I was in a place of anger after the surprising and horrific events of the past week in Charlottesville, Virginia. When Rabbi Greenstein sent out the notice about an interfaith candle light vigil in Summit, I wasn’t so excited at the prospect of attending. I think I wanted to shout more than pray. What good would our quiet passivity be against an emboldened neo-Nazi movement? But I convinced my boys to go with me and we joined the Rabbi.
It was a beautiful evening; I’d say about 600 or more people were there. There were readings, respectful of the multi-faith and secular attendees. There was some singing and there was some quiet.
I didn’t get to do any yelling.
And then at the end, a few candles were lit and, neighbor passing the flame to neighbor, slowly all the candles were lit. The sky by then was darker and you could feel the added light in the very air. In opposition to the torches of hate carried, Nuremberg-style, through the streets of Charlottesville, these were pinpoints of stillness held aloft as hopes for peace and equality.
The day after, my youngest, Elliot ,asked “How can we get back at the Nazis?”
“I don’t know” I said. “Maybe we should just be as Jewish as we can be…”
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Beautiful. Thank you for writing this
John, thank you and your kids for carrying the flame for those of us who could not be there. I keep asking myself when did all that hate resurface. I know the answer, but keep asking. Deanna London from Florida