Posted on January 10, 2025 by Rabbi David Katz
The L.A. fires, the faith of Jimmy Carter, voting for a new rabbi and moving to a new community…the common theme I see is dislocation and grounding.
The L.A. fires…
I lived in Los Angeles from 1976-1979 when I was a student at Hebrew Union College. Los Angeles was foreign to me. I felt like Woody Allen, a New Yorker (or, at least, an Easterner,) who was a stranger in a strange land. So many in L.A. had come from somewhere else and now the sun and sand brought them together. When I watch the fires ravishing neighborhoods in Los Angeles I wonder where the people will go. Where will they put down roots again? How will they maintain memories of their past when their scrapbooks have burned to ashes? Rich and poor alike – so many are without houses to call a home.
The funeral of President Carter…
Yesterday I watched Jimmy Carter’s funeral and was struck by common themes in the eulogies that were delivered… his humility, his character, his goodness, and most often cited, his faith. Jimmy Carter was a man of deep religious faith. He had lived in a Governor’s mansion and in the White House but he most enjoyed his modest house in Plains, Georgia. The trappings of power were secondary to him; what was most important was helping people. He strengthened civil rights and brought people and nations together – these were the badges of honor he prized. More than one speaker at President Carter’s funeral described his coming home to the heaven he so richly deserved. And everyone who listened was reminded that grounding oneself in faith has its advantages: no stone monument or physical boundary can confine or constrain a person when God is the Rock. Jimmy Carter, even in death, could never lose his place.
On the move as an Interim Rabbi…
In the last 14 years I have served 11 congregations as their Interim Rabbi. People ask me, “How can you move so often?” “Isn’t it hard?” And I answer, “Well, procuring a position and physically moving can be stressful but once I’m situated, the work is very rewarding.” Nancy and I used to own a home; now we don’t. We are centered in family, work, and for me, in ancient texts and God – a God who is everywhere all the time. Our dwelling place is the entire universe, so we are always home.
There’s no use asking us: “Where are you going next?” We won’t decide for a while and I’ll share our future plans with everyone, all at once, in a message. For now, I am celebrating the selection of a new, long-term rabbi for Temple Beth-El! Sunday will be a great day!
And later, I’ll give the new Rabbi many good tips on how to re-locate with joy.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi David Katz
How to help those affected by the wildfires in California:
