My name is Joy Getnick (formerly Joy Newman), and I am thrilled to be returning as CSL's Judaic Educator. Although campers have not yet arrived our Judaic program has already begun. Last night we launched staff Shabbat. Several staff spoke about the theme of power, chosen because of its relation to this week's parasha, Korach. Please see my "piece" below, in which I attempt to extract some Jewish views on power and its perils that could be applicable to us here at camp. I'd like to thank everyone who spoke: Greg Kreitzer, our Mohawk unit head, Aaron Cantor, our associate director, Jared Schapiro, a Mohawk counselor, Rachel Kosoff, our Oneida unit head, Ariel Robinson, a pool specialist and babysitter, and Ari Baum, our program director. An additional thank you to Sonia Kreitzer for a beautiful and spine chilling performance of Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come." Sonia was accompanied by Charlie Landsman, our sing specialist who leads most prayers, and plays a critical role in all CSL services.
Each week after Saturday morning services campers participate in "discussion groups." These groups are co-ed by age such that, for example, youngest Onondaga and youngest Cayuga would be paired. Tusc meets as a village. This morning our staff participated in this type of discussion group by village and specialty area. The topic was "Yisrael," the name given to Jacob after his struggle in the night. The questions were designed to spark personal reflection and group discussion on what it means to be part of a people who "struggle" or "wrestle" with God. All discussions went very well, and continued a precedent of us as a camp community setting aside time each Saturday morning to think critically about what it means to be a Jew in the 21st century.
I look forward to a wonderful summer. Shabbat Shalom!
Joy Getnick
CSL Judaic Educator
Dvar – Friday night 2011 – Staff Shabbat
Theme: Power
Shabbat shalom, and welcome to staff Shabbat! Each Friday night and Saturday morning we will gather together as a camp community to celebrate this traditional Jewish day of rest as a time separate from the chaos of the camp schedule. For those of you for whom this is your first Jewish service, don’t panic! While certainly many aspects of the CSL service involve traditional Jewish prayer, ideas, and concepts, hopefully the big picture is much broader.
Each week we attempt to relate the service to the parasha or portion of the Torah that is traditionally read. Campers from the sponsoring village read various “pieces,” or mini-speeches relating to either the parasha or a pre-determined theme. This week’s Shabbat is being sponsored by the staff. The theme is power, chosen because of what happens in this week’s parasha, Korach. In the parasha, Korach, a member of the priestly Levite tribe, leads a revolt against Israelite leaders Moses and Aaron. Korach argues that Moses and Aaron had become too power-hungry, and had placed themselves above the larger community. The Torah says that Moses laughed at Korach’s position, arguing that only God decided who was holy enough to lead.
The morning after the revolt God appeared and threatened to destroy the entire Israelite community. Moses and Aaron pleaded with God to not punish the entire community for the sins of the few. God agreed to save those not associated with the revolt, but “opened the earth” so that Korach, his fellow leaders, and their families were swallowed up by God’s wrath. The next day many Israelites rallied against Moses and Aaron, holding them responsible for Korach’s death. The Torah says that God immediately appeared and started a plague, killing 14,700 additional Israelites.
Like many parashot, at first Korach seems a bit confusing. The parasha seems to press the importance of class, as well as warn against attempting to rise above the status of one’s birth. Yet Judaism does not emphasize caste, and many Jewish texts highlight the importance of questioning. So how is it that when Korach and his fellow revolt leaders questioned their status in society they were swallowed up by the earth? Does the parasha suggest that we should blindly accept our place in society and not challenge leaders?
One of Ari’s catch phrases for summer 2011 is “dead red.” By going “dead red,” Ari means that you confront problems head on in a focused, professional manner. In many ways, the lesson of Korach is the importance of going “dead red.” The Torah is clear that Korach and peers first led the rebellion, and then explained their reasons. Further, the Torah tells us that, when invited, Korach’s peers refused to meet with Moses to discuss their concerns.
Parasha Korach has much to say about power and its perils. Yes, Aaron and Moses were “chosen by God” to lead the Israelites, but when times in the desert got rough, they struggled to maintain that position in the eyes of the people. Moses and Aaron may have seen themselves as approachable by the masses, but would Korach have agreed? The Israelites who defended Korach’s actions were killed by plague, teaching us not to follow leaders who choose revolt over negotiation. Further, we learn how dangerous a revolution in the name of power can be. Korach and peers refused to go “dead red,” and in turn, led a revolt that led to the death of over 14,000 people, and threatened to destroy the entire Israelite community.
Here at camp we have many opportunities to both earn and squander power. And don’t be mistaken, whether we hold power over a large portion of camp, over a specialty area, a village, a bunk, or in a very basic general sense, over our own behavior, we all hold power. May Korach’s fate be a reminder of the fallibility of leaders who lose the trust and will of the people, of the importance of maintaining open lines of communication that go both ways, of the oft-feared but essential ability to conduct a professional “dead red” conversation, and of the power we all have to break or build community. Shabbat Shalom.
