Being a member of this community, which I love so much, I can’t help but wonder what these times demand of me as an individual and of us as a community.
From my perspective, the essence of what we learn here at Shomrei during our Shabbat services and our various religiously oriented classes is that we are required to be holy –– as we attempt to be with MESH and IHN –– to respond to the world in such a way that makes it a better place, especially for the less fortunate among us.
My grandparents could not enter the United States as refugees. They died as a result. My parents were refugees and because of what this country made possible for them, they lived safe, productive and meaningful lives. They were always grateful and never forgot, for a moment, the safety and the new world that America provided them.
In part because of that history, I feel called upon to simply do something in response to recent events. I would like to know if there are others at Shomrei who feel as I do and if they would be willing to work together as members of our community to address issues related to refugees, immigration and other critical areas of concern.
Please feel free to write in to Kol Emunah, or contact me privately, if you are interested. If we as a group can combine our efforts with others to address these critical issues, we have a chance to represent our spiritual community at its best.
If you disagree with this request, I certainly respect your right to do so. I would like to hear from you and to learn your reasons.
I think it important that, if nothing else, we as a community begin to have this conversation. The times we live in demand our attention wherever we stand. Perhaps we can find some common ground and as a result, do some good.
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Thanks for taking the lead on this, Nick. I, for one, would welcome the opportunity to work with you and other members of the Shomrei community to help formulate a humane response to some of the many critical issues that we face.
Thank you for taking the lead on this. I want to do something other than just giving money, but have little bandwidth. I will support how best I can
I ditto Fern and Andy for sure!!!!. Although, I am from afar, I’d love to help in whichever way I can…we’ll brainstorm:-)
Although we are a People of the Book we are also a People that believes in Tikkun Olam. What better way to start repairing the world than working with our own Shomrei community.
My name is Esthi David, I live at Kfar Vradim, Israel and am an active member of our Minyan Mishpachti Massorti. One of the tasks I have taken upon myself is to edit our weekly newsletter Koleinu. It is published in Hebrew but is partly bilingual.
I just read your call to Shomrei members and am interested, as an introduction to our members, to copy it and publish in our newsletter . I would like to get your permission to do so. We might even get our people’s reaction and sharing of views, as we in Israel are dealing with the same issues.
Our two communities are at the threshold of cooperation as sister communities, as a part of the “Rav Siach” project, to strengthen ties between Conservative congregations in Israel and Diaspora, mainly North America.
At the moment I am visiting in Wayne NJ, and hope to take part tomorrow afternoon, in the scheduled meetings at your Schul between members of Shomrei and our community leader Rabba Natalie Lasterger.
Will be grateful for your permission,
Yours,
Esthi
Sure, go ahead. (I’m co-editor of the blog).