By Rabbi Deborah K. Bravo

Throughout the month of Elul, the month preceding Rosh Hashanah, I will be sharing daily reflections to help each of us prepare for the upcoming High Holy Day Season.  I hope these thoughts inspire each of us to make time, find the energy and initiate some passion as we reflect and examine this past year, in preparation for the year to come.

This summer, while on faculty at the URJ Crane Lake Camp, one of the middot, or Jewish virtues that we studied with our campers was that of humility, or anavah.  Teaching humility to children was no easy task.  So many questions were asked.  How does one explain humility?  Can one be humble and still have self-esteem?  Is humility a good thing?  Can one be humble and have humility without appearing weak and wimpy?

All good questions as we prepared to teach these children.  And yet, the questions are really no different when we confront the idea of humility as adults as well.  What does it mean to have humility and why is it a Jewish virtue?  How might I balance humility with joy or happiness?  Can I find room in my daily way of life to have humility and not lose my voice or my vision?

I believe we can and should all bring a balance of humility to our lives.  I think the mere fact that we are all created b’tzelem Elohim, in God’s image, should bring us a sense of humility.  If we know that God, however we might picture God, has made mistakes and has fixed things, then should we not think the same is necessary for ourselves?

I like and appreciate the dictionary definition of humility, which states that it is a modest or low view of one’s own importance.  This simply explains to all that we should never overstate our significance, for there will always be someone who is smarter, someone who is more talented, someone who can do the work better.  This does not negate our desire to try to do things to the best of our capability.  Quite the opposite.  It should motivate us to do things to the best of our ability, but realizing we should not boast or be so full of ourselves so as to think we are better than all the rest.

Though I enjoy that definition, I do not like the synonyms often used for humility.  They often include meekness, unassertiveness, lack of pride and submissiveness.  I don’t believe when we consider humility a Jewish virtue that we understand in such a manner. 

Humility is caring enough for other human beings
to respect each individual’s place in the world, regardless of our own. 

Humility is knowing when to help a friend
Without them ever hearing our voice.

Humility is respecting the teacher
Even if we think we can do it better.

May this year allow for some humility in our actions.
May this year allow for some humility in our words.

Now let the sound of the shofar be heard;
And let our souls be awakened!



Shalom,
Rabbi Debbie Bravo

Throughout the month of Elul, the month preceding Rosh Hashanah, I will be sharing daily reflections to help each of us prepare for the upcoming High Holy Day Season.  I hope these thoughts inspire each of us to make time, find the energy and initiate some passion as we reflect and examine this past year, in preparation for the year to come.

I know for many of us, we do not love the word renewal.  Perhaps it feels too 1960’s, too loose and open, without enough concrete guidance and direction.  I also think that the idea of renewal as we contemplate a personal renewal takes work.  There is no guidebook or simple one-page summary of how to go about personal renewal.

Yet there is perhaps nothing more valuable and worthy than allowing ourselves to experience renewal as we look at our lives, our relationships, our families, our work, our Judaism, and so much more.  To regenerate ourselves, is, by definition, spiritual renewal, and it encompasses all aspects of our lives. 

There is a Jewish Renewal Movement, and when investigating their mission, I learned that Jewish Renewal, as a movement, is grounded in Judaism’s prophetic traditions, similar to Reform Judaism, and our mystical traditions, the more Kabbalistic aspects of our tradition.  Jewish Renewal carries, as defined on the Movement’s website, “carried forward Judaism’s perpetual process of renewal.  Jewish Renewal seeks to bring creativity, relevance, joy and an all-embracing awareness to spiritual practice, as a path to healing our hearts and finding balance and wholeness....”

I would like to think that many of us strive for this kind of renewal if and when we put our hearts and minds to the task of renewal.  What a wonderful opportunity during the month of Elul, as Rosh Hashanah awaits us but one week away, to allow for reinvigoration and revival, in our lives, our relationships, with Judaism and with God. 

Perhaps as we go through the regular steps of our daily lives, we can pause during the rest of Elul and during the Days of Repentance between the High Holy Days to reflect on the decisions we have made to give direction to our lives.  So often we live life according to what is comfortable, or even necessary.  If we could allow ourselves the freedom to design life with a bit more intention, where might we land? 

Recognizing that we have bills to pay, children and parents to care for, work and home obligations, might we find some aspect in our lives that is open and ready for reviving, and focus on it for this upcoming year.  For some, it might be a renewal of our spirits.  For others, a renewal and attention to our bodies.  For still others, renewal of relationships with friends and family.  Let us start with just one aspect of renewing our lives, and let us do some serious reflection and inner searching to understand how we might accomplish renewal in this New Year.

Now let the sound of the shofar be heard;
And let our souls be awakened!



Shalom,
Rabbi Debbie Bravo

Throughout the month of Elul, the month preceding Rosh Hashanah, I will be sharing daily reflections to help each of us prepare for the upcoming High Holy Day Season.  I hope these thoughts inspire each of us to make time, find the energy and initiate some passion as we reflect and examine this past year, in preparation for the year to come.

So often in life, we move through the days, simply trying to get from one to the next.  We have schedules, appointments, meetings and classes: requirements that provide a basic rubric by which we go through the motion of life.  And yet, we often travel through our days without intention, purpose or meaning.  We have become so good at getting through the days, that we have forgotten what it really means to live life.

Therefore we are given an opportunity each and every Rosh Hashanah to take stock of our lives, to evaluate our purpose, to recommit to the ideals with which we are meant to live life.  In some ways, speaking of new beginnings is rather simple and straightforward.  The New Year allows us to create anew and view things from a different perspective.  And yet, it is so very difficult to imagine life different from the way we live it every day.  If we are truly to embrace a new beginning, we must be willing to examine the content of our days, and to then ask ourselves the difficult question: do the actions of our days fulfill our ultimate purpose in life?

I ponder this question with regularity.  Most often, I contemplate my place in the world when my children question me about the why’s and why not’s of life.  I have come to realize that my eight and ten year-olds, in many ways, have far more wisdom than I.  Their inquiries about fairness, peace, God and creation force me to think, see and perceive differently than I may have been doing in the past. 

There is a Chasidic tale that the great Baal Shem Tov used to teach: believe that each day the world is created anew, and that you yourself are born anew each morning.  Then your faith will grow, and every day you will find yourself newly eager to serve God.

This year, as I imagine a new beginning,
I want to strive for holy,
while allowing for the mundane. 

This year, as I imagine a new beginning,
I want to ask more questions,
while searching for answers.

This year, as I imagine a new beginning,
I want to let the voices of my children
be as strong as the voice in my own head.

This year, as I imagine a new beginning,
I want to make room for God,
even on the most difficult of days,
especially on the most difficult of days.

To new beginnings,
To the strength to find them,
To the heart to feel them,
To the wisdom to hear them.

And now let us hear the blast of the Shofar,
And let our souls be awakened.

Shalom,
Rabbi Debbie Bravo

Introduction to Building Bridges, Making Connections, Finding Sunshine:

For many years, I have been contemplating how best to share my voice, to express my opinions, primarily as a rabbi, but certainly as a mother, wife, feminist and Jew as well.  Since I was ordained a rabbi from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, OH in 1998, I have primarily used sermons and newsletters as a vehicle to share my thoughts.  However, in today’s society, it is all to clear to me just how limited those audiences might be, and how important it is for me to share thoughts on a variety of topics.  I hope after reading my blog posts, you will sometimes say to yourselves: Bravo, Rabbi Bravo!  And even when you are not impressed, or even in agreement, I hope you will comment and share your own perspectives, and wait for my response.

I intend to share with you topics closest to my heart:  Israel, Feminism, Jewish leadership, Community building in the 21st century, parenting, education and much more.  I’m certain that as I open the gates to write, there will be much to say.

This blog is symbolic of much of the work of my rabbinate, as I have embraced building bridges within each of my communities and beyond; making connections with individuals, families and communities, and finding sunshine even during the most challenging of times.  My voice has evolved as I have evolved as a person, a woman, a rabbi, a wife, a mother and a Jew. 

If you like my thoughts, or share my challenges and questions, I encourage you to re-post, fb, tweet or simply share with your friends and family as well.

We Jews are a people of the book, but today’s books are simply words we find and share with others, words I hope worthy of a rabbi who cares of Jews, children, Torah and learning.  May we travel this journey of opinion, action and response together! May we build more bridges, make new connections, and always find the sunshine that exists behind every cloud!

Shalom,
Rabbi Debbie Bravo