Ultimate Adulation

In September 2025, our Moshe Barnett will become the new community rabbi in the liberal community in Zurich, and Josi and I will be moving there. We vacillate between the sadness of parting and pride. Guillaume is writing the ultimate eulogy!

Praise Moshe! What a strange order... Praise Moshe... Is that even halachically permissible in Jewish Judaism?

Well, after a quick inquiry, I know that at least it's definitely about you, our Moshe, not the Moshe who had his moment of glory on Shavuot. He wanted to go to the Promised Land his whole life, but you left it in your youth. His life wasn't easy, even the last 40 years: desert, almost only manna, laws and prohibitions! And you, you became a rabbi, first in Zurich! He dreamed until the end of the land flowing with milk and honey, but you're going to the land of milk and honey! Will you become a mountaineer like him there, so that you have at least one positive thing in common besides sharing a name?

So, praising you! Not easy. And you didn't teach me that either. But I do know how, when, and for what to praise God. All of our shiurim through the Siddur are detailed, exciting, and witty. You can talk about anything with enthusiasm—yes, about anything, including going beyond the time period—and your teaching style is always unique: I think we're specifically learning about the Milky Way today, and after the lesson, I'll have an entire sky of colorful, sparkling stars above and in my head.

Praise Moshe… How am I supposed to do that? I'm neither a biographer nor a hagiographer. Where can I find help? ChatGPT! I learned that from you! But he doesn't sound particularly enthusiastic or imaginative for this task:

ChatGPT: "Moshe, I want to tell you how impressed I am with your work. Your dedication and commitment are truly admirable. You're doing a great job, and it's great to see how dedicated you are. Keep it up!"

I think the AI didn't understand who I was talking about! I need to be more specific...

ChatGPT: "Moshe Barnett, I want to thank you so much for your amazing work. Your dedication, commitment, and positive attitude are truly admirable. It's great to see you always giving your best while remaining so professional. Keep it up—you're doing a great job!"

That sounds better, but somehow impersonal… One last try with job and city!

ChatGPT: Of course! Here's a friendly and honest hymn of praise for Rabbi Moshe Barnett of Dresden: "Rabbi Moshe Barnett of Dresden, I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation. Your dedicated work, your wisdom, and your warm manner are very valuable to the community in Dresden. It's admirable how you fulfill your duties with such dedication and a sense of responsibility, while creating a positive atmosphere. Thank you for your dedication and commitment—you are a great asset to the community!"

Should I suddenly address you formally? And remain so vague… Didn't ChatGPT hear about the recent board and advisory committee meeting, which discussed your numerous and central activities in the community? Well, I think I'd better try it on my own, and with our many encounters and shared activities, I'll hopefully come up with something worthy…

I think the Jewish Community of Israel (JKD) is the only community in the world where you don't hear as many "Shabbat Shalom!"s as "Ask Moshe!"s. I mean that as a genuine compliment! You've quickly become the pinnacle of community organization and administration. But I also know how exhausting and stressful it is for you. Even on our Shabbat shopping trips and at the supermarket, I'm almost constantly experiencing a back-and-forth of calls, requests, inquiries, tasks... and all in three languages! And if we're out together at the right time, I even hear your lovely call to your grandma!

In addition, you're a prayer leader, caretaker and handyman, cook, sommelier for all spirits, teacher, a radiant and authentic speaker, a crucial team player for PR and human resources, treasurer and warehouse manager. You ensure good relations with the neighborhood and a fruitful interfaith dialogue beyond the city limits! You basically do everything here... except drive! Your private life is also just commitment! For your party, for family, and friends. Your committed relationship with Josi and, for better or for worse, with her house cats deserves special mention.

One might think you're a perfect person... Fortunately, you don't fall into this hubris thanks to your difficulties with left and right (perhaps your British heritage?) and with being and having . Yes, my modest efforts haven't always been successful, but even in our German lessons, you became the teacher and narrator after just a few minutes. But it's so much fun listening to you and hearing new stories! And your way of expressing yourself remains inimitable even for the best AIs! That's commendable, isn't it?

So you are and will remain a very special person, a person with heart and mind, a sociable and valued companion. Most people know this; they're thinking of you with praise and recognition, and they'll let you go reluctantly, but still with grateful and well-intentioned greetings and wishes!