January 3, 2025

Shabbat Shalom! As I write these words on this last day of Hanukkah, I want to share with you one more spark of light that I hope might carry all of us forward through the weeks and months ahead. I spent seven nights of Hanukkah traveling in Los Angeles with my family. Our children had not returned to the city in which they were born since we moved to Columbus in 2011. As we drove through the neighborhoods and surrounding areas, one could easily notice the many Jewish organizations, restaurants, and synagogues. There were public displays of Hanukkah menorahs everywhere, including several large plastic Hanukkah menorahs attached to car rooftops. The publication of the miracle of Hanukkah was tangible. We know that Los Angeles has been home to many protests and other antisemitic incidents in the last 15 months, but that did not seem to deter anyone from publicly demonstrating their Judaism.

You might immediately point out that the Jewish population in Los Angeles is more than 16 times greater than the Jewish population here in Columbus and, from a percentage standpoint, it is about double what it is here (5% compared to 2.5%). However, should numbers simply dictate our behavior? Los Angeles was well ahead of other communities when it came to security, as the North Valley JCC shooting in Northridge, CA rocked the Jewish world in 1999. Throughout my time living in Los Angeles from 2002-2011, security was everywhere, and yet we never hid. Fear can have a chilling effect on how we choose to live our lives. It can certainly change our behavior, and the question Jewish history often asks of us is, how do we respond to our fears?

The story of Hanukkah is one that helps us answer that question. How we tell or hear the story may offer us an understanding of the lessons we learn. Listening to the December 25th episode of the “For Heaven’s Sake” podcast from Rabbi Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi gave me an interesting perspective on how the world’s two major Jewish communities – Israel and the United States – have celebrated and viewed Hanukkah. In the U.S., we often talk about the miracle of Hanukkah and how we must add light to the world. Such a response focuses on our behavior, acts of kindness, and efforts to make the communities in which we live that much better. In Israel, however, the tale has focused more on the might of the Maccabees, who overcame an oppressive foe. That focus may have reflected the Zionism that helped birth the State of Israel and a recognition that the powerlessness we faced over two millennia would not be an issue any longer.

Rabbi Hartman and Klein Halevi wonder if the two communities need a bit of a reversal of focus. Israel, they suggest, might need a bit of light and hope as they face the darkness of an ongoing war with 101 hostages in captivity for 455 days. As a people, we continue to wonder how we can rejoice when families are displaced, when many have been called to fight in the reserves for months at a time, challenging family life and businesses, and, of course, with so many still advocating for the return of the hostages. Perhaps, they say, Israel needs a little light. Rabbi Hartman had just returned from three weeks of teaching in the U.S., and he wondered if perhaps we need a little focus on the strength and might of the Maccabees. He saw in us the fear and concerns over rising antisemitism and the home we knew as a place of welcome and safety changing before our eyes. I wonder now, how can we display that strength and not be afraid to hide?

This is a question I will carry with me in the weeks and months ahead. Hanukkah is a holiday about Jewish pride and literally fighting for the right to sovereignty in our land and the freedom to be who we are. Let’s carry these aspects of the story with us as we continue through 5785.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Rick Kellner

December 20, 2024

Earlier this week, as I was running on my Peloton treadmill and taking a running class led by Robin Arzón, a fellow member of the tribe, I was struck by her insight as she was teaching about how we respond to adversity when we exercise. The adversity to which she was referring is the stories we often tell ourselves about what we can and cannot accomplish. She taught, “We are the stories we tell about ourselves.” As soon as she said that, I immediately thought about the understanding of Jewish Peoplehood I have been studying throughout the year. I have come to learn that we, the Jewish people, are the “sum of the stories we tell about ourselves,” words that are strikingly similar to Arzón’s lesson.

As we approach Hanukkah, we think of the story of the Maccabees, who literally fought for our right to religious freedom after the Seleucid Greeks had stripped us of our freedom to practice Judaism and study Torah, while also ransacking and desecrating the Temple. Jews living in that time had a choice to make: they could either assimilate into Greek culture or stand up and not lose their Jewish identity. While some bought into this new culture overtaking the Holy Land, not all Jews would stand idly by and lose their identity. The story we tell about ourselves is the one of the Maccabees, who said, “Enough is enough.” Led by Judah Maccabee, the Jewish community rebelled and, against all odds, defeated the mighty Greeks, restoring the Temple through the miracle of the oil.

Each year in the month of Kislev, we tell ourselves this story as we light the Hanukkiah and play dreidel. The story is one of Jewish identity, Jewish willingness to stand up for our right to practice our faith and not run away from adversity or hide from it. We live in a time where the choices we make are very similar. With so much antisemitism in the world, it would be easy to run and hide. However, it takes an act of faith and courage to lean in and display our Judaism. Whether we wear a Jewish star or place a Menorah in the window, we let the world know who we are. When we do that, we proudly display our Judaism, even when some out in the world might not want us. When we publicly show who we are, it reminds others that we belong too.

The story of Hanukkah is one of resilience: that we can stand up in the face of danger. An Israeli graffiti artist known as the Yiddish Feminist, who is known for placing phrases on the walls around Tel Aviv, wrote earlier this year, “Our wounds are centuries old but so are our resilience and our strength.” (You can find her work on Instagram.) This is the story of what we have witnessed in and around Israel over the past 14 months. Whether it is running to the shelter each day and then picking up and returning to normal life, finding ways to thrive while being displaced from your home, or finding new ways to earn a living with tourists not coming to Israel, Israelis have found a way.

Hannah Wojno, who grew up at Beth Tikvah and has been living in Tel Aviv for quite some time, reached out to me last week to tell me about an endeavor that she and several other women have undertaken. Along with eight friends, Hannah launched a website called www.makersofisrael.com – an online marketplace that provides an easy way for those of us living outside Israel to purchase items made in Israel, including art, Judaica, and jewelry from talented artists. As you visit the website, you will do more than support Israel; you will learn the stories of the artists and celebrate their resilience. If you are looking for any last-minute Hanukkah gifts or are interested in supporting their work, please check out the website.

I want to wish everyone a Happy Hanukkah!

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Rick Kellner

December 13, 2024

With Hanukkah approaching, I have been reflecting on the theme of light. With our hostages now held captive in dark tunnels for 434 days, I am struck by the blessing of seeing light. The pain of this seemingly endless war endures in the soul of every Israeli and Jew around the world. The ongoing trauma brings great pain as we cope with the shame that October 7th brought upon Israelis. If we needed to understand the pain our ancestors felt when the Seleucid Greeks ransacked the Temple, placed idols in God’s House, and forbade the study of Torah, we need to look no further than the atrocities of October 7th to once again see our vulnerability. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, we were supposed to overcome the powerlessness we experienced throughout history. Perhaps the return of the hostages will restore our hope.

The English lyrics of Maoz Tzur, Rock of Ages, recall God’s might when our own strength failed. But in a world where God relies on humanity to act, when our strength and security failed us, we were overcome with shame. It took days for the IDF to ensure the safety of the border communities. The events of that day have left a dark cloud hanging over us.

Last year, the bakeries in Israel chose not to celebrate with full displays of sufganiyot. I do not know their plans for this year’s celebration. They certainly felt the darkness. And yet, despite the darkness that rests upon our souls, we light candles. The Hanukkah candles are supposed to burn for 30 minutes, and we are not able to use their light for anything (e.g., reading or lighting a room). The candles are meant to simply symbolize the fulfillment of the mitzvah of lighting candles. However, they do much more for us. In the book of Proverbs, we read that a commandment is a candle and Torah is light. When teaching about the meaning of this verse, 11th-century French commentator Rashi explains that just as light always illuminates, so does the merit of Torah stand for a person forever. However, the merit of the commandment is only for a limited time, like the light of the candle.

I am challenged by Rashi’s teaching. It is clear that the Torah represents the driving force for who we are, while the mitzvah, as represented by the candle, serves as more of a spark that has limited impact. The Torah endures because it is like an engine. However, the mitzvah can serve another purpose—it can light the engine in ourselves or perhaps in others. Hanukkah is one of my favorite holidays because, for eight days, we gather at the Hanukkiah and bless and light the candles. For eight days, at the darkest time of the year, we bring light into the world. If that light can provide a spark in us to either find the light of Torah or help those around us who need some light in the darkness, then we have done an incredible act.

Over these next three weeks, I plan to reflect on different themes of light in these pre-Shabbat messages. I hope that the lighting of the Hanukkiah inspires all of us to bring our light to the world.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Rick Kellner

December 6, 2024

With the amount of daylight dwindling this season, I am becoming more keenly aware of how important it is to bring light into the world. As the Jewish calendar turns to the Hebrew month of Kislev, the month when we celebrate Hanukkah, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the darkness. We are reminded of the great Talmudic debate between Hillel and Shammai about the proper way to light the Hanukkah menorah. Rabbi Shammai suggests we should begin on the first night by lighting eight candles and then reduce the total candles by one each night. Rabbi Hillel, however, suggests the opposite: beginning with one candle and adding one each night, building the light until we reach eight. Rabbi Hillel’s method has been used for thousands of years because, as he teaches, we do not decrease in holiness; we increase it.

Just as we increase in holiness, we also strive to add light to a darkened world. This is especially challenging when shadows hang over the Jewish community, with antisemitism on the rise and coming ever closer to home. As you all know, we have spent much time working with local schools and school districts to focus on Holocaust education and build strategies to respond to antisemitism when it happens. While that work is continuing, it is also critical that we educate ourselves about antisemitism and what we can do when our kids encounter it in schools.

I am creating a workshop on Sunday, January 5th, from 10:30 AM – 12 PM, which will:
Explore classic antisemitic tropes
Understand the changing landscape of antisemitism vis-à-vis anti-Zionism
Learn strategies for working with schools
Create a personal toolkit with resources from the ADL and Project Shema focused on communicating with schools

This workshop will be geared more toward Middle School and High School students but is open to anyone in our congregation.

Additionally, I am so grateful to everyone who wrote to me with congratulations on my selection as President-Elect of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. It is truly an honor to serve as your rabbi and be part of the Beth Tikvah family.

I am also sorry that we had to postpone our Scholar-in-Residence weekend. We are looking at new dates and hope to announce those shortly.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Rick Kellner

November 30, 2024

There is a story told of Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz, one of the great teachers of Mussar (Jewish spiritual development) who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Rabbi Levovitz had a special fund from which students of the yeshiva could borrow money. One year, a student borrowed money to travel home for Passover. Upon returning, he repaid the money and offered a word of gratitude. As soon as the words “thank you” came out of his mouth, his teacher scolded him, saying that when a beneficiary of a mitzvah expresses gratitude, it diminishes the mitzvah and undercuts the selflessness of the doer.

The next year, the same student borrowed money again to travel home. This time, when he returned to the yeshiva and put the money back in the fund, he didn’t say a word. Rabbi Levovitz said to him, “Where’s your gratitude?” Confused, the student replied, “Rabbi, last year I did the same thing and said thank you, and you scolded me. This year, I said nothing, and you scolded me. What am I supposed to do?” Rabbi Levovitz explained that one is not supposed to express gratitude in this situation; however, the feeling of gratitude inside should have been so great that it would have been difficult to remain silent. The rabbi did not see the student struggling to remain silent.

Alan Morinis shares this story in his book Everyday Holiness and explains that the lesson of gratitude lies in the heart, not in the behavior. The staff at Beth Tikvah embodies this feeling of gratitude, which turns into an expression of gratitude daily. Whenever our members see the police officer in our lobby, we thank them for being there. These special duty shifts are optional; yes, they receive pay, but they take these shifts during their time off and put their lives on the line to protect us.

We are served by three police departments at Beth Tikvah: Worthington, Perry Township, and Sharon Township. I hope that, in this season of offering thanks, you will take a moment to write three thank-you notes to our police departments for protecting us. When you write to them, please include in the note that you are a member of Beth Tikvah.

Worthington Police Dept.
6555 Worthington Galena Rd.
Worthington, OH 43085
Attn: Chief Mylett

Perry Twp Police Dept.
7125 Sawmill Rd.
Dublin, OH 43016
Attn: Chief Cesaro

Sharon Twp Police Dept.
95 E. Wilson Bridge Rd.
Worthington, OH 43085
Attn: Chief Tuchfarber

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Rick Kellner

December 13, 2024

With Hanukkah approaching, I have been reflecting on the theme of light. With our hostages now held captive in dark tunnels for 434 days, I am struck by the blessing of seeing light. The pain of this seemingly endless war endures in the soul of every Israeli and Jew around the world. The ongoing trauma brings great pain as we cope with the shame that October 7th brought upon Israelis. If we needed to understand the pain our ancestors felt when the Seleucid Greeks ransacked the Temple, placed idols in God’s House, and forbade the study of Torah, we need to look no further than the atrocities of October 7th to once again see our vulnerability. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, we were supposed to overcome the powerlessness we experienced throughout history. Perhaps the return of the hostages will restore our hope.
The English lyrics of Maoz Tzur, Rock of Ages, recall God’s might when our own strength failed. But in a world where God relies on humanity to act, when our strength and security failed us, we were overcome with shame. It took days for the IDF to ensure the safety of the border communities. The events of that day have left a dark cloud hanging over us.
Last year, the bakeries in Israel chose not to celebrate with full displays of sufganiyot. I do not know their plans for this year’s celebration. They certainly felt the darkness. And yet, despite the darkness that rests upon our souls, we light candles. The Hanukkah candles are supposed to burn for 30 minutes, and we are not able to use their light for anything (e.g., reading or lighting a room). The candles are meant to simply symbolize the fulfillment of the mitzvah of lighting candles. However, they do much more for us. In the book of Proverbs, we read that a commandment is a candle and Torah is light. When teaching about the meaning of this verse, 11th-century French commentator Rashi explains that just as light always illuminates, so does the merit of Torah stand for a person forever. However, the merit of the commandment is only for a limited time, like the light of the candle.
I am challenged by Rashi’s teaching. It is clear that the Torah represents the driving force for who we are, while the mitzvah, as represented by the candle, serves as more of a spark that has limited impact. The Torah endures because it is like an engine. However, the mitzvah can serve another purpose—it can light the engine in ourselves or perhaps in others. Hanukkah is one of my favorite holidays because, for eight days, we gather at the Hanukkiah and bless and light the candles. For eight days, at the darkest time of the year, we bring light into the world. If that light can provide a spark in us to either find the light of Torah or help those around us who need some light in the darkness, then we have done an incredible act.
Over these next three weeks, I plan to reflect on different themes of light in these pre-Shabbat messages. I hope that the lighting of the Hanukkiah inspires all of us to bring our light to the world.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Rick Kellner

December 6, 2024

With the amount of daylight dwindling this season, I am becoming more keenly aware of how important it is to bring light into the world. As the Jewish calendar turns to the Hebrew month of Kislev, the month when we celebrate Hanukkah, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the darkness. We are reminded of the great Talmudic debate between Hillel and Shammai about the proper way to light the Hanukkah menorah. Rabbi Shammai suggests we should begin on the first night by lighting eight candles and then reduce the total candles by one each night. Rabbi Hillel, however, suggests the opposite: beginning with one candle and adding one each night, building the light until we reach eight. Rabbi Hillel’s method has been used for thousands of years because, as he teaches, we do not decrease in holiness; we increase it.

Just as we increase in holiness, we also strive to add light to a darkened world. This is especially challenging when shadows hang over the Jewish community, with antisemitism on the rise and coming ever closer to home. As you all know, we have spent much time working with local schools and school districts to focus on Holocaust education and build strategies to respond to antisemitism when it happens. While that work is continuing, it is also critical that we educate ourselves about antisemitism and what we can do when our kids encounter it in schools.

I am creating a workshop on Sunday, January 5th, from 10:30 AM – 12 PM, which will:

• Explore classic antisemitic tropes
• Understand the changing landscape of antisemitism vis-à-vis anti-Zionism
• Learn strategies for working with schools
• Create a personal toolkit with resources from the ADL and Project Shema focused on communicating with schools

This workshop will be geared more toward Middle School and High School students but is open to anyone in our congregation. Please see the flier below and RSVP.
Additionally, I am so grateful to everyone who wrote to me with congratulations on my selection as President-Elect of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. It is truly an honor to serve as your rabbi and be part of the Beth Tikvah family.
I am also sorry that we had to postpone our Scholar-in-Residence weekend. We are looking at new dates and hope to announce those shortly.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Rick Kellner

April 14, 2023

I hope everyone had a wonderful Passover. By now, the chametz we abandoned for a week should be filling us up again. In recent weeks, I have been thinking about the continued tension I have been feeling related to the various chaos we have witnessed in our society. Whether that is pertaining to tensions in Israel both on the political side of things as well as the ongoing violence, or the continued occurrences of gun violence here in the US, as well as repeated rulings that have limited individuals’ access to receiving reproductive health care. 

We may have experienced some tension in our gatherings at seder, as we talked with family members or friends with whom we disagreed about certain topics. It reminded me of one of the greatest Jewish gifts we have given to the world, which is the art of disagreement. Countless times, I have seen Israelis arguing, only to see them hug it out at the end. An Orthodox Rabbinic member of the Knesset who would leave the room whenever the Reform Rabbinic member of the Knesset would speak still reached out to the Reform Rabbi when he had been hospitalized last year due to COVID. 

Jews have disagreed for centuries. We are reminded of this by the Hebrew word machloket-disagreement. Rabbinic literature even comments about the nature of a machloket in the name of heaven and one that is not in the name of heaven. When we think about disagreement in Jewish law, we remind ourselves that the rabbis of the Talmud debated everything from foods we eat, to carrying things on Shabbat, to who keeps a lost object when it is found, to life and death, issues of ethics and more. Many of us will remember that the two classic schools of thought in the Talmud are the House of Hillel and Shammai who always disagreed with each other. We learn from the rabbis that Jewish law is almost always in accordance with Rabbi Hillel, not because Rabbi Hillel is always right, but because in addition to teaching their own opinions, they also taught the opinions of Rabbi Shammai – and they taught Shammai’s opinions first. 

Furthermore, the Talmud also recounts the disagreement between the two schools pertaining to marriage laws and who could marry whom. Even though they disagreed on the law, the Talmud teaches us that the children of those who disagreed with each other from both houses could still marry each other. Meaning, a child from the house of Shammai could still marry a child from the house of Hillel. This is incredibly symbolic because we learn that their disagreements did not destroy the proliferation of Judaism and Jewish life. In fact, one might think that by pushing each other and helping to understand the other’s point of view, it deepened Jewish life. 

So how do we respond when we encounter an idea or a person we disagree with? How do we respond when we learn that Judaism teaches something that challenges our thinking? While a typical reaction is to state our case by putting a stake in the sand and throwing up our hands, I wonder if that is the best reaction. Judaism teaches us, “Who is wise? The one who learns from everyone?” (Avot 4:1) We might then instead keep in our pockets, a series of questions to ask: Tell me about why you believe what you do. How did you come to understand the situation and respond that way? If you encounter a Jewish belief, you might even dig a little deeper. And if you encounter a Jewish belief that disagrees with where you stand, that does not mean an individual is a “bad Jew” (I once gave a sermon entitled There Is No Such Thing as a Bad Jew) or you fall out of bounds for Judaism. We have to consider that Judaism holds diverse viewpoints and that it is ok to disagree. It is important for us to always be open to learning, even though, in the end we might disagree. 

It is interesting that the word for controversy or disagreement in Judaism is machloket, it is closely related to the Hebrew word helek meaning “part.” When I think of this word, I think of parts of a whole. We need the pieces coming together to make a whole or perhaps even a part to a machine which requires different components to work. I think perhaps that Judaism understands there are diverse parts to every discussion and that makes the debate so beautiful and powerful. My hope is that we do not let these parts divide us, but that they help us to sharpen one another so that we may grow from our diversity. 

Shabbat Shalom, 

Rabbi Rick Kellner

April 7, 2023

Moadim L’simcha! I hope your Passover S’darim were filled with joy and opportunities to reflect on the importance of bringing about freedom for all those who suffer and are oppressed. Passover invites us to stand up and remember Moses’ power as he approached Pharaoh with a bit of fear and trepidation saying, “Let my people go!” As we reflect on the lessons and messages of the holiday, we remember the work that we must do to help the people in our community stand up against injustice and what we have to do to bring about freedom for all. 

There are far too many people in our community who are suffering. Some struggle to find an affordable place to live. Every day we see stories in the news, about more and more gun violence. Far too many students in Columbus city schools face out of school suspensions when restorative justice practices would keep them in school; and having access to an ID card would enable people to access the services they desperately need to survive. There are many neighborhoods in Columbus that do not have adequate tree cover causing temperatures to be hotter, more flooding, and higher instances of asthma. Working to assure there is adequate tree cover – a seemingly simple act – can make a tremendous amount of difference in people’s lives. 

Every year an interfaith community gathers on one night to seek justice. We call upon our elected officials and those with power to solve community problems to act. This evening is called the Nehemiah Action and is coordinated by BREAD, an organization devoted to making our community better and pursuing justice. BREAD spends many hours researching proven methods of solving these problems and presents them to public officials. We share the thoughts with them well in advance of the meetings and ask them to respond to the needs of the people. 

BREAD represents the largest gathering of people seeking to improve our community in the entire area. We need you to come to the Celeste Center Fair Grounds on Tuesday evening April 25 at 6:40 pm to bear witness to the asks and to show that we care deeply about solving community problems. I hope you will join me there. 

If you have yet to receive a personal invitation, consider this note your invitation to join me that evening. I will have a ticket for you. Please reply and let me know that you want to attend. 

At my seder, the piece that struck me was inviting in Elijah who brings us hope for a better world. We asked when will the world get better? And answered that we do not know. We will discover the answer much sooner when we show up and do the work that needs to be done to make it happen. I hope you will join me in fulfilling Elijah’s wish of making the world a better place. 

Shabbat Shalom, 

Rabbi Rick Kellner

March 31, 2023

Monday was a day filled with both relief and turmoil. For weeks, we have watched hundreds of thousands of Israelis gather to protest the proposed judicial changes that would empower the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) to overturn any judicial decision, thus rendering the existence of Israel’s Supreme Court frivolous. Over the years, the court has served as a check on governmental decisions that have subdued the rights of women, minorities, non-Orthodox Jews and more. When Prime Minister Netanyahu asked his Defense Minister Yoav Galant to step down over remarks he made that the proposed judicial changes were a threat to Israel’s security, Israelis elevated their protest causing a national strike, the military refusing to show up, the shutdown of Ben Gurion airport, and more. Israelis from all walks of life, secular, Orthodox, left wing, right wing, center showed up to protest. My Facebook feed was filled with photos from friends and family who did not want to see this change happen. On Monday we received word that the proposed changes would be delayed until the Knesset resumes its session in May thus allowing Passover and Israel’s 75th birthday to happen with joy and celebration, rather than turmoil. The work, though, is not over. 

Rabbi Dani Gordis, an American-born rabbi, who has lived in Israel for years has called this the most important week in Israel’s history. Israelis showed up and protested peacefully, allowing ambulances through when they needed to get to those in need. There was no looting, no violence. In some ways, it was an accomplishment that only Israelis would have the chutzpah to achieve. In a few weeks, when we gather to celebrate Israel, it will be important for us to remember the joyful moments along with the challenging moments that have enabled Israel to survive and thrive for three-quarters of a century. 

Soon after this relief, came the turmoil of yet another school shooting, this time in a private Presbyterian school. Again, children were murdered. We remember the 6 lives lost and we ask ourselves, is this the world we want for our children? The trauma they feel is palpable. How can we keep living like this and what can we do about it? 

In the coming week, we will sit down at our seder tables, and we will think about how we, ourselves, personally went forth out of Egypt. In Hebrew, Egypt is called Mitzrayim, meaning “narrow space.” What are the times and spaces that are narrow that constrict our freedom? The seder is a time for us to sit, reflect and be joyful. And it is also a time to say to ourselves, what can we do to work for all those who find themselves in a narrow place? The Torah reminds us that we should lift up the cause of the orphan, the widow, or the stranger. In modern times, these groups equate to any marginalized group. Let us find our cause, whether it is gun violence, hunger, homelessness, and more. May we also get up and do the sacred work of bringing about freedom for everyone in this world who suffers at the hand of an oppressor. 

I hope you will join us for a special Shabbat this evening, Shabbat Shirei Aviv. For the past few weeks, Julie Sapper, our Director of Musical Programming, has been working with a group of singers to present special songs for this season. As spring arrives, and the flowers and buds begin to bloom, our hearts look towards this beautiful music to bring us joy. 

Shabbat Shalom, 

Rabbi Rick Kellner

March 24, 2023

A few months ago, I noticed that the CCAR, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, my professional organization (of which I am honored to serve as Vice President of Program and Member Support) was offering a Youth Mental Health First Aid certification course. For two days this week, over 3 hours each day – on Zoom, I participated with fellow Reform Rabbis in this course. There was two hours of preparation in advance of the course plus a short follow up after. 

I chose to take the course because I am often called on to be a support person to our young people and families. To become a Mental Health First Aider, one is encouraged to notice things and not diagnose but to be present when there are challenges. We were trained to use the ALGEE method: to Assess for risk of further harm; to Listen non-judgmentally; Give reassurance and information; Encourage appropriate professional help; Encourage self-help and other strategies. I recall years ago that I found myself regularly attending sessions at my annual convention on teen mental health. In recent years, I have only seen the challenges our teens have faced grow. 

Being in a setting where this training was provided to rabbis, gave us the opportunity to study some Jewish text related to mental health. There were two that stood out to me: 

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom…When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” ~Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning 

Whenever I read Frankl’s words, I really think about the lesson he is trying to teach. As a Holocaust survivor and a psychologist who lived through Auschwitz, Frankl knew the worst that a human being can face. He gives us the opportunity to think about the choices we make and helps us recognize that there are moments in our lives beyond our control, but the one thing we can control or even change is ourselves. There are many lessons here. From the perspective of facing life, often we see the world spiraling out of control, when someone gets louder, we do too. It is like we mirror the energy of someone else. But with a sense of consciousness, we can change what we do, we can change ourselves. From the perspective of a Mental Health First Aid responder, when situations get out of hand, it is best to remember to be a non-anxious presence. This takes effort, practice, and training.

“A bit of light dispels a lot of darkness.” ~Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi 

Some people attribute this quote to Albus Dumbledore, the great Wizard and head of Hogwarts in Harry Potter. Though I suppose Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi likely said it first. There are times in our lives when we are consumed by darkness. Metaphorically, these could be so many different challenges – loneliness, depression, work stress, family stress. We are reminded of the plague of darkness in Egypt, in which it was so dark Egyptians could not even see their neighbor. Light then is the hope and holiness we might bring to a darkened world. Whether that is something we might do or say, or perhaps merely our presence, we have the potential to be a light in a time of darkness. This is both, an incredible honor and responsibility, but also a daunting task. To know that we have the power to change someone’s life is something we cannot take lightly. 

As the month of Nisan and the season of Spring are now upon us, we think about that which can grow from barrenness and slumber, and that which can return to us and sing. I am honored to do this work and to be a supportive presence in the lives of our congregants. Please know that I am here for you in times of crisis. 

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom, 

Rabbi Rick Kellner

March 17, 2023

I have often used this space to write about spirituality, contemporary issues we are facing in America, Israel, around the world, and also things happening in the synagogue. This week, however, I want to share with you a concern that is facing the Jewish future. We are facing a shortage of rabbis. It can no longer be taken for granted that every congregation who wants a rabbi will be able to hire one. When I began rabbinical school in 2001, 48 rabbinic students were enrolled in the first-year program at Hebrew Union College. Though not all finished their rabbinical studies, most did. Fast forward two decades and the enrollment numbers at all non-Orthodox rabbinical programs for the first year – including Reform (HUC), Conservative (Ziegler School-LA, and JTS-NY), Reconstructionist (RRC), as well as non-denominational programs like the Academy for Jewish Religion, Hebrew College, and ALEPH, may be only slightly more than the total numbers in my first year when combined. 

This year, the HUC first year class includes 14 rabbinical students. In 2007, my ordination class on the Los Angeles campus alone totaled 16 students. There were far more when adding in Cincinnati and New York. In 2023, HUC will ordain a total of 30 students on all three U.S. Campuses. Last year JTS ordained 15 rabbis and this Ziegler School in Los Angeles is enrolling 6 rabbinic students for their first year. 

We have a problem! And this problem will deeply impact the Jewish future. I should add that we have many “Rabbis” who are running around communities who attended online rabbinical schools for an hour a week for a year and now are parading around looking for rabbinical jobs, and in many cases getting them when a rabbi from an accredited institution is unable to fill a position. Last year, both the Reform and Conservative movements had more positions open than rabbis looking for positions. Meaning, that jobs went unfilled and communities unserved. 

I have always looked upon my rabbinical training, which included courses in all areas of Jewish studies as well as practical rabbinics, as a gift and a blessing. I felt that my additional year of study working towards a Masters in Jewish Education provided me with courses in budgeting, leadership and management, social and philosophical foundations of education, staff supervision, organizational development and more. That degree helped me think differently about my rabbinate and was arguably the most important year of learning. While non-Orthodox rabbinical schools are actively working to reimagine their curricula and learning experiences, there is still more that must be done to understand why fewer and fewer people are entering the rabbinate. Whether it has to do with the 24/7 on call nature of the work we do (I am writing this at 10:55 at night), the toxicity of society that seeps its way into Jewish life, the demands of the profession, the overwhelming costs of rabbinical school where it can take decades to pay off student loans… the reasons are endless. 

The trickle-down effect will be felt by communities who may go years without rabbis. Just as rabbinical schools need to innovate, so too do communities need to innovate. The best recruitment tools in the Reform movement are the 1-1 ask from a rabbi. So far, I am an 0-fer. Second best was our youth movement, but with changes in camping enrollment as well as the reform youth movement, we are finding it more challenging to recruit young people. One change that will be welcome to potential second career students will be a new option for enrollees in 2024. HUC will begin offering a “Low-Residency” program where students will take classes online, and train in a reform congregation without relocating to NY or LA. I typically love to write with what rabbinic literature calls a nechemta, a feel-good thought that lifts our spirits. This time however, our future is uncharted and leaves us quite concerned. We will still invest in our youth; I will still plant seeds in the minds of young people who I think could be great rabbis and I am hopeful that our seminaries will be able to chart a course for the future. If you would like to learn more, I suggest reading “Wanted: More Rabbis” by Paula Jacobs in Tablet Magazine from March 13 or this piece in “The Forward” from last year. 

As a board member and Vice President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, I can assure you that we are working and doing all we can to elevate the growth of rabbis around the country and our mission is to strengthen rabbis, so that reform rabbis, our communities and Reform Jewish values thrive.