Sermon - July 11, 2008

A NEW START - 7/11/08   Rabbi Mark S. Kram – Temple Beth Or, Miami, FL.

So, I’m finally here.  (Shechecheyanu).  But who is this guy, this new rabbi standing before you tonight, and hopefully for a long, long time ahead?  What are his ideas?  Innovations?  Initiatives?  What does he think of us?  Why is he here?  Why did he come to TBO?  And where did he get that suit!?  (OK, not wearing it!)

So many questions – some borne of curiosity, some of deep concern for the future of this special place.  Will it work?  Only our 4^th rabbi in I believe, 28 years.

Well, let me tell you – I’m no masochist.  I know, some feel that Beth Or is shrinking, “on it’s last leg”, struggling to survive.  Some think that since Miami’s Jewish population is shrinking that we don’t have enough Jews to support the number of congregations we have.  That the future looks dim. 

If you are thinking along those lines, STOP NOW!  STOP NOW!  I didn’t come to Beth Or to help to bury it or close it down!  (Rather), I came to join with you in renewing it!

These are challenging times for our community.  I have seen it change over the 28 years my family and I have been committed to Miami.  Some of you who have been here longer or were born here have seen even more [changes]. 

OK – so Miami’s changed!  OK.  Now what?  Do we roll up our carpets, pack our cars and head North?!  Do we give up and say that demographics win, & we, the Jewish community lose?  What we do about it speaks ever more strongly than sitting back as commentators or observers.  As Mindy and I always taught and told our children – “You and I have to get in the game!” 

In my view, this is FAR from a congregation on its last leg!  Rather TBO is a congregation that numbers between 250-300 individuals from more than 100 families.  There is a place – an important place – in the Miami community for a Reconstructionist congregation.   AND there is an important place in our community for TBO.  What WE do and how WE proceed will define our future.

We are small – our synagogue meets in this “house”.  Our home is a house.  But here, as you’ve told me time and again, everyone knows your name!  You said, “It’s CHEERS!”  Really!  TBO is a place where you can make a friend, one member told me, THE 1^ST TIME YOU’RE HERE! 

We have a beautiful grounds – grounds that sport a meditation garden, a chickee, and this wonderful cozy prayer space which feels so homey, but with uplifting, tasteful and appropriate décor.  [We have a video cam for those in our TBO community and the larger Jewish community to be a part of our worship services and experiences!]  (I demand a make-up artist!)

Have you seen the commercial on TV about a new kind of grass that grows ANYWHERE?!  Yes, it is supposed to be used for filling in hard-to-grow spots on your lawn, or overused pet “spots” or under trees where little sun gets through to the ground.  The advertiser makes the point of planting the stuff right on top of concrete block – and believe it or not (I don’t know how myself) the grass seems to grow!

OK – TBO gets no cut (fortunately or unfortunately), but if grass can grow on top of concrete block, why can’t a Reconstructionist congregation continue to be successful in a significantly Jewish area?!  Is there room in our South Dade Community for 3 Reform, 3 Conservative, 2 Orthodox and 1 Reconstructionist congregations?!  Of course there is!  Have we reached collectively, all of the Jews who live here?  Not the Jews who are members of other congregations, but Jews who want community, Jews who want Jewish learning, Jewish practice, Jewish engagement; for themselves and for their children?! 

Friends, there’s a CVS and Walgreens on almost every corner.  MacDonald’s builds new restaurants next to or across the street from Burger Kings or KFC or whatever.  Are we to say b/c it’s tough, that we shouldn’t be here any longer?  NO!  Emphatically, NO!

We start with energy.  Organically.  From Passion.  From love.  You are each here b/c you want to make sure that Judaism is sustained in Miami.  For yourselves and your families and for Jews everywhere.

One thing that I have discovered in my very short tenure is that TBO is no empty place.  You truly own it!  Every day, I learn of more individuals who with their own personal commitment and energy (and sweat!) – take responsibility for our school, the building & grounds, activities, the website, and much much more.  You see, Beth Or is a hands-on place.

As Margaret Mead, the renowned anthropologist said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”  She spoke about the power of a few committed individuals, and the power of their passion!  I see it here. 

I can’t tell you how many calls & emails for meetings, for coffee, or just to talk I have already received.  People are saying, and I’ll borrow a phrase from a campaign we are all familiar with, “YES WE CAN!”   From thinking we can’t to thinking “Why not?!”

TBO is definitely NOT a congregation with ONLY 105 families, but a new congregation starting with 105 families – that is making a new start.

I couldn’t do this without that in mind.

Three weeks ago, we read the Torah portion of Joshua and the 12 spies.  Moses commands a small band of men to enter into the Promised Land and “check it out” prior to the entire community crossing the Jordan together.  God spoke to Moses, saying, "Send men to scout the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelite people; send one man from each of their ancestral tribes, each one a chieftain among them." So Moses, by Adonai's command, sent them out from the wilderness of Paran, all the men being leaders of the Israelites. (Numbers 13:1–3)

At the end of forty days, they returned from scouting the land.… This is what they told Moses: "We came to the land you sent us to; it does indeed flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the people who inhabit the country are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large…."

But Caleb hushed the people before Moses and said, "Let us by all means go up, and we shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it."

But the men who had gone up with him said, "We cannot attack that people, for it is stronger than we." Thus they spread rumors among the Israelites about the land they had scouted, saying, "The country that we traversed and scouted is one that devours its settlers. All the people that we saw in it are men of great size; we saw the N'philim there--the Anakites are part of the N'philim--and we looked like grasshoppers to ourselves, and so we must have looked to them." (Numbers 13:25–33)

What stops us from being like Joshua & Caleb?!  Are we unrealistic?  Are we dreaming?  Are we crazy?  Hardly.

So welcome to the NEW Beth Or.  We’ve got some work to do, some challenges ahead.  But that’s it: if we get our head into it and not be waylaid by our fears or concerns, we can do it! 

So “Come home (get it?) to Beth OR!”  “Take a look at the NEW Beth Or!”   And let us build our future together!   AMEN

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