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FROM THE DESK OF RABBI JOSHUA COHEN
Each of us dreams.
We dream at night and we dream during the day.
We dream of hope and we dream of what might have been.
Our dreams are funny and our dreams are sad.
Each of us has different dreams, but what remains the same, what remains constant is that each of us, in our own ways, conjures up a dream in his/her mind.
Our dreams are based on fantasy and reality, sometimes separated and other times intertwined to the point we don’t know the difference between the two.
Dreams can be big or little; it really depends on the individual.
What seems little for one person may seem impossible for another.
A dream becomes real, tangible, once we put energy and thought into it.
Dreams exist in our history as Jews and throughout the Bible. In Parshat Vayeshev we read about Joseph and his retelling of his dreams to his family. His dreams seem fantastical and surreal: his family will bow down to him as he becomes a ruler over them. His dreams lead to his near-death experiences and his being sold and traded. In Joseph’s case his dreams affect his life and the lives of those around him. Had he not voiced his dreams to his brothers they would not have hated him enough to trade him which eventually led to his ascension to power in Egypt. This is one of the main points of dreams: what happens if we never discuss them, never make the attempt to give them life? A dream does not become alive, cannot live without a breath-- the breath of our voice.
During the month of January we will celebrate dreams in the form of new realities. Over 45 years ago the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous speech "I have a Dream" in Washington DC. He dreamed of equality and a land where people would no longer be judged by the color of their skin, but rather by their character. Dr. King spoke out and inspired people of all races and religions to think about the future and try to realize what a new frontier could be like for everyone. Now some four and half decades later, the dreams of Dr. King are coming to fruition. The hard work of many, the literal sacrifices of life have brought us to a day where the highest office in this land will be held by someone whose color of skin just a few short years ago in the history of this land would not have allowed him to vote. Life has been given to a dream.
On Sunday, January 18th we will honor the memory of Dr. King with the annual luncheon that we host at Temple Beth Emunah, together with local churches. We will move later in the afternoon, together as one people with one voice to Messiah Baptist Church to commemorate together the life and work of Dr. King. Later that same week our country will inaugurate our newest President, Barack Obama, as we celebrate as a nation the election of our first Black President. As a people whose history is intertwined with being persecuted, and knowing what it means to be a minority, we should all take a moment to relish what happens when dreams of an individual and dreams of a people are realized.
I hope you will join us on the 18th, together with the Brotherhood and Sisterhood of our shul, as we embrace all the members of our community and celebrate these milestone occasions.
Rabbi Cohen’s Shabbat Parshat HaShavuah Class is back: 15 minutes after Shabbat morning services (class will be approximately 40 minutes) in the Temple Library, December 6th and 20th. For more info click here
Classes are on January 17th and the 31st
Rabbi Joshua Cohen
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