Fifty Years of Community |
In honor of the 50th anniversary of Temple Emanu-El in Edison, NJ, I shared the following words on Erev Rosh Hashanah, 2011.
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Erev Rosh Hashanah, 2011 / 5772
Temple Emanu-El, Edison, NJ
The year is 1961. If you are older than 50 you might remember this time. If you are a younger member in our community, you can only probably imagine, or perhaps not, what it was like. The Cold War continued to worsen with the former Soviet Union. The Berlin wall was built separating East from West Berlin. Fidel Castro declares Cuba to adopt communism and banned free elections. Somalia suffers widespread flooding after the two main rivers overflowed their banks and merged in a vast floodplain leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.
John F. Kennedy is inaugurated as president of the United States. President Kennedy advises American families to build bomb shelters. The 23rd amendment to the Constitution is ratified which permits electors in the District of Columbia two votes, finally equal to those in the rest of the United States. President Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps. President Kennedy asks Congress for $531 million to put a man on the Moon. The Soviets put the first man in space, followed by the United States with Astronaut Allen Shepherd.
The United Nations general assembly condemns apartheid. The first direct US military involvement in Vietnam occurs. Amnesty International begins in the United Kingdom. Segregation on railways in the south finally ends. Freedom riders tested the United States Supreme Court decision Boynton versus Virginia by riding racially integrated interstate buses into the south. Some are attacked and beaten by white supremacist supporters of Rachel's segregation.
Texas sales tax is introduced for the first time. The first Six Flags theme parks open at six flags over Texas in Arlington Texas. Believe it or not, in 1961 Pampers, the first disposable diaper was introduced.
On the popular front, many films were in the theaters including: The Parent Trap, The Absent-Minded Professor, 101 Dalmations, Breakfast at Tiffany's and West Side Story. On TV, people were watching their favorite shows, from Bonanza to Perry Mason to the Andy Griffith Show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone and Mr. Ed.
The most popular songs recorded in 1961 in the US were: Wonderland, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Pony Time and Surrender by none other than Elvis Presley.
Born in 1961 were Michael J Fox, Scott Baio, George Clooney and your current president Barack Obama. Of other notes, the first in-flight movie is shown on TWA. The first electric toothbrush is produced. Niagara Falls starts producing hydroelectric power and IBM introduces the Selectric typewriter golfball.
In the Jewish world, Israel was celebrating her bat mitzvah year, 13 years young. Of the 180.6 million individuals living in the United States, 5.5 million were Jews. Adolph Eichmann's trial in Jerusalem began before the Jerusalem District Court on April 11, 1961. He was indicted on 15 criminal charges including crimes against humanity, war crimes, crimes against the Jewish people, and membership in an outlawed organization. The Reform Movement was using the Union Prayer Book, and Camp Harlam was 3 years old. Confirmation classes were very large in Reform congregations, but only handfuls of Reform Jews were celebrating bar let alone bat mitzvah.
The UN General Assembly adopts a resolution requesting the Palestine Conciliation Commission to implement a 1948 resolution regarding repatriation or resettlement of the Arab refugees. Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion has a private meeting with President Kennedy. El Al, the Israel airline, inaugurates the first nonstop service between New York and Tel Aviv. It is one of the world’s longest scheduled nonstop commercial flights. Israel holds national elections for the Fifth Knesset, with over a million votes cast.
For the rest of this sermon, please download below.
Temple Emanu-El, Edison, NJ
The year is 1961. If you are older than 50 you might remember this time. If you are a younger member in our community, you can only probably imagine, or perhaps not, what it was like. The Cold War continued to worsen with the former Soviet Union. The Berlin wall was built separating East from West Berlin. Fidel Castro declares Cuba to adopt communism and banned free elections. Somalia suffers widespread flooding after the two main rivers overflowed their banks and merged in a vast floodplain leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.
John F. Kennedy is inaugurated as president of the United States. President Kennedy advises American families to build bomb shelters. The 23rd amendment to the Constitution is ratified which permits electors in the District of Columbia two votes, finally equal to those in the rest of the United States. President Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps. President Kennedy asks Congress for $531 million to put a man on the Moon. The Soviets put the first man in space, followed by the United States with Astronaut Allen Shepherd.
The United Nations general assembly condemns apartheid. The first direct US military involvement in Vietnam occurs. Amnesty International begins in the United Kingdom. Segregation on railways in the south finally ends. Freedom riders tested the United States Supreme Court decision Boynton versus Virginia by riding racially integrated interstate buses into the south. Some are attacked and beaten by white supremacist supporters of Rachel's segregation.
Texas sales tax is introduced for the first time. The first Six Flags theme parks open at six flags over Texas in Arlington Texas. Believe it or not, in 1961 Pampers, the first disposable diaper was introduced.
On the popular front, many films were in the theaters including: The Parent Trap, The Absent-Minded Professor, 101 Dalmations, Breakfast at Tiffany's and West Side Story. On TV, people were watching their favorite shows, from Bonanza to Perry Mason to the Andy Griffith Show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone and Mr. Ed.
The most popular songs recorded in 1961 in the US were: Wonderland, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Pony Time and Surrender by none other than Elvis Presley.
Born in 1961 were Michael J Fox, Scott Baio, George Clooney and your current president Barack Obama. Of other notes, the first in-flight movie is shown on TWA. The first electric toothbrush is produced. Niagara Falls starts producing hydroelectric power and IBM introduces the Selectric typewriter golfball.
In the Jewish world, Israel was celebrating her bat mitzvah year, 13 years young. Of the 180.6 million individuals living in the United States, 5.5 million were Jews. Adolph Eichmann's trial in Jerusalem began before the Jerusalem District Court on April 11, 1961. He was indicted on 15 criminal charges including crimes against humanity, war crimes, crimes against the Jewish people, and membership in an outlawed organization. The Reform Movement was using the Union Prayer Book, and Camp Harlam was 3 years old. Confirmation classes were very large in Reform congregations, but only handfuls of Reform Jews were celebrating bar let alone bat mitzvah.
The UN General Assembly adopts a resolution requesting the Palestine Conciliation Commission to implement a 1948 resolution regarding repatriation or resettlement of the Arab refugees. Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion has a private meeting with President Kennedy. El Al, the Israel airline, inaugurates the first nonstop service between New York and Tel Aviv. It is one of the world’s longest scheduled nonstop commercial flights. Israel holds national elections for the Fifth Knesset, with over a million votes cast.
For the rest of this sermon, please download below.
| fifty_years_of_community.pdf |