November 5, 1999/26 Cheshvan 5760, Vol. 52, No.10
Roaming rabbi returns to speak at JNF dinner
LENI REISS
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 Rabbi Moshe Tutnauer and his wife, Margie, are all smiles on the balcony of their Jerusalem home. This photo was taken in July. |
Tutnauer, the spiritual leader from 1962-1972 of Beth El Congregation in Phoenix, returns to the Valley on Sunday, Nov. 14, to speak at the Jewish National Fund Tree of Life dinner. The event at the Arizona Biltmore Resort will honor Vicki and Howard Cabot.
Tutnauer and his wife, Margie, maintain a permanent home in Jerusalem. Currently he is serving as interim rabbi at Har Zion Temple in Penn Valley, Pa.
The Tutnauers with their sons, Nahum and Roni, made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) in 1972, settling in Jerusalem where until 1984 the rabbi served as chair of the Judaic Studies Department at the David Yellin Hebrew Teachers College.
Over the past 15 years, Tutnauer has served for various periods of time as interim rabbi for congregations in California, Michigan, New York, Texas and Pennsylvania, and done stints as scholar-in-residence from coast to coast. Still, he is a bit reluctant to accept the label of a "wandering Jew."
"In a national context, that is a negative term and brings up visions of homelessness and unpleasantness, but for Margie and me, it's positive," he says in a phone interview. "And there's an irony to it because we live in Israel. The Jewish state is our home base, and we wander elsewhere."
He says he has found that, while congregations nationwide share many similarities, "the differences are more complex than merely geographical. It is a question of spiritual leadership. If the leadership is there, then the community is strong." Otherwise, he says, it is likely that the community will be "flabby."
The Tutnauers have visited and taught Judaism in locales throughout the former Soviet Union and helped to found day schools and Sunday schools in Moscow, Odessa and Berdichev.
"We never are away from home for more than three months at a stretch or more than six months a year," Tutnauer explains. "Our lifestyle at this point is to work in the (United) States and to live in Israel."
He speaks positively about Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak's government: "He seems to be doing good things. He is advancing the peace process, firming up relations with Greece and Turkey. And the world can see that the Israelis are having more confidence in their political leadership."
Tutnauer's advice to those considering aliyah: "Come on along."
In Jerusalem, he says, the couple enjoy their five grandchildren and reap the satisfaction of their involvement with projects that enhance the lives of Soviet and Ethiopian Jews.
"Those who remember me from my Phoenix days," he says, "know that my relationship to God is through social action." Along these lines, the Tutnauers have "informally" adopted two Ethiopian daughters, Edna and Elana, both of whom have graduated with degrees in chemistry from Hebrew University.
Additionally, the Tutnauers have traveled on several occasions to Sarajevo, most recently to help Jewish residents there prepare for next spring's post-war Passover seder.
Recalling a visit to the Valley several years ago during which he talked to a group of local leaders assembled at the Cabot home about his experiences in the former Soviet Union, the rabbi says he welcomes the opportunity to speak at an event in honor of the couple.
"They are great people and worthy honorees," he says.
At the JNF dinner, Tutnauer plans to talk about the organization's programs and projects and what they mean to the people of Israel and the world.
"With Israel as a geographical base for Jews," he says, "all sorts of wonderful things are happening, and JNF is a big part of it."
For information about the JNF Tree of Life event, call 602-277-4800.