In the middle of a
Winnipeg winter, it’s hard to imagine gardens, greenery, or doing
much of anything outside. But as surely as the sun rises in the
morning, spring time comes, and new life, and gardens, and greenery
surge in their accustomed miraculous way.
When spring arrives and
the snow is gone, the new Steinkopf Family Plaza, with its Wall of
the Future will be landscaped and a beautiful outdoor space will be
available for outdoor Minyan, Havdallah, and Kabbalat Shabbat
services; cocktail parties, outdoor dinners, as well as a lovely
space for the Shaarey Zedek Sukkah. Given proper weather, this
lovely outdoor space offers great possibilities to beautify and
enhance your Shaarey Zedek Simcha.
The Steinkopf Family Plaza
is the first attempt in the history of Shaarey Zedek to make use of
the natural beauty of the Assiniboine River in the life of our
synagogue. Among other things, it represents the "greening" of
Shaarey Zedek.
By reconnecting the
worship of God with the beauty of our natural surroundings, we are
returning to the ultimate origin not only of Jewish, but of all
spiritual life—to the experience of the prophet Isaiah, when he
said, "Lift up your eyes, and look to the heavens! Who created all
these? He who brings out the starry host, one by one, and call them
each by name" (Isaiah 40:26).
The Steinkopf Family
Plaza, with its Wall of the Future, will remind us of our connection
to the Whole which is greater than the sum of its parts—to "the
Garden" as Joni Mitchell put it—to that Paradise in which Heaven
will dwell on earth; where we may experience ourselves "to be a
(tiny) cog (which nevertheless fulfills an essential task) in
something (far greater than ourselves) turning." This is a large
part of what it means to live a truly meaningful life.
The Wall of the Future of
the Steinkopf Family Plaza offers another kind of opportunity: the
opportunity to purchase granite dedication stones engraved with the
names of our children to be placed at the base of the Wall. Serving
as the foundation of the Wall, these stones are a potent reminder
that our children are the real foundation of the Winnipeg Jewish
community. Why? Because our children will either step into the
leadership roles that enable our community to have a Jewish
future--or alternatively, there will be no Jewish future for this
community.
If the stones symbolize
the foundation of the community, then what about the Wall itself? It
represents the Winnipeg Jewish community as a whole. It represents
the communal burdens that young leaders will bear when they fill the
leadership shoes left by the leaders of this generation. Will they
be up to the task? My skeptical intellect wants to say, "no." Look
at how distressingly far our kids, and their parents, are drifting
from their Jewish roots!
Yet my heart tells me not
to worry. This inter-generational disconnect has happened many times
in Jewish history. How else could the Book of Esther bear witness to
the marriage of a daughter of Israel to a foolish gentile king, with
nary a word of protest? Obviously, it was a sign of the times, even
as Interfaith marriage is a sign for us today.
Jewish identity is sticky.
Even those who actively run from it find that it pursues them. Even
if an entire generation of a family loses its Jewish connection, it
seems that at least one child, or grandchild miraculously picks up
the broken thread.
God is SHOMER YISRAEL--the
Guardian of Israel--but He can’t do the work of Jewish continuity by
Himself. We must also do what we can from our side. Purchasing
dedication stones for your children and grandchildren in the Wall of
the Future of the Steinkopf Family Plaza expresses your hope that
there will be a Jewish future for this community. God willing, it
will help to manifest that future.
For further information,
please contact Clare Whiteman, Executive Assistant at 452 3711 x452.
With all best wishes for a
lovely Spring and beautiful Pesach.
