Written by Joshua Rothstein
I met David in May 2018 on my Birthright Trip to Israel. Like me, David is 26 and loves basketball, music, and ice cream. In fact, on one of our only nights out on the trip, we skipped the club and instead had a lively Michael Jordan vs Lebron James debate over a few pints of ice cream.
David and I are similar in several ways, so similar that on our trip people started calling him Josh #2. The bond we formed in only a few days in Israel together will last a lifetime, and in January 2020 I was so happy to introduce him to my family when we were last in Israel, and to my wife a few months before COVID when he was last in the States. But the way we spent October 7th could not have been more different. On October 7th I had the best day of my life when I married my Wife Catherine. On October 7th David had what Iโd imagine was one of the worst days of his life as Hamas carried out heinous and cowardly terrorist attacks against Israel and David was called back to the IDF after already completing his service a few years prior.
In this weekโs Torah portion, we read that G-D sends Noah and his family onto their famous Ark with every animal species to save the world. It is Noah who has the responsibility, the ultimate weight on his shoulders, to re-populate a living society and create goodness on earth. So away he goes, for an entire year, living aboard a boat as water levels rise above him. Of course, we all know what happens next: Noah emerges with his family, and his 3 sons go on to re-populate the world and save all of humanity. But Iโm most interested in a part of the story that I canโt seem to find any scholarship on: what happened on that boat for a year? Gosh, that is a long time to be stuck in a floating object, regardless of how big it was, with only your family and a bunch of livestock running around. But even though Noah was isolated, from literally every other living thing that had ever existed, he was not alone. His support system was smaller then maybe he would have liked, perhaps he wouldโve been happier with a few friends on board, but it was there as he did his sacred work and saved the world.
These past 2 weeks for myself, and Iโm sure for many of us in this room, itโs felt like weโve been alone. After vocally supporting, donating to, and marching for countless movements and causes, it has been extremely hurtful to see so many people we fought with, people we thought were in our corner, abandon us in our time of need. I too have felt a heavy weight on my shoulder. A weight to educate, a weight to advocate for, and the weight that comes from having to make some very hard decisions. How do I react when people who have been my friends turn their backs on a key part of my identity? If you donโt stand with the Jewish people, how can you stand with me? And what does that make us? How do we move forward as friends? Itโs a question I am still grappling with, and one that I do not have the answer to just yet.
But Iโve also spent the last few days focusing on who is standing with us. Ten colleagues and I sent a letter to the CEO of our company asking that they release a public statement condemning Hamas, and hours later the company released that statement on its social media for all to see. My Wife and I brought 8 friends, none of whom are Rodeph members, and some of whom are not even Jewish, to Friday night services last week, and after we hosted Shabbat dinner in our apartment where we raised money for Israelโs Red Cross. Our support system may be smaller than we had thought it was only a few days ago, but it is still there, and it is stronger than it has ever been.
Now is not the time to shrink. We must continue to do the important work of expanding our community, educating our peers, and opening our doors, as hard as it may be. When people spread false, antisemitic statements about Israel, we must correct them. When our bosses ask how we are doing, we should tell them what the past 2 weeks have been like for us. If we do not stand for ourselves, who will stand for us?
But as we do this important work, we must never lose sight of recognizing who is standing with us now, and who has been there the whole time. It may feel like we are all alone, floating around the world in an ark with some chickens running around, but like Noah, we have our circle keeping us from jumping overboard.
Thereโs something almost tragically poetic to me about two 26-year-old friends, one spending his day getting married, and the other going off to fight in a war that he did not want to be in. Although we spent our day on opposite ends of the world doing the most different things imaginable, we are still bonded by our shared, Jewish, experience. I canโt imagine what it must feel like to be in Israel fighting right now, but Iโve tried to make sure David feels loved and supported from 5,000 miles away every day.
May we all continue to do our part, and rely on our circle while doing so. The circle may feel small, but I assure you it is mighty.
I pray that we will all exit the ark soon and step into a world full of goodness, a world that we all helped create.
Justin Callis (he/him), our Cantorial Intern, is a fourth-year student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. He is the recipient of the Reuben Peretz Abelson Prize for dedication to Yiddish Song, the Temple Israel of Boston Cantorial Prize, and the Lee Gura Memorial Prize for Aptitude in Synagogue Choral Music.
Sarah Adams, viola, performs locally with the New York Chamber Ensemble, theย Claring Chamber Players, the Sherman Chamber Ensemble, the Friends of Mozart, and the Saratoga Chamber Players.
Violinist Michael Roth is a native of Scarsdale, NY and received his early musical training with Frances Magnes at the Hoff-Barthelson Music School. He attended Oberlin College and Conservatory, continuing his studies with Marilyn McDonald. At Oberlin, he won the Kaufman Prize for violin and First Prize in the Ohio String Teacher’s Association Competition. He completed his Master of Music degree at the University of Massachusetts where he worked with the distinguished American violinist and pedagogue Charles Treger and was a recipient of the Julian Olevsky Award.ย Mr. Roth is currently associate concertmaster of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and has appeared in chamber music and as a soloist with the company, most recently in the debut of “Slice Too Sharp”, a ballet of Biber and Vivaldi violin concerti, and “After the Rain”, violin music of Arvo Part. In addition he is a member of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Principal 2nd violin of the Westchester Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra and the New York Pops. He was concertmaster of the Vermont Mozart Festival Orchestra for many years and often appeared as soloist there, as well as at the Caramoor and Bard Music Festivals. He has played and toured internationally with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the New York Chamber Soloists.
Known for his sweet and โsumptuousโ (New York Times) tone, American-born Doori Na took up violin at the age of four and began his studies with Li Lin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He quickly made his first performance with orchestra at age seven with the Peninsula Youth Symphony as the first prize winner of the concerto competition. Thereafter Mr. Na went on to win top prizes in The Sound of Music Festival, The Korea Times Youth Music Competition, the Chinese Music Teacherโs Association, The Menuhin Dowling Young Artist Competition, The Junior Bach Festival, VOCE of the Music Teacherโs Association of California, and The Pacific Musical Society. Receiving full scholarships to private high school Crossroads School of Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, he moved to Los Angeles to study with renown violin teacher, Robert Lipsett, at The Colburn Music School. There he appeared as soloist with the Palisades Symphony, Brentwood Symphony, and Torrance Symphony. During that time, the summer of 2004 was Mr. Naโs first time at the Perlman Music Program where his expression and musical identity were greatly influenced. He has been a part of the program ever since and participated in many of their special residencies in Florida, Vermont, New York, and Israel.
Alan Goodis is a touring Jewish musician playing over 150 events a year. Born and raised in Toronto, Alan is a proud product of URJ Goldman Union Camp Institute. Noted for his dedication to building relationships and community through music, Alan tours throughout the US to serve as an Artist-In-Residence and performer at Temples, Youth Conventions and Jewish summer camps.
Julie Silver is one of the most celebrated and beloved performers in the world of contemporary Jewish music today. She tours throughout the world, and has been engaging audiences with her gorgeous compositions and liturgical settings, her lyrical guitar playing, her dynamic stage presence, and her megawatt smile for over 25 years.
Dan is a product of the URJ Jewish camping movement. He has toured Jewish summer camps across North America for the last 15 years. A classically trained singer, Dan received his Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance at the University of North Carolina. In 1995, realizing the potential of music to make powerful connections with Jewish youth, Dan established the Jewish rock band Eighteen. Since that time, Dan and Eighteen have released 13 albums. Songs like, Lโtakein, Bโtzelem Elo-him, Kehillah Kedoshah, Chazak, Sweet As Honey, and Asher Yatzar have become Jewish communal anthems throughout North America.
Naomi Less is an internationally celebrated singer/songwriter, ritualist and educator. Beloved for her warm smile and inviting presence, communities celebrate her imagination and innovation, tenderness and pizzazz! Her original music is sung in worship communities worldwide. Naomi serves as Co-Founder, Ritual Leader and Associate Director of Lab/Shul and is a leader in amplifying women’s voices through her work at Songleader Boot Camp and her Jewish Women Rock show on Jewish Rock Radio. Naomiadvocates for people struggling with fertility journeys as a performance artist and speaker for Uprooted: A Jewish Response to Fertility Challenges. Fun fact: Naomi and her husband wrote the song shine/Yivarech’cha, a Friday night blessing, specifically composed for URJ Crane Lake Camp, sung every Friday night in the dining hall.
Her destiny became obvious to Joanie Leedsโ parents when, at the tender age of 2, Joanie grabbed the performerโs mic at a party and belted out the entire songโTomorrowโ from Annie. Jaws dropped! No one could remember ever hearing a big voice like that coming from one so tiny and certainly no one would have thought she would one day earn a GRAMMYยฎ Award for her original music.
A composer, multi-instrumentalist, and prayer leader, Elana Arian is one of the leading voices in contemporary Jewish music. Elanaโs music is part of Jewish life across the globe, and her compositions are sung in spiritual communities, summer camps, and synagogues from Louisville to London, from Chicago to the CzechRepublic, and everywhere in between. Elana just released her fourth album of original music, The Other Side of Fear, and her compositions have been published in countless Transcontinental Music collections. Elana serves proudly on the faculty of Hava Nashira (Oconomowoc, WI), the Wexner Heritage Foundation (Aspen, CO), Shirei Chagiga (London, England), and as an instructor at the Hebrew Union College in New York, where she teaches in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. Elana has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Tanglewood, and perhaps most memorably, five separate appearances at the (Obama) White House. She lives in New York with her wife, Julia, and their two daughters, Maya and Acadia.
Known for his unique, engaging, and deeply soulful approach, Noah Aronson is considered one of the most sought after Jewish musicians in North America, making over 65 community appearances each year.
There is a reason why Time Magazine has listed Michelle in their Top Ten list of Jewish rock stars.
Kol BโSeder has been composing and performing contemporary Jewish music since the early1970s. Rabbi Dan Freelander and Cantor Jeff Klepper met as college students; over the past 50years they have released numerous CDs and songbooks. With Debbie Friedman (z”l) and others, they forged a new musical sound for American Jewish camps, schools and synagogues. Their songs, such as “Shalom Rav,โ โModeh Ani,โ and “Lo Alecha,” have become traditionalJewish melodies around the world. They are delighted to be inaugurating their fiftieth anniversary celebration by appearing in support of URJ camps, where they first composed and incubated many of their early songs.
Rabbi Mira Weller (she/her) received her ordination at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles in May 2022. She studied Culture and Politics at Georgetown Universityโs School of Foreign Service and received her Masterโs in Jewish Education at the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at HUC-JIR. She is the proud recipient of awards for her studies in rabbinic literature, her work in Jewish education, and she was granted the Myrtle Lorch Pfaelzer-Monroe Pfaelzer Award for an Outstanding Female Rabbinical School Student (2022). Rabbi Mira speaks Hebrew and Spanish (so please practice with her!). She has a passion for uncovering new possibilities in the great wealth of our tradition and for making music inspired by Judaismโs many cultures. Her guilty pleasures include cupcakes, classical music, and philosophy.
New York bassist Roger Wagner enjoys a long and diverse career. As soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral bassist, Mr. Wagner has appeared on many of the world’s great concert stages.
Sarah Adams 
Leonard Bernstein described 
Praised by the New York Times as โirresistible in both music and performance.โ flutist, 
Margaret Kampmeier, 
Michael Roth
Our initiative for young children and their grown-ups provides a slate of offerings including Shabbat and holiday celebrations, music, classroom readiness programs, and new parent experiences. During the pandemic, we have leaned on $1m of seed funding for Sholom Sprouts established through this campaign as we offer age-appropriate virtual programs for our families with young children, who are the future of our community. We look forward to welcoming our littlest members and their grown-ups back to our new fifth floor, as well as hiring a Program Assistant to increase the capacity of Sholom Sprouts to grow. This program provides a crucial entry-point to the congregation and membership for young families.
