“ Few of us seem to realize how insidious, how radical, how universal and evil racism is. Few of us realize that racism is man’s gravest threat to man, the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason, the maximum of cruelty for a minimum of thinking.” These words were spoken by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel at the National Conference on Religion and Race in Chicago on January 14, 1963, at which Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was also a featured speaker. During the Temple B’nai Abraham Congregational Meeting on May 31 st community members voted to empower me as their Rabbi to make a statement on behalf of the synagogue community against this evil, this threat, this hatred. Temple B’nai Abraham is unequivocally against racism and bigotry in all of its forms. Our congregation’s Guiding Values state all humans are created in the Divine image, and therefore we must treat each accordingly. Tikkun olam , world repair, is another of our values, calling on us to take stands and act for
Dear Friends, How are you and your families today? I hold you all in my thoughts and prayers in these crazy and uncertain times. In recent services and meetings I have shared a story of two ancient rabbis who self-secluded in a cave for twelve years. This story has a lot to teach us about the essence of Judaism as it was evolving nearly 2000 years ago, as well as cautioning us how we might prepare to emerge from our own isolation into a new and different world. The Talmud tells us that Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai spoke out against the Roman Government, so the Governor decreed he should be put to death. He and his son, Rabbi Elazar, hid in a cave and studied Torah with great fervor for twelve years until the Prophet Elijah (the same guy we open our doors to on Passover) appeared to tell them they could leave. When the two emerged and saw people sowing and plowing, Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai said: “These people abandon eternal life of Torah study and engage in this worldly actions for their o