I love those words... they sound welcoming and peaceful just saying them...
This Saturday, my wife and I were honored to be invited to participate in the BatMitzvah of a dear friend's daughter.
I truly am touched by being included in those events where there is a deliberate decision between people. I know those decisions are never easy, and it means the world to me to have people I love include me in the important celebration moments of their lives.
I am always taken back by the energy at synagogue. I am always reminded that Judaism is not only a religion, but it is a culture... and a beautiful and proud and ancient one...
At work, I am often accused of creating a "corporate" culture - and when I am at synagogue I see the difference between the Jewish celebration and the more Catholic/Lutheran ones that I am used to. There is a "corporateness" to the Catholic/Lutheran celebrations that I struggle with... their is a casualness, a personality to most of the synagogues that I go to that I love.
I feel like at the synagogue the rabbi is not talking AT me, but TO me... He is not there FOR me, but WITH me...
I can't help but be transported so many places while I am at synagogue. "I wish we could all have more opportunity to worship together... Muslims, Catholics, Jews, Atheists, Buddhists..." I think we could all learn so much from each other - learn to appreciate each other more - learn to disprove so many stereotypes - if we heard the lessons together and held hands in worship... I am convinced, if we kept an open mind, we would see that we are all so similar in our dreams, fears and spirits.
Then, I am transported to being a kid... to hearing so clearly that "Jews were bad people" in so many forms, with so many examples. Growing up in Peru, I didn't know any Jewish people. I'd argue my parents knew few themselves. My dad was always the one trying to carry the "Catholic" narrative in our home. At least, the "official" narrative.
Then we moved to the United States and many of my friends were Jewish... and I loved them. Then they started turning 12 and 13 and they started inviting me to their BarMitzvahs. Some of my friends invited my parents... and my parents never met a party they didn't like.
These "bad" Jews, now were wonderful people and dear friends. My dad remembers with great joy the party's and the celebrations.
While we never talked about it in detail, I KNOW that he felt connected with them through the parties - through dancing together - through being included... All of those things spoke to him and the "historical issues" and the narrative that he had been taught from well intentioned but ignorant people largely disappeared.
I saw so many times racism of various kinds disappear or at least evolve meaningfully when relationships were formed... eyes met eyes, people met people, bread was broken, and life was shared.
When I get to go to synagogue I am keenly grateful to have the friends that I have... grateful for living in this time when diversity is so available and possible all around us... grateful to lbe included and to be able to love so purely and freely...
And, when I am at a synagogue, I am also keenly aware that we have further to go... that divisiveness, racism, small-mindedness is still so very real...
The people in our world who hate... who feel superior to others... who feel entitled to better and to more... make up a large part of the world... and right now are emboldened to speak out and be heard...
Hatred, anti-semitism has always existed, and has been for centuries worse than it is today... but we cannot rest and pretend that it is gone, or no longer dangerous...
We must speak to love and to inclusiveness and to what is at the heart of the teachings of virtually all religions...
As those who embrace hate and arrogance feel emboldened, so must we who value and aspire to love and justice... We must promote reason, common sense and unity in all that we do...
The world is a dynamic place... harmony happens moment to moment... if we WANT it...
Shabbat Shalom...
I am grateful for it... and I WANT more of it!
for all of us -
and especially for our children...
NEVER stop working on harmony...
NEVER take peace and justice for granted...
Love can and will in time conquer all...
But, those who believe that must WANT it in every moment, more than those who don't...
Nestor