The recent Shavuot festival should remind us of the commitment our ancestors made and renewed throughout the generations to be a Covenantal People...

 

The recent Shavuot festival should remind us of the commitment our ancestors made and renewed throughout the generations to be a Covenantal People, committed to certain values and the pursuit of peace and justice. Sadly, if we review the Ten Statements of Principles, ( the Ten Commandments), our people are not doing well. The government of Israel and Jewish organizations that support the continued violations of humans rights and the violence are desecrating our heritage and not respecting our ancestors.

This past Sunday, Erev Shavuot, some 65 of us, Jewish leaders and concerned Jews, from some twelve or so Jewish organizations and communities read and presented a Statement and Call to Justice to the Embassy of Israel. Fortunately, Channel 7 captured the whole event, see link below. More than 100 Rabbis and Jewish leaders signed this Statement. Among the organizations represented on Sunday were T’ruah, J Street and the J Street Rabbinic Cabinet, Americans for Peace Now, Habonim, Friends of Torat Tzedek, Fabrangen, Am Kolel, Kehila Chadasha, the Cheder Community, the Union of Reform Congregations and Partners for a Progressive Israel.

Rabbi Gerry Serotta and I began crafting the Statement and organizing the Vigil on the Friday before. We are grateful to members of Am Kolel and Kehila for helping to get the word out with such short notice.

Hadar Susskind, an American and an Israeli citizen, spoke:

This violence needs to stop. We need a ceasefire. We need to address the root causes that led to this outbreak of rockets and bombs falling in both Israel and Gaza. We need to move past decades of conflict and occupation and towards peace. We also need to address the immediate humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Please note the options for actions below. We must also demand that the US and Iran stop providing the weaponry causing deaths, such destruction and terrible suffering. “You shall not stand by the blood of your neighbor.” Lev.19

The Parsha this week is Naso. Building on the previous Parsha, it describes the responsibilities of certain Levitical families for the Mishkan, the Sacred and portable Center of the Israelites on their journey in the Midbar, Wilderness. We are once again in the Wilderness. We are responsible for the Sacredness of our institutions, our Torah teachings and our relationship with each other and others. Naso means to “lift up.”

May we “lift up each other” as we journey toward the Land of Promise.

Reb David