A Note From Rabbi Locketz

Dear Bet Shalom,

I am excited to return to the synagogue this week and to reconnect with our congregation. I have spent much of the last four months only a mile from Bet Shalom, but I have lived quite differently than I have for most of the past 18 years as a rabbi. In the months leading up to this sabbatical, I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish during my time away that covered three pages of a notebook. I didn’t get to all of it, but I did accomplish a great deal. I will be forever grateful to Rabbi Crimmings and the entire staff for handling every need in my absence. I have the same gratitude for Rob Kieval, and the Board of Trustees, who supported my taking a sabbatical and made it possible. I return to Bet Shalom renewed, rejuvenated and eager to reengage with our sacred community.

I will share a little of what I did during this time here in this email. I will also speak for a few minutes about my experiences this Friday (5/20) night during Shabbat Services and I will share a longer reflection during a program on the evening of June 1st at 7:00 PM, both of which will be in person and streamed at the same time.  If you are interested in attending on June 1st please RSVP to Ajia Collins at ajia.collins@betshalom.org As I think about my experiences, I know it will take me months to process it all and I look forward to sharing with you along the way.  

In the V’ahavta prayer we are instructed to love holiness with all our heart, soul and might. If such internal separations of self exist, it is a nice way to categorize our pursuits. The ancients perceived our hearts to be a source of thoughts and feelings. I can honestly say I put my whole heart into the academic aspect of my sabbatical. I accomplished many of my stated genealogy goals early in the four months and was able to go much deeper than I imagined possible. It will take years for me to complete documenting my family history, but I have laid the foundation of it in a website with 25 blog posts, lineage charts and photos.  

I am certain much of what I have written, my family story, shares common themes of your family story. If it interests you, have a look at www.rabbatical.com. If you read the blog, the newest ones are at the top, so if you want to read them in order, start at the bottom of the list. The eight most recent posts detail Debbie’s and my trip to Germany where we each were able to find the resting places of many ancestors, including my Fifth Great-Grandfather, whose headstone was still legible and named his father which put my tree back into the 1600’s! Emma coined the term “rabbatical” for my rabbinic sabbatical and it seemed like a great name for a website.

It was important during this time to also focus on soul and spirit. That meant completely disconnecting from everyone else and being fully present and intentional in my home and with my family. Rabbis jump when the phone rings because we know that what we might hear when we pick up will often be something that requires immediate action. That is part of our role that we are honored to carry. This time allowed me to live a little differently and to spend that time and energy on the here and now knowing there would be nothing that required me to jump into action. This quiet that I experienced, sacred time, is also something I want to try to carry back into the synagogue and experience with you. Please note that I will not be “catching up” on correspondence I missed during this time of being disconnected. All email I received while away will be deleted before my return.  

“And with all your might.” I have struggled to incorporate fitness into my life since I stopped running about ten years ago. Early in the pandemic we bought a Peloton and I committed to making it part of my routine during sabbatical. I feel good about this emphasis I have placed on caring for my body during this time and I know this will continue as a very important part of my life. (For those of you on Peloton, I created a tag for us if you want to connect. #BetShalomMN.

Also in the “might'' category, Adina, who is a Second Degree Blackbelt, invited me to join her karate studio during my sabbatical. I was excited to do it with her even though I wasn’t sure it would be something that would stick for me. I gained a ton from the experience and I hope to continue as my schedule allows. I even achieved being promoted from white belt to white stripe!

I am really excited to be back and to connect with our Bet Shalom community. I hope as you experience my stories through my website or at services or on June 1, it will inspire you to share your stories, too. I have heard so many amazing stories as I did this work and as Debbie and I traveled. I want to hear yours, too.  

Shavua Tov - May it be a good week for you.

All my best,

Rabbi David Locketz