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Shalom, chaveirim - hello, friends -
My trip has many critical parts - not the least of which is connecting with people. Actually, that IS the critical part. Though after a day of working in a field of eggplants, I have found other important components - more on that another time.
And Sunday evening, I really had a treat.
One of our temple members, Marilyn Lieff, who also is the last living founder of our temple, has a daughter who lives in Israel. Linda Lieff Altabeff and her husband, Doug, live in Rosh Pina, which is a beautiful community in the northern part of Israel. Linda and I have been in touch over the last few months just so she could know her hometown synagogue was thinking of her and our people's homeland and Modern State during these most difficult of days.
At one point, I told Linda I would be in Israel in March and would like to meet. She mentioned she had an artist opening in Jerusalem on March 10th. How perfect! I knew I'd be in Jerusalem that day. And so, there I went on Sunday evening to the Italian Synagogue's beautiful museum to see an extraordinary art exhibit which was featuring women working with fabric to tell, show, demonstrate the impact, role, presence, gifts, properties, personality traits women bring to the Jewish story and our people.
The context of this showing is The Jerusalem Biennale, which is a major art undertaking that goes on for two months across the city in some of its most iconic locations. Go browse the website to learn more. To see Linda's work, which is part of a section called "Threading," you can see here and here. The pictures do not do it justice and really, you need her explanation. Next time I see you, I'd be only too happy to explain about her magnificent work, which in no small part was inspired by her father's wood cut wording of "Da Lifnei Mi Atah Omed ~ Know before whom you stand" which adorns our sanctuary.
During the gallery introduction, the curators spoke about the importance of this event in light of the horrors that Israel has known these last many months. The fact that the art show was planned long before October 7th and that it would highlight women - in order to showcase the strength and depth of Judaism, Israel, and the Jewish people could not have been more prescient for what was and is needed.
Among the awful that Israel has known with such an uncertain future, there is a palpable sense of determination, creativity, hope, and resilience. How long this can last, I do not know. But as one friend of Linda's said, "We know we are in a seismic moment and we do not know how it turns out." Indeed, we don't. That uncertainty can be numbing and terrifying. But it can also be encouraging and empowering. There are so many things that are beyond our control. But for those things which are in purview, may we seize hold and dream, hope, create, and DO!
L'shalom miYerushalayim,
Rabbi Mark Cohn
Pictured above is Linda Lieff Altabeff and me in front of her magnificent artwork - an ark curtain, parochet.
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Sunday, April 7 (3:00 PM) at Temple Emanuel, 1 E. 65h Street, NYC. Join me for an extraordinary opportunity to honor our Czech Torah!! Register HERE as seating is limited. To learn more about the Czech Memorial Scroll Trust, go to their website HERE.
Thursday, May 9 (7:00 PM) at Congregation B'nai Israel, 444 Main Street, Southbury. Acclaimed author, journalist, teacher Yossi Klein Halevi will be speaking on "How October 7 Changed Israel and the Jewish World." This evening is hosted by our congregation joined with CBI of Southbury, the Jewish Federation of Western CT, the Greater Washington Coalition for Jewish Life, United Jewish Center of Danbury, and Temple Beth David of Cheshire.
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