Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

During these past several weeks, the structure of my rabbinic service has changed dramatically. For thirty-three years, I have served as a congregational rabbi in three synagogues. While the culture has varied from one shul to the next, similarities pervade them all.

In general, my routine would be to attend daily morning Minyan, join the breakfast which follows, return any messages left from the night before, prepare sermons and lesson plans, teach classes to young and old, meet with upcoming lifecycle celebrants, counsel the distressed, visit shivas, hospitals, and shut ins, officiate at joys and sorrows, attend evening services, participate in administrative meetings, meet with local clergy and dignitaries, and much more depending on the day and unplanned scenarios. Most of these activities share one thing in common, they are face to face.

In the last several weeks, I am working just as hard if not harder, but very differently. I attend or lead daily morning and evening services on line. I write a daily dvar torah or blog for our website. I teach an hour long class three days a week at noon on line. I prepare short pre-made videos on days I do not teach. I attend shul meetings, clergy meetings and other meetings on line. I officiate simchas either on line or go to the home of a celebrant family, often with a Torah scroll, while guests attend on line. With a decrease of physical face to face experiences - emails, texts, and voicemails have increased tremendously. Funeral services are limited to ten attendees at the grave. Shivas are private. My pastoral care is done via telephone or social media. While I still put in the same hours or more, I am still adjusting to a very new form of rabbinate.

One of the positives, which I hope to continue in the long term, is teaching on line. With the combination of Zoom and Facebook, I have interaction with participants at a shared time, and many others can watch the sessions later on our shul Facebook page. What began as a preparations for Pesach class has evolved into a continuing series on Pirkei Avot - The Wisdom of the Sages.

For the first time since the new normal set in, I have to cancel today's noon class because of a member funeral. Obviously, honoring the memory of the deceased and comforting mourners take priority over all else. Still, I will truly miss not continuing our learning series. One can choose to attend all the classes or join one at a time. Each session is complete in covering at least one independent passage from the sacred literature of Pirkei Avot.

Now, deferred to Monday, we are up to a new early history in the development of the Sages. At a formative time, each generation was noted by "Zugot," a pair of contemporary scholars who shared overlapping teachings. Our next topic raises the ideal definition of a Jewish home. One Sage says, "Make your home a regular meeting place for scholars." A colleague suggests, "Let your house be open wide; let the poor be as members of your household."

Are these statements contradictory or complementary? Come join our next class.

I am saddened to have to cancel today's session, and I am more saddened that a loved one has passed away. Moreover, barely a Minyan is allowed to attend in today's new normal.

One thing that will not change is the proper time to begin and end Shabbat. I wish everyone Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Howard Morrison