(no subject)
April 30, 2010 - 16 Iyar 5770 - 31st Day of the Omer
Dear Friends,
I'm told that there is confusion in Saints-ville. The NFL just posted the 2011 schedule, and the Saints are slated to kick of the season on Rosh HaShanah!
The game is scheduled for Thursday night, September 9 at 8:30PM, as a playoff-repeat matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. This coincides with the second night of Rosh Hashanah. Apparently, neither Drew Brees nor Bret Favre have complained about the apparent conflict. We're clearly not in Brooklyn. Consequently, I'm told that leading Reform Rabbis in New Orleans have already put in their requests at our office for Beth Israel members to pass along their tickets. (Many Reform synagogues only celebrate one day of Rosh HaShanah!)
Some of you may recall that the New York Jets had similar troubles last year when their first two games were scheduled on Rosh Hashanah AND Yom Kippur.
In the letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Jets owner Woody Johnson wrote: "There has long been an understanding that neither the Jets nor the Giants fans should have to bear completely the brunt of this issue since we are in the largest Jewish market in the country."
Rep. Anthony Weiner, a U.S. congressman who represents parts of Brooklyn and Queens, also sent a letter to Goodell on Friday urging the league to accommodate the Jets' Jewish fans.
In the end, the Yom Kippur game originally scheduled at night during Kol Nidrei, was rescheduled for a 1PM start earlier that day. You could also imagine Sandy Koufax breathing a sigh of relief.
Often times, our Jewish calendar doesn't exactly match up with our secular one - and there isn't always a Jewish congressman there to mend the differences, or a Rabbi willing to!
In fact, I have struggled with this issue the past 3 years on Jazz Fest. On the Jewish calendar, Jazz Fest always falls out during Sefirat haOmer - the time between passover and Shavuot. Traditionally, the first 33 days, after the first night of Pesach, have been observed as a mourning period in memory of the students of Rabbi Akiva who all died suddenly during this time. In addition to not getting haircuts, one of the customs during the first part of the Omer is to refrain from attending live music concerts. There are some exceptions to this rule, but on the whole, most years Jazz Fest falls out directly during this time period. Fortunately for me this year, Lag BaOmer (the 33rd day) falls out on the last day of Jazz Fest this Sunday, so I will be out there, with a Mango Freeze in hand, rain or shine.
The Jewish calendar is a powerful spiritual guide. Concsiouness of it, helps us walk in two worlds at the same time, and hopefully, facilitates our integration of them. When we struggle with the healthy tensions and conflicts that arise, the hope is that our ultimate choices are made much more meaningful and significant.
... and of course, I assume that anyone with season opener Saints tickets will donate them to the synagogue for a resale fundraiser! :)
Shabbat Shalom!
See you in shul,
Rabbi Uri
It hit home with a lot of how I am feeling currently. I constantly feel pulled between medical school, community building, and Jewish identity/observance. I'm sure I'd feel this anywhere, as it is a normal part of being a human engaged with society, but I think being in this part of the South (and so far from the communities I identity the most with) makes it slightly more acute.
In other news, I'm somewhat over women. They are currently proving to be too much drama. I had spent the last few weeks/months accepting my single status and then it went out the door. Now I'm back on day 2 of coming to terms with my very single identity.