Two Minute Torah Podcast

Shoftim 5769 by Frank and Sari ELisSA Kreutzer

Frank: Shalom, my name is Frank Kreutzer & I am chair of the magnificent Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center & Israel Operations for United Synagogue.

Sari: AND Shalom, my name is Sari ELisSA Kreutzer & I am Grandpa Frank's only Granddaughter & my Bat Mitzvah is this Saturday.

Sari: We welcome you to KOACH's Two-Minute Torah--time us: a project of the College Department of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

Frank: Parashat Shoftim in Deuteronomy, Chapter 18, Verse 13, instructs us as follows: "You must be TAMIM with the Lord your God." The United Synagogue's Chumash, Etz Chaim translates TAMIM as " wholehearted", and defines it as "Undivided in your loyalty". Seems EASY. .

Sari: In reading Rabbi Bradley Artson's meaningful book, THE EVERYDAY TORAH , which Grandpa Frank gave me, I learned that he extends being 'tamim" to a different way of looking at our fellow human beings. We should not be judgmental of others. We should accept them as they are. Every Jew is part of the Jewish whole, so each Jew must be respected and cherished.

Frank: And I, was impressed with Rabbi Artson's literary and homiletic skills when he wrote: "...we had better make room for the Jew next to us--the one whose politics/lifestyle/observance/faith/disability/orientation makes you squirm a bit. To be holy, we must be whole."

Sari: And I think teenagers and young adults of today look at other people more openly and less judgmental then do our parents & grandparents, so we find it easier to be 'tamim'.

Frank: Sari and I agree that as caring, concerned, committed Conservative Jews we MUST reach out to ALL our fellow Jews and bring them into our Conservative Movement tent and that is our joint message to you

Sari: Shabbat shalom to all of you listening and ask Grandpa Frank if I did good at my bat mitzvah.