Tomorrow is
Rosh Hodesh, Adar Sheni, the new month of Adar 2. You may be familiar with the idea that each
Rosh Hodesh is designated as a holiday for women. The question many ask is why is this so? There are a few reasons given. The first is that the Israelite women in the
wilderness refused to give their jewelry for the making of the Golden Calf, yet
they willing gave it for the building of the Mishkan, the tabernacle. In fact,
when the men came to offer their silver and gold for the Mishkan, they found that
the women were already doing so. Rosh
Hodesh was given to the women to show appreciation for their special
nature. The second reason many have
pointed out is that women are used to a monthly cycle and are more in tune with the cycles of the moon than are men.
I think it is significant
that as we have gathered today to celebrate Shabbat, announce the new month, and
pay tribute to one of Tifereth Israel’s illustrious women, Marcia Kushner, on
the occasion of her 85th birthday. The timing seems perfect to me.
It is interesting how
knowing an individual during different phases of her life leaves one with
different perspectives about that individual’s uniqueness. When I was growing up, I thought of Marcia only
as Mrs. Kushner, Sheldon’s wife and the mother of Cathy, Julie, Mike, and
Benji. She was a working mother at a
time when that was not in vogue. I always marveled how she could possibly hold
together a household with 4 young children and still be a professional
audiologist. When I was no longer a
child, I remember wondering what it would be like to call Mrs. Kushner by her
first name! She made it quite easy. Actually it was during multiple encounters
while participating in the chevrah kaddisha, learning how to show respect for
the dead, that many of us formed a bond with Marcia. Had we
only seen Marcia participate in this holy endeavor,we might have said “Dayenu”
but in reality Marcia also showed that she cared about tzedek and mishpat, justice
and righteousness, as she volunteered her time heading up our Jewish
Federation, organizing the Holocaust Commemoration at the Capitol, and being
active in many women’s rights activities.
Marcia became representative of women who manage to achieve a balance in
their lives without really having to say NO when others call upon them.
Most of us are aware that
without Marcia’s vision about a Homecoming celebration for our 100th
anniversary here at Tifereth Israel, that important date might have come and
gone with little notice. Marcia’s “we
can do it attitude,” her ability to “gather the troops” so to speak, and her knack
of making others feel appreciated, truly allowed each of us to walk away from
that special gathering in August with the feeling that it was a privilege to
have experienced such a heart-warming occasion.
It is hard to think that a woman in her 80’s had the energy to make us
pull together to pull it off!
Celebrating with Marcia on
the cusp of Adar Sheni is profound in many ways. This is the month we will read about Esther
who rose up to come to the aid of her people. Marcia understands a major
precept of Purim, KOL YISRAEL AREVIM ZEH BAZEH, all Jews are responsible for
one another. This is the month we are instructed to increase our joy by recognizing
what is truly meaningful in life and by focusing on what really matters. I believe Marcia serves as a prime example of
a woman who understands that joy can come from being an activ part of a loving
family and community. It is traditional
to say “Mi shnicnas Adar, marbim b’simcha,” “Whoever enters Adar, increases
their joy.”…now we can also add to that sense of joy a sense of gratitude that G-d has granted Marcia and us the ability to
reach this day together.
Please rise as we all
recite the shehecheyanu together.
Shabbat Shalom.
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