H eadlines
Torah Continued from Page 1
to say?
“Yes,” answered every single
rabbi interviewed for this story.
But the real question, and
the real answers, came in the
follow-up to the obvious “yes”
response. If modern Jews can
benefit from doing more Torah
reading in 5782, why is that
the case?
Rabbinical answers to this
question were both varied and
equally wise.
Rabbi Valman Lipsker runs
the Chabad Lubavitch Center
in Philadelphia. He said the law
and guidance of the Torah can
eliminate plagues and floods.
“God said it,” Lipsker added.
“If you follow my guidance, I
will give you all you need.”
But unfortunately, according
to Lipsker, not enough modern
Jews are reading Torah.
“If we read it more, we
would have more recognition
of the beauty God is giving us,”
he said. “It’s time we return to
Him.” Rabbi
Aaron Gaber,
who leads the Conservative
Congregation Brothers of
Israel in Newtown, generally
agrees with Lipsker.
Gaber explained that, in
Deuteronomy, the last book
Rabbi Aaron Gaber of Congregation Brothers of Israel in Newtown
Courtesy of Rabbi Aaron Gaber
of the Torah, Moses transmits
God’s ethical will through
speeches to the Jewish people.
In those speeches, Moses
discusses our covenantal
relationship with Him.
“God promises to care for
us and keep us as his chosen
people,” Gaber said. “Our
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responsibility is to live by the
mitzvot.” Then, in Genesis, the
first book of the Torah, by
punishing Adam and Eve, God
makes clear to humans that
we’re holding the pen to “write
the story of the world,” the
rabbi said.
“It’s up to us to treat that
world with love and compas-
sion,” Gaber added. “And if we
don’t, there are consequences.”
The Conservative rabbi
denied the literal interpreta-
tion that God punishes humans
with natural disasters. But he
did conclude that, in a modern
context, living by the mitzvot
requires us to consider our
relationship with the machine.
There is a tension between
humanity’s ability to advance
and the health of the environ-
ment, Gaber explained. And
right now, we’re out of balance,
and humanity’s advancement
is at least partially responsible
for the climate change we’re
experiencing. “How do we make advance-
ments and at the same time be
JEWISH EXPONENT
Rabbi Eliezer Hirsch of Mekor Habracha in Center City
Courtesy of Rabbi Eliezer Hirsch
stewards of the world?” he asked.
“We have to work at that.”
Rabbi Albert Gabbai, who
guides Congregation Mikveh
Israel in Philadelphia, said we
need to work harder to under-
stand our moral relationship
with the larger world.
That requires us to read
Torah so we can grasp one core
principle in particular — one
we repeat during Yom Kippur
services. That every individual
action matters. Nothing is
meaningless, and nothing goes
unnoticed by Him.
“When I go to the dust, is
it all meaningless?” Gabbai
asked. “Absolutely not.”
But today, according to
Gabbai, too few Jews are taking
the time to deeply consider
this principle and others.
He believes we’re too often
choosing superficial, junk
food-like alternatives, from
social media to television, over
our water, which is the Torah.
“Torah doesn’t change. It’s
the principles. Everything
emerges from it,” he said.
Rabbi Eliezer Hirsch of
the Orthodox congregation
Mekor Habracha in Center
City supported Gabbai’s micro,
individual-level interpretation.
He thinks we can benefit
from more Torah reading
because it should guide our
actions every day. But he also
rejected direct causations
between individual actions and
macro-scale events.
“To pin exact behavior to
events is dangerous,” Hirsch said.
Rabbi Eliott Perlstein,
who leads the Conservative
synagogue Ohev Shalom
of Bucks County, offered a
similar refrain. That said, he
still believes our behavior has
consequences, and that Torah
can help us be cognizant of
that. “Sooner rather than later,
those who wreak havoc will
have havoc wreaked in their
own lives,” Perlstein concluded.
“We ought to be very aware of
that.” l
jsaffren@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0740
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
F TAY-SACHS
R F R E E E E
H eadlines
Sukkot Continued from Page 1
11 this year compared to 19 in
2019. As Jewish organizations
and synagogues contend with
another year of COVID-19,
albeit one that looks different
than last year, the feeling of
liminality between being
COVID-free and COVID-
conscious is reflected in Sukkot
plans around the city.
Old City Jewish Arts Center
is welcoming the public into
its sukkah, just as it did last
year, celebrating the theme of
“we all belong,” both under the
sukkah and in society.
OCJAC is continuing its
tradition of filling the walls of
the sukkah, located in front of
the building by the sidewalk,
with art from local artists and
community members.
Planning on bringing back
their Sushi and Simchat Torah
event this year after skipping
it last year — and hoping the
sukkah will attract visitors
interested in viewing the “11
Years in the Fringe” exhibit
inside the building — OCJAC
Rabbi Zalman Wircberg is all
for fulfilling the mitzvah of
inviting guests into his sukkah.
Open 24 hours, the OCJAC
sukkah follows the city’s guide-
lines of social distancing and
mask-wearing, hoping to ease
some guests’ anxiety.
“This year, we’ll see more
visitors who we haven’t seen
because of the extra safety
protocols,” Wircberg said.
Congregation Mikveh Israel
also kept to its Sukkot tradi-
tions this year, feeling that
hosting an outside event will
mitigate COVID risks.
Spanning across nearly their
entire parking lot, the Mikveh
Israel sukkah is donned with
real fruits hanging from the
roof. Just like last year, individ-
uals and families will sign
up for a time slot to eat and
spend time under the sukkah.
Families are seated together in
their respective pods.
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Jewish Student Association
has its sukkah open only to
Jefferson students and staff.
The school’s policy dictates
that only Jefferson students and CALL (215) 887-0877
FOR DETAILS
staff have building access, and
because the sukkah is located
e-mail: ntsad@aol.com;
within a campus building’s
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■ atrium, only Jefferson commu-
Screening for other
nity members are granted
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Diseases access.
also available.
Like others, the Jefferson
This message is sponsored by a friend of
JSA did not put up a sukkah
last year, but wanted to priori-
tize the holiday this year.
“It’s one of the more
Nat’l Tay-Sachs & Allied Diseases
Association of Delaware Valley
important services that we
provide,” JSA President Alex
“That’s another reason why
Straus said.
Last year, the Jewish we want to come back this year,
community at Jefferson was have a sukkah and do some
disconnected, especially kind of event,” Straus said.
This year’s Old City Jewish Arts Center’s sukkah, which has the theme
To find a sukkah open to the
of “we all belong”
Courtesy of Zalman Wircberg among newer medical students
who had not attended the public, visit the Jews in Center
university prior to COVID. City Facebook page. l
Straus hopes more in-person
“Masks are mandatory; Kehillah was not.
programming will help tighten srogelberg@jewishexponent.com;
we put hand sanitizer every-
The Kehillah typically the community.
215-832-0741 where,” Congregation Mikveh builds sukkahs and hosts
Israel Executive Director Sukkot events in Julian Abel
Shayna Golda said. “We try to and Matthias Baldwin parks.
keep people in their comfort
However, the Center City
zone.” Kehillah’s new Executive
While these sukkahs Director Rebecca Krasner
endured during COVID doesn’t take over the role until
to help recreate a sense of October, and her predecessor
normalcy, the B’nai Abraham left the role in early summer.
Chabad sukkah will host its
Applying for park permits
first Sukkot celebration event just wasn’t a priority this year,
in the sukkah in two years on and Krasner felt she didn’t want
Sept. 26 in Rittenhouse Square. the Kehillah to host Sukkot
Last year, the Philadelphia events without being able to
Parks and
Recreation properly coordinate COVID
Department was not giving out protocols for the holiday
permits to host events in city during this time of transition.
Retirement Community
parks. The Chabad could leave
“We at the Center City
• Spacious Studio, One, and
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its sukkah up in the park, but Kehillah feel very strongly
Two Bedroom Apartments
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couldn’t host gatherings. This about keeping people safe
• 24 Hour Security
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year, the permit application during this time, and that extra
• Engaging Activities/Events
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• Private Parking
process was nearly identical added layer of coordination ...
to years prior, giving B’nai wasn’t something that we were
Ask How to Qualify for Our
Abraham the opportunity to comfortable taking on this
make up for last year’s quiet year,” Krasner said.
Fall Initiative
holiday. Instead, Krasner hopes
“We hope it’s as close as Jewish community members
215-815-2196 possible to ‘B.C.E.: Before- will find another sukkah to
www.deer-meadows.org • lseonia@deer-meadows.org
COVID era,’” Chabad Rabbi visit that is open to the public.
Yochonon Goldman said.
But not all Jewish organiza-
Though B’nai Abraham tions feel comfortable making
8301 Roosevelt Blvd,
Chabad was able to success- their sukkah open to the
Philadelphia, PA 19152
fully attain permits this year public.
for its sukkah, the Center City
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