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Babe, Bugsy, Beatles, and a Breakup

 

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To be frank, I had no idea what to write about today. We just completed Chanukah, Christmas was yesterday, and today is Boxing Day in Canada and the beginning of Kwanzaa. Last week, I wrote a heavy piece on antisemitism (thank you for the warm emails I received) and it feels like everyone is on vacation.

 

Let me try this -- what do Babe Ruth, Bugsy Siegel, the Beatles, and a country’s breakup all have in common? Well, December 26 was an important date in history for each. And I will try to add a Jewish spin along the way.

 

Today, in 1919, the Boston Red Sox made a business deal that would haunt the city for nearly a century. Harry Frazee, the owner of the Red Sox, sold George Herman "Babe" Ruth to the New York Yankees. Why? The rumor is he needed cash to finance a Broadway musical.

 

And just like that, the "Curse of the Bambino" was born – 86 years of New Englanders wanting a World Series win. It is a lesson in valuing what you have while you have it and why you should never trade your best asset for a fleeting show.

 

It reminds me of the biblical story of Esau who sold his birthright to his younger brother Jacob for a bowl of red lentil stew because he was hungry (Genesis 25). Sure, the stew was delicious at that moment, but was it worth the legacy? I think any Red Sox fan born between 1920 and 2003 would be able to answer that.

 

Speaking of questionable business decisions and risky gambles, on December 26, 1946, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (I am sure his mother thought he was a nice Jewish boy) decided to open The Flamingo in the Nevada desert. It was glitzy. It was glamorous. It featured top entertainment. But it also rained, the air conditioning failed, and the rooms were not ready. He lost $300,000 the first week.

 

But Bugsy was persistent. The Flamingo did not fail. It started and created modern Las Vegas. Think of the chutzpah it took to take a desert of sand and "see" the future of Las Vegas today. Not too dissimilar to what the original families of Tel Aviv "saw" on the sand dunes near the Mediterranean Sea.

I am sure many of you will remember December 26, 1963. "Beatlemania" in America was born with Capitol Records finally releasing "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "I Saw Her Standing There.” It was the start of the “British invasion.”

 

It is amazing how the Beatles changed everything. We quickly moved past crooners on the radio to a whole new sound and look. Everyone knew the words to the songs, and they were easy to sing along with.

 

This reminds me, about 12 years ago, the head of the Conservative movement came to speak at Congregation Neveh Shalom. He outlined five challenges facing synagogues in the future. He said something I will never forget. He asked the audience, "What is the most well-known, participatory prayer in the Shabbat service?" People yelled out the Shema and other blessings. The rabbi shared it is Adon Olam (with its multiple tunes). Why? Because it is the final song of the service and everyone is excited to sing it. Just like when the Beatles came on the airwaves.

 

And finally, on this day in 1991, a massive geopolitical shift took place with the breakup of the Soviet Union. The Cold War was over.

 

For the Jewish community, this was monumental. For decades, the "Refuseniks" -- Jews trapped behind the Iron Curtain who were denied the right to emigrate or practice their religion -- had been a rallying cry. "Let My People Go" was not just a Passover song; it was a political demand on the world stage. I was a part of that movement in my teen years.

 

When the Soviet Union fell, the gates opened. It was a modern day exodus. Between 1989-1996, some 1.6 million Jews were finally able to leave -- moving to Israel, the United States, and elsewhere. They were able to reclaim their Jewish heritage after generations of state-sponsored suppression.

 

I have shared before that Mikhail Gorbachev spoke at my college graduation in May 1992, just six months after the fall of the USSR.

 

So, here we are on December 26. Most of you I hope are enjoying time off – or at the mall returning items (like the sweater that looked way better on the mannequin than it does on me) or buying up post-holiday sales. I also hope you take time to think about how world events (and they are different for each generation) shape us and connect us.

 

As we move toward the new year, let us try to practice Ujima -- collective responsibility -- the third principle of Kwanzaa. In Jewish tradition, we refer to it as "kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh" -- all of Israel are responsible one for another. We truly have the opportunity to build and maintain our community together -- and to make our brothers' and sisters' challenges our challenges so we can solve them in collaboration.

 

Shabbat shalom.



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