Ruminations

There have been tensions within the Israeli mainstream about the current coalition’s plan to transfer power from the judiciary to the legislature. There have been concerns amongst those who identify or ally with non-Orthodox Jews, as certain factions within the coalition seek to redefine who counts as Jewish. And, not least significant within this chaos, there have been eruptions of violence between Israelis and Palestinians—recently, this included the heartbreaking murder of two Israeli Jewish brothers who were settlers, then a sickening, large-scale retaliation by settlers against the Palestinian village of Huwara.

Regardless of the exact accuracy of any of these numbers, and I have no reason to doubt them, there are clear trends. Antisemitism is going up. Jews recognize the rise in antisemitism, non-Jews less so. In some striking areas, non-Jewish recognition of “subtle” antisemitism is just as good as Jews’. I think the overarching lesson is as follows. Non-Jews can be excellent allies in the fight against antisemitism–the proof is in the survey, where we see that they already are in many important ways.

When I look at the world today, I sometimes wonder how we’ve fallen so far. In mid-January, the ADL issued a report finding, among other things, that 85% of Americans believe at least one anti-Jewish trope. That’s a 39% increase from 2019, when the number was “only” 61%. How could the society that created Fox, Good, Washington, and Poling end up here?

The Reform movement has blazed many trails in its history, but here it falls far, far short. If the official seminary of the Reform movement won't ordain people in interfaith marriages, the institutional Reform movement's "acceptance" of interfaith families is more performative than substantive.

Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, women’s right to abortion in the United States has been tenuous. Were it not for a preliminary injunction, abortion would already be illegal after six weeks in Ohio. In all likelihood, abortion will become functionally inaccessible here before long…

This weekend will be a time for mourning; for many, this Shabbat will be a time for prayer; and for all, it will be a time to share a hope for change and action in the future. The Jewish community stands with its Black allies in a commitment to ending the disproportionate violence perpetrated against people of color.

For a whole variety of reasons–some good, some bad–people frequently self-segregate. Whether along racial, religious, ethnic, socioeconomic, political, or other lines, we have a tendency to surround ourselves with people who look, act, and believe like ourselves.

At each successive nadir of the “Kanye affair,” community members have asked me if the JCRC would say anything new, and, if so, what. I have oft repeated what has now become a refrain: “Does the world really need another reminder that the Jews disavow antisemitism?” I mean this somewhat facetiously; however, the crux of my meaning is that what the world really needs is more non-Jews speaking out against antisemitism.

In about a week, we will be dedicating a new Hanukkah menorah at City Hall on behalf of the entire Jewish community. I want to take a moment to explain why. After all, it’s fair question to ask.

On Wednesday, November 30, 2022 I testified in favor of House Bill 353, the Testing Your Faith Act, being considered by the Ohio legislature. You can read the prepared testimony below, outlining why this bill is needed, and watch my testimony here…

Invitations often make us feel good; I hope those who open one to my upcoming wedding feel that way. Other invitations, less so; Jury duty… need I say more? Meanwhile, some elicit more nuanced responses, like when I learned that Rev. Damon Lynch invited me to engage in conversation about Black-Jewish relations via op-ed (“Nothing new here with racist Jews, antisemitic Blacks.“)

On Thursday, I attended the Never is Now Summit, the ADL’s premier conference on antisemitism. The program was impactful, filled with rousing words and helpful guidance on combating Jew-hatred. Much of the summit was accessible online, however, one aspect of the program you would have missed unless physically present was the entourage of protestors.

As Ecclesiastes says, there is nothing new under the sun. So too with antisemitism: it has existed in one form or another for as long as Jews have. Nevertheless, we are now in uncharted waters when it comes to antisemitism in the United States. The impetus? Kanye West and Kyrie Irving’s recent forays into Jew-hatred, coupled with the tools of social media. Allow me to offer three key lessons learned through the debacle.

Valentine's Day may not be a Jewish holiday, but why waste any opportunity to spread the love? Our tradition teaches us that love is transformative.

OK--that might be a paraphrase. But in Deuteronomy 31, we *do* read similar words about the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua: chazak ve'ematz, "Be strong and courageous." Now, in this tense and liminal political moment, that advice may be needed more than ever.

We’ve reached the end of our first week of classes during what will surely go down as one of the strangest years of HUC’s history. In all the Zoom classes—none of which could have been predicted or were what we had hoped for—we may yet find something altogether unexpected and special.

If you’re a “Hamilfan” like me (a fan of the hit Hamilton musical, recently added to Disney+’s catalogue), then you’ll recognize these yearning words—which allude to Micah 4:4—sung by George Washington’s character in the song, “One Last Time.” This transcendent phrase, oft-uttered by the real Washington, addresses the one-dollar Founding Father’s hope that all who dwelled in America, himself included, might someday be able to enjoy repose in those soon-to-be-united states.

It’s been an incredible journey, everyone! During the past five years, when I have had the extraordinary pleasure of serving at Temple Beth Or, I’ve come to consider our synagogue my Jewish home. The relationships I have formed here have been life-changing. They have changed who I am—as a rabbi and as a person.

As Jews, we ought to know the feeling of having a target on our back; it's been there for most of our existence. Being Jewish has been enough of a reason to be killed during large swaths of Jewish history, much like being black remains so for far too many people in 21st-century America.