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Dear Friends,
As we continue to gain understanding of these horrific events in Israel and now in Gaza, the magnitude of death, injury and destruction is overwhelming and disorienting. How can we manage our way through this ongoing experience? How do we put one foot in front of the other? I believe we move forward with love, with unity, and with trust. As members of this wonderful community, we must begin with grace and our
embrace of one another. We must individually and collectively create open, inclusive, and safe spaces for sharing. In our Beth Emet community, we recognize and embrace multiple perspectives – even as they differ from our own. We must constantly remind each other that the Beth Emet community is one community, and it is here for all of us.
Yesterday morning, Rabbi London shared her Op-Ed and her reflections with the congregation. Like many of you, I was eager to hear directly from her about her moral position. I also wanted to hear Rabbi London’s thoughts about any harm inadvertently contributed by the timing of the Op-Ed and the alignment of her pastoral priorities. We are a diverse congregation with many points of view, and our job is to share
a voice of compassion and understanding in the midst of pain and anger. This is not easy for any of us when we are so emotionally charged ourselves. Nevertheless, as human beings, congregants and Klei Kodesh alike, we need to find ways to listen to each other even when we are angry and hurt and even when there are strong differences in our perspectives. We must do this with grace and empathy and in a way that allows everyone to feel heard, all while working to avoid fissures in our congregation.
We will start by listening.
The Executive Committee and Klei Kodesh have been meeting to discuss ways
we can support one another and those in Israel who need us right now. This Sunday morning and afternoon, the Executive Committee will conduct small group listening circles at Beth Emet. There will be two sessions in the morning, from 10-11 am, in the Crown and Weiner rooms, and one session from 12:30-1:30 pm in the Weiner room, each facilitated by members of the Executive Committee. Our hope is that congregants who wish to will come and share what is on their minds. Our plan is to create a safe and
respectful space where all voices can be heard.
At the Board Meeting we will engage each other, including Rabbi London, in necessary dialogue. We will also participate in listening circles, and we will bring forward some of the themes which emerged in our Sunday listening groups. We will discuss a four-point action initiative which is being developed to focus our community on ourselves and to focus energy on those in need. Finally, we will pray.
On a personal note, on the day that the war began Gita and I were walking the streets of the Jewish Ghetto in Rome, and we immediately noticed the conspicuous brass plated cobblestones embedded in the sidewalks outside homes. These were the homes where individual Holocaust victims were taken and murdered by the Nazis. These Stolpersteine, German for “stumbling stones,” are a different kind of Holocaust memorial – slapping me in the face on the very day that the atrocities of October 7 occurred. I was shaken to my core, devastated, and in shock; holding the question– are these events the same evil that caused the stumbling blocks to be created? Initially I suffered from feelings of hate and anger and cried for justice. But I cry for all innocent victims.
I am full of love for the community that is Beth Emet. May we continue to support one another and to find ways to move together in peace.
From strength to strength,
Lee S. Weintraub
President, Board of Trustees
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