Rabbi Charles Sherman observed, “Kesher is the Hebrew word for connection. Albeit the Syracuse Jewish community is somewhat small, but we live in a culture of physical and emotional distance. We are too frequently callous to our neighbor’s needs and requirements.”
Some years ago Temple Adath Yeshurun created a Kesher Initiative. It was the result of the hard work and diligence of Dr. Stephen and Marsha Rothenberg. Marsha’s sister Phyllissa relatively young had passed away of an insidious disease. She was wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. Phyllissa was living in a suburb of Atlanta. During the many months of her illness her temple community responded generously and graciously to help the family meet the many challenges of illness. It was then out of love the Rothenberg and Kamp families acted on the Jewish mandate of Chesed and kindness.
In creating the renewed Temple Adath Kesher Initiative, Chaim Jaffe, President of Temple Adath said, “Lisa Joseph, a new Temple Adath member, has accepted to be chair of this most important Temple Adath and community effort." According to Rabbi Sherman, the committee's mandate acts on the Talmudic principle,“to save one life is to save the entire world." Lisa Joseph remarked, “Chesed is all about Temple Adath helping save or sustain each other in ways large and small. It’s easy. What we will be asking is for Temple members and non-members who are interested to commit a small amount of their time to heed the call when someone in our community is in trouble or could simply use a helping hand. It may be running an errand for someone who is sick, or stuck at home, or providing a ride to a doctor’s appointment to an elderly temple member no longer able to drive. Or cooking and delivering a meal when a family is sitting Shiva. Or dealing with the challenge of illness. Or visiting someone in the hospital who could use some cheering up. Or giving someone a ride to Shabbat services, or helping to make a life cycle celebration such as a birth even more special. If you have a flexible schedule or a little extra time on your hands, the Kesher initiative needs you.
Rabbi Charles Sherman commented, “In Jewish tradition we sometimes introduce a good deed with a question, a bit ambiguous but understood, “Would you like to do a Mitzva? Of course, everybody would like to do a Mitzvah, especially one that makes the world a better place and resonates within our own community.”
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