The Sanctuary in the Center

A Sanctuary in the Center
Rabbi Lorge

This week’s Torah portion details the creation of the Mishkan, God’s sanctuary in the wilderness. This sanctuary fulfilled many functions for the Israelites, but we rarely talk about one of its most vital purposes. The Mishkan unified the tribes of Israel.

Two experiences forged our ancestors into nation. The first experience was persecution and enslavement in Egypt. A common external threat brought and kept the ancient Israelites together. But what would happen when that threat was removed? We take it for granted, but after dancing together at the sea, did these tribes need to stay together?

The ancient Israelites had a long history of tribal divisions and rivalries. In fact, even as they wandered the wilderness, they were encamped according to their tribes. The Reubenites in this camp, the Gadites in this camp, each separate faction keeping to itself.

The Mishkan was, in part, God’s response. Instead of external threats binding the people together, God gave the Israelties a purpose for coalescing. Through maintaining the sanctuary, through worshiping there, through remembering the obligations they have to God, to one another, and the world around them, the Israelites experienced that they had positive reasons for being bound up together. God placed the Mishkan in the middle of the camp – so that from each tribe’s place, they could see what was literally central to the entire people.

This was, arguably, the beginning of a core element of Jewish identity: the notion of peoplehood. Peoplehood is the idea that despite our differences and divisions, we are all bound up together and responsible to and for one another as Jews.

What was true in ancient times remains true. Identity formation and group cohesion can come from external threatening forces as well as positive internal forces. However, in order to sustain itself in the long run, a group needs internal and positive drivers of group connection.

In the last 16 months we have experienced Jewish peoplehood primarily through visceral negative external forces. There is no doubt that October 7^th and the subsequent waves of antisemitism have renewed, awakened, or deepened Jewish peoplehood for so many us. And while it is powerful to see Jews come together and show up for one another in a time of crisis, across synagogues, neighborhoods, states, and the diaspora and Israel, we have to be sure we don’t lose sight of the positive internal forces that drive Jewish peoplehood. We need to be more mindful of seeking them out.

Especially in light of two weeks that have been particularly heart rending, on this Shabbat when God commands us to build a sanctuary in the center of our camp, I want to highlight moments of positive Jewish peoplehood formation we experienced with our confirmation students on their trip to Morocco.

When Rabbi Rosenthal and I designed our confirmation experience, 1/3 of the classes are devoted to inculcating and exploring Jewish peoplehood. This culminates with our trip.

We travel to another country, to experience a Jewish story and past that is not our own, to meet the present community and understand how they live, and how they practice their Judaism, and for our students to feel the concrete way we can connect to these Jews of the present and past.

In Morrocco, but it happens each year no matter the destination, our students realized they can learn a lot from other Jewish communities. Many of the students realized that while the Moroccan Jewish community was small, its fervor and passion impressed them. After meeting one of Casablanca’s leaders, hearing about her family’s past, as well as what she does to maintain Jewish life today, Nate said that it made him realize that, “it is the quality and not the quantity of Jewish life that makes it so special.” Zach, said that it, “motivates” him “to keep” his “heritage and culture alive and always maintain the ideals and traditions” he “grew up with.”

Noha felt we could concretely take away the value of hospitality. She reflected, “Everyone that I’ve interacted with in Morocco has been so welcoming and inclusive, which is something that I feel like I don’t witness as often in NYC. In the future, I hope to channel the warmth, kindness, and inclusivity that has been extended to us, into...” my own communities.

Another outcome of these encounters is a new appreciation of what our students love about their own identity and community. Noelle said what most of the group felt, noting “My Jewish identity is something I have taken for granted living in a place with such a dense Jewish community… I now realize how lucky I have it.”

Our students also are impacted by the treatment of the Jewish community by its neighbors. They notice whether the Jews live proudly or quietly. Morocco has a long history of conviviality between its Jews and the Muslim majority. It remains palpable today. Zach said, “Throughout the past year, seeing so much Jewish hatred…has left me feeling conflicted and scared for my community's future…Being in a Muslim country, it was extraordinary to see how accepting the people here are of me and my religion.” Jake said, “I am taking home stories of coexistence between Jews and Muslims... The fact that Muslims take care of Jewish properties and holy sites shows how Jewish culture is threaded into the society.”

All of our students walked away feeling ties to the community we met. They were inspired to live differently as Jews because of the encounter. They understand themselves and other Jews more deeply. They feel an obligation to do their part to sustain and support the people who welcomed them so warmly. That was channeled into direct service work we did, preserving and cleaning a historic Jewish cemetery in Marrakesh, which all of them felt was a highlight of our trip.

Positive peoplehood is open to all of us. Fostering these feelings, especially in hard times, strengthens us. When we travel, whether its to Israel, Italy, or Idaho we can connect to the local Jewish community. We can learn their stories and experience Jewish life with them. It takes some pre-planning. But it is worth it. We can get involved in hosting Jews from around the world when they come to NYC. We can expose ourselves to the rich tapestry of Jewish diversity – to experience what we’re missing out on, and what we love and wouldn’t trade about our New York Reform Judaism.

Like the ancient Israelites in this week’s parshah, we are still divided into tribes. Yet we are bound up together. And while there are forces reminding us of that fact in cruel and terrible ways, let’s continue to seek out the beautiful, vibrant, and life enhancing aspects of our common Jewish peoplehood. They are the sanctuary in the center; a place for respite, a place for renewal, a place that will enable us to march through a wilderness and come to the border of a new world intact, whole, and holy.