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Shabbat Shalom,
A couple of weeks ago, while talking to a classmate of mine from JTS who is serving a Conservative congregation in the northeast, I realized how different our experiences have been living here as a Jew in Florida after October 7. He shared the news with me that he ‘got in trouble’ after October 7 with his congregation. His 'crime' was that he brought an Israeli flag into the sanctuary. The reason he was reprimanded was because the flag was ‘too divisive’, even though the American flag has always been on the bimah. Sadly, this type of censorship has been around for several years. It has not been easy to speak about Israel from some pulpits, and the issue has been exacerbated since October 7.
Last week, I attended a conference in Aventura, Florida, titled "Zionism: A New Conversation," which was organized by the Leffell Foundation, the Paul E. Singer Foundation, and the Maimonides Fund. The inaugural three-day conference provided a fresh opportunity for a wide range of rabbis to grapple with modern-day Israel. The conference brought 120 rabbis from congregations, day schools, rabbinical schools, and Jewish organizations across America to Miami for sometimes tough conversations and startling news but also great rays of hope and light for the future.
Session topics included reengaging youth when discussing Israel, creating allies, understanding social media, answering the hard questions, and reclaiming Zionism. Speakers included educators, leaders from Zionist organizations such as Zioness and Boundless, and leaders from the LGBTQIA+, Black, and Latino communities. The event featured presentations by conservative New York Times opinion columnist Bret Stephens and Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), known as a leading pro-Israel progressive Congress.
I felt privileged to be a part of a group of rabbis who could come together to discuss what the post-October 7th world looks like, what has failed and what may succeed, and to learn from many brilliant minds.
You can read more about the conference in the article below.
I look forward to sharing the ideas discussed at the conference in upcoming sermons. This Shabbat, I will be focusing on the idea of Peoplehood as a response to the antisemitism we have experienced and how it can be one of many tools of resilience that we have.
I hope you join us this Friday night at 6:15 PM for our next "Spirits" of Shabbat, our out-of-the-box Friday night service focusing on spiritual practices like meditation, chanting, and music. Light appetizers and drinks will be served. We have two special guests musicians, Susan Shane-Linder and Marge Eiseman, co-leading with me.
I wish you all a Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi David Baum
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