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Rabbi Adler's Notes
Rabbi Elan Adler Rabbi Emeritus The Derech Eretz Show - Israel National Radio VISIT TO BALTIMORE - May 2011 It's been almost a year since I've made aliyah, a coming home after nearly 50 years. In the intervening half-decade since leaving my homeland at the age of six and a half, I've come back to Israel well over 50 times. Now, I'm home for good, and I love it. The least of what I love here in Maale Adumim is a typical day of observing God's many creations. Birds flock to our balcony all morning, while below our balcony there are several herds of goats and sheep that trail near highway 1. Sometimes across the street from our apartment I observe several camels noshing on tips of small trees, this while Arabs with headgear ride donkeys down the street. I never saw this on Hal Circle. I love driving in Jerusalem. Even though some of my fellow drivers would benefit from keeping their eyes open while behind the wheel, I feel I acquire this country by driving on its roads, similar to Avraham Avinu attaining the land of Israel by walking its length and breadth. I love seeing such a wide variety of Jewish people in one place. Nearly every bus, street corner, mall and shopping area has a wide spectrum of Jews that not only represent Am Yisrael, but each one's individuality says "I'm Yisrael." I love the rich Jewish life we have here. Thursday night we went to the Kotel, to see the induction of the newest crop of trainees for Tzanchanim, paratroopers of the Israel Defense Forces. In an impressive and moving ceremony witnessed by army brass and emotional family members, each new recruit got a rifle and a Tanach, and the heartfelt applause and cheers of the thousands who came to give them honor. Friday night we had dinner with close friends who then hosted a Shalom Zachor for their first grandchild, at which I was honored to speak. Shabbat afternoon I gave a shiur on "A Day of Derech Eretz" in the shul in attend, and motzai Shabbat our shul had a Lag B'Omer concert at the high school basketball court with acclaimed singers Shlomo Katz and Chaim Dovid, who played joyously while tons of tots munched on pizza and popsicles. After the music, my wife and I drove around Maale Adumim between 1 and 2 am to see how Maale Adumim gets into the spirit of Lag B'Omer, and 60 bonfires later, we called it a night. On Sunday morning, I drove to Kever Rachel, a 25 minute drive from Maale Adumim. When I look out our balcony, on a clear day I can see Mount Scopus and know exactly where the Holy Temples stood. I can also see the exact beginning of the Judean desert, and Jericho in the distance. When I step out of my apartment into the street, I see the mountains of Jordan and the range of Nevo, from where Moses peered into the land prior to his passing. Walking to shul, I can see the Dead Sea in the distance. There is hardly a view that isn't simply incredible. Some may be asking, so, Rabbi Adler, what have you been doing since you made aliyah? How have you occupied your time? Well, I'm not the Rabbi of a shul. Israel needs a shul Rabbi like President Obama needs another birth investigation. I have taught at Lander Institute and the OU Center in Jerusalem, given shiurim on various levels in Maale Adumim, officiated at Bnei Miztvah at the Kotel and other life cycle events, launched a website ( elanadler.com), am blogging for the Jerusalem Post ( jpost.com), have become active with the RCA Rabbis in Israel, and hosting a weekly radio show for Arutz Sheva (israelnationalradio.com) called "The Derech Eretz Hour with Rabbi Elan Adler." On this show, I teach lessons about derech eretz, evaluate the news in light of derech eretz, and share experiences such as my shiva visit to the Fogel family after the brutal murder in Itamar and my shiva visit to President Shimon Peres. I teach and learn with others. I am happy to officiate for Baltimore families who have simchas in Eretz Yisrael (elanadler.com). I am proud of my wife, Dr. Rivkah Lambert Adler, and our daughters, Ariella and Shani Caplan, as we have all been there for each other ever since we arrived last July. What I am most excited about is a chance to build up and strengthen Maale Adumim in a very concrete way, literally. My shul has asked me to build them a building. For nearly 15 years, Nachalat Yehuda has been a growing shul of English speaking residents and olim. 80 families now belong, with lots of kids every Shabbat and Yom Tov. We are All-Carlebach-all-the-time. All our children fight in the IDF or serve in Sherut Leumi. Our membership includes doctors, lawyers, journalists, teachers, homemakers, opera singers, media personalities and publishers. We have been rated the most joyous and exuberant davening in Maale Adumim, enjoyed by our chief Rabbi who has conspicuously come more and more often. But we have no building. We keep renting space after space, with no place to call our own. The name Nachalat Yehuda appears nowhere in the community because we have no home. And Yehuda, a son of the current President and his wife who, as a high school senior went to sleep and never woke up, has no holy place in which his memory can finally rest. I went to school in Providence with the President of Nachalat Yehuda nearly 40 years ago, and we only reconnected in Maale Adumim. His son's tragedy touched me, and the desire of the congregation to have a building for the future moved me to accept the challenge of raising the money for Nachalat Yehuda. With a permanent building, we and Maale Adumim will attract many English speaking families making aliyah. Our modest youth programs will expand, our Torah learning and speakers will make us a center for English Torah study in the region, and a new building in Maale Adumim will help make our community an undeniable and irrevocable part of Eretz Yisrael. I will be in Baltimore from Thursday, May 26-29, God willing, and would be delighted to see friends and supporters at Goldbergs Bagels on Thursday night from 6-8 pm at a special event. I will also be thrilled to be back on the bimah at Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah for Shabbat. "Dr. Aliyah" and the Rabbi Practice What They Preach - Av 9, 5770, 20 July 2010 (Click here for Adobe PDF file of complete article.) 
FAREWELL SHABBAT SERMON - June 26, 2010 (Click here for Adobe PDF file of complete message.)
FINAL MINYANAIRE'S BREAKFAST WITH RABBI ADLER - JULY 2, 2010  |
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