Rabbi's Desk

Last week, when the Chagim were over, I felt like I needed to get away for a few days. My sister, Adrienne, and I went down to New Orleans to relax and listen to some good jazz music. To be honest, I had never thought of visiting but I’m glad we did. While there, we saw the incredible Holocaust memorial sculpture by Yaakov Agam and we visited some beautiful historic synagogues.

The Touro Synagogue in New Orleans (pictures below) is the sixth oldest synagogue in the United States (since 1828) and named after the Touro Synagogue in Newport, RI, the oldest surviving synagogue in the country. Anshei Sfard was founded in 1928 by Hasidim from Lithuania. It was striking that amid the rich and deep culture of New Orleans, jewish life thrived and continues to endure. 

The music heard from almost every establishment was spellbinding and the best place to listen to pure jazz is at Preservation Hall. Situated in the French Quarter, the hall was founded by a Jewish couple, Allan and Sandra Jaffe, in 1961 and is still operated by their son Ben Jaffe (pictured). Preservation Hall is a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve the captivating music and rich culture of New Orleans. Each night, long lines form as people clamor for admission to the musical and spiritual experience.

It was not surprising to me that the Jaffes, a nice Jewish family originally from Mexico City, would dedicate their lives and efforts to such a mission. Jews, generally speaking, are deeply committed to tradition, yet we live very much in the present and keep an eye on the future. Despite our demographic challenges, Jews are regularly at the forefront of efforts to preserve and promote tradition in order to keep it alive and relevant in the present.

In that vein, I am proud of the Jaffes for perpetuating the town’s culture and sharing its history with new generations. They found the perfect balance between modern relevancy and refusal to compromise the ideals for which they stand. 

I suppose that is why I enjoyed our visit so much. Culture and tradition is revered as paramount and all of New Orleans’ diversity of traditions, beliefs, food (seriously lacking kosher options), music, and people are magnified and celebrated.

The Jewish way of life calls for respect for our ancient observances and the need to adapt them to contemporary life. We often discuss assimilation in negative terms - and it is, when it means the dilution or dissolution of religious belief and practice. But assimilation can also be positive. The difficulty and the beauty of living as a Jew means receptively embracing cultures and ideas that differ from ours, learning from all people, and fervently preserving and promoting the integrity of our heritage.

Shabbat Shalom, 

Rabbi Suson