Tuesday Morning Torah – August 8, 2017
As many of you know, I recently returned from a month at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires. As always, I had an incredible time at camp. From the sounds of Hebrew and Israeli music around every corner, to the site of children running free and playing ultimate Frisbee, softball, tennis, soccer, basketball, (and even, tether ball), to the incredible opportunities for kids to participate in all kinds of arts and crafts, to the plays performed in Hebrew, the music program, drama program, radio program, water activities, farm activities, or Jewish learning while climbing a rock wall or the ropes course- there is simply no replacing the Jewish summer camp experience. I continue to remain grateful to our leadership for enabling me to have this experience each summer and return home honored, once again, to be a part of such a wonderful summer community.
Part of the reason that I return so physically refreshed and spiritually nourished each summer is simply the joy, and positive energy, that can be found at camp.
One small example: Just this past Sunday evening, I drove up to camp for a quick visit to see the members of my family that are still at Ramah. Fortunately, I showed up during the night of “Rikudiyah,” the Israeli dance festival. The joy felt all around the basketball court as kids and adults of all ages, and degrees of talent (or not) danced and celebrated was truly something to behold. The Jewish pride that was exuded, consciously and unconsciously, was palpable. It didn’t matter how well you could dance. It didn’t matter if you knew the Israeli pop songs, or not- what mattered is that you danced, had fun, and brought joy to the experience.
All of this reminded me of something very important, that we would all do well to remember. Judaism can be very serious, it can be extremely meaningful, and it should also whenever possible, be filled with vibrancy and joy.
Ecclesiastes famously wrote (ch. 3) that- “There is a time for everything under the sun. A time to weep and a time to laugh…. a time to mourn and a time to dance.”
1. What is the most joyous Jewish experience that you ever had? What made it so joyful?
2. While every moment of every day in Synagogue life cannot (and should not) be joyous- what are some things that we might do to increase the amount of joy that we experience in our own synagogue community throughout the year?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts and wish you a joyful remainder of the summer!
