The following introduction to Lavy M. Becker is part of a larger study of the Reconstructionist S... more The following introduction to Lavy M. Becker is part of a larger study of the Reconstructionist Synagogue community that Becker founded in Montreal in 1960. The study includes both an intimate view of the community from the inside and a histor-ical view of the changing ...
Despite the fact that Reconstructionism is often referred to as the only" made-in-America&qu... more Despite the fact that Reconstructionism is often referred to as the only" made-in-America"(USA) Jewish denomination, it was a Canadian community that was the first synagogue anywhere to call itself" Reconstructionist." The founder and guiding figure of ...
Article d'abord paru dans CAP-AUX-DIAMANTS, no 105, "Une réalité méconnue.Les Juifs au Québec", p... more Article d'abord paru dans CAP-AUX-DIAMANTS, no 105, "Une réalité méconnue.Les Juifs au Québec", p.15-19. Maintenant reproduit dans "La Voix Sépharade" septembre 2016, voir http://lvsmagazine.com/
This layered personal memoir will be published online on Dr. Jael Silliman's site "Recalling Jewi... more This layered personal memoir will be published online on Dr. Jael Silliman's site "Recalling Jewish Calcutta". A version with all multimedia content integrated with the text can be found here: https://sharongubbayhelfer.wixsite.com/sanantonio2020/post/between-shadow-and-light
Has the Holocaust changed the ways Jews think of God? At its simplest, human level, the question ... more Has the Holocaust changed the ways Jews think of God? At its simplest, human level, the question we have been posed seems to be asking: after the unthinkable devastation of the Holocaust, how could Jews continue to trust in the God of History, who cares for his Chosen People? How is it possible that the Almighty, who can do anything, did nothing to save the 6 million Jews, including innocent children and babies, who were slaughtered by the Nazis? Was this not an irredeemable betrayal of the covenant that bound the Jewish people to their God? We must then wonder: How did those who continued to practice their faith handle such questions? Did they need to, and did they, develop new ways of imagining God as a result? The heart of my presentation this evening will be a very personal answer to these questions. What role the Holocaust has played in my life, how my own sense of deep identity and spirituality and my life path have been affected, both before and after my marriage to Peter, whose mother and father were directly impacted by the Holocaust in ways that my parents had not been. But before turning to my personal story, I would like to address the question as asked, as best I can: Did the Holocaust change the ways that Jews think about God? Like any question of this magnitude that is real, alive, meaningful, the answers cannot possibly be fixed or unitary ... For now, I have gathered a series of examples and stories to illustrate a range of response to our question. The examples will not necessarily all fit together, they may even seem paradoxical. But I think that paradox here is appropriate. Good paradoxes don't have a " solution ". They are meant to encourage ongoing thoughts, to force us to come up with new insights and to give us food for thought … I would like to make one comment, before bringing you my examples.
Dans le cadre du colloquium "Dieu hôte et accueil de l'autre", l'hospitalité des religions abraha... more Dans le cadre du colloquium "Dieu hôte et accueil de l'autre", l'hospitalité des religions abrahamiques * Institut de pastoral de Dominicains et Centre Justice et Foi, 26-27 février 2016
Despite the fact that Reconstructionism is often referred to as the only “made-in-America” (USA) ... more Despite the fact that Reconstructionism is often referred to as the only “made-in-America” (USA) Jewish denomination, it was a Canadian community that was the first synagogue anywhere to call itself “Reconstructionist.” The founder and guiding figure of Montreal’s Reconstructionist Synagogue was Lavy M. Becker, who functioned as the community’s “honorary” (unpaid) rabbi in its first phase of development, from 1960 through 1976. Throughout this period, “Lavy’s Shul,” as it was affectionately known, was a vibrant experiment in Jewish life, a hybrid, containing elements of both havurah and synagogue, whose special character was described by a member of the community as “an assault on the heart and the brain at the same time.” This dissertation creates a portrait of this singular community in the context of its time. A framework of thought constructed around the themes of memory, identity, community and narrative is used to highlight the shifting tapestry of collective identities of a changing Canada within a world in flux, which is seen to form the backdrop to this community study. In the foreground, the founding and evolution of the synagogue are portrayed in some depth through profiles of Lavy Becker and of selected members of the founding community. These profiles are complemented by a characterization of community life and the “culture of conversation” that developed there. The interdisciplinary approach used here borrows elements from history and ethnography and is an adaptation of the methodology called “Portraiture.”
The following introduction to Lavy M. Becker is part of a larger study of the Reconstructionist S... more The following introduction to Lavy M. Becker is part of a larger study of the Reconstructionist Synagogue community that Becker founded in Montreal in 1960. The study includes both an intimate view of the community from the inside and a histor-ical view of the changing ...
Despite the fact that Reconstructionism is often referred to as the only" made-in-America&qu... more Despite the fact that Reconstructionism is often referred to as the only" made-in-America"(USA) Jewish denomination, it was a Canadian community that was the first synagogue anywhere to call itself" Reconstructionist." The founder and guiding figure of ...
Article d'abord paru dans CAP-AUX-DIAMANTS, no 105, "Une réalité méconnue.Les Juifs au Québec", p... more Article d'abord paru dans CAP-AUX-DIAMANTS, no 105, "Une réalité méconnue.Les Juifs au Québec", p.15-19. Maintenant reproduit dans "La Voix Sépharade" septembre 2016, voir http://lvsmagazine.com/
This layered personal memoir will be published online on Dr. Jael Silliman's site "Recalling Jewi... more This layered personal memoir will be published online on Dr. Jael Silliman's site "Recalling Jewish Calcutta". A version with all multimedia content integrated with the text can be found here: https://sharongubbayhelfer.wixsite.com/sanantonio2020/post/between-shadow-and-light
Has the Holocaust changed the ways Jews think of God? At its simplest, human level, the question ... more Has the Holocaust changed the ways Jews think of God? At its simplest, human level, the question we have been posed seems to be asking: after the unthinkable devastation of the Holocaust, how could Jews continue to trust in the God of History, who cares for his Chosen People? How is it possible that the Almighty, who can do anything, did nothing to save the 6 million Jews, including innocent children and babies, who were slaughtered by the Nazis? Was this not an irredeemable betrayal of the covenant that bound the Jewish people to their God? We must then wonder: How did those who continued to practice their faith handle such questions? Did they need to, and did they, develop new ways of imagining God as a result? The heart of my presentation this evening will be a very personal answer to these questions. What role the Holocaust has played in my life, how my own sense of deep identity and spirituality and my life path have been affected, both before and after my marriage to Peter, whose mother and father were directly impacted by the Holocaust in ways that my parents had not been. But before turning to my personal story, I would like to address the question as asked, as best I can: Did the Holocaust change the ways that Jews think about God? Like any question of this magnitude that is real, alive, meaningful, the answers cannot possibly be fixed or unitary ... For now, I have gathered a series of examples and stories to illustrate a range of response to our question. The examples will not necessarily all fit together, they may even seem paradoxical. But I think that paradox here is appropriate. Good paradoxes don't have a " solution ". They are meant to encourage ongoing thoughts, to force us to come up with new insights and to give us food for thought … I would like to make one comment, before bringing you my examples.
Dans le cadre du colloquium "Dieu hôte et accueil de l'autre", l'hospitalité des religions abraha... more Dans le cadre du colloquium "Dieu hôte et accueil de l'autre", l'hospitalité des religions abrahamiques * Institut de pastoral de Dominicains et Centre Justice et Foi, 26-27 février 2016
Despite the fact that Reconstructionism is often referred to as the only “made-in-America” (USA) ... more Despite the fact that Reconstructionism is often referred to as the only “made-in-America” (USA) Jewish denomination, it was a Canadian community that was the first synagogue anywhere to call itself “Reconstructionist.” The founder and guiding figure of Montreal’s Reconstructionist Synagogue was Lavy M. Becker, who functioned as the community’s “honorary” (unpaid) rabbi in its first phase of development, from 1960 through 1976. Throughout this period, “Lavy’s Shul,” as it was affectionately known, was a vibrant experiment in Jewish life, a hybrid, containing elements of both havurah and synagogue, whose special character was described by a member of the community as “an assault on the heart and the brain at the same time.” This dissertation creates a portrait of this singular community in the context of its time. A framework of thought constructed around the themes of memory, identity, community and narrative is used to highlight the shifting tapestry of collective identities of a changing Canada within a world in flux, which is seen to form the backdrop to this community study. In the foreground, the founding and evolution of the synagogue are portrayed in some depth through profiles of Lavy Becker and of selected members of the founding community. These profiles are complemented by a characterization of community life and the “culture of conversation” that developed there. The interdisciplinary approach used here borrows elements from history and ethnography and is an adaptation of the methodology called “Portraiture.”
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