​Dear Kol Tzedek Community, 

We did not choose to start reading from the Book of Exodus this week. It chose us. As we turn our mythic attention from the formation of personhood to peoplehood, we turn our national attention from a leader of integrity and vision, to one of deceit and immorality. 

We read that a new pharaoh comes to power who is troubled by the growing foreign, Israelite population in the land. He enacts laws that seek to demonize, dehumanize and diminish this population.


And we read of the Midwives and Moses' righteous acts of civil disobedience. We read of the power of feminism to subvert injustice. And the power of the people to rise up and claim their liberation. 

Ramban, the 13th century Spanish Mystic, teaches that the Book of Exodus is not just a narrative of liberation, it is a paradigm for our ongoing journey from Exile to Redemption. The Israelite Exile is not over when they cross the sea. They then find themselves lost in a desert, pining for food, water and the good-ole-days of slavery. 

Our exile from racism did not end when Barak Obama took office. The legacy of slavery is deep in this country's DNA. We now find ourselves in the wilderness, and there are those people longing for an oppressive past. Their voices are amplified in this new regime. But so are ours!

In the words of social change advocate Valerie Kaur, "What if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb – but the darkness of the womb?" Just as the Exodus story is about the birth of a nation through the waters of the Red Sea, so too Kaur says, "We find ourselves in this country's great transition. And what do the midwives tell us to do? Breath and Push!"


This is a time of tremendous organizing, creative resistance and community formation. This, according to the Ramban, is essential to our redemption. Just as the Israelites built the mishkan (portable sanctuary) in the wilderness, we are called to built vibrant, multi-faith and multiracial coalitions for transformative justice here in Philadelphia. 

God says to Moses: 'Cry out unto Pharaoh, and tell him: YHVH, the God of the Hebrews says: Let My people go, that they may serve Me." Take note. As much as the spiritual has popularized this phrase, it is not simply "Let My People Go!" We are freed from chattel slavery that we may be of service to something greater than ourselves. 


When we transition from one book of the Torah to the next, as we did last shabbat, we say, “Chazak chazak v’nitchazeik” – “Be strong, strong, so may we make ourselves strong.”

As we gather tonight and tomorrow, we draw on the spirits of the midwives and Moses who placed their lives on the line and defied Pharoah's decree. Where ever you are this weekend. From D.C. to Philly and beyond, Be strong, strong, so may we make ourselves strong!

I look forward to gathering strength with many of you this weekend: 
Tonight at 5:30 pm at Calvary
Saturday at 9:30 am at the NW Corner of 19th and Market

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ari Lev

​Dear Kol Tzedek Community,

In the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:
"At times we need to know that the Lord is a God of justice. When slumbering giants of injustice emerge in the earth, we need to know that there is a God of power who can cut them down like the grass and leave them withering like the green herb...

This week we read the last section in the book of Genesis, and companion the Israelites into mitzrayim/a narrow place, which ultimately leads to their enslavement. Next week we begin the liberation narrative of Exodus. We find ourselves caught in this liminal moment, full of loss, fear, anticipation and poised to take action. The timing of our sacred texts is so deeply linked in this moment to our own political experience. 

There is a long history of comparing Martin Luther King Jr. to Moses. Both prophetic voices and community organizers. Both freedom fighters who never saw the world redeemed. It is so powerful to know that Moses' voice will enter the stage on MLK Jr. Weekend, just in time for the inauguration. But first we allow ourselves to feel the loss of Jacob and Joseph, whose bones remain buried in Egypt for hundreds of years until the Israelites carrying them with them across the sea. 

Tonight at Ometz Lev, 6:30 pm -  We will hear from Rev. Nicolas O'Rourke and the work of P.O.W.E.R. Services will be sprinkled with readings from both Rev. Dr. MLK Jr. and the Vision for Black Lives. This is a moment to speak truth to power. This is a moment for prophetic voices to lift us up, comfort us and inspire us. 

MLK Jr. continues,
"But there are also times when we need to know that God possesses love and mercy. When we are staggered by the chilly winds of adversity and battered by the raging storms of disappointment and when through our folly and sin we stray into some destructive far country and are frustrated because of a strange feeling homesickness, we need to know that there is someone who loves us, cares for us, understands us, and will give us another chance. "
[excerpts from The Strength To Love, 1963 (adapted)]

For those tearful at Obama's Farewell speech, for those horrified by the Senate hearings and press conferences, for those eager to cry out and organize and protest. For those seeking refuge, hope and renewal. Join us as we bask in teachings of love and justice!

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ari Lev

Dear Kol Tzedek Community,

Why do we cry?
When do we cry?
Why is it sometimes so hard to cry, and sometimes so hard to stop crying?

Jewish tradition teaches that even when prayer is impossible, the Gates of Tears are always open. This is often cited on Yom Kippur, when the heart pours out and words escape us. But it is true all year long. Not just for us, but for our mythic ancestors and biblical characters. 

This week's Torah portion Vayigash finds us in the middle of what some call the Joseph Novella. Joseph is the character, only second to Moses, who gets the most air time in all of Torah. His story becomes a microcosm for the ups and downs (both spiritually and literally) of one's life experiences. And it is full of tears. Seven times Joseph cries. A mentor in rabbinical school taught me that tears are prayers. If that is so, what are Joseph's tears coming to teach us? 

Tomorrow morning at Torah study we will explore Joseph's Tears, and the role of crying in our ancient texts, and ultimately in our own life.


Join us tomorrow, Saturday 1/7:
Torah Study at 10 am (Calvary basement classroom)
Family Service with Jessi at 10:30 (Chapel)
Community Meeting at 5 pm (with childcare and pizza!)


Shabbat Shalom to all!
May we all have a chance to truly exhale and feel refreshed.

Rabbi Ari Lev