Daily Kavanot
Writings of reflection by the Stephen Wise Temple clergy.
Each weekday morning, members of our mailing list receive the “Daily Kavanah,” which includes messages of thought, inspiration, and contemplation from our clergy, along with a schedule of events. Every Thursday, the “Daily Kavanah” turns into “Eyes on Wise,” our weekly newsletter featuring the latest news, photos, videos, stories, and tikkun olam opportunities from our community. Sign up and don’t miss out!
Daily Kavanah – Wednesday, May 3, 2023
It's the height of wedding season in Los Angeles. Though we are a year-round wedding venue, there’s something about spring that calls out for nuptials. As congregational clergy, we often perform weddings for families that have long been a part of our community. The longer we serve in our professions, the more likely it is that we’ll have officiated at a B'nai Mitzvah (or even a naming) and then be asked to officiate at that same young person's wedding. Very often, we'll have been with the same family upon the death of a grandparent, or other tragedy. Fortunately, it's more likely that we’ll also have shared other memorable moments. Perhaps family members have served as temple leadership, perhaps they attend our many classes, perhaps we’ve just schmoozed after services, perhaps our families have connected in one way or another. It’s quite magical to share so many life moments as [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Truly one of the great opportunities given to clergy are the times that we guide someone who is choosing to become Jewish. Julia Mengpei came to me with her then-boyfriend (now husband) Zack seeking to explore the path to gaining a Jewish identity. With Zack’s encouragement and support, and several months into her pregnancy, Julia will fully embrace Judaism in the next few weeks. Her story is particularly inspirational, and, with her permission, I’d like to share a few passages from an essay she wrote with you. —Rabbi Ron Stern As a product of China’s one-child policy and under the influence of patriarchal and Confucian traditional culture, my grandparents didn’t appreciate the fact that I was born a girl, my grandma refused to babysit me without financial incentives, and I was always told that I could have done better … Zack’s childhood experience with his mother was [...]
Daily Kavanah – Monday, May 1, 2023
We refer to the tiniest Torah in our ark as the Shanghai Torah. Originally from Czechoslovakia it was smuggled out of Europe around the time of the German invasion of that country. The story is that it was wrapped around the rescuer’s body as he sought to bring the Torah to freedom. Carried for thousands of miles, the sacred scroll found itself resident among Jewish expatriates in Shanghai. It survived for several decades until it was gifted to Rabbi Zeldin for use at Stephen Wise Temple. The story of the Torah is, in itself, amazing. That thousands of Jews found safe haven in a number of cities in China is astounding. Jews first settled in Shanghai in the late 19th century and many more found safe haven there during the Bolshevik Revolution, as did several families of Baghdadi Jews. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, it’s estimated that [...]
Daily Kavanah – Shabbat Message from Cantor Emma Lutz – Friday, April 28, 2023
This week, different members of our clergy will share thoughts about Israel. Today Cantor Emma writes about her complicated relationship with the country. It is hard for me to put words to the way I feel about Israel. Some of the greatest moments of my entire life were spent there, and I feel hopeful that there are good times ahead. Indeed, I am a sixth-generation Californian, an American Jew, but still, my heart is always in the East. I love the language, the climate, the history, the sounds, the smells, the connections. In my youth, I loved Israel like a teenager should: with a mythical, almost romantic love, a yearning for more information, a great excitement. And now, as a mother, I love Israel just so: I know that Israel is complicated, but I will always be here to support her, to try to understand her, and [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, April 27, 2023
This week, different members of our clergy will share thoughts about Israel. Today Rabbi Ron Stern writes on the "Israeli High Holidays": Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, and Yom HaAtzmaut. Looking in the rearview mirror (or the backup camera to be more contemporary) at the Israeli High Holidays—as we call the series of observances that begins with Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), continues with Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s memorial day), and ends with Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day)—we are reminded of the unique nature of the Jewish people. We are a religious group with a national identity. Founded on the soil of Israel, much of Jewish identity is linked to the land and the history of our people on that land. We are a cultural group that has a unique language and common calendar that remains distinct even though we find ourselves dwelling in a myriad of lands. Often, the trappings [...]