[HANASHIR:9880] Patriotic songs

[LPKAROL <LPKAROL...>]

Dear Chevre,
       Life in Topeka, Kansas is the same as everywhere else - we are coming 
out of the same daze and shock and initial grief that hit us on September 11. 
 Some of you know about Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church, our 
local anti-everyone else (althought they say they are only anti-homosexual) 
picketers who say that God hates America and fly their flag upside down.   
Their church is a few blocks from Temple, and some people who live near them 
have started a counter-picket, realizing finally that no one should hate 
anyone after America became a victim of hate last week.  I hope give that 
group some help if I can.  
        My reason for posting is that my initial musical reaction to recent 
events has been to sing songs about peace.  Last Friday, I added Debbie 
Friedman's "Shelter of Peace" to the service along with one of the prayers 
circulating aroud at the beginning.  I sang Yaysh Kochavim before the 
Kaddish, and we sang Steve Dropkin's "Birkat Hak'hilah" (Y'varchecha) at the 
end of the service.   A congregant has written the board saying that our 
Tmeple has been neglectful of celebrating our American pride in song, that we 
should be singing a song like "God Bless America."   I know that some of you 
have done it, and that's fine, but my first impulse is always to choose a 
Jewish expression first.   I have already heard stories of people having 
tears in their eyes at singing God Bless America at other congregations, and 
that's fine.  It just wasn't my impulse.  What did you do and what do you 
think?  I have decided that I will recite the prayer for our nation and our 
people in the gray gender-sensitive prayerbook every week from now on (should 
have been doing it already).  I think that should suffice.  
 I would welcome responses to the whole group or to me personally.   
       Have an easy fast, everyone - Shanah Tovah!
L'shalom,
(Rabbi) Larry Karol
Temple Beth Sholom
Topeka

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