March 14, 2009
Gal’s 16 year old brother, Ori, led off the family presentations after Gal delivered his devar. Ori began with brief remarks and then, in a lovely voice, accompanying himself on the guitar, he sang a heart-warming Israeli song encouraging his younger brother not to worry, that everything would work out.
Lee Perlman has served on the board of Beit Daniel, so he was able to provide some insights on its mission. Lee emphasized that the head rabbi, Meir Azari, leads by charisma, that he has defined the mission for now. That mission seems to be to provide a place for people to experience their Judaism in ways that suit their personal needs. His goal is not primarily to build a community based at Beit Daniel, but to offer in Lee’s term “sparks.” This explains why there is a Beit Daniel Center nearby in Jaffa. The idea is to provide another place for people to experience their Judaism, through a minyan or lectures or a pre-school and etc.. This also explains why I see different kids and different families each week on Shabbat. Families choose to provide a bar or bat mitzvah for their children and Beit Daniel accommodates them, providing that “spark,” but not building a community of Beit Daniel families. If some become members, that’s great, but if they do not, they have taken a Jewish ritual and made it meaningful.
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