“A flea can bite the bottom of the Pope in Rome!” This is a line from a song that our son Isaiah is constantly singing as he prepares to perform at the Kiwanis festival (thanks to his number one booster Evelyn Greenberg). It’s a song from Les Misérables, which I’ve come to learn is missing from the American version of the show. (Too risqué, I suppose.) It’s a shame because it’s a very cute song, and with a message. The point of the song is that although some things or people might seem small and negligible, still – “A flea can bite the bottom of the Pope in Rome!” A little person or thing can have a significant effect.
We try to name our children something meaningful; sometimes for a deceased relative, sometimes a meaning in the name, sometimes a connection to someone in history. My Reuben is named after my grandmother, Rita, whose yahrzeit is today. I needed an R. But I also liked the symbolism of naming my son Reuben, the oldest son of Jacob, born from his wife Lea—because my Hebrew name is Chanah Lea. So like in the Torah, he’s Reuben, the son of Lea, and my first born.
Many people have asked me what an installation of a rabbi is. And the answer is that I don’t really know. I mean, it’s not like an installation of a dishwasher—before it was installed, it was useless, and now that it’s installed, you hope that it runs properly and cleans your dishes. In my case, I’ve been working for KBI for several weeks—breaking a couple of dishes here and there, but generally doing the job of a rabbi. So what are we doing here this weekend?
I really enjoy children’s books and television shows. I find that I learn a lot from them because the really good ones have an extra layer. Sesame Street always had a hidden gem for parents that I never appreciated as a child, but as a parent, I found brilliant. So I want to share a beautiful children’s book with you that is actually more for adults than children. It’s called the Elephant in the Sukkah by Sherri Mandell.
We in the Jewish professional world have just spent the last few months trying to get everyone into the synagogue — renew your membership, get your tickets, come back to shul! And now, here comes Sukkot and we’re kicking you all out again!
The Jews are rightly confused — do we want you in or out? Inside or outside?
I had a special bond with my Auntie Lea. She was a beautiful woman, soft spoken with blonde hair and a sweet smile. She was so gentle, and I loved when she would softly caress my hands and tuck me into bed while singing soft lullabies. People used to mistakenly think I was her daughter, and I loved that. My Auntie Lea was a happy, sometimes silly child at heart who loved to be playful and would make up imaginary creatures for us kids to picture watching over us and keeping us safe.
Shabbat shalom! It feels really great to be on this bimah now as your rabbi. When I accepted this post, they told me that you get good attendance on Friday nights, but I never imagined this! It’s like this every week, right Cantor? We are just getting to know each other and that will take some time. And that’s fine. It will take me time to get to know the minhagim—the customs—of KBI, and it will take you some time to get to know me and get used to the diIerent ways that I do some things. It will be an adjustment, but that’s normal