September/October 2024 Clergy Column

As I was sitting on the lawn one afternoon, listening to some incredible free-form music, I was struck by the relationship between Jazz and Judaism.

(Now, let me state for the record: I know [almost] nothing about music… other than what I like and dislike. So, to those who are musical mavens, and especially to our wonderful Cantor Jaime, I apologize for any errors in my descriptions.)

If you follow jazz, you know that often in a jazz jam session there is an expression of “journey,” one that most likely will never be repeated in exactly the same manner again. There are musical themes and threads that the musicians follow, but often they will wander off and improvise, adding their own flairs and detours that make the musical experience magical. Isn’t that what Reform Judaism is all about? 

We have the structure. Our tradition is rich with notes and themes and threads developed over four millennia of experience. And what our liberal Jewish tradition offers is the freedom to experiment, to take detours or just the “road less traveled” as we strive to get to our destination.

Take, for example, Shabbat. While a traditional (e.g. Orthodox) understanding would require abstaining from driving a car or spending money, a liberal perspective suggests that to achieve the goal of Shabbat (rest, renewal, connection), one may very well drive and spend money and use electronics as the means to the goal. The secret in Jazz and Judaism is holding on to the essential thread and finding ways to weave it to create a beautiful fabric.

As liberal Jews, we are jazz players, taking the notes of our tradition and refashioning them into a melody that speaks to our individual and communal souls.

That is exactly what Beth Am has done. As some of you may have heard, we have over 100 different groups here at our congregation. Some are large, such as Beth Am Women and Beth Am Men. Some are committees. Others, task forces and working groups. Some are study groups, such as Torah Study, Talmud Study, Philosophy Minyan and the Friday Reading Group. Others are activities, such as Beth Am Men's Photography, Beth Am Women's Mah Jongg, or serving with our Chevra Kadisha. We have a myriad of social justice projects. We have dozens of small and large groups doing Jewishly in their own unique ways.

Like expert jazz musicians, our Beth Am members improvise, forming new paths and experiences while creating something special, different and — like music — holy! Of course, as with jazz players, there are occasional dead ends and even sour notes. But what do great musicians do? They learn, they backtrack and then they recommit to experimentation, seeking another path forward on their musical journey.

Over the coming months, part of my work as your interim senior rabbi, is to encourage you individually and collectively to “play” together, discovering the themes and threads that make Congregation Beth Am the embodiment of Jewish life for ourselves, our children, our friends. We have and will continue to hit some wrong notes, to be sure. But that is — in and of itself — a gift. For we learn, we grow, we experiment and we will (re)discover the magic that is our community.

May our community continue to flourish with new and different ways to express our Jewish values, history and ethos. Let’s not be afraid of what is new and different. May we embrace the jazz player that sits inside every liberal Jewish soul.

Rabbi Arthur Nemitoff
rabbinemitoff@gmail.com