Category Archives: Congregant Voices

Hardening the Heart: Thoughts on Parashat Va’era

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The notion of hardening the heart occurs 20 times in the book of Exodus.

Ten of these occurrences state either that Pharoah hardened his [own] heart (8:28, 9:34) or say that Pharoah’s heart hardened, suggesting that this was something that Pharoah did on his own (7:13, 7:14, 7:22, 8:11, 8:15, 9:7 , 9:35). The other ten occurrences attribute the heart hardening to God (4:21, 7:3, 9:12, 10:1, 10:20, 10:27, 11:10, 14:4, 14:8, 14:17).

The idea that God intentionally hardened Pharoah’s heart has always troubled me. Why would God do that? And how, if God made this happen, can we blame Pharoah and hold him accountable for his actions? Continue reading →

Reflecting on the Civil Rights Trip

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Outside the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, Alabama

Risa’s opening remarks and the reflections were shared at MLK Shabbat (1/13/24). Participants in the November 2023 Civil Rights trip were asked to share one powerful and specific impression from their experience.

Risa Bernstein

As most of you know, a group of 33 Shomrei members traveled together to the deep South this past November for a Civil Rights Educational trip. How fitting that we, as we gather again on this special MLK Shabbat, we remember that it was LAST year’s MLK Shabbat, and the moving sermon from Rabbi Justus around issues in Black and Jewish relations, that inspired us to travel.

In listening to some of Rabbi Justus’ insights from trips with similar itineraries, many of us were moved … and thinking how impactful it would be for us to take part in a like-minded learning journey. Continue reading →

Shabbat – Our Way In Verona

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On October 7th, when the war in Israel started, I began to feel vulnerable as a Jew. I started to consider where in my life I could find support as a Jewish person and where I might need to reconsider my personal safety. I quickly realized that, as a resident in Verona, I didn’t know more than a few Jewish neighbors. That made me feel vulnerable. What if something antisemitic were to happen to my family? Where could I find support in my own town? Continue reading →

Impressions from the Shomrei Civil Rights Trip

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Having been college students in the 1960’s, my husband Alan and I thought we had a very good handle on the struggle for voting rights by our liberal confreres.  We marched, signed petitions and voted for folks who were on the right side of the struggle.  Being a part of Shomrei’s Civil Right Trip gave us a chance to revisit those memories and reevaluate what it all meant. Continue reading →

Reflections on the Civil Rights Trip: Changing My View of History

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As a young child I watched a show called You Were There featuring Walter Cronkite as host introducing reporters on the scene when significant events in history were occurring. The show consisted of reenactments of history bringing the viewer into the situation as it was happening. I saw the duel between Hamilton and Burr as well as the being witness to the first use of penicillin in 1945. According to Wikipedia, “At the end of the program, after Cronkite summarized what happened in the preceding event, he reminded viewers, ‘What sort of day was it? A day like all days, filled with those events that alter and illuminate our times… all things are as they were then, except you were there.’” Continue reading →

Reflection on the Civil Rights Trip: Personal Highlights

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When I was a kid and drove with my father from our hometown of Lowell, Mass to the orthodontist in Boston, we would go through the streets of Cambridge. I would notice the rather decrepit looking triple deckers, the small apartment buildings, the dirty streets – and the dark faces. I remember questioning my father and asking why people had to live that way. Continue reading →

Music Connects our Community

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I always loved to sing. From the time I was four years old, I went to synagogue with my older brother, and the tunes of the shabbat morning service were swimming around in my head well before I learned to read the words. I went to Camp Ramah and enthusiastically embraced the singing culture, memorizing the words to the songs for the Zimriah – music festival – and for the blessing after each meal. I desperately wanted to lead the Birkat Hamazon – grace after meals – on shabbat because it was the long version, and on occasion I was thrilled to have this honor. Continue reading →