From the Desk of Jennifer Lorch Selco | Sr. Director of Jewish Living + Engagement
This week’s Torah portion is Ki Tavo (When You Enter). In this Torah portion, Moses instructs the Israelites regarding the first fruit offering. Moses then lists the blessings the people will enjoy if they keep the commandments, and the punishments they will suffer for disobeying them. Moses is preparing them to enter the land of Israel without them.
In Ki Tavo, we find the verses that we read as part of the Haggadah during Pesach:
You shall then recite as follows before the ETERNAL your God: “My father was a fugitive Aramean. He went down to Egypt with meager numbers and sojourned there; but there he became a great and very populous nation. The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and oppressed us; they imposed heavy labor upon us. We cried to the ETERNAL, the God of our ancestors, and the ETERNAL heard our plea and saw our plight, our misery, and our oppression. GOD freed us from Egypt by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm and awesome power, and by signs and portents. – Deuteronomy 26:5-8
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, of blessed memory, writes, “Here for the first time, the retelling of the nation’s history becomes an obligation for every citizen of the nation. In this act, known as the vidui bikkurim, ‘the confession made over first fruits,’ Jews were commanded, it were, to become a nation of storytellers” (Lessons in Leadership, page 277).
Judaism is our story and the sacred obligation to share our story is required of each of us. We are not asked to remember our history, we are asked to retell it as it is our own. I have shared before about master teacher, Avram Infeld, who says, “Jews don’t have history, we have memory.” Not only do we retell our story, we embrace it as our own, and as we live proud Jewish lives of meaning, we add our own chapters to the story. In doing so, we carry with us, our collective memory, not only for our lives today, but for future generations.
Shabbat Shalom.
In Torah portion Ki Tavo, we are commanded to bring an offering of fruit as a way of acknowledging our thanks to God for providing an abundant harvest, and we are also commanded to set aside portions of fruit for the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow. Embedded here is not only the idea that practicing gratitude for our blessings is important, but sharing our blessings with others makes them more meaningful. Gratitude, in this sense, is not simply about recognizing what we have, but about what we do with what we have been given. At the Tucson J, we have the privilege of building a community where people can share their time, talents, traditions, and joy with one another. This week, we saw that spirit in a number of ways.
We began the week on Sunday with over 250 people of all generations celebrating the upcoming holiday of Rosh Hashanah with PJ Library’s Sweet Beginnings event in partnership with Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona and organizations from across the Southern Arizona Jewish community. The afternoon was full of fun crafts, yummy treats, and even a live honeybee hive for observing! What a sweet reminder that joy grows when it is shared.
As families were enjoying the Rosh Hashanah festivities, competition was hot on the gymnasium courts with the championship game of our Summer Men’s Basketball League! Congratulations to every player this season, but especially back-to-back season champs, Team 1 and Team 6 in second place! Thank you to everyone who made another great season possible. Fall Men’s Basketball League begins September 20, Co-Ed Volleyball League begins September 30, and there are many more Sports and Rec opportunities for youth and adults all season—learn more here.
After a day of learning and connection in their annual Board Summit, Tucson J Board Members joined the senior leadership team at CEO + President, Todd Rockoff’s house Sunday evening for a delicious dinner spread, lively conversation, and time to reflect on the meaningful work we are moving forward together. We are grateful for this group of strong and engaged leaders and the skills and dedication they share with our community.
On Thursday, prolific local artist Tracy Ann Holmes led an art activity for kids in the Fine Art Gallery in conjunction with her show, “Meditation + Metaphor: Ceramic Sculpture and Watercolors,” on display through September 27 with a reception on the 24th. In our JCare afterschool program, kids continued in the spirit of creativity making paper mâché shofars, perfect for Rosh Hashanah. Art brings people together at the J, and that is a blessing! Check out more Fall arts opportunities here.
Our blessings are not meant to be enjoyed in isolation; they become richer when we share them—whether around a dinner table with our volunteer leaders, on the basketball court with friends and teammates, at a joyful Rosh Hashanah celebration with our families, or through the shared experience of making art. As we move into Shabbat, we invite you to take a moment to reflect on something you are grateful for and share it with someone close to you. Shabbat Shalom.
Reminders, Resources + Learning
Each week we share resources for more learning:
This week’s resources:
- The God of Ki Tavo and Our God by Rabbi Keith Stern (reformjudaism.org)
- Forging the Intergenerational Self by Rabbi Jethro Berkman (My Jewish Learning)
- We Are What We Remember by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
Last week’s resources:
- Ki Teitzei (BimBam)
- Before Going Out to Fight, Look Inside by Dr. Jeffrey Kress (Jewish Theological Seminary)
- Is Your Biggest Enemy in Your Own Head? by Rabbi Eliezer Shemtov (Chabad)
Is there a topic you’d like to learn more about? Email Jenn Selco with requests.
CHALLAH ORDERS
Please note: Due to an increase in cost from Nadine’s, Challah will now be $6 cash or $6.50 if paid by card. 10-pass bundles will increase to $60.
Orders must be made by 10pm on Monday. Orders may be picked up from 5am-6pm at the Front Desk and/or Sports + Wellness Desk on Thursday or Friday each week.
If you have a child/dependent in one of the J’s childcare programs or Taglit, we can send your Challah order home with them.
Contact Member Services at membership@tucsonjcc.org or mark the boxes on our online order form to set up a standing order or to purchase a new 10 pass for weekly challah at a discounted rate of $60.
