Sermon to sit
The movement's director general, Rabbi Gilad Karib

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Shabbat Shalom to everyone and a happy movement holiday, my friends, the students of the rabbinical program of the Hebrew Union College and Rabbi Ofek Meir, the head of the program - thank you for receiving a wonderful and uplifting Shabbat. Many Dalia Marks and Alona Lisitsia, and all the members of the Siddur Committee of the Council of Advanced Rabbis - thank you for the first gift we have in our hands - an exciting first chapter of the Siddur that is forming - a symbol and expression of the life of our movement. 

As you know, one of the prominent roles of the movement's director general is the constant mobilization of resources, which is why in recent hours I have conducted a round of interventions with many conference participants on the question of whether I will meet the tight schedule devoted to Torah talk or not. For my failures, I certainly intend to make available to the movement a very handsome sum to cover the expenses of the conference.

Dear Friends,

Two Saturdays ago, I had the privilege of saying goodbye to the late Rabbi Reuven Samuels at his home in Ein Hod. I told him about the upcoming conference and our anticipation of more than 1,200 participants. Additional, in 1965, and which was also held on Saturday evening and during it. The headline states that the conference "will stand as a sign of clarification on the path of progressive Judaism in Israel in the form of keynote lectures and a general debate with the participation of members." After he finished dealing with the first conference, asked his bride, a lot of Ayala Samuels, whose community, the prayer of man in Caesarea, we received today officially for our movement, to remind him, if he can stand his power, to talk with Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai about the need to build a reform high school in the city. For me, this last meeting with Rabbi Samuels, a grant from our movement, was a moving and thought-provoking reminder of the wonderful path our movement has taken since the "Genesis" days of six progressive Judaism classes across the country and a few dozen members convening the Basic Conference to this day; And no less so for the long road that still remains before us.

This Shabbat we sign the Pentateuch and Leviticus in the recitation of the Parshas "Bachukoti" known in the Midrash as the "Parshas Hachucha". At the beginning - a few verses of blessing, and a continuation in a long, varied and terribly creative line of curses, rebukes and threats. Lovers of gematria and letter games between commentators have of course found a way to suggest that the number of blessings actually exceeds the number of curses, but for those who wish to read the Bible literally, there are actually two options left. One to locate in the affair the unfortunate and familiar truth that "it is difficult to build" and "much easier to destroy"; The second, also true, but of the more challenging kind, suggests that more than once the power of little light to dispel great darkness, and that if the few blessings are utilized in the right way and out of faith and hope in their power to overcome a great accumulation of curses.

And perhaps because this possibility, of a little of the light illuminating great darkness, is more challenging and complex than the first truth, our affair is sealed in the laws of values. An ancient legal system that allows a person to commit to a contribution to the needs of the sacred that stands against the value of his own life or the value of the life of others. And if we ignore for a moment the gender inequality that characterizes the verses of the mitzvah, which distinguish between the value of a man and the value of a woman, then the affair of the "value vow" deals with man's symbolic obligation to give his soul, to commit himself Identified by him as holy, sublime and proper. It is not easy to overcome the multiplicity of curses, with a little blessing, but where the bearers of that blessing are willing to carry it with devotion, to mobilize the mental and physical forces for it, to strive for its realization - it is possible. And perhaps there is another hint in this matter. In order to tip the blessing down, one must, the community must, recognize one's self - oneself. Know that they are capable of speaking and that their action has real value and impact. Not to develop heartbreak and a sense of relaxation and satiety, but to know that they have the power to overcome obstacles and overcome the spoon.

These two foci of value law — the willingness to take on the task with all our might, and the deep recognition of the value of our actions — are the secret of the power of our movement and the challenge we face. Building a life movement, establishing a community, cultivating a kindergarten or school, leading a social involvement enterprise or a public and legal struggle are Sisyphean crafts. The relentless confrontation with the hater, the discrimination, the inequality and the obstacles deliberately placed in the way, may lead the individual and the audience to underestimate themselves and their action. The purpose of our gathering here this evening is to affirm the great blessing we bring to Israeli society, especially these days, to encourage us to recognize the great and vital value of our doing, and to remind us that things depend first and foremost on our willingness to continue our mission. 

At this conference we celebrate moments of blessing and success: new communities, educational programs and seminaries, successes in the public arena, the expansion of circles, the abundant musical creation and many other things that should strengthen the sense of value of our common actions; Israeli society needs more than ever the voice of moderate Judaism, loving Israel and loving man wherever he is, loving the land and loving peace; A Judaism committed to equality, inclusion and social justice, a Judaism that loves the old treasures of tradition but is aware that often one has to get old out of new. The great challenges of Israeli society in recent years - there are no better ones to remind us of the value of our work and the reason for their dedication to it. In the same breath, however, we remind ourselves at this conference and on other days also of the great path that still lies ahead, and no less of our need to continue to learn, to examine ourselves, to improve, to acknowledge weaknesses. We turned to the continued momentum of activity and growth in the number of communities, kindergartens, youth movement branches, youth programs and more, but at the same time we are required to find ways to expand the tent, meet new and diverse Israeli audiences, not be indifferent to various processes going through Israeli society. We sometimes sleep from new and do not indulge in familiar and routine. Ask, challenge, challenge, experiment, or in the language of the invitation to the first conference - a "general debate" with the participation of the members. "  Need not fear any of these.

My friends, 

Lag B'Omer is behind us and we are heading towards the Feast of the Firstfruits. The new platform of principles for religion and state relations, published by the Reform Center for Religion and State, dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the publication of Benjamin Zeev Herzl's book: The State of the Jews, three publications. The Israeli family; the synagogue and the arena of community life, and the public arena - the city square, the legislature and the throne. In each of these arenas we have many deeds. In each of them there are many deeds that are still required of us. A constitution of a movement of life, as our movement - to gently and wisely find the way to act in all arenas of our lives, to take action in them, to make a sound and to bring blessing in them.

In two years' time, on the eve of Shabbat Parshat B'Halotach Tisha'ah (June 1, 2018), when we gather for the Shabbat reception of the 23rd conference, we will certainly not cling to the draft but to the complete edition of our new arrangement. The fate of the chapters of Hebrew poetry that appear today in the last chapter of the work arrangement in the heart -  It has not yet been decided. They may find their way to the pages of the new arrangement and may not, for we have already said: "And you ate old and old because of new you will take out." But whether it is precious or not, one song within the collection will continue to be for me a reminder of blessing, commitment, mitzvah and reward.

And so Avraham Shlonsky wrote:

Mighty labors of the doers of the great commandments!

Every moon - aura. And under the influence of stars

The nights peak at the elevated ladder. 

Learn from me the wise,

The hoard the dew beads-beads

To turn them into the top and the deaf, - 

To shoulder the little ones,

To be meticulous in the smallest detail,

And when it comes to travelers to Granot

Refresh: 

How great are your deeds!  

Blessed is the toil of those who do the small commandments!  

Let us not despair of a small day and not be afraid of great deeds. Let us continue to do great commandments and small commandments, and rejoice - how great are your deeds. What we have grown from our actions

And may the grace of our God be upon us, and our work be established upon us, and our work establish it.