HEArtbeat

HEArtbeat of HEA: Counting of the Omer

From the second night of Pesach until the night of Shavuot, Jews count 49 days in commemoration of the Omer ritual in ancient Israel. It is the “waving” offering of a sheaf of ripe grain, ending with a celebration of the first fruits of the trees, which happens on Shavuot.
 
This is all about the agriculture of Israel that the ancient Israelites saw as blessings from God. Many Jewish traditions align with the harvests of the Holy Land, but, over time, the traditions took on deeper meanings and values.
 
Rabbis of the Talmud began to see the counting of the 49 days to be parallel with the ancient Israelites' 49 days of walking out of Egypt to Mount Sinai where they received the Torah (on Shavuot). The Rabbis of the Kabbalah saw these 49 days as 49 levels of impurity that the Israelites needed to shed from Egypt in order to be worthy of receiving the Torah. In all cases, the story seems to be the Jewish People beginning in ganut, oppression, and finding their way to cherut, freedom, and redemption, even one day soon, the coming of the Messiah.
 
For the Bible and for Jewish traditions that followed, history moves towards redemption. There are dark days in the lives of any people, but light always returns, and light will be our future. Light, in fact, will be our destiny. 
 
I am so encouraged to hear from members of our congregation that more and more people are being vaccinated. The staff of the Alliance received their second shots two weeks ago. Most seniors who I have talked to are fully vaccinated. Now that almost everyone is eligible, my children have made appointments for their shots. We just need to hold on for a few more of the dark months, being careful, wearing masks, and keeping our distance. Let’s look at these days ahead as our counting of the omer. We may begin in slavery, but we will end in the Promised Land.
 
From darkness to light. There are good days to come.
 
Chag Sameach

HEArtbeat of HEA:  Announcing Rabbi Gruenwald’s Spring Learning Group
Practicing Judaism:  A Spiritual Prescription for a Post-Pandemic World

What will a post-pandemic world look like? I believe that, in time, the world after Covid could look a lot like the world before Covid. People are people; and fundamental human behavior and social structures have changed very little over the course of human history. So I believe that soon we will revert to our defaults. But perhaps that isn’t good enough. After all, there were a lot of social factors that contributed to the slow-moving catastrophe we’ve been living through: a diminishing trust in institutions and expertise, and a culture of rugged individualism that inhibited our ability to cooperate for the common good. Perhaps we should strive for better than the pre-Covid world. 
 
What are the tools and practices that we need to strengthen our souls in order to come back stronger as individuals and as a society? I’ve been asking this question for months and thinking about what role spirituality and communal religion can plan in the mid-21st Century. I believe that Judaism, along with other faith traditions, is poised for a period of revival and that the toolkit that Judaism provides us will help us rebuild ourselves and our culture in healthier ways. 
 
I’m launching an experiment to test out my theory that a community that shares mindful Jewish practices will be better equipped to navigate the years ahead. I am looking for people to join me in this experiment.  Starting on April 6, I will be facilitating a five week laboratory in which participants will commit to adopting Jewish practices with the kavannah (intention) of growing our souls and strengthening our fellowship. 
 
This is not a class, in the conventional sense. Each session will include a period of meditation and prayer, text learning, practice, and reflection.  Together, we will investigate five foundational practices: Prayer, Shabbat, Kashrut, tzedakah, Torah study. There will be homework. Each week, the group will commit to adopting new aspects of these practices and integrating them into our lives with renewed spirit and curiosity.  At our gatherings, we will learn and reflect together to strengthen one another’s practice. 

I hope you will consider joining us. Click HERE to learn more and register for the group,

Shabbat Shalom

HEArtbeat of HEA:  March Madness

So it is March Madness time again, but this time, less mad. All 67 games will be played in just one city, Indianapolis. The NCAA has brought back the big events after canceling them all last year. I hope all college basketball fans have a great month. After 12 months of pandemic, it is good to be mad once again.
 
For me, not such a great fan, my March Madness is usually Pesach. I remember last year streaming our Seders, not even imagining that we would be zooming people into our dining room two years in a row. So be it. Come attend our Seder on the first night of Passover. Grab some wine and lots of matzah. And don’t forget those dessert jellies which pretend to be fruit. Jewish tradition requires us to eat at least one of them before the Afikomen (just kidding).
 
It has always been our tradition in the Dollin family to have the youngest of our children stand on a chair and recite Ma Nishtanah. Vivi will be home again with us for the seders, but she now refuses to stand on a chair (she is soon to be 22, Keinahora). 
 
We can learn something from having our children recite the prayer. Small children have what I would call “New Eyes.” They see things we do not see. While we are worrying about the world,  they focus on the simple, that which is right in front of them. When they ask, “Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights?” it is less for them and more for us. They ask of us to keep the night at bay and focus on the light of redemption. What are we grateful for? What has 12 months at home taught us? What values have come forward to push us to see the world and our lives differently? How can we go from our narrow places (a consonant of mitzrayim, could be tzar, which means narrow place, restricted and confining) to the wide-open places of salvation (family, friends, community). That most of us have remained healthy and safe during this pandemic is its own miracle (which still means we have to remain vigilant: masks and distance, please;  and appreciate the front line workers and the healthcare community for treating those who have fallen ill). From slavery to freedom, from degradation to redemption. That is what our children ask of us. They look at the world with new eyes and teach us to look forward with faith and anticipation for a better world to come. Why is this night different from all other nights?  Because this night is about optimism despite a difficult world. 
 
Chag Sameach V’kasher (have a wonderful Pesach)

HEArtbeat of HEA:  

Take the Shot

The Torah commands us to “Be careful and watch yourself,” (Deut. 4:9), which is understood by the Talmud to mean that we should avoid danger whenever possible (BT Brachot 32b). Throughout the Torah, we see examples of the duty we have as individuals not only to protect ourselves, but also to mitigate harm to others. 
 
In last week’s parsha–Mishpatim–we find a litany of civil laws that deal with the most pedestrian aspects of life. For instance, the Torah gives the example of someone’s ox goring a person. If it’s a one-time event, the owner of the animal is not held responsible, but if the ox has a history of aggression, the owner can be prosecuted (Exodus 21:28).
 
Just as the owner of an aggressive ox cannot claim innocence when his animal gores another human being, we are called upon to take action wherever possible to prevent harm to others. Jewish law, therefore, would respond to our current pandemic by demanding that we take preventative measures to mitigate harm, like wearing masks, washing hands, and maintaining physical distance from others. My teacher Rabbi Elliot Dorff is considered one of the country’s leading Jewish bio-ethicist. In his book, Matters of Life and Death, he writes:

With its strong sense of community and duty, the Jewish tradition would have us use communal measures to preserve our lives and health as much as possible. It would be a violation of Jewish law, for example, for a Jew to refuse to be inoculated against a disease, at least where the inoculation has a proven track record of effectiveness. Jews, on the contrary, have a positive duty to have themselves and their children inoculated against all diseases where that preventative measure is effective and available.
 
In other words, putting ourselves and others at risk of deadly diseases like measles or COVID is tantamount to standing idly by the spilled blood of another. It is socially irresponsible.
 
Recently, much of our HEA staff received the COVID vaccination thanks to The Efshar Project–a local organization that provides professional development to Colorado Jewish early childhood centers. Along with our preschool teachers, I was fortunate to receive my first dose of the vaccine, and I look forward to getting my second shot in a few weeks. When I received the vaccine, I said a prayer composed by a colleague, based on Jewish sources (you will be receiving this blessing in this year’s Purim mishloach manot from HEA). I am grateful for the peace of mind that I might be better protected from the virus, but I also held the kavannah (intention) that I was doing my small part to ensure the health and safety of others. 
 
I know that everyone will need to make their own choices when it comes to getting vaccinated, and I am also aware that there are many valid medical reasons why some people cannot get vaccinated. Nonetheless, I want to strenuously encourage you all to get vaccinated when the opportunity is presented. Don’t just do it for yourself–do it for others too. It’s the right thing to do and it is the Jewish thing to do. 
 
When you do receive your vaccine, you might want to offer a prayer as well. You can find several by visiting the Rabbinical Assembly website.

Shabbat Shalom!

HEArtbeat of HEA:  

Parashat Yitro

Parashat Yitro describes one of the most important moments in our national history; Maamad Har Sinai מעמד הר סיני and the receiving of the Torah. This pivotal moment defined us as a people, with the Ten Commandments at the core of our faith. The Torah we received was meant to be the basis of our moral and ethical living. As newly liberated tribes coming out of Egypt, we were to become a nation united with a set of governing principles, as revealed in Sinai, to establish a new society based on justice and equality. If indeed the Torah is instrumental to the creation of a unique societal and judicial structure based on the divine will – why wouldn't God give it to everyone? Why was the Torah given only to us? Should not other nations be governed according to the divine revelation as well?

This might have been a question asked by our sages also, for they offered the possible reasoning and explanation in this famous Midrash:

God went to all the nations of the world and asked if they would like to receive his Torah. The nations, upon hearing of the obligations they would have to undertake if they receive this Torah, refused. At last, God came to the people of Israel who not only accepted the Torah but later replied with the famous Na’aseh V’nishma  נעשה ונשמע  “We will do and we will hear”.

This midrash can be problematic on so many levels: for one, if God is omniscient why did he not know the outcome of his 'nation shopping'? Did he not know the other nations would refuse but the children of Israel would accept? If he did know the outcome, did He go through the motions just to absolve himself from the perception as a prejudiced God?

If God did not know and indeed went from one nation to another, coming to the children of Israel last – what does this say about us being at the bottom of His barrel?

As insufficient as the above midrash is, we still claim Asher Bachar Banu Mikol HaAmim  אשר בחר בנו מכל העמים  "Who has chosen us from all the other nations" as we recite the blessing before each Aliyah.

Understanding that choseness does not necessarily indicate superiority but rather distinctiveness and particularity, the questions one must ask are why us, and chosen for what?

Our tradition offers an easy answer for the last question; We are chosen so we may be a light to the nations. How are we to shine? Through our deeds and righteousness. Those deeds and righteousness as expressed in our Torah, beginning with the 10 commandments we read about in this Parashat. But wouldn't it have been a greater light filling the whole world through the actions and deeds of all people if the Torah was given to all?

This question leads us back to the way we started: Why we, or for that matter, any nation, would need to be chosen?

I look forward to continuing this conversation in the sermon I will be giving tomorrow.

Shabbat Shalom!

HEArtbeat of HEA:  

Ozi V’zimrat Yah Vayehi Li Lishuah

My strength and the song of God will be my salvation

I will admit to you all that I am tired of hearing my own voice. I hope you just laughed, because every week after we finish a service and we are unsure if the camera is still rolling, I laugh too. I started my career here spending most of my time looking at a camera and trying to find the humor in every moment. It has been a lonely year, but even so, time goes on. We have celebrated B’nai Mitzvah, weddings and holidays, because these are the good moments we can hold onto, even if they had to happen on a screen. I write this because I also choose to celebrate the incredible moments that happen, not just in our lives, but to the Jewish people, as well.  
 
One of those moments is the story of Moses. As we read through this story in the next few weeks, I am reminded of the incredible role Miriam plays in his life. She protects Moses as a baby, watches him grow up and is eventually by his side through the exodus of Egypt. Not only that, but as we read the story of the crossing of the sea next Shabbat, we are also reminded of her role as a leader, and specifically, a song leader. One might say that Miriam was the first cantor in our history. She took the timbrels in her hand and led the people in song. Not just any song, but a song where they praised God for their redemption. For this reason, as we read parshat B’shallach and the Song of the Sea, I am excited to lead this incredible congregation in song. I invite you to join me on January 30th (virtually, of course!) as we celebrate Shabbat Shira, the Shabbat of song. We recognize the power that music can have and we hope that you all can come back to the sanctuary safely once again and sing together. I hope you will choose to celebrate and sing with me.

HEArtbeat of HEA:  

Tu B'Shevat & Spring Classes

On behalf of all of the staff of HEA, I want to wish all of the HEA community a much better year in 2021. Given all of the turmoil in our country and abroad, there is even more reason to connect together as a community and feel a sense of belonging in the new year. As each day begins to get a little longer, we continue to move through the cycles of the year. Marking the holidays, even when we have to be physically apart to do so, remains a constant in our lives. We all know that as Jews, we don’t like to let too much time go by without a holiday to help us signify an event or season!

Next week begins the Hebrew month of Shevat, and with it Tu B’Shevat (the birthday of the trees). HEA is here to help us stay together, apart during this holiday which is a favorite of many.

We will celebrate with an evening of programs called Together for Tu B’Shevat on Saturday, January 23. This evening will have opportunities for individuals and families of all types to participate in fun, social, holiday-themed activities.

There's the Tu B'Shevat Family Havdalah at 6:00 p.m., a cooking competition, The Great Tu B'Shevat Chopped (Zoom) Challenge, at 6:30 p.m. And if you would rather create a beautiful Tu B'Shevat craft for your home, join our Tu B’Shevat Thankful Tree Craft project at 6:30 p.m. Click HERE to register and get all the details.

The days when we can gather together whether in small groups or as a whole community are inching closer to us each day, as the days get longer, and the vaccine becomes more widely available. Before that day, HEA will continue to be here for you, supporting you albeit from a distance, that preserves the safety of us all. I for one cannot wait to welcome you all with a smile.

Shabbat Shalom!

HEArtbeat of HEA:  

Your Weekly Hug from the HEA

Hanukkah Sameach! Please think of this HEArtbeat article as your Weekly Hug from the HEA!

The staff and I miss Laura’s smile and happy disposition but I am glad I can help out so she can focus on her treatments and staying strong. During this first month as a staff member, I have learned so much. Most importantly, I am reminded that every person who works at the HEA cares deeply about all of our members, the Preschool families, the Religious School participants and parents, the B’nai Mitzvah families, young families, single members, baby boomers and our elder members. Every day as I talk to the staff, they are working to keep our members engaged, involved, notified of activities, questions answered about yahrzeits and simchas, prepared for Shabbat services and we wish we could do all this in person. 

I really like working with the innovators on the staff. This starts with the clergy who are already thinking about how we can celebrate holidays together in 2021. They are planning for the spring/summer outside events and very hopeful that a vaccine against COVID-19 will be readily available before the High Holidays. Cantor Green is setting a framework for music infusion for the Preschool, Religious School and for adult education and even for activities in 2022! Shira Teed is very focused on Hanukkah for the next Eight Miraculous Nights but is already getting us excited about Tu B’Shevat, Purim, Passover and beyond. Rebecca Paradis and the Preschool staff are planning for the 2021-22 school year while keeping things running smoothly for our current adorable toddlers. Sherry Grinsteiner sees what has been possible over Zoom for the Religious School and with electives for Art, Music and Theater, the students get to be creative, and hands on, like they haven’t been before. There are Youth Activities for 3rd through 12th graders, along with Mensch Academy with interesting events many times each month. Lastly, if you have been attending Shabbat services via streaming over the past 2 months you’ve seen many B’nai Mitzvahs. Jenn Zucker has helped every family prepare for these important days. While these simchas have been different than any of the families or 13 year-olds imagined, each one has been special and well organized thanks to Jenn.
 
Please be sure to join us tomorrow via streaming on YouTube or our website to celebrate Micah and Hannah Gruenwald’s B’nai Mitzvah. On a personal note, when our daughter Jessica became a Bat Mitzvah on July 12, 2008, Micah and Hannah were 6 months old, Koby (z”l) was 3 years old and Rabbi and Melanie Gruenwald had just moved to Denver. The Gellers have so enjoyed watching the twins grow up.

I have tried to help you picture a lot of fun, inspiring, and community-building activities we can look forward to in 2021 and beyond. I want to be able to give all who want one, A BIG HUG. We miss being together so let’s make the most of Hanukkah this year online with our fellow congregants. Let’s keep the candles burning bright.

HEArtbeat of HEA: Hanukkah at HEA

Shira Teed
Director of Engagement
(720) 390-4426 shira@HEAdenver.org

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and with it yet another holiday where we have had to adjust our expectations to meet our current reality. The good news is that over the past nine months we have learned a great deal about how we gather, and new ways in which we can connect. With that in mind, we are heading into the winter holiday season, and all that the light of Hanukkah can bring to our lives.
 
Did you know that Hanukkah starts early this year? We light the first candle on Thursday, December 10. This Hanukkah, like other holidays of 2020 will continue to be virtual, and while we desperately want to throw one of our signature Hanukkah celebrations, we know that this is not the year. In fact, this year, we intend to take the general sentiment of the winter holiday season to heart, and do what we can to care for others. That means staying home and celebrating differently by bringing the warmth and light into our homes, physically apart.
 
Hanukkah at HEA might be different this year, but it will be special! Just because we will not be in close proximity does not mean we can’t celebrate together and connect as a community virtually. In addition to all of the classes offered by our clergy throughout the month of Kislev, which you can register for HERE, we will be offering programming each night called, HEA Eight Miraculous Nights! Along with an HEA family, Cantor Green will lead us in nightly candle lightings, so no one has to light the hanukkiah alone. Following the lighting, there will be opportunities for everyone in our community to connect through virtual programs. So join us for any night that work for your family or maybe all of the nights. We have brought in some really special guests from around the country to help us celebrate, and we can’t wait to see you there. Below you will find the lineup for Eight Miraculous Nights, and you can sign up to participate in any night you want.

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HEA Eight Miraculous Nights will connect the synagogue together during a time of social distancing with many opportunities to celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah.

Friday, December 11, 6:00 p.m. (community-focused)
Night 2: Azamra Hanukkah
A special Friday night Azamra service for Hanukkah lead by Rabbi Gruenwald and Cantor Green. We will have candles lit ahead of time for Shabbat.

Tuesday, December 15, 6:30 p.m. (adult-focused)
Night 6: Part 3 of Rabbi Dollin’s class, Making Light in a Dark Time
Using Jewish wisdom, Rabbi Dollin will discuss what Judaism has to say about this time of tribulation and what we can do to bring light to our lives.  

HEArtbeat of HEA: Azamra

Rabbi Salomon Gruenwald

HEArtbeat: Celebrate Shabbat with HEA 

Rabbi Salomon Gruenwald,

Associate Rabbi

Now that the high holidays are over, how are we going to stay connected?

HEAConnect is opening up new groups for you to sign up for beginning today!
 
What is HEAConnect?
HEAConnect Groups are regular gatherings of five to fifteen members in people’s homes, offices, and other places that promote relationship building. During this sensitive time, groups are welcome to begin virtually. 

​​​​​​​They are led by HEAConnect Group Leaders. Some HEAConnect Groups will connect around common interests and affinities. Other groups will gather to discuss topics of deep concern or importance to their lives. All will engage in meaningful conversations and learning through curriculum provided by HEA.
 

HEArtbeat of the HEA:

The HEArt of Fall Holidays

                                                                       

From Shira Teed, HEA Director of Engagement 

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HEArtbeat of the HEA:

The HEArt of Our Voices

https://youtu.be/eUD8rruJ6BE

Shabbat Shalom,
Laura Intfen
HEA CEO

HEArtbeat of the HEA: The HEArt of Making Lemonade

As the saying goes...

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

But recently, immersed in the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism, I’ve experienced a deeper sense of vulnerability and powerlessness, along with the “givens” of sadness, fear, and anger I imagine that everyone’s feeling. I usually spring into action mode in times of extreme need or crisis but the pandemic(s) and the implications around them felt too overwhelming to tackle as an individual. And then it became apparent to me all that HEA is (and can be) for all of us. It’s a portal to convene, support, and respond to those in need. As Engagement Director Shira Teed and her team of more than 45 HEA volunteers did when they reached out to every member of the congregation to “check-in”. It’s a “family” of lay and clergy there to help process and tackle the big stuff like job loss/economic insecurity, mental health challenges and the special stressors felt especially by those on the frontlines fighting the virus as our rabbis demonstrated through counseling congregants and holding support groups for healthcare workers.

Being part of HEA means an opportunity to be part of a larger, more collective voice for which to share views about what is and what should be in the Jewish and greater community, as Rabbi Gruenwald did when he and others went to the Capitol to stand in solidarity with those speaking out about the indignities and injustice black people in America experience.

HEA is our network. Tapping into it helps us realize and appreciate even with all the illness, sadness, and disappointment borne of the coronavirus, there have been some pretty beautiful moments too.

Twelve-year-old Hannah Gruenwald created dozens of beautiful, personalized cards to send to some of HEA’s older and unwell members.

To stay connected with our young families and make it possible for them to still enjoy some of the customs of Lag B’omer, HEA offered s’mores kits like this one fired up by Joel, Noah, and Rose Asrael.

That’s Hannah Kutnick, daughter of members Carla and Jay, sitting in a sea of 500 backpacks filled with school supplies ready to be donated to students in need. This is Hannah’s fourth year managing this incredible project!

Earlier this summer, the Grove family courageously spoke to the congregation about their painful experiences dealing with racism and specifically, what it’s like to be Jews of color in our community. What felt like incredibly shocking revelations to many of us on the Zoom call, has led to the creation of an HEA task force to address the deep divide and other issues preventing us from being an authentically welcoming and fully inclusive community.

The Grove Family: Winston, Yaacov, Yossi and Jami.