What's the Center of Your Jewish World? Reflections on Re'eh

Consider Deuteronomy 12:1-14ff. which discusses a radical program of religious reform (sometimes called the "Deuteronomic Reformation") undertaken in the 7th Century BCE. Chief among the reforms undertaken at this time was a program of centralization of Israelite worship in the city of Jerusalem, at a central shrine or Temple.

Reading this passage prompts me to consider questions of our present-day Jewish identity. What place, if any, constitutes our "Jewish center?" Is it still Jerusalem? Or perhaps your own local community? Or even your home? Can we even speak meaningfully of a "center" for Jewish life when the real shape of the Jewish world today is not a circle with one center, but an ellipse, a shape with two poles, one in America and one in Israel, the two places where the vast majority of the world's Jews now reside?

Please consider the video below and comment!

Happy Studying.

L'Shalom,

Rabbi Jonathan Blake

WELCOME TO THE WRT TORAH STUDY BLOG

Dear Friends, Shalom!

A few years ago we experimented with an online Torah study forum to complement our weekly Shabbat morning gathering. By migrating our online forum to this site we hope to maximize the use of interactive tools and video.

Our proposal is to present a weekly video message followed by online discussion. Each week we'll post a rabbi's short message on themes drawn from parashat ha-shavua (the weekly Torah portion). Links to online commentary may be provided where relevant.

Then an online discussion can ensue in the "comments" section.

A similar weekly video message will also be posted on the Facebook home page of Rabbi Blake shortly before sundown on Friday. This message can be seen only by participants with a Facebook account.

Tze u-l'mad: Happy Studying!

Rabbi Jonathan Blake

Westchester Reform Temple

Scarsdale, New York