“Report from a Conference of Reform Rabbis: Bridges,” Rabbi Elaine Zecher’s Shabbat Awakenings

March 20, 2026 | 2 Nisan 5786

Welcome to Shabbat Awakenings, a weekly reflection as we move toward Shabbat. You can also listen to it as a podcast.

I have been thinking about the symbolic meaning of bridges.

I am just returning from the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the organization of Reform rabbis, which met this week. Though the camaraderie and reunion of our rabbinic classes and dear friends certainly lifted us, the events of the world weighed heavily upon us. How could they not?

Somehow, I felt soothed as I kept thinking about bridges as we discussed the topics of war, violence, antisemitism, the erosion of democracy, and the overwhelming need for security and its constant focus in our professional lives. Without intentionally offending bridges that span our great city of Boston, they are no match for the magnificence of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges that paint the San Francisco skyline.

The symbol of a bridge connects two potentially and vastly different ideas or people and makes the separation on each side accessible to each other. (But, you knew that!) Neither end necessarily changes form, yet it takes effort to cross over to the other side in addition to construct the bridge itself. It is a practice worthy of our attention when toxic disagreement continues to plague us. The idea of bridges struck me particularly in our conversations about antisemitism and what it means to foster relationship with others in the faith community. Our bond with other clergy and civic leaders matters greatly. We learned how helpful and willing the faith communities were in Jackson, Mississippi; Toronto, Ontario in Canada; and most recently in West Bloomfield, Michigan as each Reform synagogue dealt with the horrible and catastrophic violent attacks of their synagogues.

The helpful and healing response of other communities, in addition to other synagogues has been a testimony to how possible it is to reach across and over in service to one another.

The Prophet Isaiah understood the power of bridging that which divides us. When we forgo compassion and ignore those in need, we create chasm and breaches that separate us. He taught, and we read it each Yom Kippur (Isaiah 58), that it is our act of bridging what we are with how we need to be that repairs and bridges breaches and separations between us.

It may feel that we are living within the boundaries we or others set for ourselves. Yet we know that collaboration across boundaries draw us near to one another.

This brings us to this week’s Torah portion that begins the book of Leviticus. Some have wondered why we would continue to elaborate on the details of sacrifices with all its blood and guts splayed on the pages as if it were a manual still in use. If we read it only for the ancient rituals we would never perform today, we might miss the truth it represents. Though sacrifice comes from the Latin word that means sacred, the Hebrew provides more information. Korban קׇרְבָּ֖ן means to draw close, to bring near to inform our understanding of what the offering represents. The ritual action of korban intends to foster the bridge between us and the sacred, between the human and the divine, and between ourselves and the greater universe. The ancient action reminds us how important the act of drawing near truly can be.

From our beginnings, we have been the people who have crossed over, not just lands but also ideas. Ivrim, the ancient Hebrews, enacted their name as “one who crosses over.” Our tradition has summoned us to cross over in the way we think and connect with others as we draw near to the sacred in the way we live. It may be the way we might heal this ever so fractured world.

Shabbat Shalom! שבת שלום

I welcome your thoughts and experiences here.

Rabbi Elaine Zecher