Coming Home

Over the past few months, my three-year-old son Rami has been very concerned about what his life would look like once we arrived in our new home: “Daddy, are we going to take this toy to Charlotte? Daddy, are we going to take our dog to Charlotte? Daddy, are we going to take Noam (his brother) to Charlotte?” It can be disconcerting even for an adult to have to pick up and move, and there is no doubt that Rami was, to say the least, a bit stressed out. There was crying; there were sleepless nights. Then an amazing thing happened: Rami walked into his new house, saw that his familiar toys, books, dog, and brother were all present, and promptly fell into a peaceful sleep on his bed. He knew he was home.

In some ways we Jews have no real home. Historically, we are constant wanderers. It is a particular talent of the Jewish people to be able to pick up and move, carrying our heritage with us and making it flower wherever we plant it – even in places not traditionally associated with Jewish life. After all, who would have thought a century ago that a moderately-sized city in North Carolina would become home to a growing Jewish community with the vitality and diversity that characterize Shalom Park? (There are times when our little corner of the Bible Belt feels more like the Torah Belt!) For our people, “home” is not just a place where we live. It is also the history, the values, and the way of life that we bring with us to any place.

The truth is, arriving in Charlotte is something of a homecoming for me, in the sense that it is my return to the South and the very special qualities of Jewish life - the unity and the sense of uniqueness - that can only be found below the Mason-Dixon Line. (I am glad to know that when I introduce myself as a rabbi who grew up between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, I won’t usually be greeted with “There are Jews in Louisiana?!”) But even more so, this is a homecoming in the sense that Temple Beth El has already become our family’s new home. There is something very special about walking into a strange synagogue in a strange city and feeling like family. Thank you for welcoming Rami, Noam, Shoshana and me into this exceptional and dynamic community.

There are many components that go into the creation of a Jewish home: symbols, rituals, values, and above all a sense of being connected to tradition and to God. I look forward to praying with you, sharing in the moments of your lives, and learning with you and from you. Let us always strive to ensure that our collective Jewish home – Temple Beth El – is truly a “house of prayer for all people.”