The following is my piece in the September 26, 2019 edition
of the Philadelphia Jewish Link:
The Publisher’s Perspective
Rosh Hashanah is a time for reflection and introspection. We
ruminate on our personal and public actions, our relationship with Hashem, and
our sense of inner worth. The period of the Yamim Noraim is an opportunity to
ponder life in a manner in which we do not often do during the balance of the
year.
As we engage in spiritual contemplation, one of the things that we
ought to consider is the world in which we live. We are privileged to dwell in
a nation where we are given the freedom to practice our religion without the
fear of reprisal, and we are afforded liberties that Jews in other countries
are not necessarily granted.
However, as we consider how fortunate we are to live in a society
where freedom of religion is sacrosanct, we cannot ignore the fact that there
are individuals in our midst for whom anti-Semitism, racism, and hatred are
ingrained in their very being.
Sadly, we are reminded of this frightening fact all too often.
Last October, a man walked into the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh during
davening on Shabbat morning and murdered eleven people. Last April, a shooting
at Chabad of Poway in California on the last day of Pesach left one person dead
and several others wounded. This past July, a member of the Young Israel of
Greater Miami was shot as he stood outside the shul waiting for minyan to
begin.
The notion that a House of Worship could be an attractive target
for individuals with deep-seated hatred is extremely disturbing. The fact that
someone could somehow rationalize walking into a place of prayer and
transforming it into a bloody battleground is incomprehensible. Yet, we have
tragically seen that our shuls, which we consider to be sanctuaries, are in
fact susceptible to heinous acts of bigotry and violence.
As a community, we must not ignore the chilling reality of this
growing threat. That is not to say we should feel a sense of trepidation when
we walk into shul. On the contrary, we should feel a sense of exhilaration and
exuberance when we walk into a Beit Knesset. However, amidst the spiritual
elation we should enjoy while at shul, we must always be cognizant of the need
to remain vigilant.
As we spend a great deal of time in shul during Rosh Hashanah and
Yom Kippur, in addition to thanking Hashem for the wonderful blessings that He
mercifully bestows upon us, we should also remember to thank the security guard
who may be standing outside the shul and the Shmira volunteers who give of
their time to help keep us safe.
We cannot pretend that the vulnerabilities do not exist.
Nevertheless, we cannot let fear consume us and deprive us of the wonderful
feeling that should permeate our heart and soul while we are davening in shul.
It behooves all of us to have both kavanah and a degree of caution while
at shul. We do not need to be fearful; rather, we simply need to be mindful of
what is happening around us.
Wishing everyone a ktiva v’chatima tova. May the year 5780
bring peace, prosperity, health and happiness to our entire community and to
Jews around the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment