Remarks for Temple Emanuel Annual Meeting ~
May 3, 2015/5775
This past week’s
events have left us with heavy hearts. Even
though we suburbanites – even those like myself who live on the edge of the
city line -- were physically safe from the fray, it pained us to watch what
started as very peaceful demonstrations of discontent unravel into destructive
and violent discord.
Yesterday during
Shabbat worship, I asked those of us present to consider how we may have been
complicit in the violence that besieged parts of our Charmed City this past
Monday. Have we turned a blind eye to
the deep-seated racism that still pervades this city south of the Mason-Dixon
line; have we turned a deaf ear to the economic disparity between those who
like most, if not all, of us have access to a plethora of opportunities and
those who don’t simply because of where or to whom they were born or the color
of their skin?
We may not have
thrown a brick, lit fire to property, or raided and destroyed stores, but we
have failed to pay attention to the level of desperation building in so many
poor and impoverished communities within the borders of Baltimore city. As the Jewish community has grown more comfortable
in this country, the more complacent, I fear, we have grown. Rather than looking towards helping those who
have not been the recipients of such good fortune, we are too eager to point
fingers and blame them for not being more like us. “We did it.
Why can’t they?,” we short-sightedly demand as we stand in judgment.
It’s ironic to me
that this past Shabbat, the Jewish community read the Torah portion Kedoshim, part of the biblical priestly
manual on how to behave, how to be holy and how to mirror the image of Godliness. In this Holiness Code, we are commanded to
leave parts of our planted fields un-reaped so that those in need within our
communities can harvest food for their families. We are not to insult or place stumbling
blocks in front of those who are most vulnerable in our society. We are to judge our fellow human beings
fairly and with dignity. We are to love
our neighbor as ourselves, and are commanded to treat even the stranger – those
who seem so unlike ourselves, as if they were one of us. How many of us can honestly admit to abiding
by Kedoshim’s command?
It also struck me
as I was preparing these remarks, how (if you’ll excuse me) damned fortunate we
are! We have come together throughout
the past year in order to express concern, support, and sometimes discontent
because our congregation is struggling.
As you will hear from our leadership, we still have significant
challenges ahead of us. At the same
time, we all have roofs over our heads, access to decent, arguably good, if not
excellent, schools (certainly schools with enough textbooks for the
students). There are grocery and
specialty stores that offer a wide variety of fresh food in or near our
neighborhoods. We have the ability to
get to these stores as well as the freedom to be able to walk out of our homes,
get in our cars, and travel without fear to places like this, our house of
worship. Our children can come home from
school on the bus without facing immediate (and dare I say, reactive) judgment
from law enforcement.
The primary
functions of a synagogue are, in a very real sense, luxuries. Study for study’s own sake, coming together
as a minyan, as a community, in prayer, and pursuing social justice – the
Rabbis of old viewed these tasks as fundamental pillars of our world; but, I’d
argue that the very fact that we can focus on them is because our basic needs
are met -- we are fed, clothed, and sheltered and have the opportunity and good
fortune to live in safe surroundings.
No matter what
happens to our beloved Temple Emanuel community, I see it as critical that we
keep in the forefront of our minds how fortunate we are.
If we fail, it
will be terribly sad. Even the
transition we are currently facing: the selling of our building and the move to
being tenants, guests, in someone else’s home, is a cause
for sadness. Opportunities like this
past Friday night and June 13 (our last worship service in this sanctuary) are
appropriate places for us to express that sadness. But,
let’s also be mindful that we are not facing destruction. We are facing a lack of engagement and an
increase in apathy. Success and
acculturation threaten our Temple Emanuel community – not fear, certainly not
violence or lawlessness. We are so very
lucky. Even if we fail, only a few people will lose their jobs. I don’t say that lightly as I am one of them,
but a few will be out of work, not dozens.
Our failure will not impact the larger economy of our community. Even if we fail, we will not encounter
physical destruction of our bodies or our property. Even if we fail, no blood will be shed.
Let us keep this
big picture in mind as we focus our energy forward, as we listen to our
executive lay leadership this morning with a continued open mind. Let us keep this big picture in mind as we
focus our attention on what is
important about the future of our synagogue, namely:
1) that Temple
Emanuel be a place where our students receive a pluralistic Jewish education
while being encouraged to be proudly and firmly Reform; and, 2) that Temple Emanuel continues to be a place where the values
of social justice and intellectual integrity are pursued, and the expression of
thoughtful and aesthetically compelling expression of worship remain a priority.
Ken y’hi ratzon. Indeed, may it be.
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