Presidential Messages

Dear Friends,

“Don’t ask don’t tell.” “I’m totally color blind.” “That’s funny, you don’t look Jewish.” “Wow! You don’t behave anything like those other people.” Is there a theme here? I think there is! In this society being different is not a positive. Yet the world is inhabited by billions of people who are different from each other. Originally, all of those different people were not scattered equally throughout the world, they were clustered in specific regions. Then came migration and consequently, people outside of the lands of their ancestors became minorities elsewhere. They survived and continue to survive by making themselves “invisible.” Survival, they rightfully believe, only comes from blending in with the majority. While that is possible for some, it is not an option for too many others.

Whether one tries to be invisible or not, the differences between and amongst us are real. Differences should not condemn one to a life of being ignored, ridiculed or persecuted. I like to believe G-d has a plan and we just don’t know what it is. It is never truer than when talking about diversity. G-d created all of these permutations of mankind, gave us all life, and then left it up to us to figure out how to deal with it all. Without any question, we can say, we haven’t done that well. In fact, some have used these differences to create the “Other”; a face, a nationality, a religion, or a sexual preference that is not the same as ours and thus is not as good as who and what we are. The fact that each of us is the “Other” in someone else’s eyes seems to have no impact on our predilection to be critical of people because they are different. Having an “Other” appears to make us feel better, more relevant, and thus adds importance to our own existence. The majority say the behavior of those “other” folks is not in accordance with G-d’s will. Really, how do we know?

Love thy brother is a phrase often spoken aloud, but not often actuated. Rabbi Chaim Feller asks “can I be intensely Jewish without losing the sense that I am created in the ‘image of G-D’ like everybody else?” Like everybody else! Sadly, the history of the world tells of too many people who have had to fight for the right to be recognized as human. That struggle for recognition goes on today and unfortunately, will more than likely continue long into the future.

The finger-pointing goes on even in the midst of a pandemic. COVID-19 has provided an opportunity for the anti-Semites to call out the Jews for infecting the world as part of a plot to control the world. Instead of working to solve a problem, it is easier to just blame an “Other”. As a result, in this instance, while we work on how best to open our synagogue, we also plan on increasing security. Sadly, freedom as a right seems to have lost its inclusivity.

The American Civil Rights Movement called the question around the issue of humanness and diversity and created the impetus for the LGBTQ community to stand up and then make demands for their most basic of rights. June is Gay Pride Month, a celebration of a group’s desire to be acknowledged as human and having worth. Yes, we are here and we too are part of G-ds plan. Interestingly, while we don’t question G-d’s rules about ritual and observance, we are too often dismissive of the diversity that G-d has created. Unfortunately, that dismissiveness has affected all aspects of our modern life. You are old…you don’t count. You are a Republican/Democrat, you don’t count either. Maybe June should be designated as Tolerance Month; a time in which we acknowledge G-d didn’t use a cookie-cutter in the creation. It is a blessing that we are here, but we are not always such a blessing to each other.

Sincerely,
Dorothy