The Interfaith Council of Greater Springfield joined many in mourning to passing of Rabbi Mark Shapiro, a long-time participant in and advocate of interfaith work in our area
Rabbi Mark D. Shapiro, who served for 28 years as spiritual leader of Sinai Temple until his retirement in June 2016 at age 66, was remembered following his death Tuesday [June 21, 2020] as a man of faith and community across spiritual traditions. Read the rest of the masslive remembrance of Rabbi Shapiro.
Memorial by Rabbi Amy Katz, PhD
On Sunday morning, July 26, the 5th of the month of Menachem Av, funeral services are being conducted for Rabbi Mark Dov Shapiro. Were the funeral in our community, I imagine many of us would be in attendance. To mark that moment for our community, I am sharing some writing I did to honor Rabbi Shapiro’s memory.
I first came across Rabbi Mark Dov Shapiro when I was teaching an introductory course on Shabbat and I was looking for some good materials to help Jews by Choice understand what Shabbat might mean to them. I found this wonderful chapter in Gates of Shabbat and loved the way the author described Shabbat. For years, I used these materials, not knowing who authored this wonderful book.
And then one day I received a phone call from Rabbi Mark Dov Shapiro.
I was sitting in my office in Kansas City when Rabbi Shapiro called. He had heard that I was to be the new rabbi at Temple Beth El. He called to welcome me to New England and asked permission to host a gathering of rabbinic and cantorial families to celebrate my new position. My experience is not unique – Stewart Bromberg, Rabbis Riqi Kosovske, James Greene and Jeremy Master also recalled how Rabbi Shapiro extended himself to welcome new colleagues to our community.
In the beginning Rabbi Shapiro and I were good colleagues. We enjoyed thinking of ways our congregations might collaborate, we loved to explore important Jewish ideas with one another, and we struggled to guide our communities in managing the challenging demographics of Western Massachusetts. When I think about the many meetings Rabbi Shapiro and I attended together, several things come to my mind. Rabbi Shapiro was always punctual, he always came prepared and he never hesitated to say what was on him mind. He had this way of expressing himself. We could disagree in a meeting – but we knew our differences did not define our work together. Rabbi Shapiro was the kind of leader who understood that professional differences were for the sake of heaven (l’shem shamayim). Nothing was personal. He had a delightful sense of humor, an attention to detail and an unmistakable sense of right and wrong. He was a man of both intelligence and integrity.
Rabbi Shapiro built bridges. He understood that his role as rabbi was to represent the Jewish community to the larger world in which we live. That is why he regularly wrote opinion pieces for the Republican, attended countless civic events, taught at local churches throughout the area and organized study opportunities for clergy of all faiths. Interfaith dialogue was an integral part of Rabbi Shapiro’s rabbinate.
Rabbi Shapiro was a disciplined student, always reading, borrowing books, asking me what I thought of a particular articles. He read the emails I sent to the congregation and often responded with a thoughtful comment or compliment. Rabbi Shapiro understood the many hats a rabbi must wear. He knew how to convey ideas to his congregants, engaging them with his love of Torah, Israel and the Jewish people. When his congregants needed a compassionate presence, Rabbi Shapiro knew how to be present, supportive and loving. He held the stories of so many Sinai Temple members.
I am so grateful that over time, our professional relationship morphed into a personal friendship.
Mark and I often shared stories about our efforts to accompany our aging mothers. I so admired the way Mark attended to his mother, and recognized what she needed from him. As his mother’s health declined, Mark visited more, and took on more responsibilities. Summer vacations took him to Toronto – where else does a tired rabbi go to rejuvenate? But Mark took the duty of honoring his mother, and visiting Toronto family, very seriously. I vividly recall one day Mark explained that in taking care of his mother, he was honoring his father. Mark was an only son – and he knew what his father would have expected. His father would have been proud. When Mark’s mother died, we spoke about how in some ways he felt closer to his father as he looked after his mother. I knew exactly Mark meant – and in many ways, that conversation was the beginning of our personal friendship.
Mark made himself available to me as a confidante. When life presented me personal challenges, he was there for me. He cared. He worried. He called. He texted. He gave me tissue when I cried. He made sure I felt safe.
I loved to hear when Mark spoke about Marsha. Their love and respect for one another was palpable. If ever there were a couple I admired, it was Mark and Marsha Shapiro. They shared their lives with one another and held each other. In February of this year, Mark and I were having lunch. His health was deteriorating and Marsha had assumed so many responsibilities. He told me it was strange not to be in control. But he knew Marsha would always make the wise decision. He felt safe, but he worried because he did not want to be a burden.
Married for almost 48 years, their life – like all of ours – had hardships and victories. Together they overcame life’s challenges and embraced the beauty of the world around them.
Mark and I often shared stories about our children. Mark was so proud of Daniel. Long before I met Daniel, I knew about his sense of humor, his wit, and his work. When Mark would speak about Daniel, there was a special smile that radiated from his face. We often talked about our children’s paths. Mark always asked about my children. He cared about their stories. He remembered what each child was doing. He rejoiced in their accomplishments and he held me when I worried about their journeys.
When we die, all that is left is a name. But behind that name are the stories, feelings, and associations of the soul. In remembering Rabbi Mark Dov Shapiro, I am reminded of a wonderful poem by the late Israeli poet Zelda.
Each of Us Has A Name
Each of us has a name given by the Source of Life and given by our parents
Each of us has a name
given by our stature and our smile and given by what we wear
Each of us has a name given by the mountains and given by our walls
Each of us has a name given by the stars
and given by our neighbors.
Each of us has a name given by our sins
and given by our longings.
Each of us has a name given by our enemies and given by our love.
Each of us has a name given by our celebrations and given by our work.
Each of us has a name
and given by the seasons and given by our blindness.
Each of us has a name given by the sea
and given by death.
I love this poem because it acknowledges that we are a product of our environment and our environment is shaped by who we are and how we live our lives.
And while Rabbi Mark Dov Shapiro had many names, the products of his years, his work, his love, his commitments, his friendship, his family, and his life, as the rabbis say in a different context, “the crown of a good name rises above them all.” I will remember my colleague and friend for his good name and the blessing he brought to me and so many.
This email was sent at the time of Rabbi Shapiro’s burial in Toronto. I pray that his soul is at peace and that his legacy inspires all of us to be our best selves in all that we do. In so doing, we will honor the memory of this pillar in our community.
A Memorial from Rabbi Devorah Jacobson
Zichrono Liv’racha.
The memory of Mark Shapiro will always be for blessing to this community. The news of his death is devastating for so many, including us, his rabbinic colleagues. I knew Mark for over 20 years, and always thought of him as a skilled, fun-loving and very wise rabbi and a very kind friend. Over the years, I watched him in action, at meetings, during study sessions, leading programs, and observed that everything he did, he did well, in a high quality way, with so much thoughtfulness, care, grace and whenever appropriate, a good amount of humor.
Though I was not at Sinai Temple for the holidays, I loved reading his sermons. I also attended many of the funerals at which he officiated. Like his sermons, the eulogies he gave were some of the best I’ve ever heard: well-crafted, honest, and always moving. He had a unique way of capturing the essence of the person he was speaking about.
Deeply committed to interfaith dialogue and civil rights, Mark has been an important Jewish leader in this community, committed to deepening interfaith relations in the community, on campus, and in faith institutions. I have long admired his leadership. For years, he took teens from Sinai Temple (I believe they were his Confirmation class students) on civil rights trips to the South. When Mark and the JCC invited me to take his place as the rabbi and program leader for the JCC’s civil rights trip to the South last April 2019, I worked closely with him to ensure a smooth transition. We sat for hours in his kitchen and in between the bantering and joking around, we pored over his planning documents, as he patiently helped me quickly understand the elaborate program he had planned. I was a bit intimidated by all the detail. He had worked hard to prepare a rich itinerary for the group of some 32 adult travelers, including visits not only to the well-known and established civil rights sites, but also to synagogues, churches and mosques in Atlanta, Birmingham and Montgomery, in order to interact with members and leaders of the various faith communities who shared stories of life back in the 50s and 60s and now. The trip was a wonderful success, in large part due to Mark’s efforts and creativity. He was just quite masterful in putting things like this together. He had almost an intuitive way and he understood how to make experiences, rituals and religious services and celebrations, rich and impactful for people.
I and we will miss his warm and wonderfully engaging spirit.
Ha-makom yi-nachem, may his family, and all who he touched, be comforted in the days and years ahead…
