If I am Not for Myself

One of my twelve initiatives for this half of the calendar year has been to read or listen to three books, a self-driven task brought to completion a few days back when I concluded Herman Wouk's The Hope, an historical about the early conflicts of Eretz Yisrael that brought the relative security that we have had the past forty or so years.  Unlike Torah, where you read again what you just finished, my custom has been to read something else, typically something that I cite from time to time but never actually read.  So I went to the public library and extracted from the shelf Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone which I started reading last evening.

From the onset, book now in its Chai anniversary since publication, has evoked some divided opinion, but basically he traces the decline of people banding together either to solidify common interests in an exclusionary way or to broaden common interests in an inclusive way.  Having just returned from Venice which has basically a skeletal Jewish presence but preserved synagogues and museums, I quipped to our Rabbi that our shul is like that, nice building about to be sold to a church leaving us essentially homeless, but mostly schvok on people.  We are hardly historical so no reason for the curious to scatter through our vacant rooms.  And once we vacate the building, we will have only people and a quick surge in our bank account balance.  This may be the optimal time to look to the future, maybe even hire and independent consultant, and not a Jewish.

For me, one of a few hundred "for me's", it may be time for a break.  I was not at all involved in this process, received no invitations to do anything off the bimah, and for the most part treated more like a spectator than a resource.  There are some things where I like being a spectator.  Football with two teams that I have no reason to root for.  If you root for one you become a communal participant.  The political world.  Even though I vote, it's effect on outcome is minimal.  I've offered my talent and energy to the Democrats from time to time but they are pretty self-absorbed, which may be why they underperform despite an ideology that would bring a better public outcome.

No, the time for a Me Month has come.  No AKSE.  Maybe a bus trip to NYC.  Thanksgiving.  Finish Bowling Alone.