Thoughts From a Park Slope Rabbi: Obligation Without Fanfare

I periodically check in with Rabbi Andy Bachman's blog, Water Over Rocks. Today I found out that that his synagogue, Congregation Beth Elohim, is running a food drive for City Harvest. Canned and dry goods can be left in the Temple House at 274 Garfield Place.

I also took a quick look at his always interesting blog posts and found this poignant post called Plural, Amen, which expresses the many responsibilities faced by the rabbi of a large local congregation. Here's an excerpt.

The earlier part of the week was all about making the organizational decisions to help put us on the right footing for a campaign to renovate and restore our buildings, including fundraising coffees and fundraising

And then, just like that, today pivoted, and I'm helping to find housing for a family left nearly homeless in this brutal economy and within moments, sitting with a bereaved woman whose husband of 46 years died and she can't function without him. That's 16,790 days with one person. Try to imagine doing something with someone for 16,790 days in a row and then all of a sudden lose that presence, lose that voice, suffer from the absence of that soul. There is survivor's guilt; anger; anxiety; depression. And an unspeakable loneliness that few of us truly know.

A fire alarm went off during this conversation today and my visitor kept checking her watch. "You must be busy," she said. "I'm not a member of your shul. I should go." "But you are here," I said. "And we're together. So stay."

I thought, but didn't say, "The fundraising and the strategizing is for moments like these, the quiet moments of service." Obligation without fanfare. Just the response.

lunches followed by strategic meetings and planning sessions.