For learning wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of discernment; for acquiring the discipline for success, righteousness, justice and equity; for endowing the simple with shrewdness, the young with knowledge and foresight, the wise man, hearing them, will gain more wisdom; the discerning man will learn to be adroit; for understanding proverb and epigram, the words of the wise and their riddles.
Proverbs 1:2-6
In September, entering my nineteenth year as the Rabbi of this congregation and completing my fiftieth year since my birth, I entered on a process of reflection over my time at Temple Sholom along through the lens of the Biblical book of Proverbs. Ostensibly, Proverbs was written by the middle-aged King Solomon, and I thought it appropriate to use that perspective to look back on my time here. Over the months, I have taken different angles of the congregation and how we have grown together over the past two decades. As I look forward to at least another decade (by contract) and perhaps another (before retirement), the time has come, once again, to step back and take a breather.
After ten years at the congregation, the Temple was kind enough to agree to give me sabbatical time - six months off (non-sequentially) over five years. It took seven years to fit them all in, but I found them each to be of use. My goals for sabbatical were three-fold: First to rest from the constant and overlapping concerns of the congregational rabbinate. Second to find a time for learning. Third to see things from a different perspective. Rest was a challenge. It took about two weeks to wind down from the Temple, and then the next two weeks were often winding up again. I thought of many learning projects: I engaged in a study of Jewish graphic novels. I worked with the Central Conference of American Rabbis to create guidelines and best practices for colleagues on sabbatical. I worked with the Kutz Camp on program development. I worked on my Hebrew. I learned what it might take to create a Doctor of Ministry program in Social Justice for the Hebrew Union College. To broaden my perspective, I visited different synagogues. One sabbatical month, thankfully, came immediately after shivah ended when my father died, and allowed me to process and help out my family through shloshim. During another, I took his files to become a part of the American Jewish Archives.
With each sabbatical period, I brought back what I had processed and learned to the congregation. Our new custom of taking time to find the bright spots in our week, after lighting the Shabbat candles, and sharing a word about those we have come to remember for yahrzeit or shloshim came from my re-thinking of the meaning of communal worship.
In my new contact, the congregation has again provided for sabbatical time - six months over the first seven years, and an additional six beginning in the last three years of the contract. In order to get the most of the rest and renewal, the length of each sabbatical piece has been increased to two months. I will be taking the first chunk this summer, from June 11th through August 10th, followed by a week as faculty at Camp Eisner. This time, I will not only be travelling and visiting different camps - in our movement and outside - but also engaging in a Justice Ministry Education pilot through Auburn Seminary. I will be working with a cohort out of Drew Theological Seminary focussing on Newark and the Arts. Rabbi Goldman’s wife, Roberta, worked at the Newark Museum, and some of the program happens there. I look forward to bringing back to the congregation the insights about art and social justice, the history and hopes of Newark, as well as what I will learn from the rest of my cohort. When I return, I will continue with my coaching with Larry Dressler of BlueWing Consulting, who is helping me enhance my pastoral skills, and finish the second half of my Join for Justice clergy cohort.
Proverbs teaches us that wisdom is found by always being ready to learn from others. What I bring to the congregation comes not only from my five years at Hebrew Union College, but also from what I continue to learn - from within this congregation and without, from congregants and community members, as well as teachers and professors. All of us can continue to learn to increase our wisdom. As I leave you in the capable hands of our Cantor and Temple leadership, I look forward to sharing what I have learned when I return.
Rabbi Abraham
Friday, June 1, 2018
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