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 – Monday, July 19, 2021
The Shabbat after Tisha B’Av, the Shabbat which just passed, is known as Shabbat Nachamu, the Shabbat of Comfort. The name is taken from the first lines of the haftarah, where the prophet Isaiah cries out: Nachamu, nachamu ami—comfort, comfort My people. On our calendar, we are now in the 7 weeks of consolation between Tisha B’Av and Yom Kippur. This week, we will reflect on the theme of nechama, of comfort. בָּכ֨וֹ תִבְכֶּ֜ה בַּלַּ֗יְלָה וְדִמְעָתָהּ֙ עַ֣ל לֶֽחֱיָ֔הּ אֵֽין־לָ֥הּ מְנַחֵ֖ם מִכׇּל־אֹהֲבֶ֑יהָ כׇּל־רֵעֶ֙יהָ֙ בָּ֣גְדוּ בָ֔הּ הָ֥יוּ לָ֖הּ לְאֹיְבִֽים׃ Bitterly she weeps in the night, Her cheek wet with tears. There is none to comfort her of all her friends. All her allies have betrayed her; They have become her foes (Lamentations 1:2) In this second verse of the Book of Lamentations, the verb “to cry” is repeated twice. We open with the bitterness of tears, of loneliness—of having no one to comfort [...]
Daily Kavanah – Friday, July 16, 2021
Collectively, we are in the period known as the “nine days,” a time of mourning leading up to Tisha B’Av, the day on which, according to tradition, both the First and Second Temples were destroyed. Personally, I am observing shiva for my father-in-law, Henry Hantgan, who passed away on July 8th. I am grateful to Henry for so many things including his warmth, his humor, and the many kindnesses he showered on me over the years. He was a wonderful grandfather to our daughters and I am most thankful to him for partnering with my mother-in-law Beverly to bring Jacqueline into the world and to raise her to be a tzadeket (righteous person). It’s a tradition to study texts in honor and memory of the deceased. Moed Katan, a section of the Talmud that deals with the laws of mourning, includes an important lesson about the morality of grief: “At first the wealthy [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, July 15, 2021
All week, we have shared Ava Zeidler’s account of her time in Israel thanks to the Young Judea Course Israel Gap Year, sponsored in part by Wise’s Tikkun Olam Leadership Scholarship. Over the course of my long tenure at Stephen Wise Temple, I’ve endeavored to put tikkun olam at the center of our congregation’s vision. As a Reform congregation, we’ve inherited the legacy of a Jewish movement that seeks to turn the core mission of Jewish identity into the task of fashioning a world that holds all human beings with dignity and compassion. In our reading of Jewish texts and the lessons we gather from Jewish history, we’ve come to understand that the survival of our people is not only a precious gift that we’ve inherited from the tenacious commitment of our ancestors but also a legacy that compels us to act in the world. A robust understanding of tikkun olam first and foremost places [...]
Daily Kavanah – Wednesday, July 14, 2021
In celebration of my twentieth year at Wise, it was my wish that we would provide a means to support our young adults who seek to devote a few months or a year to meaningful efforts to mend our world. With the generous donations of many, we established the Wise Tikkun Olam Leadership Scholarship. Our first young adult scholarship went to Ava Zeidler, a long-time Wise member, graduate of our Religious School, teaching assistant, and an important member of our Wise Camp staff for years. Ava requested the scholarship for her to participate in the Young Judaea Year Course in Israel and volunteer in service to the country. This week’s kavanot feature Ava’s account of her experience in Israel and her reflection on the impact it had on her life. If you know of a high school graduate (and older) wishing to devote significant time to community service who would benefit from [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, July 13, 2021
In celebration of my twentieth year at Wise, it was my wish that we would provide a means to support our young adults who seek to devote a few months or a year to meaningful efforts to mend our world. With the generous donations of many, we established the Wise Tikkun Olam Leadership Scholarship. Our first young adult scholarship went to Ava Zeidler, a long-time Wise member, graduate of our Religious School, teaching assistant, and an important member of our Wise Camp staff for years. Ava requested the scholarship for her to participate in the Young Judaea Year Course in Israel and volunteer in service to the country. This week’s kavanot feature Ava’s account of her experience in Israel and her reflection on the impact it had on her life. If you know of a high school graduate (and older) wishing to devote significant time to community service who would benefit from [...]