Rabbi James Prosnit
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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 and received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity in 2006.
Since 1990 he has also been an adjunct lecturer in the Religious Studies Department at Fairfield University.
Rabbi Prosnit is involved in the rabbinic residency mentoring program for rabbinic students at HUC-JIR and has served as a mentor for the Ignatian Residential College at Fairfield University.
Rabbi Prosnit lives in Fairfield, Connecticut, with his wife and three sons.
Among numerous community activities, Rabbi Prosnit is Past-President of Connecticut Against Gun Violence and serves as vice-chair of Operation Hope, a homeless shelter and social service agency in the Town of Fairfield. He serves on the Inter-religious Affairs Commission and the Commission for Lifelong Learning for the Union for Reform Judaism.
From The Rabbi's Desk |
April 2010 |
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Sacred Occasions at Sacred Times |
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The perspective is that a Monday/Tuesday night seder is just too hard to pull off when family is dispersed. Weekends are more convenient than mid week for this annual bonding of the Jewish people. Isn’t it better to have everyone together than for the table to be half full? The argument continues, one of the tenants of Reform Judaism is that it helps make Judaism possible, not burdensome. Reform Jews have adapted many rituals over the years why not this. On a micro level, I try not to be judgmental. I know the challenges that Americana causes and how mightily families struggle to keep the generations together doing Jewish things. Well meaning folks try their best to make the right choices for themselves and the people they love, timing is secondary. On a macro level, however, I know that the Jewish calendar is one of the most sacred things we’ve got. We need sacred time and sacred space to keep a sense of group identity and people hood. While early reformers in some communities experimented with holding the primary service of the week on Sunday to respond to the reality of living in a non-Jewish milieu, that was clearly one of the reforms that failed. It was just not Jewish to move Shabbat to Sunday. In another example, Brit Milah (religious circumcision) is done on the eighth day, except when there’s a question of the baby’s health. Religious traditions cannot long endure when we consider at every step personal convenience, whether it be of parents, physicians, or hospitals. The 8th day is so core to Brit Milah that it even takes place on Yom Kippur. In one recent group discussion it was suggested that in fact it’s the inconvenience that gives the occasion some of its power. When we move away from the more secular calendar systems that all too regularly guide our lives, and live on Jewish time, we heighten the meaning of the moment and the impact of the ritual. When we make “Shabbos” for ourselves, as the old expression goes, we privatize the experience and move us away from the significance and import of being part of a People. While as Reform Jews we may struggle with the “musts” of Jewish law and tradition – there are some things that are “oughts.” Observing sacred occasions as determined by a time honored sacred calendar is something we “ought” to do. |
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I’ve had a couple of interesting discussions lately about sacred time. Several people have confided that this year they’re getting together to celebrate the Passover seder on either the Sunday before or the Saturday during Passover.
The New Ark at B’nai Israel |
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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 |
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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 |
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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.
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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 |
