Get the newsletter

Community News

Luach לוח

Luach לוח

Activities at Beth Shalom for the next few weeks

Events

EXPLORING SACRED SPACES

Free tours of some of Auckland’s places of worship. Starts Saturday 26th September 2-4pm at the Sikh Temple, Gurudwara Sri Dasmesh Darbar, 64 Kolmar Rd, Papatoetoe.

UPJ: please support Project Rozana

UPJ: please support Project Rozana

The UPJ is promoting a life-saving fund-raising effort organised by Project Rozana, a unique organisation creating peace pathways for Israelis and Palestinians through health. It only has one agenda, without regard to politics, national identity, gender, sexual...

Success for Ilan Wittenberg!

Success for Ilan Wittenberg!

Congratulations to Ilan Wittenberg on winning the Editorial category of the 2020 SONY Alpha awards. The Awards bring together the greatest images from across Australia and New Zealand, aiming to drive creativity, reward professionals and enthusiasts alike and provide...

Calendar

full calendar
page tour

On Facebook

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

Beth Shalom Progressive Congregation

6 hours ago

Beth Shalom Progressive Congregation

Week of Prayer for World Peace 11-18 October 2020 (Auckland Inter-Faith Council) ... See MoreSee Less

Week of Prayer for World Peace 11-18 October 2020 (Auckland Inter-Faith Council)Image attachment
View on Facebook
·Share

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email

View Comments
  • Likes: 0
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

Beth Shalom Progressive Congregation

6 hours ago

Beth Shalom Progressive Congregation

Exploring Sacred Spaces: free tours of some of Auckland's places of worship. Starts Saturday 26th September 2-4pm at the Sikh Temple, Gurudwara Sri Dasmesh Darbar, 64 Kolmar Rd, Papatoetoe. ... See MoreSee Less

Exploring Sacred Spaces: free tours of some of Aucklands places of worship. Starts Saturday 26th September 2-4pm at the Sikh Temple, Gurudwara Sri Dasmesh Darbar, 64 Kolmar Rd, Papatoetoe.
View on Facebook
·Share

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email

View Comments
  • Likes: 0
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

Beth Shalom Progressive Congregation

8 hours ago

Beth Shalom Progressive Congregation

Sukkot services at Beth Shalom 1-3 October. Online streaming Drash from Rabbi Sergio Bergman, President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism on Sukkot morning 10am. Please RSVP to the office by 30th September. ... See MoreSee Less

Sukkot services at Beth Shalom 1-3 October. Online streaming Drash from Rabbi Sergio Bergman, President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism on Sukkot morning 10am. Please RSVP to the office by 30th September.
View on Facebook
·Share

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email

View Comments
  • Likes: 1
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

Load more
Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

Beth Shalom Progressive Congregation

2 days ago

Beth Shalom Progressive Congregation

Laurie Pfaelzer Ryan
1h ·
This is long but worth the read:
RBG ברוך דין האמת...Just read this on a friend’s page and had to share about what we leave behind after we die according to Jewish tradition:
There's a few posts going around reminding folks that since RBG is Jewish, the proper thing to say about her passing is "May her memory be for blessing," which is true, but I wanted to add a bit of perspective on what that means.
Jewish tradition does not focus on the afterlife. There are a few thoughts on what happens when we go, some of which look a bit lik reincarnation, and some of which looks like time to reevaluate our actions and relationships on earth, but for the most part, the whole "Do good things, get good reward from God; do bad things, get bad punishment from God" is just not part of our worldview. (Spoiler alert: this is why I love The Good Place so much- the final season feels very in line with Jewish thoughts on the afterlife.)
When Jews speak of righteousness, it is never with the idea of an eternal reward. We work to be good humans to others and ourselves because justice and peace are their own rewards. We don't know what happens next, but we know what happens here, and that is enough. The pursuit of justice is one of the highest callings of Judaism, and it should not be misinterpreted as vengeance or punishment. The ideas of justice and sustainability are inextricably linked in Judaism. A system that is unjust cannot sustain, and a system that is unsustainable cannot be just.
It is said that a person who passes on Rosh Hashona is a Tzedek/Tzaddeket, a good and righteous person. When we speak of tzedakah, the word is often translated as "charity" but it is more accurate to say righteousness. Tzedakah can take many forms (including monetary donation) but it's important to note that tzedakah is not a benevolent contribution given to be kind or nice to those who need it, it is to be viewed as a balancing of the scales, an active working towards justice. To use a simple example, one should donate to the local food bank not to gain favor with God, or to be nice to those with less than ourselves, but because it is unjust for anyone to be without food, especially while others have plenty. Correcting injustice, balancing the scales, evaluating the distribution of power and creating equity is tzedakah, the work of righteousness.
Similar to Maslow's (imperfect) hierarchy of needs, Maimonides wrote in the Middle Ages of eight levels of Tzedakah, the highest of which results in self sufficiency, or rather, an act that creates a sustainable form of justice. "Teaching a man to fish" is an extremely reductionist view of this idea, but it's a start- the real meat of it is the idea that charity is good, but eliminating the need for charity is better. (i.e. Tax the billionaires so we can have universal healthcare instead of praising the rich for building hospitals with their names on them.)
The second highest form is where both the giver and the receiver are unknown to each other. This allows both for the dignity of the recipient, and for the giver to be free from personal motivation and reward. In other words, we should help create a more just world for the benefit of people we don't know, without the expectation of praise, gratitude, or reward, in this life or the next.
When we say that Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a tzaddeket (the feminine form of tzaddik) we don't just mean she was a nice person. What we're saying is that she was a thoughtful person who worked tirelessly to create a more just world. One that would perpetuate equality and access, one that wasn't reliant on charity, one that was better for people she did not know, without the expectation of praise or fame. THAT is what it means to be a Tzaddeket, and I can't think of anyone who better embodies the pursuit of justice.
When we say "may her memory be for blessing" the blessing we speak of is not "may we remember her fondly" or "may her memory be a blessing to us" the blessing implied is this: May you be like Ruth. Jewish thought teaches us that when a person dies, it is up to those who bear her memory to keep her goodness alive. We do this my remembering her, we do this by speaking her name, we do this by carrying on her legacy. We do this by continuing to pursue justice, righteousness, sustainability.
So when you hear us say "May her memory be for blessing" don't hear "It's nice to remember her"-- hear "It's up to us to carry on her legacy." When you hear us say, "She was a Tzaddeket" don't hear "She was a nice person"-- hear "She was a worker of justice."
May her memory be for blessing.
May her memory be for revolution.
May we become a credit to her name. ... See MoreSee Less

View on Facebook
·Share

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email

View Comments
  • Likes: 5
  • Shares: 2
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

Load more

Israel good news stories

Read, read, mein yingele / meidele
There are so many!

Torah Commentary

Jewish World News

Giving

We rely on our members to sustain a viable, spiritual and caring environment.

Please give, for us to thrive

Donations and payments
Click to access the login or register cheese

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and events from our community.

Weekly Luach and Digest

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Pin It on Pinterest