Rabbi James Prosnit
From the Rabbi's Desk
Rabbi Prosnit's
Monthly messageRabbi Prosnit's
High Holiday SermonsThe Blessings of Friendship
A letter to Rabbi Prosnit
Rabbi James Prosnit has been Rabbi of Congregation B’nai Israel in Bridgeport, Connecticut, since 1990. Prior to this, Rabbi Prosnit served as Associate Rabbi at both Congregation Rodeph Sholom, New York City, and Holy Blossom Temple, Toronto, Ontario.
He received his B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University, and M.A. degrees from New York University (Education) and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (Hebrew Literature). He was ordained from HUC-JIR in New York in 1981.
He is adjunct lecturer in Jewish Studies at Fairfield University. Rabbi Prosnit is involved in the rabbinic residency mentoring program for rabbinic students at HUC-JIR and is a mentor for the Ignatian Residential College at Fairfield University.
Among numerous community activities, Rabbi Prosnit is Past-President of Connecticut Against Gun Violence and has served as President of Operation Hope, a homeless shelter and social service agency in Fairfield County. He is co-chair of the Bridgeport Clergy Association and is active with Bridgeport Hospital, specifically in issues of pastoral care and community outreach. He serves on the Interreligious Affairs Commission and the Commission for Lifelong Learning for the Union for Reform Judaism.
Rabbi Prosnit lives in Fairfield, Connecticut, with his wife and three sons.
From The Rabbi's Desk |
March 2010 |
/
Science and Religion |
||
I’ve never understood the debate between science and religion. There are some over the years who have suggested that the two perspectives are incompatible. Some biblical literalists have held that a person cannot believe in both God and evolution. Some scientists have suggested that religion provides arcane and outmoded rituals and dogmas that no really intelligent person could possibly value. Let a local school board propose a curriculum with scientific creationism as well as Darwin and it appears as all religiously minded folk have turned their backs on scientific reasoning. Similarly let a physicist write a book on atheism and categorically say that God talk is useless in describing the big bang and other theories of origins and you’ve closed off thoughtful discussions on the meaning of existence. Fortunately this has never been a view held by most Jews. Even among the most traditional there is a healthy respect and interest in learning from both. While some would suggest the two world views need to be compartmentalized, (science asks how things work and religion deals with value and meaning), to me that approach is not that helpful. There is no need to see religion and science as strangers that can coexist only if you keep them a distance from each other. Instead a dialogue and integration of the two disciplines can help each. Both scientists and theologians use analogies and metaphors to imagine what cannot be directly observed. When it comes to concerns like the origin and orderly nature of the universe or the limits of human knowledge we may speak with different vocabularies but we are pondering the same questions. Thinking about things like this is most intriguing to me. Over the past few years I’ve been in a dialogue group at Fairfield University with members of the scientific faculties and those in the Religious Studies department. I’m pleased that we’ll have a chance to engage in some of that discussion here at B’nai Israel when we welcome this year’s scholar in resident Rabbi David Nelson. Assistant professor at Bard College he’ll be with us the Shabbat of March 18 and 19 and among other presentations will be talking on Friday night March 19 on his book Judaism, Physics and God – Searching for Sacred Metaphors in a post Einstein World. See elsewhere in the Bulletin for more information -- it should be fascinating. Rabbi James Prosnit |
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Note: Copies of this book will be available during Rabbi Nelson's visit! |
|
|
||
The New Ark at B’nai Israel |
||
If you haven’t been in our sanctuary lately, you’ll want to stop by (preferably during a Shabbat Service) to look at the incredible new Aron Kodesh/Holy Ark. Its installation last month celebrated the completion of one of the final stages in the Vision Campaign for the future of B’nai Israel. As you’ll see, the design of our new Ark connects us to our distant and recent past, as well as to our future. Represented in the glass work are images of the original B’nai Israel -- those twelve sons of Jacob who we read about in the Torah. On his death bed Jacob (or Israel - as his name had been changed) blesses each of his sons. In many cases the wording of those blessings found at the end of the Book of Genesis in chapter 49, led to the iconography commonly associated with the tribes of Israel. Representations of those icons have been etched into the glass of the new Ark. If the images in the glass seem familiar, however, one only has to remember the original Ark curtain that decorated the sanctuary in the early years of this building. Designed by the artist Robert Pinart in 1958, the symbols of each tribe were woven into the magnificent tapestry that now hangs preserved in the Temple lobby. The current Ark designer, Ascalon studios at the recommendation of our Ark design committee utilized those images in fashioning the current glass doors and you’ll be able to note the symbols of each tribe: Left door: Joseph (sun, stars & cloak) Gen: 37:3-11 |
cccc |
Many creative heads and hands joined with the significant generosity of one congregational family and the support of several others to make this new Ark possible. We are most appreciative of their collective efforts. Images from the past and a gift from the present that will long be appreciated by the future. Rabbi James Prosnit |
Right door: Dan (snake) Gen. 49:16 -18 |
||
 |
||
In the triangle above the doors shines our ner tamid/ eternal light. Emanating from the letter “shin,” (a symbol of Shaddai, one of God’s holy names) the image of God’s presence glows in our midst and connects us to the injunction in Exodus 27:20 -- to kindle an eternal light outside the curtain that covers the Ark of the Covenant. THE BLESSINGS OF A TEMPLE FRIENDSHIP
Dear Rabbi Prosnit,
Fifty years ago, my dear lifelong friend and I met at Congregation B’nai Israel in the 2nd grade Sunday school glass. We were eight years old. We each remember that day vividly…I have moved back to the United States from a few years of living in Canada during the middle of the school year. My friend was asked to greet me and help me on my first day. We instantly become childhood friends. Though we lived in different towns and attended different schools, the Park Avenue Temple was our bond…and continued through our Confirmation in 1963.
My friend moved from Connecticut to Florida with her family as a teen and we lost touch for some time. We reunited when I saw her marriage announcement in the local newspaper in the early 1970s and called her to wish her well. Since that time, we and our families have developed, maintained and cherished strong ties. My friend is godmother to my 26 year old daughter. My friend, Barbara Leavitt Kay, lives in California…I remained in Connecticut.
Both of our families, the Masniks (my grandparents with whom I lived) and the Leavitts (her parents) are buried in the original Temple cemetery…we each “stop by” the gravesites of both families to pay our respects when we are there.
Although I live in Stamford, because of my strong ties to the Temple, both of my children (26 and 30 years old respectively) were named at Park Avenue Temple. Two years ago, my husband and I visited the Temple the day of our 35th wedding anniversary and posed for a photo in front of the ark as we had done on our wedding day…you snapped the photo!
Barbara Kay, my dear friend, and I are celebrating 50years of friendship this fall by sharing a visit on the east coast. We would like to attend Friday night services at the Temple on October 13th to commemorate where our lifelong friendship began…we would be honored if you would bless us that evening. Would that be a possibility? It would be so meaningful to us.
I look forward to hearing from you regarding this request.
With thanks,
Susan Ginsberg Harinstein
From former student (confirmand and Bar Mitzvah) Josh Linden -now serving as Air Force navigator based in Kuwait, transporting goods to Afghanistan and Iraq
… I'll tell you some of my recent experiences here. Some of my crew has been sick lately so we had to stay grounded for the last several days. It is a very boring thing to be confined to a place that is the size of Cornell's West Campus without being allowed out. Most people here resort to what most people at home resort to, watching TV and playing video games. For me that fun lasted about two weeks. Now I spend most of my time reading and studying at the library here on base which is about the size of your family room. Nonetheless they have some good books and I have taken it upon myself to educate myself on things I missed out on in college. Right now I am reading a book on world religions.
|
gggg | It is a survey of the major world religions and has definitely filled in some missing pieces like the difference between the major sects of Christianity, what Islam is all about and even Deism. Did you know America's first three presidents where self professed Deist’s? It’s a pretty good book, if not a little too shallow in the depth for what it makes up for in breadth. It has gotten warm here lately going up to the low 90s and soon I can feel it will be much hotter. I try to confine my running to the night time and workout in the gym where it is cool during the day. I also started to see what else I can do here and found a lay-led Shabbat service on Friday nights. I wasn't flying last Friday and went. It was led by a Army Sergeant Major (enlisted, the equivalent of an Air Force Chief Master Sergeant, or the Navy's Master Chiefs). There were five of us there who broke bread together and we had real Challah (imported of course) and it was nice to be there. I was the only officer but rumor has it the Colonel who runs the entire place is a Jew though he was not in attendance...sweet. We even had wine (even though alcohol is forbidden on base). I still drank grape juice because I had to fly the next day. We said all the traditional prayers plus some for Armed Service members which is in our prayer book (An armed forces version of Gates of Prayer...cool). The other guys were mostly from the East Coast, NJ and Delaware. I was happy to be there and I plan on going when I can. I also plan to study more about Judaism...now that I have the time to read I might study more, perhaps Talmud, perhaps more accounts on the state of Modern Judaism in the world...we will see. I do know that no matter what form of Judaism you believe in life as a Jew is about living the life of Torah, about living the life of the Torah's teachings and in no small way is your volunteering part of that. Well now that my Pilot is healthy again its back to the regular grind. Hopefully I will stay the course and keep studying as I am instead of my brain turning slowly to mush. I think I might start an online masters in the next 6 months...after all who can complain about free education even if it is an online masters the Air Force will pay $250 a credit. That deserves some thought. What do you think? Hope the weather is nicer in Naples, take care, drink a beer for me Josh |
