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Our Roots by Beverly Magid "I never planned that it would become a formal congregation," says Makom Ohr Shalom's founding Rabbi, Ted Falcon, but that's just what happened despite itself. In 1976 a small group of people started meeting to do a Torah class, led by Rabbi Falcon, who had left the rabbinate after having worked with Hillel and at the Leo Beck Temple. Feeling that his spiritual interests were not being satisfied by those positions, he went into psychology, getting his doctorate in 1975. But now in 1976 he started a Torah class, meeting in the office of a Jungian therapist colleague, with the class including Jack Lin as one of the early members. The group also started to meet one Friday night a month for services, and later on for the High Holidays which were held in someone's living room. Then as more people began to bring their friends, Friday night services were held twice a month. No thought was given to making it a formal congregation. It was just a spiritual exploration, using meditation and music to go deeper into Judaism. As the Friday night group became larger, Ted investigated using a Christian chapel for services, but they had to be a non-profit organization in order to be able to rent the space. So in 1978 the group officially became a non-profit group, with Ted and Jack Lin signing the papers. Ted meditated several times on what they should call themselves and the name Makom Ohr Shalom kept coming up. The first space they rented was the chapel at the Encino Community Church, which later became St. Mary's Church. Ted was firm in not wanting to recreate the same kind of synagogue that already existed. In his services meditation and music were at the foundation and no one paid dues. Instead, at the end of each service, a collection was taken up, "Whatever we needed, the people always seemed to give," says Rabbi Falcon. Torah classes were open and free and they remain so today. The community met the first and third Friday in the month, held High Holiday services and had their first b'nai mitzvah class. "I earned my living as a therapist, and Makom was my avocation, but I felt the freest I ever had felt in my life," remembers Rabbi Falcon. Early members also remember feeling a new connection to Judaism, even those who thought they already understood the Torah. Joy and a community closeness were forged, and members felt as if they belonged to a special family. Monty Turner, brought to the services by his father, ultimately became involved musically as the "song leader" when member David Cohen left. Monty, who knew no Jewish music at the beginning, played accompaniment on the piano, learned the guitar and helped put a choir together. Ted would hum the melodies and Monty would pick up the song by ear and add his own special touch. "I never imagined myself becoming a cantor, let alone a rabbi," says Monty. "It all changed my life. We weren't Conservative, Reform or Renewal, we were simply Makom." Then in 1985, Ruth Neuwald first attended Yom Kippur services ultimately becoming as Ted describes it, "the founding mother," when they were married the following March. A leader in the community, she began the nursing home visits, which continue to this day. Profoundly interested in Tikun Olam, she also encouraged the adoption of a church in Watts, whose members were invited to come on occasion to join Makom at Friday night services. Classes were added, a community seder organized, and the numbers of people on Friday night continued to increase. In 1987 Makom rented the space of Ner Tamid which was then empty. It gave the community the pleasure of having a real ark for the Torah. An architect member drew up plans for refurbishing the place, but it became too much of a financial burden as the building began to need greater and greater repairs. Makom then rented space from St. Paul's Episcopal Church. There were several changes of location for Makom, but the community continued to only "pass the hat" for money until they were located at Temple Emet. There the practice of dues was finally instituted as the needs of the community had become great enough that a membership commitment was needed. In 1992 Rabbi Falcon began to consider making a life change and by 1993 he and Ruth had decided to move to Seattle, where they have since established Congregation Bet Aleph. "Ted was such an integral part of Makom," remembers Monty, "that we couldn't think of how to replace him, but we decided as a community that we knew we wanted to continue." Terrie Turner became the executive director of the synagogue for ten years and made massive contributions of expertise, time and energy, as did all the Shomrim of that period. (After Terrie stepped down as executive director, Judith Hardaker and Lee Fischer took over the daily tasks of running Makom.) The year following Rabbi Falcon's departure saw a series of guest rabbis conducting services. Member Lee Auerbach brought in the renowned Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi for the High Holidays who continues to join Makom High Holidays. Finally, it was decided to have two rabbis instead of just one on the pulpit, and Rabbis David Cooper and Mordecai Findley became Makom's co-rabbis. But, when Rabbi Cooper left and Rabbi Findley became more involved with his other congregation, Ohr Hatorah, which he founded, a search for a second rabbi began. Rabbi Debra Orenstein, author, lecturer and professor at the University of Judaism, and now Makom's spiritual leader, remembers first attending High Holiday services at Makom and being struck by a strong sense of a loving and welcoming feeling in the community, surprised by the services ending with the song "What A Wonderful World," instead of the usual Adon Olom, then seeing everyone hugging each other and crying. A year later in 1992, she was asked to be a guest rabbi, not realizing that it was the same congregation that had so engaged her before. When Rabbi Cooper left before High Holidays, she was asked to conduct at services with Rabbi Findley and Reb Zalman. Then she was invited to become Makom's co-rabbi with Findley. "After Ted left there was a real need," says Rabbi Orenstein, "for Makom to have more than one rabbi while the members discovered who they were as a congregation without him and what they wanted the community to be. It's a real testament to the community and Mordecai that having co-rabbis worked so well." But soon Rabbi Findley's other duties and Makom's need to have just one rabbi led to the decision for Rabbi Orenstein to become the spiritual leader. The community continues to be a special family for members, with music, meditation and a deep love for Torah traditions but in the unique Makom style. "After 25 years, Makom has developed a body of knowledge of Judaism and Torah that sustains and inspires its members." says Rabbi Orenstein. "There are many different approaches, classes and programs to meet the various needs of different members, but with all that diversity, we remain united in reaching out to Jews of different stripes, supporting one another, living meaningfully and making Judaism relevant in our lives." Services continue to be Rabbi led on the first and third Fridays of the month, with frequent Family Services and Havurah-style services on the other Fridays. Our Religious School for children, adult b'nai mitzvah classes, community and rabbi- led Torah study and ethics classes, all convey the passion for our tradition. Makom still meets on High Holidays and for seders and also celebrates other holidays, including Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Tu Bishvat, Purim and Shavuot. Havurot have been added including groups geared to locations (e.g. Westside or Valley), special interests (e.g. Arts and Crafts), and demographics (e.g. Women's Rituals and Rosh Hodesh). Makom also continues community outreach projects which include nursing home visits, Project Chicken Soup and other mitzvah events. "Makom has grown to the point where the community can look ahead to a five-year plan," says Rabbi Orenstein, "without sacrificing any spiritual needs, keeping the joy in the quest, and creating a spiritual home within Judaism. It also still remains the single most welcoming place in the world that I know, including Disneyland." Makom's Journey to Sinai
by Jack Lin In the early days of Makom in the late 1980's, Rabbi Ted Falcon led a group of 18 Makom members on a three-week retreat to Egypt, Sinai, and the Holy Land. While there were many moments of great spirituality and learning, the highlights of the trip were our descent in the Giza Pyramid, a service held in the old Cairo Synagogue, and our ascent of Mount Sinai. When we left Los Angeles, Ted brought with us our small holy Torah which, in reflection, protected all of us during the trip. Where the service was performed in the Cairo Synagogue, tradition holds that Moses prayed. This synagogue, which contains the earliest written documents uncovered by archaeologists to date, was abandoned 20 years earlier by the Hebrew community of Cairo. As Ted conducted the service, we noted spirits / souls coming out of the walls, first in curiosity, then joining in. In this environment where there was no fear of ghosts or apparitions, they were completely safe and natural. The small Torah and Ted's service were extremely beautiful. Later we camped out in the Sinai, which was very rugged indeed. After many adventures, we finally reached Mount Sinai. At the bottom of the mount is the Santa Katerina Monastery. We talked to monks whose community has existed there for almost 2 millennia. They asked about our pilgrimage. We told them we had wanted to perform a service on the mountain with a Torah. The monks said they had never heard of anyone taking a Torah to the top of Mount Sinai. Finally we were ready for the highlight of the trip --- the ascent to the top of Mount Sinai. We started early in the morning, riding camels halfway up the mountain. Members of our group that were not physically prepared for the rest of the journey waited there. A dozen of us ventured upward for the approximately three-hour climb to the top of the 7,468- foot mountain. We shared the weight of the Torah as we continued to climb. Stopping for necessities of life, including water, we marveled that we were traveling in the footsteps of Moses. We finally reached the crest. Rabbi Ted led us in a service of prayer and thanks. During this service one could see the angels in the clouds and I heard the loud singing of the 23rd Psalm, "The Lord is my shepherd". The trip down the mountain was far, far simpler. I was overwhelmed by the thought: how amazing that this small ragged, imperfect, and faulty group of Jews from Los Angeles had been first to complete the "CIRCLE OF DESTINY" that had taken over three millennia to complete by bringing the holy scroll back to the place where G-d first gave the Law to Moses and our people, and how appropriate that this spiritual moment was carried out by the congregants of Makom Ohr Shalom, a small community that has been a leader in trying to bring light to the world. Each of us had dozens of personal adventures full of growth and learning and, to this day, we continue to digest and understand some of the phenomena we lived through. The end of the trip took us to Israel. With thanks and gratitude I purchased in Jerusalem's holy quarter the present crown that adorns our full-sized Torah, so our whole community is still intimately connected with that journey.
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