Rabbi Forrest’s column from the August 2007 Ruach.
When I left Temple Isaiah six years ago to begin rabbinical school, LAFTY presented me with a beautiful tallit. When you look at the tallit from afar, the design seems to be a blend of greens, purples and blues; but, upon closer inspection, the tallit is actually decorated by the outlines of dozens and dozens of hands, the handprints of the many children and teens with whom I had worked during my two years as Assistant to the Education Department and Assistant Youth Director (1999-2001). The hands represent chamsas, a Middle Eastern symbol of protection.
During my six years of study at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), this tallit served as a shelter of peace and security for me. Each day as I wrapped myself in it, the hands became a source of inspiration and guidance for me, reminding me of LAFTY Board Members, Camp Kefli counselors, Avodah Teaching Assistants, Seventh Grade Fund participants, Teen School students, and so many others who had chosen to devote many hours to learning and becoming leaders in our Jewish community.
When I wrapped myself in my tallit, I was made secure not only by the ancient symbol of the chamsa, but also by the knowledge that these Temple Isaiah teens would one day become the future of our community.
Seeing the handprints each day as I prayed reinforced my desire to be a rabbi with special interest in youth. This role is not only a calling for me, but also my sense of holy responsibility to our contemporary Jewish community. In fact, during my time at HUC, I earned a Masters in Jewish Education so I could deepen my understanding of how to develop programs that would better meet the needs of our young people.
Today, our children often wrestle with finding connection between their adolescent struggles and Jewish tradition. This disconnect is reinforced in a number of ways: Rabbis’ sermons may seem too abstract, religious school classes may not relate Jewish topics to contemporary issues relevant to them, or Jewish life may feel restricted to the synagogue.
Ultimately, these handprints on my tallit led me back to Temple Isaiah to serve as an Assistant Rabbi with a focus on youth and young families. I can attest to the fact that Temple Isaiah offers an incredible program for our youth. There is nowhere else I would rather be than back in this community, which brought so much meaning and joy to my life.
As I begin in my new position, I hope to support and counsel students and parents as they face the pressures of adolescence: popularity, conformity, drugs, alcohol, academic stress, sports competition, and body image. Through our schools, youth groups, and Camp Kefli, I am excited to work with Debbie Enelow, Deb Phillips and Alli Darrow to continue creating programs imbued with Jewish content that is relevant to our children. Building on past successes, it is my aim to provide our youth with new and creative ways of bringing Jewish values and practices into their daily lives. I look forward to impacting our early childhood programs through connections with the students and providing resources and guidance to parents. I am also excited to work with Rabbi Graetz, Rabbi Shanks, Cantor Korn, and Joel Siegel in developing innovative Shabbat and High Holy Day experiences for our families.
As I return to Temple Isaiah and wrap myself in this tallit, I am blessed to know that life often brings us full circle. It is my honor to return to Temple Isaiah and begin adding new handprints to my collection!
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