Personal Statement
Rabbi Anne Persin
Rabbi means "My Teacher..."
In Exodus 35:31 we read, “And God filled Betzalel with the divine spirit, with hochmah (wisdom), t’vunah (understanding) and da’at (experience) and in all work.” In shaping my rabbinate, I look to Betzalel as my model for recognizing that all three of these ways of knowing—knowing through study, knowing through connecting, and knowing through doing—are all inherent to Judaism. My most sacred duty as a rabbi, therefore, is to bring hochmah (wisdom), t’vunah (understanding) and da’at (experience) to the people I serve.
I understand hochmah (wisdom) by way of Proverbs 1:5—“A wise person will hear and will increase learning.”—to mean that wisdom is about increasing or collecting as much learning as possible. In the most literal sense of the word, the rabbi is a teacher. In order to be a good teacher, however, she must always be open to learning—from Torah and Talmud, from the modern scholars, and even from the kids in the religious school. As the rabbi of a community, I am called upon to guide my congregants in collecting learning for themselves that they may find their own voice within the tradition. And it is in teaching that I have found my joy—getting down on the floor with the little ones, channeling the frenetic energy of preteens, challenging the newly formed intellect of teenagers, and opening discourse with adults. When engaged in study, we open a window into more than 3000 years of Jewish tradition as well as a future that holds endless possibilities. When engaged in study, we discover the wisdom, the follies, the passions of our ancestors. When engaged in study, we connect with the Divine spirit within each and every one of us and we learn—bit by bit—about who we are.
Although it may be the most traditional definition, the rabbinate is not only about teaching. When King Solomon prayed to God for wisdom, in I Kings 3:9, he asked not for wisdom but for t’vunah (understanding), “Give Your servant a heart that hears to judge Your people, to understand between good and bad.” T’vunah is about understanding: it is about listening not merely with one’s mind but with one’s heart. In my rabbinate I have come to truly appreciate the need for understanding in working with a community. People mourn and get sick and have hardships. At these times of need, a heart that hears is invaluable. Sometimes all anyone remembers is simply that I was there, I listened with an open ear, I cared with an open heart, and I sat and held their hand. Therefore I truly respect how integral pastoral care is to my rabbinate.
Together with teaching and understanding, my rabbinate is about da’at (experience). Throughout the Tanach we are told that we will come to know God through our experience of Judaism. For centuries, Judaism has been a religion based on experiential education; we have employed ritual and prayer as a way to experience the tradition beyond simply studying and feeling it. Personally, I have always felt grounded in the rituals and prayers that Judaism has passed down through the generations—but I have also found cooking and social action and family retreats are all tangible ways for us to truly experience Judaism. It has been my pleasure to guide my congregations not just through the words of the prayer book but also in the doing of Shabbat and in the doing of prayer and in the doing of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world). In so doing, they have been able to develop their own da’at (experience) and have come to know Judaism.
Hochmah, t’vunah, da’at—in the end these are all about ways of knowing: knowing the texts, knowing how to connect, knowing through doing. These three elements have shaped my identity as a Rabbi, as a Jew, and as a person finding my way through life. I consider myself very blessed that I have this opportunity to serve the Jewish community through each of these ways of knowing.
