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Traditional Congregation of Creve Coeur |
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Meet Rabbi Seth Gordon |
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Shalom. Welcome to the website of Traditional Congregation. I invite you to visit Traditional and to speak with me personally and with members of our outstanding congregation. Although I arrived in St Louis only in mid-July of 2007, Traditional has already made an indelible impression on me. Let me introduce myself. I have been a pulpit rabbi for 25 years – 15 in Bethpage, Long Island (New York) and the five years prior in Annapolis, Maryland. My wife, Marian, and I were both raised in New Jersey and are graduates of Rutgers University. In 1987 I earned my first rabbinical degree and my studies included several years in New York and Jerusalem. In 1998 I earned a second s’michah (rabbinic ordination) from Rav David Weiss Halivni and the ITJ (Institute of Traditional Judaism). The ITJ is the academic institution of the UTJ (Union of Traditional Judaism). Our motto, an excellent and real expression of who we are and what we stand for, is “genuine faith with intellectual integrity.” We are faithful to God, Torah teachings, the authority of halachah (Jewish law), and yet we engage with modern scholarship to better understand the requirements, meaning, and latitudes and limits, of our religious tradition and to learn about the Jewish people in their societies. As an expression of that religious tradition we are responsible to God, to each other, to the people of the world, and to our environment. As an expression of my religious faith, no single institution or movement has any ultimate claim upon me; I am proud to have learned from Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform rabbis, teachers, and educators. However, I live and teach what might be best expressed as modern orthodoxy (small “o”). To better explain my orientation, my ideal model, for his intellectual openness and approach, for his firm but limited approach to halachah, and for his unwavering commitment to God and the Jewish people and to others (he was a highly-regarded physician), is the Rambam (Maimonides). I have served in mechitzah and mixed-seating congregations; Traditional has both mechitzah and non-mechitzah sections. My five children (19-10 years old) attend modern orthodox day schools. I have led USY on Wheels (in the late 70’s and 80’s) and more recently I taught Torah / Bible at Solomon Shechter High School on Long Island. I have been on the Executive Board of the UTJ and ITJ, and have served on medical ethics committees. Finally, I have worked with communities to promote cooperation among Jews and non-Jews – founding the Aleph-Bet Jewish Day School in Annapolis in 1989 (Orthodox-Conservative-Reform) and the African-American Jewish Coalition of Anne Arundel County (Annapolis 1988), guiding the Long Island Institute of Adult Jewish Studies, and working to bring rabbis of different outlooks to cooperate together in Annapolis and Long Island. Although we are new to the Midwest, we are excited by our congregation and by the opportunities that God has given us. I hope you will visit us and will become involved religiously and communally. Our congregation, including my wife Marian and I, pledge that we will help you and your family fulfill to the best of your ability the role that God has for you. You will undoubtedly find Traditional Congregation a unique, warm, welcoming, and purposeful congregation dedicated to the ideals and teachings of Torah. We look forward to meeting you. From the desk of Rabbi Gordon …“And furthermore, my son, be careful; of the making of books, there is no end …” (Kohelet 10:12) This is among the concluding post-scripts of the biblical Kohelet (Ecclesiastes), an engaging work of philosophical wisdom applicable to his generation and no less so to ours. The p’shat (contextual intent of the Biblical verse) is about reading. Kohelet offers a simple, but oft-forgotten, lesson: It is not the quantity of what we read, but the quality. Like food, there is the nutritious kind, and, well, the other kind. Moreover, while general knowledge, professional knowledge, and wisdom learned from science and from other cultures is valuable, if there is to be a Jewish people and we are to play our full part in it, Torah wisdom and knowledge of the Jewish people must remain primary. Jewish homes are often filled with books. Although technology has influenced our educational and entertainment choices, books still hold a dear place in our hearts. I would like to propose that we take a second glance at our homes and see whether they display prominently a Jewish library – as a symbol, as an invitation to ourselves and others to read about ourselves, and as a tangible accessible source when we are ready to read. The primary book of the Jewish people is the Tanach (Bible). My choice is the JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh. This translation is readable and easy on the eyes, and, brings the best of modern scholarship. The traditional Hebrew text offers opportunities, and exudes gravitas. The most popular Jewish book, that is, the one used most frequently, is a siddur (prayerbook). Although no single siddur is completely to my liking, the ArtScroll siddur has the advantage of providing virtually everything you need including excellent directions. There are numerous Jewish history books, and almost every general Jewish history has the title of “A History of the Jewish People,” or something similar. My preferred work, by Paul Johnson, is a college-level survey, written by a non-Jew, who offers understanding, warmth, and critical and intelligent insights. As knowledge of Jewish history increases and deepens, Johnson’s points of view may not always persuade, but it is an excellent, serious book of general Jewish history. As a practical guide to religious practice, I recommend “A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice,” by Rabbi Isaac Klein. I do not necessarily agree with all of his conclusions, but Rabbi Klein was a Traditional rabbi (his daughter, Miriam Klein Shapiro zt”l, was a former UTJ president and highly-regarded teacher) and his work is organized, cites sources, both traditional and modern, and is useful both for practical guidance and as an entré to serious study. Finally, a readable mini-encyclopedia, written by another modern-Traditional Orthodox rabbi, is “Jewish Literacy” by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin. Whether it is a short synopsis of Torah narratives, brief entries on Jewish history, concise explanations of Jewish religious teachings, and much, much more, you will find them here, along with recommended readings if you choose to take it another step forward. Of course, space limitations make a more comprehensive list not yet possible. Perhaps next summer, perhaps sooner. But imagine if the homes of the members of Traditional all had a basic common library! We would project an anchored direction of Traditional Jewish life, increase the quality of our Jewish knowledge and wisdom, and strengthen the ties that we have to one another as a congregation. (By the way – here’s a money saving tip – see what you get for reading all the way to the end -- www.bestwebbuys.com is a great place for comparative book shopping—check it out.) Commenting on Yehoshua b Perachia’s words of wisdom: “get yourself a teacher / rabbi and acquire for yourself a friend,” (Avot 1:6) Rashi remarks that friends are books. Again, although Rashi’s comment is not the p’shat, his lesson is valuable. Enjoy life, come worship with us, and make some new friends. Click here to return to Home Page
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