Erev Yom Kippur Sermon: 5767

Rabbi Greg Wolfe
Congregation Bet Haverim
Erev Yom Kippur 5767
Davis, CA

Yad B'Yad: Success Is In Our Hands

One sunny Sunday afternoon, Shaya, a learning disabled boy with special needs, and his father were walking by a park where the Jewish boys in the neighborhood were playing baseball.

"Do you think they would let me play?" Shaya asked.

Shaya's father knew that his son didn't know how to play baseball. His son couldn't play baseball. But he also knew that these boys have always been kind to Shaya. If he, as Shaya's father, didn't speak up for his son, who would?

So he walked over to one of the boys and asked, "What do you think about letting Shaya in the game?"

The boy didn't know what to say. He looked around to his teammates for guidance. He didn't get any.

Finally the boy answered, "Well, we're about to start the 8th inning, and we're losing by six runs. I don't think we're going to win this game, so what's the difference? We'll get him a glove and he can play on our team behind second base."

Shaya's face beamed. His father helped him put on the baseball glove and Shaya joined his team, playing short center field.

But things began to change. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shaya's team scored three runs. They again rallied in the ninth inning. Now in the bottom of the ninth inning, Shaya's team had bases loaded with two outs. It was Shaya's turn at bat.

They will never let him bat, thought the father. But without hesitation, one of the boys shouted, "Shaya, you're up!" and he handed Shaya the bat.

Shaya had never held a bat before. Shaya walked to the plate. The pitcher moved in a few steps and lobbed the ball so Shaya could make contact. Shaya swung the bat clumsily and missed the ball by a wide margin.

"Hold on," said one of the boys. "Let me help him. Let me show him how to bat."

This boy came and stood behind Shaya, and put his arms around him so together they were holding the bat.

The pitcher moved in a couple more feet and lobbed the ball as softly as he could.

The two boys swung the bat together and managed to make contact with the ball, tapping it gently toward the pitcher.

"Run, Shaya, run to first!" shouted Shaya's teammates.

Run to first? Shaya run to first!? Shaya had never run to first in his life. But Shaya began running to first.

Shaya was not even half way to first base when the ball reached the pitcher's feet. The game was all but over. The pitcher picked up the ball. He now had a choice. He could throw Shaya out at first and end the game that way or he could easily outrun Shaya and tag him out. However, the pitcher decided to end the game in a different way.

He took the ball and with all his might threw it as far as he could over the first baseman's head far into right field.

"Run, Shaya, run," the pitcher shouted.

The right fielder was still chasing after the ball when Shaya reached first.

"Shaya, run to second!" his teammates shouted.

Shaya began to run to second, some of his teammates running with him. The other three base runners had already scored. Now the game was tied.

Shaya was only a quarter of the way to second base when the right fielder had the ball. Instead of throwing the ball to second to tag Shaya out, the right fielder took the ball and threw it way over the third baseman's head and out of the park.

When Shaya reached second, the opposing shortstop ran up to him, turned him in the direction of third base and shouted, "Run to third!"

Shaya began to run to third and his entire team came onto the field and was running with him. Shaya reached third base.

Now all eighteen boys were running behind Shaya. "Shaya, run home! Shaya, run home!" everyone shouted.

Shaya stepped on home plate to the cheers of eighteen boys. Both teams gathered around him, lifted him on their shoulders and cheered him as the hero!. He had just hit a home run and won the game. What a success story!

We, actually, have two success stories here. Sure, those boys gave Shaya the thrill of his life, but he gave them an opportunity to redefine the meaning of success. Those boys and their story might inspire us to rethink our own definitions of success, as well.

We are accustomed to gather each year to reflect on our lives and ponder how we can improve and become our best selves. But synagogues, like people, are also living entities that must reflect upon their communal selves. Rabbi Larry Hoffman, who co-founded Synagogue 3000 to empower communities to create synagogues that will be vital Jewish centers throughout this millennium, writes: “Synagogues require regular and ongoing conversations not just on what they do, but on who they are and who they want to be.” (Hoffman, CCAR Journal, Summer ‘06) What kind of congregation do we aspire to become? How will we define success for ourselves? Should our success merely be based on how many members we have? How much money we collect in dues? How big a building we have? The volume of exciting programs we offer? Or is there something more that we are seeking to attain?

Rabbi Hoffman warns that while it may be compelling to compare a synagogue to organizations doing business in the corporate world, focused solely on the bottom line, to do so would be detrimental to the life and soul of the congregation. We don’t sell widgets or market the latest products. What we do, therefore, must be evaluated for success on a different scale. What we offer you, our congregants, at Bet Haverim is not tangible merchandise but rather a chance to discover new sources of meaning in your lives by connecting you with the wisdom of our past and the possibility of creating a shared future. Our lives can become richer and fuller in the context of community, when they are infused with a sense of our interrelationship with one another, our traditions and God. We are not a business but we are in the business of growing Jews; inspired by the spirit of our founders who established Congregation Bet Haverim 45 years ago with only a handful of families. Their dream has become our dream, even as we have grown to 300 families strong. The spirit of our founders, which we will celebrate and honor during Sukkot, continues to inspire and motivate us.

Over the years, our idea of success has continued to grow and mature along with the congregation. In the very early years of the congregation, success was much simpler: Perhaps a festive Hannukah party was just what was needed or actually getting a minyan at services would be considered a big success (o.k. this might still be a measure of our success--though the Torah doesn‘t have to be schlepped here weekly in someone’s station wagon.) Later on, our dreams grew as did the congregation and just to have a building would be a huge success! Now we have a second building…and a thriving preschool, an engaging Religious/ Hebrew school program, an ever-growing youth program, an Executive Director, a maintenance staff, a host of active committees, a sisterhood and brotherhood, an actual giftshop, adult b’nai mitzvah, an array of adult education events and classes, regular forays into the life of the Jewish spirit with Kol HaNefesh, and so much more. But do all these wonderful accomplishments in the life of our congregation, by their very existence, make us a successful congregation?

Success, for our synagogue, I believe, cannot be measured solely by what we produce or have, although we should be extremely proud of our tremendous achievements. In my vision for our synagogue, we must define success by how well we enable our members to fully experience their Jewish lives in a powerful, purposeful and passionate way. To be a success, we must be sure that we engage, empower, and transform all those who are a part of our community.

As a successful congregation, we seek to Engage our members actively in the pursuit of Judaism in their lives…in whatever way that might be meaningful for them…spiritually, educationally, socially, ritually…such that they experience an enhanced sense of purpose through their connection with our congregation. Underlying this notion is a deep appreciation for the different paths that people will travel when striving to engage their Jewish souls. A “one size fits all” Judaism no longer exists, if it ever did. Jews today are more diverse and varied than ever before--coming from different backgrounds, possessing varying skill sets and amounts of knowledge, and motivated by changing needs and desires. We must not only embrace this reality but foster the possibility for individuals and families to pursue a wide range of Jewish experiences.

As a successful congregation, we seek to Empower our congregants to take ownership of their Jewish lives. The Judaism that we present in our community should be accessible and active. Judaism is not passive, but thought-provoking, interactive, and collaborative. People need to be given the tools they need to be Jewishly independent…how to find the information they need, how to observe holidays and rituals, and where they can connect with people who can be mentors and supports in their Jewish odysseys. Our members should feel that they have a say in how their Judaism is lived within our community. This means that we need to create opportunities for discussion and questions about the meaning of Judaism and how it might be integrated into our members’ lives in a significant way.

As a successful congregation, we seek to Transform the lives of individuals who participate fully in the life of our congregation. Ultimately, our synagogue must be about our own individual change, growth and development. Judaism by its very nature is transformational: We strive to improve the world, we work at changing ourselves for the better, we seek to make mundane acts extraordinary, to imbue them with a sense of they holy. If members of our congregation discover that their lives are exactly the same as they were before they became involved then we have failed in our central mission.

I believe, as a congregation, we do engage, empower and transform the Jewish lives of many. But we can always do better. Our success is not a destination, but a journey; a journey that cannot be taken alone. None of us can achieve these lofty goals by ourselves. Only when we realize that Bet Haverim is not my congregation, nor the Board’s congregation, nor the founders’ congregation, not even your congregation…but our congregation, will we discover the secret to our success. For when we are committed to working together, hand in hand, to fulfill our communal dreams, then surely we will be engaged, empowered and transformed.

Yad B’Yad, Hand in Hand, has been selected by the Congregation's Board of Directors as a special initiative for this year. This enterprise will serve as an invitation to everyone in our congregation to reflect on the ways that we currently work hand in hand and to seek opportunities to expand our listening, cooperating and collaborating in the life of our synagogue, even, and especially, in the face of conflict or differences of opinion. This value of working "Hand in Hand" has long been a cherished quality of our community. In this year of celebrating our founders and their guiding spirit, this theme seems particularly appropriate. Working hand in hand, Yad B'Yad, a diverse collection of Jewish transplants to the wilderness of Davis has lovingly labored to nurture Jewish life in Yolo County since 1953. Encouraging, supporting, and challenging one another along the way, they have created for all of us an oasis of milk and honey, our very own "promised land." (All those who were here prior to 1961 please rise to be acknowledged. Those who were part of the congregation at our founding in 1961. Those who were members by 1972 when our first congregational home was built.)

Embracing the spirit of the Yad B'Yad initiative, I believe, we will instigate lively conversations within the congregation, we will create a real shift in how we approach our roles in the congregation, we will pursue true success for our synagogue community, where everyone will be engaged, empowered and transformed.

Hand in Hand with you, O God, may we experience true success in this New Year and be inspired to emulate the success of Shaya’s baseball team in our own lives. For us here in our House of Friends, just as for the boys on the ball field, may we come to understand that winning results not when you think only of yourself and your narrow interests but rather from creating an exhilarating experience for everyone involved. Success requires teamwork and depends upon each person playing a vital role in the overall process, contributing what s/he can. And, finally, the successful team can learn powerful lessons when it stretches to accommodate and embrace those who are most different, recognizing that what they can achieve together far surpasses what any of them could have achieved alone.

ken y'hi ratzon

Rabbi Greg Wolfe