From the Rabbi's Desk
Shelach
Lecha
This coming
Shabbat, we read the Torah portion of
Shelach Lecha. Moses sends scouts to the Land of Israel, to check out the conditions of
the land. Even though the Land is promised to them, a
'promise' is meaningless if the people have no confidence in
their ability to inhabit the land. Unfortunately, the
scouts return with a negative report: The land is beyond
their means and the people inhabiting the land at present
are intimidating. It seems evident that the
generation, which left Egypt is not
prepared to move forward. They will die in the
wilderness; the younger generation will take responsibility
for leaving the desert and entering their new home.
More important, the new
generation will have to bring a different mentality into the
Land of Israel. This generation was raised
in the desert and not under the whip of Egyptian
taskmasters. They think differently and act
differently from their parents. The new Israelite
leaders, who will soon assume authority, will have to adjust
to a new generation-while at the same time, teaching that
generation to take serious responsibility for its future.
In Jewish
education-especially within the Hebrew Schools, we are
challenged by a generation different from those of the past.
In households where there are two parents, both often work.
In many households there is just one parent-who must juggle
work, home, school, extra curricular activities and more.
In our contemporary world, our children participate in
multiple activities during the week-on a pace more intense
that in the recent past. Whereas in the past, Hebrew
Schools often met three days per week (and even then the
hours were inadequate), we struggle today even with two
days. We are challenged to balance the realities of
family life, with the need to provide an education, which is
still serious and responsible. In the world of Jewish
education. our great challenge will be to design a
curriculum, which recognizes family limitations, yet still
enables us to provide an education which will prepare our
young people to take responsibility for the future of Jewish
life.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Michael Klayman
Important Message
By now, many of you are
fully aware that the supposedly peaceful flotilla,
headed for Gaza, was not so humanitarian in its
intentions. The Mavi Marmara, the ship boarded by
Israeli soldiers, was 'manned' by many activists who
attacked Israeli soldiers in a pre-meditated fashion.
The flotilla was organized by the group IHH; a Turkish
group know for it ties to Hamas and other terrorist
organizations. The ship refused to dock in Ashdod,
where Israelis would have inspected the merchandise to
insure that no materials were on board for Hamas to use
in violence against Israel.
Furthermore, we know that
Israel delivers 10-15000 tons of humanitarian aid to
Gaza per week; and that supplies are sufficient to
provide each Gazan with a caloric intake of
approximately 2200 calories(I learned this today in a
phone conference with David Horowitz, editor in chief of
the Jerusalem Post). The organizers of the Mavi Marmara
(who once rebuffed an Israeli request to earmark aid for
Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier held by Hamas for four
years) were not interested in aid to Gaza. They wanted
a confrontation and now we are learning the extent of
their terrorist ties. Nevertheless, the world does not
see beyond its condemnation of Israel.
For further details about the
incident this past week-I recommend that you view the
AIPAC website, which includes more elaborate details
about the flotilla. In addition, Ambassador Michael
Oren (Israeli Ambassador to the US) wrote an article in
the New York Times, entitled: An Assault, Cloaked in
Peace. I am
attaching that article.
Our newspapers reacted immediately to
the flotilla incident without investigating any
further. Israel has a right to inspect any cargo headed
for Gaza-and with Israel's impressive record of aid to
Gaza-it is for the anti-Israel protesters to open their
eyes and learn the facts.
Rabbi Klayman
About Rabbi Klayman
Rabbi Michael Klayman has served congregations
in Florida, New York and New Jersey. As the first full time Rabbi in
Bradenton Florida, Rabbi Klayman not only oversaw the spiritual and
cultural needs of the Synagogue, but developed a strong interfaith
dialogue with the entire community. Throughout his career, Rabbi
Klayman has focused on education-particular the education of young
people. As a dedicated pulpit rabbi, he doubled as Hebrew School
principal at Temple Beth Israel in Port Washington and at the Lake
Success Jewish Center.
Rabbis Klayman has introduced many exciting and innovative programs
for students and their families; always eager to make Jewish living
accessible to the greatest number of people. For seven years Rabbi
Klayman served as Associate Rabbi of Temple Israel in Great Neck.
During that time he continued to work with students and their
families-from Nursery School through High School. He worked
extensively with B’nai Mitzvah students, developed unique family and
adult education programs , and created an award winning Saturday
morning service for pre-Bnai Mitzvah families.
As Rabbi of the Lake Success Jewish Center, Rabbi Klayman has
already introduced new cultural and ritual programs for the
congregation and for the Hebrew School community-including many new
family-oriented programs for the Jewish holidays. Under his
leadership, our growing Hebrew School is undertaking a new, out of
the box approach to Hebrew School and family learning.
Rabbi Klayman has been active in various Jewish organizations. For
years, he served as an officer in the Nassau Suffolk Rabbinical
Assembly; he twice served as Chair of the International Rabbinical
Assembly Convention. Presently, Rabbi Klayman is a member of the
Board of Governors, New York Board of Rabbis.
He has taught Rabbinical School/Cantorial School classes at the
Academy of the Jewish Religion, while teaching High School at the
Solomon Schechter Day School. Rabbi Klayman’s hobbies
include sports (especially running, swimming and Wii golf), Israeli
folk dancing and playing the accordion. He is the co-author of
Sharing Blessings, a book (published by Jewish Lights) for families
about the spiritual value of Jewish holidays.
