By Eileen Wingard
LA JOLLA, California — Rabbi Baruch Rock, the newly appointed head of Judaic Studies at the San Diego Jewish Academy and the current rabbi of Congregation Orot Hacarmel, was the first featured reader at the March 31 Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices evening in the Astor Judaica Library. This was an evening devoted to the poetry of Jewish educators.
Rabbi Rock’s background includes a BA in History and Journalism from NYU, ten years in Israel, earning an MA in Desert Studies from Ben Gurion University of the Negev, and rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Shlomo Riskin and Rabbi Shuki Reich. He is presently working on a doctorate in Sustainability Education from Prescott College in Arizona. His deep interests in Judaism and in the environment inspire his poetry.
Dr. Zev Bar-Lev, Professor Emeritus in Linguistics and Hebrew from San Diego State University, was the only poet to be featured a second time during the seven-year series of Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices. The first time, he read his Hebrew poetry. This time, he read selections from his English poems. Professor Bar-Lev received his BA degree from Columbia College in Russian Literature, his MA from Cornell in Slavic Linguistics and his PhD. from Indiana University in General Slavic and Mathematical Linguistics. From 1972-78, he was a lecturer at Ben Gurion University, Israel, teaching English Linguistics. His poem, which follows, was inspired by an evening with an English-speaking group of friends while in Israel.
Dr. Lawrence Baron, Professor Emeritus of Modern Jewish History at San Diego State University, received his PhD in Modern European Culture and Intellectual History from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. From 1988-2006, he was the Director of the Lipinsky Institute for Judaic Studies at SDSU, occupying the Nasitir Chair. One of his major focuses of interest has been the depiction of Jews in film. He is considered a leading thinker on the Holocaust and in 2006, he delivered the keynote address at Yad Vashem on Hollywood and the Holocaust. For many of his lectures, he has composed clever songs to preface his talks. He is a fellow columnist for San Diego Jewish World.
Below are the lyrics to a song about immigrants.
The Call of the Shofar by Rabbi Baruch Rock
To ask
what is the call of the shofar
is to ask
for what does the soul weep
silent tears
to ask
what is the cry of the shofar
is to ask again
for what does the soul
weep silent tears
and it is for this that it does so:
joy that was lost
joy that was regained
spiritual vision
dimmed by the bodily life of this world
that promises nothing
and reclaims all
the soul weeps silent tears for
the beauty of its having been created
by the Master hand
and it cries for not believing that that hand
recreates the soul from moment to moment
and carries it through all of its life in this world
the soul weeps for the light
of the hope of a perfected world
and for the shame it feels for not living and working
to make that world a reality
the soul weeps for the glorious creations of the mind’s ingenuity
and then for believing so much in the reality of this world
that it has forgotten the inner world of the soul’s self
it weeps for this and so much more
so, so much more
for tears that cannot be cried
for hurt that seems not to heal
for death that conceals
for life that does not live
for fear that consumes all
for hate that blinds
for monotonous life
for life that lives
for death that reveals
for hurt that heals
for the awe of existence
for love that sees
for courage that guides
and then, perhaps suddenly, unforeseen, by chance
the water of the soul
the soul’s water
the tears
are moist upon the cheek
and you realize that soul’s silent tears
are not so silent at all
for the voice of the soul, your soul, is also the voice
of the soul of the world
and that voice will be heard
when it will choose to be heard
and at that time
the call of the shofar
the cry of the shofar
will be one
and heard by all
for the cry of the shofar
for the call of the shofar
is the cry and the call of
your soul, the soul of the world
the cry for a life worth living
the call for redemption
and the eternal freedom
that lies within its grasp
if it would but seize it.
An English Evening in Israel by Zev Bar-Lev
| An English Evening | his five-footed verse | |
| so nice and pleasing | in so clear a voice | |
| if slightly colonial. | you could hear the rhymes | |
| The Jew in us all | at the ends of lines | |
| —who comes late moving | — this Jew in us all | |
| chairs and yawning | was under control, | |
| interrupts with | his eyes on the bird | |
| questions while somewhat | that oddly appeared | |
| on the topic | kept flying around and | |
| are really improper | hitting windows | |
| disturb and leaves before | and walls, failing | |
| dropping applause | to flee and with flailing | |
| to round out the time | wings tried to land | |
| that everyone had, | but fell until she found | |
| respectfully silent | the open door and in | |
| as the poet recited | walked Mrs. Klein.
|
1973
The Immigration Song (Melody: A Whiter Shade of Pale) by Lawrence Baron
We sailed here in steerage.
On a long and crowded ride
Passed the lady in the harbor
Fearing we’d be denied .
Disembarked at Ellis Island.
Where our names were often changed.
Shuttled to an East side slum.
Being greenhorns seemed so strange.
We were a darker shade of pale
In our new adopted land.
Slaving in the sweatshops
Our unions took a stand.
Racial boundaries were redrawn
Around blacks and Asians.
But even Europe’s ethnics
Were not deemed Caucasians.
And it was somewhat later
That Congress stopped the flow
Restricting who could come here.
For some yes, others no.
They claimed there was a reason
But the truth was plain to see.
Anglo Saxon Protestants
Guarding racial purity.
We were one of many ethnics
Who embarked onto both coasts.
And we faced discrimination
As the doors began to close.
We were a darker shade of pale
In our new adopted land.
Facing quotas in employment
And in schools throughout the land.
Racial boundaries were redrawn.
Around blacks and Asians.
But even Europe’s ethnics
Were not deemed Caucasians.
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The final Jewish Poets–Jewish Voices evening will take place Tuesday, May 12, 7:00 p.m. and feature poetry of three daughters, read by their mothers. Jaime Finkelstein’s poetry will be read by her mother, Suzi Finkelstein; Valarie Weiss’ poetry will be read by her mother, actress Bryna Weiss, and Harriet Wingard’s poetry will be read by herself and by me, her mother.
*
Wingard is a former violinist with the San Diego Symphony and a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. You may comment to eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com, or post your comment on this website, provided the instructions below are observed.
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