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The Stanton Street Shul is a historic, intimate, and vibrant Orthodox congregation serving the diverse Jewish population in Lower Manhattan. We attract and welcome Jews of all religious, educational, and cultural backgrounds from the Lower East Side, Alphabet City, East and West Villages, Stuyvesant Town, and Tribeca.
Dear Friends,
There’s an old joke about the paradox of Labor Day being a day where no work
actually gets done, since as a national holiday, most employees are off from
work. Of course we are not celebrating labor as “work” but the labor movement.
In particular, Labor Day was a concession by President Cleveland to pacify
workers after the Pullman riots of 1893-4.
In the words of union leader Samuel Gompers, Labor Day was to be, “the day for
which the toilers in past centuries looked forward, when their rights and their
wrongs would be discussed…that the workers of our day may not only lay down
their tools of labor for a holiday, but upon which they may touch shoulders in
marching phalanx and feel the stronger for it.” Of course these days Labor Day
is less about appreciating the labor movement, mobilizing against injustice,
or meditating on the labor issues of the day, but it now represents the end of
summer and the time when wearing white is no longer considered socially
acceptable.
Like many events and special days in our calendar the original intent has been
lost, or changed beyond recognition due for social reasons. For example, Rosh
Hashana which begins next week has a different meaning for everyone ranging
from the familial to the spiritual. However, Rosh Hashana is essentially our
Labor Day – where we join together with all Jews to celebrate our work of
avodat hashem.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Josh Yuter
Please join us at the Stanton Street Shul for a warm and friendly community dinner Wednesday, September 8, 2010 at 8:00pm featuring great company, a special learning session with Rabbi Yuter, and a seder of apples, honey and pomegranates!
The cost $24 per person in advance. Space is limited, so please RSVP by Sept 1 by registering online on our Shop / Donate page.
Rosh Hashana services begin at 7:00pm in the Main Sanctuary. For the complete schedule of our free High Holiday services click here.
All are welcome!
Dear Friends,
Writer Elbert Hubbard once said, “No man needs a vacation so much as the man who has just had one.” I’m thrilled to prove to be an exception having just returned from a relaxing and much needed week off. The highlight was nothing too extravagant, just a walk in the woods in Hope, NJ. However, I’ve found few releases more effective than the simple serenity of nature and the respite from the inundation of information.
The truth is that it in these moments of quiet where we can truly take the opportunity to reflect. More to the point, without the external distractions of the world around us, we are actually forced to be with ourselves. We do not have the avenues of escape which either provide comfort or at least allow us the excuse for avoiding honest introspection.
But I would suggest that such introspection is absolutely essential in our preparation for the High Holidays, for how can we honestly approach God if we cannot face ourselves with integrity? I know as much as anyone the myriad of daily distractions we face, but I would also recommend that we all set aside some “quiet time” through which we can perform our own heshbon hanefesh – evaluation of the soul. And may we return from these inner journeys with a better understanding of where we are, and the life we would ultimately like to lead.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Josh Yuter
Dear Friends,
As connoisseurs of 1980′s horror movies will attest, Friday the 13th is a particularly inauspicious day, though like most folklores of superstition, its origins are suspect at best. Some theorists attribute the superstition as a combination of independent superstitions ascribing ominous traits to both the day Friday and the number 13, the combination of which would logically create a doubly foreboding day indeed.
On one hand as rational individuals we would typically mock such superstitions. But as religious Jews, it would seem that we have our own share of what might be considered superstitious or irrational connections with our calendar. Only last month we commemorated Tisha B’Av which some ascribe as a universal day of tragedy to the Jewish people, and we will shortly be celebrating Rosh Hashana as our New Year, and a Day of Atonement both of which carry unique spiritual significance and cause (or at least should cause) a dramatic shift in our thoughts and actions.
On the surface it would seem that our religion may be indistinguishable from the superstitions of others – after all there is no rational reason to ascribe greater metaphysical significance to one day of the year over any other aside from perhaps sentimentality.
I suggest the main difference is not in the significance of days, but how we react to them. For example the fear of Friday the 13th is connected to an uncontrollable force dictating either the days of the week or numerology. Like the alchemy of old, its basis is found in an antiquated form of science, describing the forces of nature beyond our control. In contrast, Judaism’s sacred days are not meant to be fatalistic but inspirational. Instead of resigning ourselves to the ways of the world, we are constantly reminded that redemption lies within – that we have the power to improve ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually, regardless of the struggles we face. Tisha B’Av is not only a day or mourning, but a day of contemplation, and Yom Kippur is only a day of atonement if one takes the process of repentance seriously. Thus the distinction is a matter of control and empowerment; our most sacred holidays remind us that every day of the year offers us the gift of opportunity.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Josh Yuter
