December 20 - Temple Israel of Great Neck

A VOICE GUEST COLUMNSpeak Out, Act Out—Exert InfluenceFROM THE RABBIA recent article in the Style section ofthe Times berates the younger generationfor using text messaging to avoid taking fullresponsibility for their actions. For example,it has become wide practice for people tosend a text message expressing regret for notbeing able to attend an event, often an houror so before the event begins. Occasionallythis is done using abbreviations like SSSCU(“so sorry something came up”).The author of the article claims that textmessaging makes people feel less accountablethan they might if they had to, say, pickup the phone to express their regrets.It seems that human beings have alwaysbeen hardwired to dodge accountability.Witness Cain’s famous question,“Am I my brother’s keeper?”The answer to that, of course, is yes,and Biblical and Rabbinic passages acrossthe millennia emphasize the point in waysboth subtle and direct. Important figureslike King David and Judah, son of Jacob,discovered, through the twists and turns oftheir respective lives, that their actions haveprofound implications for others. In rabbinictradition, witnesses in a capital case wereAccountabilityBy Rabbi Howard SteckerEDITOR’S NOTE: This Guest Column contains excerpts from Rabbi Howard Stecker’ssermon, delivered during the High Holy Days. This, and other sermons, are available onhis blog, “Torah for Our Day.”By and large, Jews are talkers. Andthat’s often been a source of our influence.A month ago, I was sitting in the back ofa jeep with some awesome teens from TempleIsrael, touring the Golan Heights as part of aphenomenal Temple Israel trip to Israel.To live quietlyis notthe Jewish way.The tour guide related the followingstory, well known to many of us. In 1967,the Israeli Army needed extra time to seizecontrol of the Golan Heights. Abba Eban,the famous Israeli diplomat who spokethe Queens English, spoke for hours to theSecurity Council of the United Nations.During that time, Israel completed the necessarymilitary operation. But the speechwasn’t just a time-saver. Abba Eban emphasizedthe necessity of Israel’s defense andher ultimate desire for peace.Since our inception, we have tried asa people to exert positive influence in theworld, not just to defend ourselves, but toimprove the circumstances of others. Weexert influence through talk and action andit goes way back.Abraham was told by God, “through you,all of the families of the earth will be blessed.”Centuries later, Isaiah told the people,“keep speaking out Ad yetze khanoga tzidkahuntil Israel’s righteousness bursts forth likea flaming torch!”——Continued on page 6By Rabbi Howard Steckerresponsible for administering whateverpunishment would be imposed on the accused.Ideally, this caused them to considertheir testimony with great care.Again and again, our tradition emphasizesthat our tongues, hands and pocketbookscan afflict or uplift, depending on howwe use them. As our tradition puts it, we areareivim ze bazeh, accountable to one another.…our tongues,hands and pocketbookscan afflict or uplift…There is also good news to report regardingour nature. We are also wired toacknowledge our accountability, especiallyif the community we are part of reinforcesthat message.A few weeks ago, a busload of teenagersfrom our synagogue went down to LongBeach, a town hard hit by Hurricane Sandy,to volunteer at a distribution center. Turnsout, the “text message generation” filled a——Continued on page 4——2——FROM THE PRESIDENTThe Week That WasBy Alan KlingerIt started with the passing of our formerpresident, Jack Stein. Known to many and asreported in this issue of The Voice, Jack wasa true luminary both in the Jewish worldand the community at large. Former presidentof United Synagogue of ConservativeJudaism and chairman of the Conferenceof Presidents of Major American JewishOrganizations, Jack also served as a specialadvisor to the White House for PresidentReagan and was a member of the U.S. delegationto the United Nations. Partneringwith Rabbi Waxman, Jack helped formulatesignificant policies for our movement,including promoting principles of egalitarianismand inter-faith dialogue. I recall…the feelingof sadness gave wayto the brightnessof a life well-lived.Jack speaking fervently to the congregationin favor of patrilineal descent as a way ofaddressing societal changes, knowing thatapproach had been rejected by our mainstreamleaders; whether you agreed withhim or not, all found Jack capable of broadthinking and unafraid to tackle hard issues.While his passing was not unexpected, thefirst reaction to the news was a sadness thatwe would no longer hear his firm voice. Yet,in listening to the tributes paid to him at hisfuneral (of which there were many, includingthat of Malcolm Hoenlein, the currentchairman of The Conference), those that resonatedmost to me were those of his family,who depicted in heartfelt ways his essenceas a role model to two generations. At theend, the feeling of sadness gave way to thebrightness of a life well-lived. (We felt furtherpangs of loss later that week with thepassing of another former synagogue president,Mordy Gabriel. A professor of biology,Mordy was known for his keen insight andleft a lasting legacy by participating in theselection process for two of our rabbis.)We also experienced a different type ofevent that week, a debate between ProfessorPeter Beinart and Rabbi Shlomo Riskinconcerning issues of Zionism and Israel.Temple Israel was one of ten synagoguesfrom the Great Neck community that cosponsoredthe dialogue emanating fromBeinart’s work, “The Crisis of Zionism,”——Continued on page 4