KADDISH

  Kaddish is a well known Jewish prayer which many people believe is only recited at funerals or in prayer services for the dead. However, while those are times of the Kaddish, it is part of Jewish prayers every day, known as the Mourner's Kaddish.  Why then is it so well known? Because it is often presented at dramatic moments of a film or show and pulls deeply on the emotions of the viewers. extremely poignant. 

Last night there was a superb presentation of Third Symphony: Kaddish, written by Leonard Bernstein in 1963, dedicated to JFK who had just been slain, a friend of Bernstein's, aired on Great Performance, and performed at Highland Park's Ravinia Festival with a full complement of the Chicago Symphony, two huge choirs, adult and children, along with a talented narrator and opera singer and a phenomenal fully invested conductor.    

To say it was brilliant is to understate its power, the affect upon one listening. It is dramatic, soul shattering for many and yes, while there is a kind of death present, it is simultaneous with the birth of a new stream of thought. All presented with a powerful synergy of all:  the music, discordant soothing, jerky, and diatonic, challenging, the voices of the choirs singing and humming the words of the Kaddish, along with the powerful impact of narrator and opera singer. 

It is dramatic. Unique. Impressive. Challenging.  Defiant. Pleading. Revolutionary. Traditional. Reassuring. Volcanic. Appealing. Off-putting.  In short - magnificent.   

 It cuts deep into the soul, especially, I feel, if one is Jewish, for Bernstein, out of an Orthodox family, knew well, felt, as only a Jew can, baked into our genes, the dilemmas of Jews, their history, their historic relationship with G-d, and the deep faith that remains, challenged beyond the farthest reach of imagination. Even as death is absent in the words of Kaddish, there is also no word of death here, though its presence is loud and clear.

Originally planned as presented last night, women narrating, it was challenged at the outset as women in that role, in Orthodox Judaism? No way! To challenge G-d, to rail against Him, to criticize, to almost curse G-d for desertion at dire moments, to angrily, tearfully, pleading to understand, to reconcile the promises made, and broken, the Covenant mocked - bad enough for a man to do so but for a woman!!!!!  

Traditionally, it is the male offspring who recite Kaddish, with the daughters mute. Today it is far more common to see a daughter reciting it, as I did for my parents, as, hopefully, as G-d decides, my daughters will do so as well. Bernstein had no son, but he wants his Kaddish. He wants the kaddish for all his people who never had it said for them, their memories, their names lost. With the words said, the emotions are high as the soul is satisfied. The complete cycle is achieved, from the blessing at the Brit Milah or naming of a daughter in synagogue to the last word of kaddish.       

This is the essence of Bernstein's plea. No son, he still wants the kaddish, will say it for himself, and at the same time say kaddish for all those who were deprived of their kaddish. This was a poignant wish at the time as finally, survivors began to speak of their stories, as children asked questions, as soldiers, historians, humanitarians began to delve into that ugly history.  

So many dead. So many without any to remember them So many without Kaddish ever being said  for them.  So many. So why not? Why not?

The anger is front and center, undeniable, righteous and justified. The words of the narrator now ask for all Mankind. Why were we created so faulty, so imperfect. Why were we created with an instinct or preference for evil and destruction? Could not the  perfect Creator, the one we worship as All Powerful, in creating Man in His image have done  better? Or is it that the Creator, the Divinity we see as our King and our Father, is as frail and imperfect as we are? Revolutionary thoughts and questions. It raises other questions for if we are equally imperfect it follows that we should be of equal rank in the scheme of it all; able, entitled, to work with G-d, to present our ideas and strive for perfect worlds -on earth and the world of G-d - Heaven. Revolutionary.

However, this is not the first time that idea has been raised. The image of deserted unworshipped antiquated gods of Mt. Olympus and the halls of  Valhalla are plentiful. A god is one only if recognized and worshipped as such. A god bereft of man is no longer a god and the people are bereft as well. Left alone in a scary world.

 It appears that we need each other to be complete, stronger, able to seek out imperfections of both worlds, above and below. With that unity and shared goals, perhaps dreams can come true and nightmares avoided.

Thus the question of saying Kaddish for oneself and for others equally as bereft of Kaddish sayers has taken the listener all the way to new thoughts, some say heresy. However, does it make a difference as to the answer - in whose image are we made, or did someone do perhaps reverse engineering in some  way? 

The truth is that Mankind has a penchant for ameliorating their misdeeds by laying the blame off on someone other than themselves. Certainly G-d's  broad shoulders can carry it off. After all, if we are imperfect, well, who made us that way? Makes some sense but avoids the fact that we are responsible for ourselves. We commit the errors; we are the one and no one else. We have the ability to choose. to seek our own imperfections. If we do not, it is on us. No one else. And think about it as perhaps that is the very thing that makes us perfect -that we can do that seeking and improvement.       

Maybe. Maybe not? Way, way, above my pay grade. Thankfully. However, think of the power the music, the words and narrators causing us to think and better ourselves, our grasp of who we are.          

Especially as the idea of togetherness is raised by the narrator. Even back then, Bernstein saw the need for a united front, to challenge that which needed repair, together, producing a wonderful synergetic result. Togetherness -sounds familiar.  Together we can go forth, seek better, understand better, achieve more, always getting closer to perfection, which truthfully is the perfect state of Man, for to seek perfection, to ever attempt to better oneself, that is perfection.   

The meaning of Kaddish is universal as is the seeking of perfection, along with the ease of avoiding it, giving in to the temptation of an easier path and blaming that erroneous choice on others. That is the imperfection we strive to conquer. Even as that is what makes us human. 

Only together can we make a lasting progress in an eternal battle to a perfect society. Together.

Together as we have stood for Yitzy and as we hope it continues together to aid one small boy who now contemplates his activities as he figures out the side effects of which chemo is on tap. He has been perfect in this battle, grown up as no kid should be. We eagerly await the time when he can revert to being the joyously imperfect child, as should be.   That imperfection will be perfectly perfect.  

  Together. He, we, need togetherness.   

  Together, as Jews in a growingly hostile world we must keep that faith, be it about Yitzy or others. In the darkest depths we kept the faith, even in the ugliness of the camps, even as finally liberated with death two minutes away seconds before, services were held, requested and organized by the very ones just out of the darkest dark evil imperfections of Man. Faith held, and will continue to hold and we say Amen.