Meet our Rabbi
Rabbi
Steven Garten arrived in Ottawa from Los Angeles in the summer of 1995.
He has had the pleasure of teaching, story telling and leading Tefilot since
then.
Rabbi Garten has been overseeing the direction and curriculum of the Religious school since 2007. The expansion of the Temples commitment to Tzedakah projects, interreligious dialogue, programming which strengthens the relationship between Temple members and the State of Israel bring him great joy. In addition the ongoing commitment of members to Jewish study, either through traditional Jewish texts or modern Jewish literature is a source of great Nachos.
This sacred community is one which has helped the Rabbi continue his journey to greater belief and understanding of the Divine experience in our lives. All the members of Temple have helped along this path. Rabbi Garten teaches widely in the community and is active in Ottawa's interfaith dialogues. He has led many congregational trips to Israel and travels to Eretz Yisrael as often as possible. Rabbi Garten was born in New York City but has lived in canada for over thirty years. He is married and is the father of two University graduates, both of whom celebrated B'nai Mitzvah at Temple Israel and served as president of FROSTY.He is an avid player of the game of golf hoping one day to become a golfer.
A View from the Pulpit
You may be aware that I will be using the months of January and February as a mini-sabbatical. It will be a period that will enable me to visit Israel, study at Ottawa U, do some writing and recharge my personal and rabbinic batteries. Under the guidance of our Ritual Chair, John Cox, ably assisted by Hal Burnham, Barbara Okun and Larry Tarof, tefilot will continue on Shabbat and week days. Under the direction of our Adult Education Committee, Barbara Fradkin and Margot Montgomery, adult study opportunities will continue. TIRS will continue to provide wonderful Jewish learning experiences under the supervision of Morah Penny Giaccone and Dina Schneider. In case of tragedy I will always be available if I am North America. We are a sacred community which has developed outstanding leadership and committed Jews. I am so thrilled by what we can accomplish when provided with opportunities.
Recently I attended the URJ Biennial in Washington, DC. It is always an exciting and rewarding experience. 6000 Jews from North America, Israel, Europe and even South America joined in prayer on Erev Shabbat using melodies similar to ours and a worship service almost identical to ours. Here in Ottawa we are a lone voice for worship that embraces musical instruments and congregational singing. I was not alone in DC. On Shabbat morning the service was highlighted by three aliyot, not seven. There was English used in the service and not everyone was letter perfect in their Hebrew reading or chanting, just like us. But the spirit in the room was exhilarating and the warm participatory worship was a reminder that we at Temple are not alone on the island called Reform Judaism. Oh yes there were nearly four hundred young people from NFTY groups in attendance, and just like at Temple they spent most of the Shabbat morning sermon in the hallway with their friends.
There were many other similarities available to the discerning eye. But what caught my attention was the theme that dominated all the major presentations. Every thoughtful scholar or congregational Rabbi charged the assembled Jews to consider three major questions.
First: Does your Temple exist in both word and deed to preserve itself or the future of the Jewish people? Do your policies and practices manifest concern for the institution, its loyalty and financial well-being or do they serve to engage Jews. These are not necessarily polar opposites but it was certainly suggested that in most congregations they are not well integrated. More importantly, it was suggested not openly considered.
Second: Do we foster love for Israel as it exists or only as we hope it will be? The policies of the government of Israel are no more the essence of the state of Israel than the policies of Stephen Harper or Jean Chretien are the essence of Canada. A recent speaker at temple quoted Mark Twain: “My country right or wrong; if it be right keep it right. If it be wrong set it right.” So too with Israel our country right or wrong; if it be right keep it right. If it be wrong set it right. We can only do that if we commit to love Israel and foster real love of Israel in our children and others. Does our congregation do that?
Third: Is my congregation the most compelling Jewish community I can imagine? Speaker after speaker indicated that this was not a question that belonged solely to the Rabbi(s), the clergy, the educators, the programme director, the full time youth director, the nursery school director (we seem to be a few hands short here), but regardless of congregational size the question belonged to all who would care about the future of Judaism. Speaker after speaker asked participants to consider their congregation and ask: “What is good, what is broken and what could be outstanding? To answer these questions congregations had to be clear about their values and their intentions. Few suggested long, involved, overly bureaucratic processes. Few suggested long convoluted visioning sessions. What they did suggest is the creation of value statements, like ours, and a reaffirmation of those values through programme analysis and evaluation of the policies that either support or inhibit the expression of our values.
I was moved by these questions because they seem to speak directly to us. The issue of intermarriage, the role of the non-Jewish spouse, the review of educational direction and leadership, the soulfulness of worship, these are our questions and they will not be answered by new policies or constitutional amendments. They will be properly responded to by an affirmation of our values and that will lead us to be the sacred community we want to be.
I love questions such as these. They prod and prick and excite me to new thoughts and directions. They motivate me to search for means to keep us fresh and faithful. They invite me to search out that which nourishes the soul and the mind. They provoke me to probe the depths of belief and practice. I hope that while some at Temple lovingly consider where our new physical facility will be and what it will look like, others will join with me to consider what the essence of our sacred community is and will be in the next decade.
See you in March! Lisa joins me in wishing you and your family and happy and healthy secular New Year.
