22.3.10

A New Temporary Shelter

ShalomImage via Wikipedia
We have officially found ourselves a new home, and that is Congregation Shema Yisrael. After the insanity of the past week or so, we do have this bright point in our spectrum. It is a multi-denominational shul, so I guess in English what that means is that we have a home that is much like Abraham Aveinu's tent, open on all sides.

I like that.

Life is too short, and there are too many mitzvot to perform, people to care about, and study to do to allow silly things to get in the way. If some groups want to paint themselves into a corner and try to exclude as many Jews as possible from getting into, or being in their "club", then so be it. We prefer people. We have everybody here, it seems. Orthodox, chassidic, Conservative, Reform, Renewal, Reconstructionist, it appears that everyone is represented.

The people here are wonderful, and we hope to add to that, to help build a welcoming atmosphere that continues to be possible well into the future. They have some very good plans of what they want to do. I was also honored to be allowed to sit in on the latest board meeting, and I can tell you this, these folks have the whole point right, and they are looking into a direction of tikkun olam that I honestly believe Hashem will make flourish.

Yes, we are still making aliyah.

The timeframe is still similar, if not the same.

But we have a point, no time will be wasted here, and it appears to be a very wonderful path that we are on, and the companions are top class. What more could you ask for?

More about that will be discussed on my other blog, Journeying Yid, as this remains the story of our path to home, our Journey to Eretz Yisrael and what shall be laid out for us there.

Nefesh B'Nefesh has actually blessed us in a great way. Perhaps we were asleep, and simply figured that the fix to our problem was just to go back home. But there is time before this happens, and much like the rabbinical refutations given a potential convert, our own "take a moment to think" moment with NBN led us on a more concrete search for community, for a more intimate inclusion with fellow Jews that will also affect where we potentially live in Israel.

Since my last post, I have also made another new friend, Rabbi Lazer Brody. His input has also assisted to meld our opinion on where we sit in the aliyah process, and what must be done.

Hashem has laid this all out in this manner for a very good reason, and even when it appears to immediately fly in the face of logic, time and again we find that things are exactly the way they should be, with the appropriate path rising in front of us.

While another goal has came to light once again, which I will delve into in the aforementioned blog, we see the good in what seems at some points inconvenient or counter. I should also take this point to explain that our lives in the past few weeks have been in an uproar. I owe someone some books I promised, and it is about like the box of salt that took me two weeks to finally pick up. I see it, I think, "I'm supposed to do that today" then I come home and have a "d'oh!" moment.

I promise, they are headed your way.

For now, NBN has some wonderful webinars, and we are going to begin watching them and getting our ducks in a row, both here in our congregation and helping them grow and as a unit build vitality and community, as well as hopefully, G-d willing, carrying that light over to Eretz Yisrael.

P.S. - Ira- Six Degrees time. One of our rabbis is Jeffery Salkin. He is also a classmate of my  rabbi from Anchorage. :) Woo-hoo!
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