In a small borough in Northampton County, lies a town called Roseto. Roseto was founded in 1882 by a group of Italians sailing from their home province of Foggia. Since that time, Roseto's citizens are mostly the descendants of those first settlers, still speaking the specific dialect of Italian that is spoken in Foggia.
Stewart Wolf was a physician living in New York in the 50's. He gave a lecture to the local medical society that was close to Roseto. While having dinner after his talk, a colleague told Dr. Wolf something extraordinary about the Italian-American town and the health of its citizens. Heart disease was remarkably rare. So rare, in fact, that in 17 years of practicing medicine, this colleague had never seen one instance of a heart-attack from a Rosetan that was under 65 years old.
Wolf was skeptical. Remember, during the 50’s, heart attacks were an epidemic in the United States.
Overcome with curiosity, Wolf needed to know more. He spoke with the mayor of the town, he enlisted help from colleagues. They analyzed death records and doctors' reports. They created family genealogies and looked at medical histories. Looking at the data, they saw that the death rate from all causes in this tiny town of Roseto was 30-35% less than it should have been. In addition, there was no suicide, no alcoholism, and hardly any crime.
Once the data was analyzed, it was time to figure out the town's secret. In the book Outliers, Gladwell explains: What Wolf slowly realized was that the secret of Roseto wasn't diet or exercise or genes or weather. As researches studied the town, they looked at how the Rosetans visited each other, stopping to chat with each other on the street, or cooking for each other in their backyards. They learned about the extended family clans that underlay the town's social structure. They saw how many homes had three generations living under one roof. They counted twenty-two civic organizations in a town of just under 2000 people.
The secret to the community of Roseto was exactly that, the community.
Today, there's a term for the health benefits of living in a close-knit, social and caring community. It's called the Roseto effect.
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Hiney ma tov uma naiim, shevet achiim gam yachad - How good it is for brothers and sisters to dwell together.
Judaism has always embraced the power of community to enhance our spiritual lives. When God looked at Adam, the first human being, God said, It is not good for man to be alone. God created us so that we could be partners with one another. What makes someone Jewish is not faith, but familial ancestry. Illustrating this point even further, when one converts to Judaism, that person becomes a part of our family, as their Hebrew name connects them to Abraham and Sarah. And of course, all Jews are called B'nei Yisrael, the children of Jacob.
Community is so important, in fact, that Judaism requires a minyan of 10 Jews in order to conduct a full prayer service. When there are less than 10, we can't chant the Bar'chu, the Amidah, or Aleinu. Without 10 Jewish adults we can't chant from the Torah. The quantitative difference makes a qualitative difference.
Yes, you can pray alone. You can, and should, learn alone. But a healthy Jewish life requires a community. This is why the synagogue is so important. It is where we gather and get to know one another. It is where we pray and celebrate and mourn. It is where we hear the shofar and Kol Nidrei and Purim songs. It is where we light candles and drink wine. It is where we do the job of becoming us.
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I imagine that most of the 2000 citizens of Roseta are not Jewish. But just as there is a Roseto effect, surely there's a Jewish effect. And we can easily see the beautiful comparison between their way of life and the community-focused Talmudic laws expressed in tractate Sanhdrin (17b): A Torah scholar is not allowed to live in a city that does not have a court of law, a tzedakah* fund that is collected by at least two people and distributed by at least three, a mikveh, a bathroom, a doctor, a craftperson, and a teacher of children.*
Put more succinctly, Rabi Hillel said: Do not separate yourself from the community.
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In the poem Jerusalem, Yehuda Amichai wrote: A group of tourists was standing around their guide and I became their target marker. ‘You see that man with the baskets? Just right of his head there’s an arch from the Roman period. Just right of his head.’ I said to myself, ‘Redemption will come only if their guide tells them, ‘Do you see that arch from the Roman period? It’s not important: but next to it, left and down a bit, there sits a man who’s brought fruit and vegetables for his families and friends.
As I talked about last week, Jewish life is an ‘I-thou’ enterprise.
It’s not a surprise that the vast majority of our 613 commandments fall into the category known as: Bein Adam l’chavero, between a person and another person. Some are between a person and God, such as wrapping T’fillin, keeping kosher, and keeping Shabbat, but most require another person. Think of it this way, if you want to fulfill most of the Mitzvot, halachah demands that you surround yourself within community.
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Kol Nidrei is all about promises. During these High Holidays, we think about promises made and broken. I want us to think about the promises that we make to each other, and the promises that we need to make.
The town of Roseto had 22 civic organizations. We have our share too - Sisterhood, membership, finance, religious school, facilities, and many others. Our committees can benefit from your commitment to volunteer and help, to share ideas and to create new ones. That’s a promise each of us can make. All of these are based on another of Hillel’s teachings: If I am only for myself, who am I?
When you come to services and see someone you don’t recognize, introduce yourself, smile, talk to them. It’s probable that when you first came to CCI, you were greeted warmly by someone
Several years ago, we did away with pre-set membership dues. This decision was made because we will never turn away a family from membership because of financial hardship. But, in order to keep that promise, we also need each of our members - we need you - to consider the possibility give more. Please consider this promise as well.
It’s our hope that next year during the High Holidays, we will be in our brand-new refurbished sanctuary. 120 families have pledged to this communal project. This is excellent, and it’s something to be proud of. To the 50 families who have not yet made a pledge, I ask that you consider doing so, not because I will convince you that we need a sanctuary, or better air conditioning, or a ramp to the bimah, or a gorgeous social hall, but so that you can join with our community in a project that is greater than our own selves.
Other promises you can make: When someone in the congregation passes away, you can attend a shiva minyan to show your support and care. Come to a Bar or Bat Mitzvah service. Attend consecration and confirmation celebrations. Because again, If I am only for myself, who am I?
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In Pirke Avot, Rabbi Hananiah ben Teradion teaches that If two people sit together and there are words of Torah, the Shekhinah abides among them, but if two people sit and there are no words of Torah, God's presence is absent.
A community is more than a group of citizens, or in our case, temple members. A Jewish community is a place of spiritual fulfillment, friendship, support, and the fulfillment of Mitzvot ben Adam l'chavero.
As we continue the blessings of this new year, God's presence is with us, but only if first, your presence is with me, and mine with yours. Have a meaningful fast.
