In our tradition, the only public confession we make is a scripted and communal one called the Al Cheyt:

• The sin we have committed against you under duress or by choice
• The sin we have committed against you openly or secretly
• The sin we have committed against you with our words…

But some of us feel the need for a more personal public confession.  So recently, in the spirit of reality television and our technology dominated culture, a few forward thinking Jewish organizations have provided a forum for individuals to make personal public confessions.  Last year, the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning, operated a Repent it Forward website program, where people could make confessions like:  “playing with my Blackberry but acting like I am reading important emails”, or “justifying littering by saying my trash is biodegradable.”  The National Jewish Outreach Program launched a projectforgiveness.com website a few years ago, in which people could post their wrongdoings (although the website seems to have expired – have the gates of forgiveness closed?!).

Our tradition teaches that repentance is only complete when we directly approach a person we have wronged to ask for forgiveness.  But for “sins” committed against ourselves, or some would say God, there is no reason why technology shouldn’t be harnessed to encourage spiritual reflection.  Nothing can replace face to face community, but cyber-community can also be holy space.

Is there something you’d like to confess publicly, not-quite-anonymously?

Consider this a safe space.  Post it here.

This is the time of year where many of us in our 20s and 30s start panicking as we have to scurry to find a place for High Holy Day services.  This often makes no sense to our gentile friends, who ask why we have to pay to pray.  While many of us may grudgingly agree with this view, we also know that Judaism has no Vatican, that our houses of worship are funded by the communities they serve, and membership dues are the norm to ensure our synagogues survive.  This said, it does little to help the struggling young professional who can’t afford synagogue dues.  While usually no synagogue will turn away anyone who asks for a ticket, it still takes some swallowing of pride to ask.  Many of America’s synagogues may be in for a rude awakening when the current young professional community comes of age – we are less likely to pay annual membership dues.  Our synagogues will have to find new ways to engage us to ensure their own survival.

In the short-term, we as young professionals are left to find welcoming high holy day services.  For those who prefer to be surrounded by their own demographic with whom they can relate, The Tribe is really excited and proud to offer free Erev Rosh Hashanah and Kol Nidrei services at the Jewish Museum.  This is no small undertaking – from negotiating with the venue, the valet services, obtaining food and wine, preparing the mahzor, etc., a considerable amount of time and money has already been spent.  While we hope for 250 people, we’ll be happy with 10, so long as our guests feel welcome and spiritually fulfilled!

Check out our website for the High Holy Day services details, at www.thetribemb.org.  We wish you all a very happy, sweet, and healthy New Year!

The Tribe

I’ve found that the holidays are an ideal time to settle down with my family and make the most of time. We go to family services, have family dinners, celebrate with children’s events, connect with extended family members and make it a point to step outside of the patterns of daily life. We take time off of work, we stay home from school and we spend time together, celebrating each other, the holidays and our culture. My husband & I always close out Yom Kippur with a renewed pride in and connection to our religious lives.

My resolution for this year (why wait till January?) is to hang onto that feeling. To extend our Jewish connection beyond the fall – to go to tot Shabbat, to engage in the Open Tent’s kids activities and to make Judaism and more regular part of our family life – and time.

The summer is upon us and we at The Tribe have a lot going on.  From a new poker series to Jewish book club to planning for free High Holy Day Services, we are not feeling the typical “summer slow-down”.  We love creating these events that we hope will be enjoyed by a wide range of folks.

During my recent trip to Israel, I reflected on The Tribe’s mission: “…to cultivate an open, supportive and stimulating environment for young Jewish professionals in South Florida between the ages of 21 and 39 — through business, social networking, community service, and intellectual and spiritual events.”  In other words, we strive to find Jews wherever they are and bring them together, to enrich their lives on a number of levels, from social to spiritual.  It’s more of a challenge doing this than in Israel, where the person selling you a falafel to the taxi driver to the Rabbi at the Western Wall, all define themselves as Jews.  It’s an amazing feeling to be there and be surrounded by your co-religionists.

My observations seemed prescient as a controversy has erupted in Israel between Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu party and leaders of the North American Jewish community (both pictured below) over a bill on conversion in Israel approved in committee and slated be brought to the Knesset floor. The non-Orthodox streams of Judaism (Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist) as well as many other North American Jewish leaders representing the vast majority of Diaspora Jewry have been fighting vigorously against this bill since it was introduced in April of this year. The bill, authored by MK David Rotem, would legislatively consolidate all of the power for conversion in Israel in the ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate.  This bill threatens to revive the notorious who-is-a-Jew issue and drive a wedge between Israeli and Diaspora Jewry by distinguishing between Jews by birth and Jews by Choice and altering the Law of Return.

I consider the Tribe’s existence in and of itself a strong condemnation of the proposed “conversion bill”.  We strive to be INCLUSIVE, no matter how you define your association to Judaism.  In fact, many of us on the Tribe Board are Jews by Choice, or married to one.  We take pride in the Tribe’s mission to bring Jews together in a disparate range of activities – some more religious or spiritual than others.  We in the diaspora must remain unified in our mutual acceptance of each other’s definition of Judaism.  We believe that The Tribe plays an important role in bringing Jews from different backgrounds together, where we can socialize, play, and learn together. We hope that the conversion bill finds its appropriate end on the Knesset floor.  In the meantime, we in the Diaspora will continue to stand proud in our Judaism.  And just maybe The Tribe is playing a small part in keeping us all together.

We would love to hear from you on this or any other subject.  Email us at info@thetribemb.org.  As always, we welcome volunteers to sit on planning committees for upcoming events.

This is my first Miami summer with a dog.  It’s hot when I walk him at 7:00 am, and it’s hot when I walk him at 7:00 pm.  It’s just hot.  But the heat isn’t all bad.  It forces me to slow down from my usual frenetic fast paced day of appointments, work, calls, carpools, e-mails, cooking and more, and pause, stretch and breathe.

Fast is at a premium today.  We respond to e-mails instantly, eat fast food and multi-task. Even writing a blog is a quick communication device.  Instead of sitting down and really considering my thoughts and putting them down in a critical, orderly fashion, I’m thinking, writing, and eating a sandwich all at the same time.

My oldest daughter who just finished her Freshman year of college was home recently.  She sat on the couch watching TV, with her computer open in front of her bouncing from website to facebook, and her cell phone vibrating on her lap with multiple text messages.  The stimulation is endless.

My cousin just shared a story with me.  She was driving with her 6 year old son in the backseat.  He kept pestering her to look at something, and she kept telling him that she couldn’t, that she was driving.  “Can’t you ‘pause’ the road?” he cried to her?  Our children are being conditioned to get everything they want the instant they desire it.

Thank goodness for summer.  Let’s let the heat slow us down.  Let’s disconnect from technology, go to the beach and maybe even leave our cell phones at home.  Let’s do one thing at a time.  Let’s sip instead of gulp.  Stroll instead of dash.  Let’s pause the road.  Let’s do Shabbat.

Being new in town can be tough, and going to an event on your own is intimidating. Tougher still, for many, is following up with people you’ve just met to build the foundation for a friendship. At The Tribe, we’ve observed first-hand the awesome phenomenon of newcomers becoming facebook “friends” immediately after events. Nothing brings us more joy! We attempt to encourage this through taking a lot of photos at events, and tagging as many people as we can, so that attendees can find each other online. A visiting Rabbi from the foundation that funds us even remarked that facebook appears to be more prevalent in Miami than in other cities, where Twitter has more prominence.

What do you think? Does facebook do the job to break the ice? Are there other ways to connect people to each other at our events? Do people use twitter to connect? Let us know your thoughts at info@thetribemb.org….

Until next time,
The Tribe!

As our daughter turns two and our community web stretches to new limits, I’ve started to think about my role in the communities I belong to. Am I the active PTA mom? The super organized park mom? The on-the-ball mommy and-me-mom? One community I’ve been delighted to find myself a part of is the Jewish parenting community. Becoming a mother has strengthened my Jewish identity in surprising ways.

It’s supremely important to me that our daughters have a rich understanding of our Jewish heritage. So we do Seder collectively, even if it means eating yogurt from a highchair before we’ve blessed the matzah. And we visit tot Shabbat as regularly as possible, even if it’s just to hear the music. And we read Jewish books even if all our toddlers see is stars and candles.

And, perhaps most relevant today, we participate in as many Shalom Tots programs as possible. We’ve had opportunities to make challah, create Shema pillowcases, participate in Shabbat dinners and much more. Shalom Tots is a wonderfully easy and engaging way to tap into your Jewish community. For more info about the ongoing program (sessions resume in the fall) please click here or email info@theopentent.org; to see what experiences others are saying click here; and to catch up on previous tots posts click here.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

We’re already into mid-May and The Tribe has a lot going on!  From our Board meeting (open to the public!) on May 20 to Havdalah kayking on May 22 to Jewish Book Club (we’re reading “The Jew in the Lotus”) on June 6th, there’s no shortage of ways to get involved!

Which brings us to this blog’s subject: we’re always seeking ways to refine our programming – do we go for large social events, smaller spiritual events, events at peoples home or at Temple Beth Sholom, etc…..As you know from our programming, we’ve done our best to include a huge variety of options so everyone will feel welcomed.  On the horizon is a social event at Mokai, a cooking class, a poker night (co-ed!  and includes a lesson!), and some volunteer activities.  Our challenge is to find the mechanisms and venues that work best to entice as many of you as possible to come, and even more importantly, to invite you to help us plan these events.  The Tribe belongs to YOU, the community, and we invite you to help us steer it forward.

Consider this a call-to-arms!  Get in touch with us and let us know you’d like to help plan something – we would very much welcome it!!!  You can email us at info@thetribemb.org or call our coordinator Marc at 202-276-5985.

We look forward to hearing from you, and seeing you soon at one of our planning committee meetings!!

Dear Diary:
Emerging from the subway at 96^th and Broadway, I heard the familiar sound of a man preaching from a Bible.  Some things never change.
But the Bible caught my eye — it was thinner than usual.  The man was preaching from a Kindle!  Some things will never be the same.—Ora Shtull

This just about sums up the work of The Open Tent.  The Judaism stays the same – same Torah, same holidays, same rituals (and then some).  But what’s changing is our approach.  We want to help you do Jewish in an unintimidating and meaningful way.  We’re doing everything from re-visioning the Seder through art, to making Shabbat on the beach with friends, to finger-painting the Sh’ma on pillowcases with our toddlers!  We bring people together to figure out how to do Jewish in a way that’s fresh and enduring.

Anyone who wants to join us is welcome.  Kayak under the stars in May.  Try Jewish yoga in June.  Join in the conversation on Facebook  (http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=50143776310&ref=ts) or here on our website.  The tent is open and expanding.