Message From The Rabbi

Rabbi Spike Anderson

In our weekly Torah cycle, we are fast approaching the end of the plagues that brought us out of Egyptian slavery, and into the desert wilderness where we will create the Jewish civilization.

One of the plagues, which served as a warning to the Egyptians that there was something very wrong happening in their society that needed attention and correction, had to do with sudden, extreme weather.

The 7^th plague brings pounding hail, mixed in with fire, that rains down from the skies devastating crops and property, “such that it had never been seen in entire land of Egypt since it became a nation.” (Ex 9:24).  Our rabbis say that this plague is when everyone started to really pay attention to what was going on, since it affected them all: rich and poor, from the North and the South, the ignorant and the educated, for they all shared the same sky. 

Indeed, we Americans can understand the mass devastation that our country continues to face from extreme weather conditions (floods, hurricanes, fires, drought); along with the tragic stories of loss and suffering left in the wake of each instance.

This week, we Jews celebrate our version of Earth Day, called Tu BiShvat (the 15^th day of the month Shevat), where we raise up our relationship with the Earth, and our responsibility to care for it, for everyone’s sake, and future generations to come.

Each Jewish generation had adapted Tu BiShvat to reflect the geo-political realities of their day, from the Kabbalists in medieval Sefat to the masses of European teenagers draining the swamps to make the desert bloom in modern-day Israel.   How will we, the Jews of Atlanta, approach this day?

I’m proud that at Temple Emanu-El, our “Green Team” (co-chaired by Bea Grossman and Robert Wittenstein) has led us to make our building and campus an exemplar for our congregants and community.  Over the past few years, we have converted hundreds of fluorescent lights to LED, made our building more energy efficient, moved away from single-use disposable plates and cutlery, amplified our Garden Isaiah efforts, added beehives to our budding orchard, and installed six Level 2 EV charging stations in our parking lot.  Our hope is that these efforts inspire each of our 800+ congregant homes to refocus on the environment…for we all share the same skies. 

This Friday night at Shabbat services, which is also the secular holiday of Valentine’s Day, we will celebrate the Jewish views of love, and our relationship with the environment for Tu BiShvat.  What a great way to spend the evening with the ones you love most.  Won’t you join us?

Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, roka Haaretz al hamayim.

Blessed are You, Adonai Our God, Master of the Universe, who stretches the earth over the waters.

Rabbi Spike