Union Temple, Brooklyn, NY - Rabbi's Message

May 22, 2013 13 Sivan 5773

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Join in Advocacy Day

I hope that you will consider joining me, and our fellow Reform Jews from all over New York State, for ADVOCACY DAY of the REFORM JEWISH VOICE OF NEW YORK STATE, as we lobby our legislators in Albany on MONDAY, MAY 6th. TO REGISTER ONLINE, GO TO RJV ADVOCACY DAY 2013. The two issues on our agenda are outlined below. They are Campaign Finance Reform and the Reproductive Health Act.

 The Reform Jewish Movement supports public financing of political campaigns including support for state "clean money" initiatives.

 There is a perception that elected officials in New York State are beholden to special interest groups and the campaign contributions these groups make undermine the public’s confidence in the expected impartiality and integrity of the decisions being made by state government officials.

 The amount of money raised and spent on campaigns increases with each election cycle.

 Campaign finance reform should include:

 Reduced allowable campaign contributions that can be accepted by any candidate

 A limitation on total campaign spending by any candidate who accepts public financing

 A system of partial public funding, similar to the New York City system

 A limitation on the amount of personal wealth any candidate who accepts public financing could spend in his/her campaign

 Strong disclosure provisions

 Penalties for violations sufficient to deter prohibited behavior and ensure compliance

 An enforcement body sufficiently empowered and nonpartisan to punish violators efficiently and effectively

The Reproductive Health Act:

 Guarantees a woman's ability to make her own personal and private health care decisions to control her own reproductive health in a manner that is best for herself, her family, and her future.

 Ensures that a woman will have the right to abortion care if her health is endangered at any time during her pregnancy.

 Treats regulation of abortion as an issue of public health and medical practice rather than as a potential crime, by taking abortion out of the New York State penal code.

 Provides that abortion care can only be provided by qualified, trained and licensed medical providers acting within their scope of practice.

 Guarantees everyone the right to use or refuse contraception.

 Updates New York State law by codifying constitutional requirements and removing outdated provi-sions, in order to ensure that women's rights are protected in the future.

 All other health care services are regulated through health laws.

 Maintains existing "conscience clause" protections.

 Seven in ten New York voters, including 70% who identify as Catholic support passage of the Repro-ductive Health Act.

 The Reform Jewish movement has an unwavering commitment to the protection and preservation of women's reproductive rights and urges the passage of the Reproductive Health Act.

Every one of us has a personal stake as New Yorkers in these issues. Our legislators need to hear the liberal voice of the faith community. If you are interested in participating, please call me immediately at the temple, 718-638-7600 Ext 2, or E-mail me at rabbigoodman@uniontemple.org . This is our right and responsibility as American citizens. Each one of us can make a difference. I hope you will join me.

-Rabbi Linda Henry Goodman

Mi Shebeirach for an Aliyah

The Mi Shebeirach blessing has become a regular feature of our services. Mi Shebeirach means “The One who blessed.” It begins: Mi Shebeirach avoteinu, Avraham, Yitzhak, v’Ya’akov, v’imoteinu, Sarah, Rivka, Rahel, v’Leah... Hu y’vareich et… “May the One who blessed our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and our mothers, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, bestow Your blessing upon ... and so on.”

Though most often we have recited Mi Shebeirach for those who are ill, our liturgy actually provides different Mi Shebeirach texts for various occasions. There are blessings at an aufruf for a bride and groom; blessings for new parents and blessings for their babies; and indeed, blessings for each person who is given the honor of being called the Torah to recite the Torah blessing - the honor that we call an Aliyah (going up to the Torah). The Torah blessings are completed, and then the Mi Shebeirach is recited by the Rabbi or Cantor.

While earlier generations of Reform Jews preferred to excise all these “Mi Shebeirachs” from the service, often out of a general anxiety about needlessly elongating the liturgy, our own generation has shown a marked preference for putting them back in. There is a general sense that it is important to acknowledge and bless people in their lives: whether as a prayer for a restoration to health, or in the joy of a new baby, an impending marriage, or for the honor of being called to the Torah.

Our new siddur, MISHKAN T’FILAH, has inserted a Mi Shebeirach for an Aliyah, which essentially is the traditional text. Some of the members of our Religious Practices Committee found the traditional wording objectionable from a theological standpoint, so I took the liberty of rewriting the blessing. The translation of the text now reads:

May the One Who blessed our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and our mothers, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, bless ________ (son)(daughter) of _________ who has ascended to the Torah, with good health, happiness, prosperity and peace; with wisdom and understanding, with the love of Torah and reverence for the Divine. And let us say Amen.

We have used this already at Shabbat Morning services, and it seems to be well received by those in attendance, and appreciated by those who have been called for an aliyah. Thus, the next time you happen to be at a morning service, you’ll hear this Mi Shebeirach in addition to the one for healing. We hope you will enjoy the addition of this blessing. Though it adds little more than a few seconds to the service, it holds considerable significance for those being blessed, and their families.

Blessings to all –

-Rabbi Linda Henry Goodman

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