Chayei Sarah: Fusing together Home and Heritage

This week, I want to talk to you about home, belonging, and heritage. Many of us are preparing to gather around the Thanksgiving table,

and I'm mindful of the fact that some are continuing generations-long family traditions, others are starting new rituals, and yet others are just throwing something in the microwave. Wherever you are, this holiday may still evoke nostalgic (or difficult) memories, and, good or bad, it often highlights feelings of "belonging." But it's not just a Turkey Day question; our Torah portion and our community seem to be focusing on these essential topics - and emotions - right now as well.

Our Jewish story begins with wandering. You can go all the way back to everyone's common ancestors, Adam and Eve, and see that THEY were nomads, thrown out of the Garden of Eden. A few chapters later,

Abraham and Sarah move from one place to another, searching for a place to call "home." In this week's reading, Abraham FINALLY sets down some roots, in the form of a burial plot for his wife (which will later also be used for himself, his children, and grandchildren). This plot, the Cave of Machpelah, doesn't just serve as a stake in the ground for Abraham, but thousands of years later, Jews still today point to it as justifying their return to the Land of Israel. We may have lived elsewhere for millenia, but that cave, that spot, PROVES that Israel is our home! And this, perhaps, is where home and heritage get conflated. Machpelah does indeed demonstrate our heritage and our history in Israel, but only with the formation of the Jewish State have Jews really rebuilt a home there as well. We are born into a heritage; but a home takes effort and hard work. And so does "belonging."

This past Sunday, Ohev Shalom hosted an event called the "4Ever Grateful concert." Houses of worship and community groups from around our area came together to celebrate our similarities and respect our differences. It was amazing

to see church choirs sharing the stage with rap artists, praise dances alongside a cappella groups. So often, we live siloed lives. We see, listen to, interact with, and live among people who look and act entirely like us. We do not create a sense of shared belonging, and our community and our country suffer as a result. When, in reality, we do actually share a home. And I recently learned something that I feel brings together these concepts of home, heritage, and belonging, right here in Southern Delaware County, in a fascinating new way.

Our synagogue, Ohev Shalom, began in the city of Chester, PA. Today, Chester is a struggling city, with high crime rates and tremendous obstacles to overcome. And yet, it is also a city with great pride, incredible spirit and tenacity, and a rich history and heritage that goes back centuries. The newspaper headlines may tell only of doom

and gloom in Chester, but there are many signs of hope, revitalization, and optimism. One such place is the MJ Freed Performing Arts Theater. It is an old furniture store, turned into an incredible hub of culture, music, and creativity. AND that furniture store was once owned by an Ohev Shalom congregant, M.J. Freed! In fact, his name adorns our Reception Room, and the Freed family is still active at Ohev. Like the Cave of Machpelah, it serves as a reminder that we were there! We are part of Chester, and Chester is part of us. And while today it feels more like a story of heritage, we DO still share a larger community, and we could do so much to improve one another's lives. Today in the State of Israel, people are working hard to build a home and a sense of belonging. We may not be looking to move our synagogue back to Chester, but our stories are, and should be, intertwined!

Sunday's concert reminded many of us that we are part of a rich, fascinating, diverse, and strong SHARED community. If we work
hard at it, we can create powerful connections right here between home, heritage, and belonging, and forge a better future for all our children... together. All the tools are here at our disposal, and for that, we truly should be 4Ever grateful.


Photos in this blogpost are all from the 4Ever Grateful concert on 11/20/16, taken by Crystal Burrell:
1. Crowd getting seated.
2. One of the groups that sang at the concert; the Youth Choir of Swarthmore Presbyterian Church.
3. Another group, performing a Praise Dance; Committed Vessels United Dance Ministries.
4. MCs for the concert, Rabbi Gerber and Tehran Freeman, invited their two (adorable) children to join them on stage, and together they sang "Twinkle, Twinkle." (It was unrehearsed...)
5. All our incredible performers.