In Other News...

Dear Friends at Congregation Har HaShem,

We need to write to you today about important issues in our country and Israel. 

While some might disagree, we have always striven to make the synagogue and our bimah (pulpit) a place where all can feel like they belong. That it is theirs. Of course, there are times when we disagree. But that should be ok. Our sages shared that our arguments can help us sharpen our ideas, perhaps also help us to see new positions and possibilities, maybe even change our minds. That has been difficult in recent decades. 

We value our congregants who share different opinions than ours. We have tried our very best to teach Torah rooted in our understanding of Judaism and Jewishness, not politics. And yet, we are not ones to shy away from political issues. That is because political issues confront our faith, and our faith does indeed guide us in our political perspectives. 

We write this now because we see a great sorrow and anger that many of us are feeling. As our colleague, Rabbi Joshua Davidson recently wrote in The Forward,

"Now, as President Trump’s second administration is openly challenging many of the values I hold dear — including by terrifying minority communities and dividing Jews — it is clear to me that to speak those values from the pulpit remains a Jewish mandate. Judaism demands action and deplores indifference. No honest measure of Torah’s teachings endorses the distancing of Jewish interests from societal concerns."

Tuesday’s press conference where President Trump announced plans for the United States to take “ownership” of Gaza was reckless, criminal, and heartbreaking. In our lifetime, an American President advocated for ethnic cleansing by deporting residents of Gaza to other countries. (President Trump has added today that it would be temporary.) As Jews, Americans, and Zionists, we are enraged that President Trump has potentially put hostages' lives in greater danger, has emboldened Hamas and other Islamic fundamentalists, and alienated neighboring Arab allies. All the while, Prime Minister Netanyahu was smirking during the President’s address and welcoming this new approach. Other news reports are describing an upcoming proposal by President Trump for Israel to annex the West Bank. 

In our communities, the president’s words targeting immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers are intended to instill terror around the entire country. We joined other clergy to claim “The United States began with a declaration of unalienable rights endowed by a Creator. It is no exaggeration to say that Jewish tradition is teeming with the experience of forced displacement and the imperative established from that memory.” As you know, our synagogue hosts and supports an immigrant family on our campus who fled the Taliban. They are good people contributing to our community, working in our synagogue, and are now afraid to walk their children to the bus stop.

And to our LGBTQ+ friends, we stand with you. To our allies, and parents of LGBTQ+ folks, we support you. If we are all created b’tzelem Elohim – in God’s image – then God does not create in vain! We see you. You belong here. We will continue to stand with you. Banning gender-affirming health care and limiting access to basic needs in our country is hateful and dangerous. We know that these executive orders jeopardize lives. 

We have no joy in sharing these words. And some of our dear friends might disagree – either in policy or in tone. We don’t want anyone to feel alienated from our congregation – and – we know better than most that we cannot stand idly by as our neighbor bleeds. (Leviticus 19:16) We know better than most what can happen when silence overtakes us. 

So, we are sending strength your way. We are holding out hope for change. 

If you would like to find a way to engage in this conversation with our friends in the Tikkun Olam Committee (our social action committee, which means “repairing the world”), please write to info@harhashem.org and let us know what you are interested in doing. We are exploring how to potentially partner with other groups locally, but that is a work in progress. 

Know that the clergy at Har HaShem is here for you. If you need pastoral counseling during this time, using Jewish tradition and sources to find your strength, please reach out. If these crises are causing you moral injury, witnessing this harshness, we have a number of therapists that we can refer folks to. So it is most important, please take care of yourself. This is an important time to find ways to gather, to sit in community, to connect. We invite you to join us for our different services. You don’t have to be a regular prayer or know the words or even believe in God in order to come to services. Sometimes it is just about finding a place to breathe, connect, and be. If you want to take action locally with other agencies to do good work, we would be glad to make recommendations (to EFFA, Meals on Wheels, Home Ahead Furniture Bank, Planned Parenthood, etc.).

Below is a list of organizations we recommend that we share our tzedakah (righteous giving) with, and to learn how to take action. These are Jewish organizations since some of us also feel alienated from other classic allies due to antisemitism. Scroll down to find the list.

In the meantime, we share our strength and we lift up shalom to you, to our country, to Israel and Palestine, and to the world. 

Sincerely,

Rabbi Fred Greene - Cantor Devorah Avery - Rabbi Ruthie Gelfarb

Resources

Reform Movement

• Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism – launches the justice work of the Union for Reform Judaism and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, representing Reform rabbis in North America. It addresses over 70 different justice issues. 
• Reform Leadership Responds to President Trump’s Recent Comments on Gaza
• Supporting Refugees and Immigrants in this challenging moment

Other Agencies

• HIAS (Immigration, Refugees, Asylum Seekers)
• Keshet (LGBTQ+ rights)
• Jewish Council for Public Affairs
• National Council of Jewish Women (reproductive justice)
• A More Perfect Union: The Jewish Partnership for Democracy

Israel

• Israel Religious Action Center, fighting for civil rights in Israel
• Israel Policy Forum
• J Street - advocating for a two state solution to advance Israeli and Palestinian peace