Sermon by Rabbi Denise L. Eger, September 9, 2005

Shabbat Shalom,

Thank you to all the members of Woka who participated in tonight’s special service.

We have been bombarded by horrific images in the last almost two weeks as we have watched with sadness the situation in New Orleans and the Gulf States following Hurricane Katrina. I know I have been filled with grief and sadness as I have watched and listened to the stories of terror and chaos that fill my television screen. I can’t imagine the great city of New Orleans—where I spent so much time in my teens and early college years- in such wretched condition. And even more so the way in which the people have been treated and the way various levels of government have failed are difficult to comprehend. But we must try to imagine it and comprehend it because a measure of any society is how they treat those who are most vulnerable. And these last 11 days—America as a society has failed miserably.

The truth is we have been failing for a long time. But it is hard to speak truth to power. There are incredible inequities of race and class that we ignore as a country. Even here in our own city—we are so segregated from one another—How many of you have been down to see the magnificence of the Watts Towers? Or shopped in Leimert Park?
And it’s not just about race or ethnicity—in our city and country class is the unspoken divider. Did you know that there are over 90,000 homeless people in Los Angeles alone? Add that to the count of those displaced by Hurricane Katrina. There are people here in our own city that goes to bed hungry at night—not just those who were stuck with out food and water in the Superdome for four days. 40% of New Orleans population lived below the poverty line or was on some government assistance before the hurricane came—now the number is astronomical.
I am glad we as a congregation are responding to the needs of those affected by the Hurricane. We have already delivered over 14 larges boxes of goods to Metropolitan Community Church. And I know each of you will in the next week –drop off more goods—blankets, clothes, food and household goods, or gift cards from Costco, Target, even Toys R. Us. The need is truly great. The temple is open tomorrow morning and Sunday morning for drop-offs.
But we also as a congregation must not forget those in our midst which is why I hope some of you this Sunday will join with our Social Action Committee at Sova in the valley—packing food for the hungry and homeless right here in our own city. You see we have to attack these problems at many different levels. Locally and nationally. With goods and food, and yes, with our tzedakah money.
Evangeline Booth a social reformer of the early 20th century and General in the Salvation Army taught: “ It is not how many years we live, but what we do with them. It is not what we receive, but what we give to others.” This is also a very Jewish notion. God commands us time and time again—to reach out to those in need. Extend a hand to the poor and share from the corners of our field. We might not be farmers here in West Hollywood—but we can learn to share the bounty of our lives. This week’s portion—Shofetim, speaks important words—Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof—Justice, it is justice you shall pursue. (Deuteronomy 16:20)
We know what is just and what is right. Our torah and Jewish tradition teaches us how to care for others. And so we must –both those far and near. We have seen so many across our nation who have given caring and the relief efforts are enormous at this time. Yes, justice is being felt finally throughout the land. Communities not affected by the Hurricane—like Houston, and Lafayette and Baton Rouge Louisiana, Memphis Tennessee are extending a communal welcome to those who need it.
They are defining what a community is—by reaching out in kindness and caring. Opening their homes to strangers, feeding the hungry, staffing the shelters. Hugging the children and the seniors. If such a crisis happened near us—would we be prepared to care with such openness and selflessness? Would we take time off to volunteer? Would we be prepared to make a meal? Would we feel the responsibility to care for our neighbor?
And what about to a fellow temple member? When they are sick? Or need a ride to the doctor? Do we send a card—when we hear a name on the healing list—even if we don’t know them so well? Or drop them an email? Do we make a dinner and take it over to a mourner’s house? Or be part of shiva minyan even if we don’t know the prayers too well. Or are we so caught up in our own drama that we can’t make room for others?
Many of you do these things and you are generous of spirit. But others of us think—someone else will do it. My friends, we have seen all too well—it isn’t going to be the government that comes to our rescue—they weren’t prepared not only in New Orleans—but throughout the Gulf States—not local and not federal. It isn’t the police. So who must it be—it must be us. We are God’s messengers here on earth.
It is time to examine as a Congregation the way in which we make community with one another. It is time to make sure that we are really doing the work of caring for one another—not just paying lip service. It is time for us as community to reach out to help both at home and away as well reach out to one another. So the next time you are going to the French Market after temple—invite someone new to join you that you meet at the oneg.
Call someone to meet you at services that you haven’t seen in a while. Decide to come Sunday to Sova and give of your heart for a couple of hours. Take the healing list home with you and get out your Temple directory and send a card to temple members on that list even if you don’t know them. Show up. Be counted— extend your hand and your heart.
As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, chief Rabbi of Great Britain has written: “Judaism continues to be the faith of one of the world’s smallest peoples. Yet Jews have always had an impact out of all proportion to our numbers. Why? The reason lies in the radical belief at the heart of our faith that we can make a difference – and that we should. G-d calls on us to become (his) “partners in the work of creation”. Judaism is not a faith that leads us to accept the world as it is. It is a faith that challenges us to make the world as it ought to be. It is a sustained cry of protest against the injustices and random cruelties of the world.”

We can and must make a difference –I call upon you to try. Together we will pursue justice—and yes, healing and build hope again.

Sermon by Rabbi Denise L. Eger, September 3, 2005

Shabbat Shalom

What a week it has been. We have been witness to the mighty destructive power of nature and the devastation that has come in its path. The pictures from the Gulf Coast and New Orleans have been heartbreaking to see. I grew up in this part of the country. Biloxi and New Orleans were towns that we often visited. New Orleans was my home away from home in High school. And so to see the city flooded and the people stranded and the violence and chaos swirling there, has saddened me deeply.

We see such chaos there and the failure of government to adequately respond. If you had means- money or transportation- you were able to flee, if you were sick or poor and relied on public transportation—you were out of luck and the most vulnerable in society have received the worst of it. It is almost a week and there are people still stranded. Bodies still piling up.

The roaming gangs, the looting and utter anarchy that prevails today in the Crescent City on the Mississippi River should give pause to us all. Humanity can take such a turn for the worse when desperate. Yes, our Torah portion speaks loudly upon this subject—See this day I set before you blessing and curse—blessing if you obey the commandments and curse if you do not obey the commandments. How easy it is to choose curse—and the consequences of that choice—has victims shooting at the medic helicopters sent to bring out those who are ill.

With such great synchronicity, our Haftarah this morning seems also to speak directly to both the vicitims of hurricane Katrina and to each one of us who have witnessed the horror. Isaiah speaks words of comfort—Unhappy storm tossed one, uncomforted! I will lay down gems as your building stones and I will make your foundations of sapphires”. The Haftarah embodies a message of hope that even as the storm abates –a brighter future—rebuilt will be our inheritance. Let us hope and pray that this will be true as well for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

That future will mean making order out of chaos. No different than the original creation story—the order that came out of the tohu v’vohu. A Divine order. But we must not forget that even in the Creation Stories of Genesis that human beings are a significant part of that story. Even as we shall be part of this re-creation story—the recreation of the communities along the Gulf Coast that were devastated. Although we live so far away-we must do as this week’s portion reminds us “If however there is a needy person among you one of your kinsmen in any of your settlements in the land that Adonai your God is giving you do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kinsman. Rather you must open your hand and lend him sufficient for whatever he needs.”

It will take years to bring order out of this chaos of devastation and there will be many who are needy—both Jew and non-Jew alike. We must neither turn a deaf ear nor as the days and weeks and months drag on let our compassion meter run low.

While our president fights his mythic war in Iraq—our nation suffers. While we are spending hundreds of billions of dollars fighting terrorists, we did not spend the money we need to protect ourselves. We could have strengthened the levees and prevented much of New Orleans’ flooding. Money was approved under Clinton’s term but diverted in Mr. Bush’s to fight his war on terror. It has been time to bring our soldiers home for a long time—but now in the face of Katrina’s terror—it is ever more pressing. We must summons the courage to come home—and attend to the business of rebuilding our own American communities. We must insist on rebuilding a safety net for the most vulnerable of our society—so that not only when disaster strikes, they will not be the after thought –but taken care of equally and fully every day.

We can keep the vision of Isaiah espoused at the end of the Haftarah, alive , “So shall you summon a nation you did not know” Let that nation be our own— A nation that surprises even us, a nation that reaches into its heart and resources as long as is necessary to rebuild and bring order out of the chaos.

Today too as we celebrate the upcoming wedding of Dean and Haim we see in them the hope we place in the future. That their commitment and love helps in this process of bringing order out of chaos. The words and promises they will exchange beneath the chupah tomorrow—teaches us that even when disaster strikes we must look to the future. Their wedding tomorrow shows us that through their trust in one another and their faith in God they help in the rebuilding of our entire world. And so Dean and Haim we are grateful to you both—for helping us look to the future—a bright future that we see in you that world may one day yet be redeemed. May you find comfort in one another, and may your marriage be filled with hope for the future.

And now it is my privilige to call up –my colleagues to give a special blessing to Dean and Haim on the eve of their wedding…
And my rabbinic colleagues who are here today to join me in this blessing—Rabbis Alan Henkin, Linda Bertenthal, Hillel Cohn, Richard Levy, JB Sacks-Rosen, and Neal Scheindlin.