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Waskow then notes that the sacred Jewish lunar month of Tishrei, which includes the High Holidays, and the sacred Muslim lunar month of Ramadan both begin this year on October 3-4. October 4 also is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi for Catholics and October 2 is Worldwide Communion Sunday for Protestants. Going yet further, October 4 marks the beginning of Navarathri for Hindus, October 2 is Gandhi’s birthday, and this season also coincides with the Buddhist Vassa season.
Honoring this confluence and recognizing this period of religious crisis in the world, Waskow and friends in the Tikkun Community have called upon all faith communities to observe a Nationwide Fast for Reflection, Repentance, Reconciliation and Renewal on October 13 (Yom Kippur and one of the fast days of Ramadan.) For us this means that when we fast on Yom Kippur this year, we are joining together not only with Jews all over the world, but with like-minded individuals of many faiths who yearn as we do for understanding and reconciliation among our communities.
Waskow asks additionally that faith communities take every opportunity to reach out to one another, a challenge we at BAJC have taken very seriously. This year marks the fourth year that we have participated with SIT in Salaam/Shalom activities, and there will soon be announced a new interfaith initiative in which we’re participating with Christian and Muslim neighbors.
Second, I think we all will agree that 5765 has been a banner year for our congregation: the quantum leap we’ve taken in our religious education – for adults as well as children, the flourishing of our spiritual traditions, our initiatives in community building and, of course, our preparation for the move to Greenleaf. Substantial credit for this goes to our outgoing president Rachel Prabhakar – although Rachel, true to form, would be the last to acknowledge this. All of us who have participated in meetings of the BAJC board have seen, under Rachel’s smiling but firm and steady leadership, a transformation of the way we make decisions and then convert these decisions into action. Rachel also has empowered and energized many of the congregation’s committees into active and innovative bodies. We are likely to reap the dividends of these changes for many years to come.
Possibly even more important, I believe, are the innovations Rachel herself has introduced – and which have been nothing less than brilliant: the “seeds” project (which already is bearing sumptuous fruits), the “Passover Rediscovery” project (providing home seder leaders with a wealth of invaluable information (emanating from Rachel’s own diligent and creative research), practical advice and recipes), and the “Tiles” project which will be announced at the end of the summer.
Todah Raba Rachel. You and your family are the rarest of gifts, and we are so grateful.
B’shalom,
Jim
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