MegilLA: Joseph Gets His Dream Coat?
November 6, 2020
Folks,
What are we waiting for? You can do the math. You can see the inevitable. There is no fraud. I am going out on a sturdy limb and saying Biden won, and it's time, like in the Bible, to recognize Joseph's dream. Clearly, with COVID-19 and unemployment, we are in one of the lean years, and we need this man to lead us out. We need to wake up from the nightmare and dream again of a better America. When we quote Theodor Herzl's: "If you will it, it is no dream," we probably don't think about America. But now, we need that dream, and we need that will.
Shabbat shalom.
Edmon J. Rodman
GUIDE FOR THE JEWPLEXED
Shabbat Joseph: A day of joy and deep breathing
Edmon J. Rodman
This Shabbat will be a day of rest like no other. After burning out our eyes watching MSNBC or CNN, texting wildly, and chattering anxiously on our phones, we know enough—mathematically, it seems highly likely Joseph Biden will be our next President—that we can take a deep breath, and relax.
During this week, we have learned so much. Having seen first-hand, as the Jewish song says that “the entire world is a narrow bridge,” including victories, and learning that the “main thing is not to fear,” we are ready to take a break.
Our Blue Shabbes has come, and it is a time of joyous music with a bit of a downbeat. Not all our dreams came true, but Joseph did get his multi-ethnic dream coat, and our votes our woven in. As the prophet said, we are “tangled up in blue.”
Pre-election polls of potential Jewish voters indicated around three-quarters of us would vote the Biden-Harris ticket. In pivotal states like Pennsylvania, where Jews make up 2.3 percent, or 435,000 people (all of whom, of course, are not voters), a pre-election poll by J Street predicated that 75 percent for Biden would hold.
Be thankful too that Jewish public officials, like Josh Shapiro Attorney General of Pennsylvania, who is a Conservative Jew, and our own Adam Schiff, as well as Biden campaign adviser Bob Bauer, who is Jewish, have stood up for the democratic process during these days.
Local chapters of Jewish organizations like Bend the Arc have also been prepared to make sure every vote is counted.
To make Friday night memorable, put your challahs together to form a “V,” and pour a little more wine for kiddush. Does anyone know if red white and blue candles are kosher for Shabbat?
After a week when America has passed through an extremely contentious pandemic election without violence, when you sing Shalom Aleikhem, try to imagine the song’s angels of peace patting you on the back.
When you rise during the singing of L’cha Dodi and welcome the Sabbath Queen into your home, “arise to greet the new light, and “break out of your confines to the left and the right.”
In many Jewish households it is customary to bless the children at the Shabbat table. This Shabbat, call your out-of-town adult child, many of our children have been involved in this election, and have expended energy and soul, this too can be part of the blessing.
On this Shabbat of Joseph (Shabbat Yosef?) we can be dreamers too. Hoping for a better future for our families and friends. Dreaming about a renewed effort in the pursuit of justice for all Americans. Re-awakening the dream of a beautiful blue planet. Praying that our new leaders have the wisdom of the Torah.
Though it may be too soon, we can also begin the process of communal healing. We may never understand the rationale of those Jewish voters, who chose during a pandemic to support the candidate who wanted to take away health care from millions, but life is funny. One day, we may once again want, and they too, to sit down, take a deep breath, bless the Day of Peace and rest and remember our strength when we come together.
Torah on the Streets of LA
This week’s Torah portion, Vayera, “The Lord appeared to him,” is aflutter with angels. As the reading begins, Abraham is sitting in the heat of the day in the entrance to his tent. Looking up, out of nowhere he sees three “men” standing nearby. Even though they say nothing, Abraham runs out to greet them, bows to the ground, and says: “My lords, if it please you, do not go past your servant. Let a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under a tree.” Abraham, Mr. Hospitality, hops to it, asking Sarah to make cakes, as he selects a calf for slaughter, and sets out curds and milk. Voilà, in no time, a fine feast is set for the mystery guests, who unknown to their hosts, are angels; there to share the news that Sarah will have a child. In the story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah these angels have another news story to share: destruction of the area is coming, and Lot and his family need to flee. In bringing joy to Abram and Sarah, and taking Lot and family by the hand and rescuing them, these are the better angels— which in times of tumult and great stress as we are experiencing in the days after the election— are the heavenly entities that we are often told to internally call upon. After listening to days of untruths coming from the President’s camp, you may need a short reminder course on angelic behavior. For starters, go to the corner of and 3rd street and S. Orlando and try on a pair of wings.
Thinking Small: One Jewish family's part in the election
Edmon J. Rodman
Joe Biden’s victory, as it plays out before our eyes, though narrow, seems so huge.
With billions spent, tens of thousands of volunteers, and millions of campaign emails, the role that small actions, both public and private, played in the election can too easily be overlooked.
To bring micro-actions more into view, I took a look at my family.
Though my family, like most, does not seem to be overtly political—when we get together politics almost never comes up—when I started to look closely at our actions in the last few weeks, a different picture emerged.
The family had no plan to act in concert. Strategies were not discussed. But in the course of our conversations leading up to the election, as in many Jewish families, a common cause became clear: the country needed a new President.
Giant sums were not donated, lawn signs were not planted, but the gestalt of the small actions, especially in key states, cannot be overlooked. If my family, (or yours) is a kind of village, then it seems that there are additional endeavors besides raising a child that, for success, require our attention.
We mostly think that elections are won by giant political machines. In that view the small decisions are lost. Yet if we remove the ballots, and shake the box, the micro-events that made those votes possible will fall to the table for counting.
The real story begins with the younger generation. In Nevada, a state where the margin of victory remains small, one of my youngest relations, too young to vote, posted notices on his Instagram, reminded people to exercise their right.
My sister, also a Nevadan, made contributions to Biden’s campaign, covered for people in the workplace, so they could vote, and reminded folks (she can be most insistent) to register.
Also relating to Nevada, the girlfriend of one of my sons, traveled to Reno from out-of-state to work on curing mail-in ballots (helping the voter to correct issues like mismatched signatures). When I asked how things were going, she replied with an exclamation point that the group had cured 22 ballots.
Here in California, one of my brothers-in-law helped my elderly and frail mother-in-law to prepare her mail-in ballot.
On the home front, last week, in this newsletter, I asked readers to vote for Biden, and putting a small amount of money where our mouth is, our household contributed to the Democratic effort.
In that most crucial of elections, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a niece added to what will be the winning total. An out-of-state student registered to vote near her college, she was proud to let everyone know she had cast her vote in the state where as luck would have it, it truly mattered.
Seen on the Way/ Orange, California
Lama* a llama? True political animals played a role in this year's local elections.
*Hebrew for "Why."