time for more good deeds in 5787?
Over twenty years ago I was invited to a Shabbat dinner at a Rabbi’s house. He went around the table asking guests to introduce themselves and then asked a question. “Hi I’m Tara Riceberg. I own a store, Tesoro.” “What’s your purpose?” he inquired. I didn’t know what to say so I threw out “To have good hair.” It was a ridiculous answer but I did have long, thick blonde locks back then.
“One minute. If you don’t know your purpose, then how do you know who you are? How do you expect to find your beshert? Meet me at the shul Monday at 6pm and I’ll tell you your purpose.” How did this man who I just met me know I was single? Maybe because I was alone at his table on a Friday night?
I was so curious to hear the answer that I schlepped up Beverly Glen in rush hour traffic. When I finally arrived, I asked, “So what’s my purpose?” “To do good,” he replied. “Seriously? You couldn’t have told me that at dinner?” “Keep coming to shul every Friday. You’ll be married in two years.”
At this point I didn’t have anything to lose. I had been engaged five times, no husbands. My dad said I was not a closer. What I had been doing wasn’t working. So, I showed up to each Shabbat and every holiday including Lag Ba Omer and Tisha B’Av. I biddy biddy bummed and after two years I asked, “Nu? Where’s the husband?” “I said you’d be ready to be married.” He should have just encouraged me to get a long-term healthcare plan.
After all that learning, my level of keeping kosher is eating Nutella. However, I really connected with understanding the three pillars of Judaism- Connection, Education, and Kindness. I love to do good in this world and strive to bring light into darkness.
Preparing for the new year, I gave so much time and energy to people and organizations that I care about last week. I participated in a Challah bake with my neighborhood Rebbetzin. I discovered that I’m not a baker and that I should continue to buy from her at The Challah Shoppe https://www.jewishbh.com/challah-shoppe
I worked at SOVA Pico Pantry to distribute Rosh Hashanah menu items and essentials for people in need. https://www.jfsla.org/program/sova/
I volunteered at Labelle Foundation to help prepare abandoned dogs and puppies for foster care. https://www.labellefoundation.org/
With Rotary Club of Beverly Hills, I painted the 9/11 Memorial at the BHFD.
I suppose the Porta Via Christmas fire which destroyed my business was a hidden blessing because now I have lots of free time to donate to good causes. My life transformed in the one second it took for an oily rag to spontaneously combust. Lives are fragile and can change in the blink of an eye like they did for thousands of people on September 11, 2001.
Today, the anniversary of 9/11, we always remember the victims and never forget the immeasurable suffering caused by these hateful acts. Take a moment to consider the bravery of the survivors because their fight, service and sacrifice to NYC, to our nation, and to our community has been going on for 9,125 days.
Scott Shulman was a cameraman for ABC News and was dispatched to cover the horrific national tragedy. For almost two weeks he worked Ground Zero for 12-hour shifts. No one wore protective masks. They inhaled toxic ash and dust. There were more than 110,000 responders, residents, and workers in the World Trade Center exclusion zone who today suffer from ailments that include chronic rhinosinusitis, pulmonary disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), asthma, sleep apnea, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and cancer. Over 4,300 people have died from these diseases.
Shulman is lucky to be alive though he has suffered for twenty-five years with a sinus infection and has a rare inflammatory disease called sarcoidosis. He lost all his co-workers from 9/11. He knows each day is a gift even on those tough days like when his home was defaced with anti-Semitic graffiti. The news media interviewed him about the hate crime. "It's time to go back and read the words of Martin Luther King. ‘We can't solve these problems with hatred. They must be solved with love.’ I don't hate anybody," he said. Shulman, now a Beverly Hills Park Ranger, shares his positivity with our community when riding his bike for miles with his damaged lungs, a smile, and a heart filled with hope.
Tonight, Rosh Hashanah begins. We are reminded that we have the ability within ourselves to be combat darkness with light, both in ourselves and our community. We achieve this through good deeds, compassion for those with misery in their hearts, and an understanding that words have tremendous potency so we must choose how to use them carefully.
May 5787 reveal our daily blessings, remind us of the power of a second (whether it’s hitting send, dialing 9-1-1, or stepping onto a plane,) and to be grateful for the people who prioritize service above self.
Always remember / Never forget.
Shana Tova
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