High Holy Days @ The Pico Union Project

[Music] even during a pandemic the high holidays mark a season of remembering a time when we recall those lost to us and in the season of zachar of remembering in the midst of a whirlwind of angst that sometimes leaves us forgetting even what day it is we need to also remember that we are not alone that we share our hardships with the jewish angelenos who died over 100 years ago in the spanish influenza pandemic in 1918 when the spanish flu struck the city's population was booming rising from 319 000 in 1910 to 576 000 in 1920 about that time the jewish population of la was estimated to be around 20 000. during the high holidays of 1918 the spanish flu was striking california in its second wave people turned to all sorts of remedies for a relief or a cure unlike today in that outbreak healthy young adults were considered more vulnerable than the elderly while walking among the graves at mount zion cemetery a small jewish cemetery in east l.a i could see the evidence written in stone i noticed a large number of headstones of young men and women dated 1918 and 1919. [Music] through research i found the vast majority of those interred in those years at mount zion were between the ages of 18 and 42 and had not died as a result of military service as today the city's health commissioner ordered that all schools colleges churches theaters motion picture houses and all other places of amusement shall close and remain closed until further notice mayor frederick t woodman eerily presaging the unsupported optimism of a few of our current leaders said i hope and believe that it will not be necessary to keep the order in effect very long also like today people and religious institutions resisted the closures downtown shoppers refused to social distance and resisted the instructions to wear masks starting in january 1919 the disease returned for a third wave the members of congregation sinai whose former synagogue is now the home of the pico union project were struck hard by the pandemic la's jewish paper of record the benevoth messenger reported many of their deaths in late november congregation sinai's spiritual leader rabbi isidore myers wrote a poem which appeared in the paper for mr and mrs cohen whose son julian had tragically died from influenza jewish and sentiment under grief's strain let faith omnipotent in your souls reign as it is heaven sent not be the pain though the great war ended on november 11 the war against the pandemic continued the restrictions were finally lifted on december 3rd the 6th night of hanukkah a message of increasing light was sent to the boys still over there but it was too soon to let in the light though in the following weeks the numbers of cases and deaths from the spanish flu tapered off it took months for synagogues to gradually return to their previous attendance today in the midst of our own loss and the losses of our neighbors jewish angelenos can find support in another stanza of rabbi meyer's poetry comfort knox pressing open your hearts heaven's kind blessing never departs oh [Music] [Applause] um happy new year we hope you are here somewhere online some people are telling us they're having challenges imagine that on youtube but refresh go underneath i just saw a video online from last night go underneath it says live or you can also go to my facebook page it's there and uh we hope we we hope we hope we have a great morning together i want to welcome valerie stern with our opening song [Music] morning has broken like the first morning blackbird has spoken like the first birth praise for the singing praise for the moon praise for them springing fresh from the world mine is the sunlight my name is [Music] [Applause] [Music] god's recreation of the new day [Music] teach me to number my days fill my heart with wisdom teach me to measure the ways to be [Music] teach us to number our days fill our hearts with wisdom teach us to measure the ways to be grateful [Applause] [Music] can teach me to fill my days with hope and vision teach me to measure the ways lift my heart with hopes and dreams [Music] uh rabbi wessel scott buddy this is uh year number six for you i think doing high holy days at the beacon union five or six day one so our theme is remember your past and that's really our focus today live for today is what we're going to tackle a little bit more on yom kippur cole nidre and then trust in your future what does this all mean to you we've been talking quite a bit can you can you set up what our service is going to look like what what are our road trips going to look like please one of the main things [Music] we're building to provide traditional foreign [Music] to be alive for the most perfect new year together [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] new oh [Music] [Music] yay [Music] i [Applause] [Music] hi [Music] [Music] [Music] is our call to prayer it means blessing but the root of it is just amazing the root of it comes from the word barak which is your knees and before you can pray the imagery is that you have to bend your knees in many cultures that's a sign of weakness in our culture in the jewish culture and in the christian community and in the muslim community it's a time and a in a vision and a sign of strength when you get down on your knees it shows that you have enough confidence enough strength to know that you're protected that you're safe are called to prayer valerie [Music] [Music] yay you answer the call to prayer by acknowledging and bending your knees [Music] blessed is the holy one [Music] i [Music] [Music] to a good life [Music] yay [Music] me [Music] memories this is a time we think not only about those who are with us but those who are not with us [Music] here's to the ones that we got cheers to the wish you were here but you're not cause the dreams bring back all the memories of everything we've been through toast to the ones here today toast to the ones that we lost on the way cause the dreams bring back all the memories the memories bring back memories [Music] is oh [Music] here's to the ones that we've got cheers to the wish you were here but you're not cause the dreams bring back all the memories everything we've been through toast to the ones here today toast to the ones that we lost on the way cause the dreams bring back all the memories memories bring back memories [Music] you [Music] thank you rabbi scott mihamoha is probably one of the most seminal the most significant memories of the jewish people right we're standing on the shores and uh what happened what was that memory and and what can we learn from that memory because we're going to do mikhamoja after this you know that your state and your own every time so imagine that army behind us that egyptian army imagine the sound what it was like imagine the emotion [Music] hey [Music] uh [Music] [Music] [Music] my [Music] [Music] what i should have said was this and it's so perfect for our music right now [Music] which means the redeemed ones the ones who now carry the memory because they they lived through this exodus from egypt they sing this song for you now they sang in a chorus at the shore of the sea and now they sing for you [Music] i'd like to introduce stephen windmiller he's a professor he's a friend not not an old friend but i feel like i've known him almost forever he's a historian he's a sociologist he's a demographer he's just a really cool guy who's gonna hopefully contextualize our journey stephen windmiller professor windmiller thank you for being here and you're you can go on full screen because this is your this is your time okay there you are we hear you can you hear us okay oh is foreign is is is foreign hey [Music] is studies is um [Music] is [Music] is next [Music] it's up to us to call ourselves to task to sing what's good and true to bring about redemption it's what we were tasked to do what's the point of being here if we're not moved to change our ways [Music] it's time to change our ways [Music] we are carrying the stories of the ones who came before what stories will be told of us when we are here no more we commit ourselves to action it brings meaning to our days it's time to live our praise [Music] it's up to us to own the vision we're an answer to a call it's up to us to live the words we speak for the benefit of all it's up to us to bow down deeply there's a broken world to raise up it's time to live our grace [Music] it's time to live our praise [Music] thank you thank you steve stephen windmiller thank you um dan nichols wrote that last song and thank you stuart uh we should probably go around the room for a minute and let me just say who everybody is uh because we are we're a family now i'm gonna button my shirt too um stuart dear dear friend pico union board member extraordinary talent eric on drums the new guy he's only been with us for three years but we love you eric uh shanee who's been with us for i think since year one and we love you love you love you since last year you have a little a little one that's right and hopefully great things coming coming uh valerie you have a new baby since last year um mazel tov uh chassis you've been playing and making music with us for maybe 20 years you came from mark whitlock's church core ame and we've been friends and colleagues and grateful to you and then adam levy on on the base and then there's just a whole ton of people in the studio right now marcus and and ellie and tom weir we're at tomwear studio thank you we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us and we stand on shoulders who are people who support us today and and the next prayer it's called the silent prayer which is kind of ironic because it's a moment to scream out with all of your bakasho with all of your requests with all of your your needs and ask for goodness and favor in the coming year it it begins with well you know what i'm not a rabbi so scott why don't you why don't you just give us a one minute draw sean on what this standing prayer should just a context here is take those two moments this past it's for each and every one of us to remind ourselves what is the need to treat life in everything we do in the way that we activate our minds and our hearts our spirits in our souls we might feel that we're standing alone find inner peace pretty fly for a rabbi i'm just saying uh also the there are for those of you who do not have a monosaur there are slides now that were images created by bill aaron just an extraordinary photographer with quotes that you can use for inspiration reflection right stewart if if you so choose so this is um a video to accompany your prayer [Music] my [Music] my my [Music] you [Music] [Music] it [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] me [Music] uh before scott you see a couple words rabbi wolpi a couple of days ago posted on his facebook page just a beautiful thing about the shofar it's the only sound that sounds exactly the same sounds exactly the same as it sounded a thousand years ago five thousand years ago ten it's the same instrument it's the same sound shani you do that for me every time i hear your voice it's a sound that just brings me back thank you to the first time we met 11 12 years ago you it's a sound it's just it it's more than a it's like a smell of a baby you will never forget it uh so thank you scott uh set us up for avinu malcanu and the whole homecoming and that if you wouldn't mind please and yet is and of course the rabbis also god is how do we make ourselves welcome in the home of others and a willingness to meet each other face to face and as we get to our funeral location the music that to me is the most emblematic of the entire year we remind god that we too are important but because god loves us like a mother like his father it's a benevolent kingdom of truth god always welcomes us [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] see [Music] i said [Music] [Music] i [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh um [Music] [Music] we're about to take out the torah please rise a video surprise [Music] is [Music] shared [Music] hi my name is jonathan jaffe bernhard as i think it's probably pretty clear to everybody we are not actually doing the tour reading at the pico union on rosh hashanah but we are filming both the tour reading for rosh hashanah and yom kippur a few days earlier so that we can get them out to everybody in a safe way the tour reading that scott chose for rosh hashanah is chapter 18 of the book of genesis it is a brilliant torah reading and a brilliant one for this particular year in this particular time because in this tour reading in chapter 18 abraham welcomes in three guests and he welcomes them in according to rabbinic midrash while he had just had his own circumcision and this idea of welcoming people into our homes is a vital thing for us to consider for the past 18 months we've not been able to greet people we've not been able to invite people into our homes we've not been able to have people over in the way that we used to and this affects us powerfully and dislocates us from our sense of home so this year we emphasize coming home and this year we emphasize not only making sure that our tent is open but that our hearts are open as well as we begin this year chapter 18 verse one book of genesis [Music] my name is uh quinn loehmann i've been reading torah at pico union for um for about uh uh [Music] for five years i guess i would say when i'm finished because because then i won't need because then i don't need to worry about practicing anymore um about about a week last year was crazy [Music] happy new year tova [Music] [Music] [Music] how [Music] by your heart allah [Music] [Music] leave him a heart for roo he all came from foreign ah return again return to the land of your soul return again return again return to the land of your soul [Music] if you are in need of healing if you know someone who is in need of healing the misha is another prayer that invokes our forefathers and our foremothers sarah rifka rahel and leia abraham isaac and jacob may the one who blessed them and gave them health and courage may we see the same blessing in our life please write in the chat if you know anybody who needs healing if you're a doctor or you know a doctor or a nurse who is doing the healing let's acknowledge [Music] m [Music] holy [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] me [Music] wow i'm gonna just suggest we just take like literally 30 seconds of nothing which is sometimes the best something that i don't often give myself in life nothing just to be just to be present not to be a human doing but a human being so just 30 seconds of presence when we started the pico union seven years ago we weren't quite sure who we were what we were where we were what we could be doing should be doing it became very clear very quickly that there was incredible food insecurity in our neighborhood food insecurity means that there is no there's no opportunity to eat food that you and i take for granted there are not 11 or 12 grocery stores like are within a mile and a half of where i live it's a it's a reality where there's no grocery stores i met a man named steve trapasso who worked for an organization called seeds of hope and he was able to provide us with fresh produce produce to the tune of thousands of pounds of produce this food justice program seeds of hope was started by tim alderson who is our guest today and i think through him you're going to learn a little bit more about us about me about the pico union project about our neighbors about our community and about our role in providing and creating a a community that is just and a an environment that is healthy tim alderson my friend and and current board member the pico union project welcome and uh i'm just going to put you on the screen for your time with us and take it away if i interrupt you you'll feel probably pretty comfortable because that's what i i'm so good at doing there you go um but in my life is now greater than the entire property of 90 different states so sadly our insecure including secure population and the sad point is that there's more than enough food to grow the problem is because we actually produce 40 percent so how can we have so much abundance that still particularly a lot worse um security expects approximately 20 of the white population but the numbers are doubled here's the big problem people are actually getting hungry becoming homeless and families have particularly spent upwards of 70 percent of the household which doesn't mean much left because eligibility is based on a nationwide standard that only looks at household income without taking into account so what do we do me do we have a responsibility so if there is we also have the responsibility to do something and the capacity is multiplied when we collaborate with others who have complementary which is exactly because the people and in addition to that we've been able working with other partners to provide vegetables for people to take so as we head into this right is [Music] um [Music] [Music] r [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] oh [Music] they are cool [Music] [Applause] [Music] me [Music] i hello [Music] [Music] for all of ask one these of yours [Music] they are cool [Music] [Music] [Music] give us a big one chassis you got it a long one that's beautiful that's beautiful rabbi wessel scott the mourner's kaddish let us let us come to the conclusion of this service we have two more beautiful things we're doing and a very very special guest but can you help us right now i think about those memories and how who came before us still gives us prayer i want to share a poem because i translated literally quickly because a man doesn't have time in his life a man doesn't have time in his everything life doesn't have seasons enough to have a season for every purpose ecclesiastes is wrong about that a man needs to love and complete at the same moment to laugh and cry with the same eyes with the same hands to throw stones and to digest what history takes years and years to do a man doesn't he speaks what have finds he forgets and he forgets he loves what he loves and descends and his soul is seasoned his soul is very professional only his body remains forever for those times and so in moments like we realize time is true we hold our loved one we think about the blessings that will come before us how that will always inspire is [Music] we're going to close our service with something that we just added earlier this week in last week's torah portion it's written i have put before you a choice a curse life or death and the the texas choose life in the high holiday liturgy it's written who shall live and who shall die we just recited that for the jewish people if we are being honest we must recognize that we are a blessed people we are blessed ones the ones who have in this generation been granted what i view as a birthright lottery the blessing of privilege abundant choice and extraordinary prosperity for most of us these are words that would not have been recited 75 years ago by so many jewish immigrants who were unable to leave the horrors of nazi germany in the holocaust and turn back from the shores of far too many countries including ours only to face their death in the camps of europe the death camps today we have been granted a blessing and as such we are obliged to share our good fortune as hillel said a rabbi nearly two thousand years ago if not me who and if not now when today as all of us sit in the comfort of our homes streaming this service i feel that it would be inappropriate to ignore the thousands of afghani refugees who have no home limited choices and much like those families who came before us the fear of what tomorrow might bring history is shown in the book of the class ecclesiastes teaches everything has a season and a time and a purpose under the heavens i believe judaism teaches us that we can and we must heal a broken world and that now is the time now is the season for us to step up allenu it is upon us it is up to us to help those who need us afghani immigrants who arrived on our shores a few short weeks ago need us they are calling us and i say on behalf of the pico union hinani here i am here we are i'd like to introduce sarah hashimi who i just met literally five days ago who has a request a request of our community to share a portion of our abundant blessing with her afghani community i welcome sarah to our service hi sarah my family not just to enjoy the great opportunity of america but to save our lives when my parents gave us their professional careers my mother is a doctor and engineer and risked their lives to get there i recommended an opportunity an opportunity to educate myself and become an experienced customer three free from the first as well afghanistan was headlining our kids of course were part of this discussion they decided my nine-year-old daughter for decisions to help these families since her brothers and everyone was using their birthday savings to give an incredible little gift bag without for the sake of terry i was so impressed this act of giving viral videos a friend and family that ultimately led me to do it truly one family here in our neighborhood is composed of both marriages and three children several countries [Music] there's a lot more to this story there's probably by a miracle of god without any money without any very concerned about how they would make the most different the hardships in the lives of others this would be our slideshow every single day every single dollar really comes i've turned into the more need of capacity responsibility they can really use housing stability to learn these pieces of their new lifespan to allow them to speak to work and impress themselves with their children i'm wishing you all nothing here i'm so proud to have neighbors and friends like you sarah can you hear me sarah okay you are incredibly articulate what a what a passionate compassionate story you just told 100 we just set up that text to give three days ago 100 of the money we receive will go to this family that we will learn more about in the coming days um there's going to be supplies that need beds maybe a kid who left his trumpet in in in in in another country or food that we will get from from vida sana but you have my word sarah i gave you my word you have my word we will support one family for a year not because we must but because we can and that's our gift that is our blessing it's wonder we're going to end our service now if we could put the slide up somewhere small and end with the song of wonder because i believe in wonder and i believe in miracles and i believe that we are those miracles thank you all for joining us thank you for being with us shanatova [Music] my feet don't want to touch the ground [Music] find my way through this dimension when all these voices drown me out [Music] i feel so far from my body hard to find my way [Music] i back i wonder if anyone will hear this i wonder if i'll ever be fearless i wonder [Music] try and keep [Music] some [Music] way too hard to understand i wonder i wonder if anyone will hear this [Music] do [Music] this world is a mystery [Music] i [Music] please please remember we are the one durs we are the ones who create the wonder let's make it happen for this family thank you for joining us please join us next week same place different times we love you and we're gonna go on [Music] you

Channel: Craig Taubman

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Id: ha-42-dz8O0

Length: 92min 24sec (5544 seconds)

Published: Tue Sep 07 2021