Inaugural Doorpost Article, August 1, 2025
Written by Interim Rabbi Rosalind Glazer
Shanah Tovah! As we begin Hanukkah and look to the start of the new calendar year, we are republishing Reb Rosalind’s Inaugural article from the August issue of The Doorpost. Let us pray for life, blessing and peace in the new year and reaffirm our commitment to making Temple Israel increasingly welcoming to all those seeking a Jewish home in the Seacoast area.
My earliest memories of baseball are from the first Red Sox home game I attended as a child with my family at Fenway Park. I was 10 years old and we had just moved back to the US from Ramat Aviv where our dad’s two-year job was to help establish Israel’s high-tech industry. Rather than returning to on Long Island, we relocated to Brookline, MA. It had everything we needed; a sizable Jewish community, great public schools and reasonable commuting distance to Digital Equipment Corporation’s company plant.
Up in the nose-bleeds, I was thrilled by the shouts of excitement with each slide into base, each call of “safe” and every home run, but it was hard to follow the game. I haven’t been to many ball games since, but I continue pursue the elusive yet precious ideals of home and safety.
Serving as an interim rabbi, the packing and moving is a hassle. But I no longer resist life’s constant flow of change. This requires constant practice in cultivating ease with whatever unfolds and affirming that anywhere we find ourselves can be called home. And for its familiarity and friendliness, Jewish community is also essential.
The name “wandering Jew” is apt for so many reasons. Generation after generation we’ve been persecuted and uprooted, fled conflict and strife, faced tragedy and travesty. Throughout history, our people have experienced seemingly endless periods of dislocation and disorientation. I was reminded of this by the story of an elderly man I met in Florida. When I couldn’t decipher his accent I asked where he was from. “I am an Elsewhereian” he said. Confused, I asked him to explain. “I was born in a DP (displaced persons) camp. Wherever I live, I am always from somewhere else.” With countless stories like this, it was essential to reestablish our historic homeland in the land of Israel.
Israel remained one of my treasured homes and in 2012, I chose to make aliyah. While my sisters’ families all live in Israel, the ideal of home” remains elusive, as does that of “safety.” On a national level, the massacre of Oct 7th has made this excruciatingly clear. There is no such thing as a perfect home, a perfect country, or a perfect congregation. Yet at Temple Israel of Portsmouth, we are blessed with a home and community. So as we continue showing up and contributing our talents and resources to the community, we draw immeasurable strength and rootedness from it. Serving as your interim Rabbi for this year, I feel both honored and grateful to be a part of it.
