Message From The Rabbi

Rabbi Max Miller

Every ancient culture in the world has or had sacred rites to become an adult. Some civilizations sent their young people into the wilderness on a spirit quest. Other communities taught their children how to hunt with the pack. As an ancient people, we Jews have valued education above all other pursuits. We train our young people to do what we believe all Jews should do: learn and teach. The foundation of Jewish knowledge comes from the wisdom of the Torah. The insights we gain from the study of Torah influence our entire lives. It is praiseworthy that our young people study Torah, even if they have little choice in the matter. But, as Reform Jews, we believe that it is an even greater mitzvah for adults to choose to train as our young people do—of their own free will and accord.

For the last 8 months, 23 adult members of Temple Emanu-El have studied Hebrew on Sunday mornings with expert instructor Ilan Weismark. Then, these students continued studying many facets of Jewish life and wisdom with Rabbi Spike, Rabbi Rachael, and me. They have done all of this with the goal of deepening their Jewish knowledge and doing what millions of Jews have done throughout the millennia, chanting our sacred stories for the congregation. 

This Saturday afternoon, April 26th, at 4:30 pm, we will call 23 adults for an aliyah—an opportunity to stand up before the congregation and chant from the Torah. For most of them, this will be the first time they’ve ever chanted. For all of them, this is a significant moment in their commitment to the Jewish people and preserving the legacy of our ancestors.  

Join us this Saturday as we celebrate their awesome achievement as they are called to read from the Torah. The doors will open at 4:00 pm for hors d’oeuvres, as the service will begin promptly at 4:30 pm. And, if you feel inspired to follow in their footsteps, know that we are eager to have a new cohort of adult students in the Fall. Whether or not you’ve chanted Torah before, this journey can be for you. Send me an email if you’d like to learn more. 

L'Shalom, 

Rabbi Max