Jewish community that intrinsically reduces the risk of harassment
and gender abuse. Victims of workplace harassment will also give first-hand
testimonials, which will underscore the need for change to the current Jewish
communal landscape.

Join Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s
kickoff of this community collaboration with
Ta’amod at one of two launch sessions.

FIRST SESSION
Tuesday, Jan. 19 • 12-1:30 p.m.

SECOND SESSION
Thursday, Feb. 4 • 4-5:30 p.m.

To register for the launch events and workshops,
please visit jewishphilly.org/taamod
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM kieferpix, iStock / Getty
Following the community-wide launch, the Jewish Professionals Network
(JPRO) will continue to host subsequent Ta’amod workshops for synagogue and
Jewish agency professionals throughout Greater Philadelphia.

“It was a natural fit for our local JPRO chapter to partner with Ta’amod
on their work,” said Addie Lewis Klein, director of community engagement
at Jewish Federation. “We are delighted to be hosting and recruiting for the
Ta’amod training sessions, which will begin later in the winter.”
Leading these training sessions is Andrea Jacobs, Ta’amod’s Philadelphia
community trainer and the co-founder and partner at Rally Point for Collaborative
Change, a consulting practice that transforms workplace culture. Bringing in
more than 25 years of relevant experience, a doctorate in sociolinguistics and
a background in theater, Jacobs provides a creative entryway to reevaluate the
impact of words and actions as well as systems, once thought set in stone.

“As a member of the Philadelphia Jewish community, I’m thrilled to be raising
the profile of this work,” said Jacobs, the former director of education at Keshet,
the national Jewish LGBTQ organization. “We have a real opportunity to engage
in a community-wide conversation about these issues and engage in truly trans-
formative work.”
The launch events and training series will be free of charge, thanks to the support
of Women of Vision (WOV), the Women’s Foundation of the Jewish Federation.

“Our goal is to advance and support Jewish women and girls, and this includes
working toward equity for women in the workplace,” said Carly Zimmerman,
chair-elect for WOV and co-chair of the group’s Grant Review Committee.

“When considering grants, we prioritize organizations whose work will have a
cascading effect, and Ta’amod’s mission to help Jewish organizations develop
cultures of respect, safety and equity will not only affect Jewish professionals, but
will have a larger impact on the Jewish community as a whole. We’re grateful to
be part of Ta’amod’s Launch in Philadelphia.”
Have you experienced or witnessed abusive behavior, discrimination or harassment
in the Jewish workplace or communal space? Call Ta’amod at 833-760-0330. It’s free,
anonymous and confidential. To learn more about Ta’amod, please visit taamod.org.

JEWISH EXPONENT
JANUARY 7, 2021
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