Category: America

A Prayer for Our Country Before Election Day 2024

Our God and God of our ancestors, with hope and humility we approach Election Day, the day on which We the People will choose the individuals who will govern our nation, our states, and our communities.

You have abundantly blessed the United States of America with freedom, security, prosperity, and the right to democratic self-government.  You made it possible for the founders of our country to fulfill the command of Your Torah, to “proclaim liberty throughout the land, and unto all the inhabitants thereof.”

Daily we pray to You to restore our leaders as in former times.  On this Election Day, help us to remember that in America we are responsible for choosing our own leaders, and that the survival of our democracy, and the well-being of generations of Americans to come, depend upon the care we take in those choices.

Daily we pray to You for knowledge, discernment and wisdom.  On this Election Day grant us those blessings in full, so that we may consider our choices with knowledge and vote with discernment and wisdom, with the best interests of our country and our communities in mind.

Daily we pray to You to subdue the arrogant in our time.  On Election Day, and every day, help us to subdue the arrogance within ourselves.  Open our hearts and minds to consider the opinions of our fellow citizens, as we call upon them to consider ours.

Strengthen our will to fulfill our duties to our country and to one another.  To exercise our precious right to vote.  And to do all we can to ensure that every legal vote is counted, regardless of the candidate or party for whom it is cast.

May it be Your will that our decisions this Election Day preserve this country as a wellspring of liberty and a beacon of tolerance and democracy for the entire world.

And let us say Amen.

Happy Halloween

As we approach this time of year, a recurring debate arises about allowing our children to partake in Halloween. Some Individuals express concerns that Halloween promotes devil worship.  However, Halloween has its roots in a Celtic festival that celebrated the harvest with bonfires to ward off ghosts and evil spirits and mourn the dead. This tradition is not unique to Halloween and is found in various cultures. Black Cats and Witches emerged much later, in the Middle Ages.

It’s a time for children to don their favorite costumes, explore their neighborhoods, gather sweet treats, and revel in the joy of being outdoors. The sheer excitement and happiness on their faces is a sight to behold.

Something is enchanting about bringing the imagination to bear on costumes and needing to go through the ritual of sorting out the candy as loot candies will be eaten, what candies will be discarded, and how much can be consumed less our children get a bellyache. Of course, that says nothing of the sugar high they will get as they gorge themselves on candy bars. It also says nothing for all of the food they consume between the time they end their trick-or-treating and return home to share the spoils.

Amidst all the real horrors and evils in the world, a night of innocent fun for our children seems like a harmless and enjoyable way to spend some time. Instead of dwelling on Halloween’s potential dark origins or superstitions, let’s embrace it as a moment to unleash our imaginations, step out, and have a good time.

Happy Halloween!

 

May you be protected

To all of my friends and family in Israel, I wish you safety.

We all understand the certainty of this uncertain situation. Iran’s response to the Haniyeh assassination could be on Tisha B’Av, or it could be tomorrow, but regardless of the date, it will be.

May you be protected by the IDF and all the defensive systems. May the United States stand shoulder to shoulder, and may many others seeking to limit the destruction also step into the breach.

This is a difficult time, and I wish I could do more than pray, but that is what I have to offer for now.

Chazak v’umatz

May the Divine spread Your canopy of Peace over us, over all the people Israel, and over Jerusalem

Baruch atah Adonai, ha-poreis sukkat shalom aleinu v’al kol amo Yisrael, v’al Yerushalayim

 

 

 

Waiting for the other shoe to drop

Israel made it clear that it was prepared to engage in a broader war.  Targeted attacks, particularly the one that assassinated Haniyeh in Tehran, sent an unambiguous message.

The recent barrage from Iran in the conflict’s latest phase serves as a stark reminder that Iran and its allies are equally committed to intensifying the fight.

We sit on the edge.  The words of reprisal portend a substantial response intended to be punishing.

Despite the current turmoil, the potential for peace is not lost.  Coexistence, though distant, is not unattainable.

As we enter Shabbat, let us find solace in this sacred moment and fervently pray for the peace of Shabbat to soon embrace us all.

Shabbat Shalom

Juneteenth

JUNE 14, 2024

JUNETEENTH STATEMENT FROM PASTOR CARL DAY AND RABBI DAVID LEVIN OF THE NEW GOLDEN AGE

We acknowledge and mark Juneteenth, the 19th of June, to celebrate the day the United States fully recognized the Emancipation Proclamation.

This significant day, Juneteenth, was not the day of the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared the end of Slavery in the United States. Instead, it was the day when news of Lincoln’s historic decree reached the enslaved people of Galveston, Texas. Carried by 2,000 Union Troops, this news brought the long-awaited freedom to these individuals. Juneteenth stands as a pivotal moment in the journey towards realizing the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, that “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.“ The journey towards freedom began on January 1, 1863, when Lincoln proclaimed that all enslaved people within the rebellious states were to be free. However, this news took two more years to reach Galveston, Texas, in 1865. The word of freedom has since spread across the nation, but the task of turning the dream encapsulated in those words into a reality is an ongoing one.

The New Golden Age, the convening of a Black-Jewish alliance sponsored by Culture Changing Christians and the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia is a testament to the enduring significance of Juneteenth. This occasion, which celebrates the date and renews our commitment to the American vision of freedom and equality for all, underscores the ongoing relevance of Juneteenth. It serves as a reminder that the work towards realizing this vision is not yet complete, but together, we strive to fulfill that dream.

This statement was drafted by Pastor Carl Day and Rabbi David Levin of the New Golden Age.

***

The New Golden Age is a joint partnership between the Jewish and Black communities in Philadelphia focused on combating hate, enhancing security, and strengthening the local community’s social safety net. This initiative was started by The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and the Culture Changing Christians.

Canary in the Coal Mine

Jews are using the phrase “we are the canary in the coal mine” as a warning that anti-Semitism signals growing hatred of all groups in our nation. This idea is profoundly flawed, ironically counterproductive, and requires immediate redress.

The phrase is a desperate appeal to others that they must fight anti-Semitism as it inevitably will lead to hatred against them—that tactic won’t work. People will stand against anti-Semitism because it is wrong. And if they can rationalize anti-Semitism, they won’t care about Jews, canaries, or anyone else. Besides, there is another group that already experiences an institutional brand of hatred: black people and others of color.

People of color have been experiencing hatred and systemic racism for as long as any of us have come to these shores. When we think of Jews as the ones on the front line, we negate the experience of the black community. That is egotistical and shameful and ironically belies the idea embodied in the Canary Phrase. We should be aware of this hatred and align with those others who experience it.

I am not a canary, and I am not in a coal mine. Despite the alarming sharp increase in public displays of anti-Semitism, we live well, thoroughly enjoying so many blessings of this place. We have the power and the means to defend ourselves. And we are. Others do not, and we must help them.

Let us stand against hatred in all its forms besides every one of goodwill.   We denounce hatred of any group and work together to fight it on the streets, in the courts, and our hearts. So our country may live up to its aspirations.

We are not birds; we are American Jews standing tall for the values we believe in, and together, we will prevail.

A prayer for Memorial Day

Our God and God of our ancestors,
as we [prepare to] observe another Memorial Day in America,
bless us with the gifts of memory and understanding,
that we may appreciate the true meaning of this [that] day,
an annual occasion to honor the brave men and women
who gave their lives for our country
and for their fellow citizens.

God of compassion,
let those who made the ultimate sacrifice,
so that we may live in freedom,
rest in peace,
honored by a grateful nation.
Remember their parents,
partners,
children
and all the loved ones they left behind.
Protect and comfort them;
bring them peace.

 
God of justice,
remind us of the debt we owe
to those who lost their lives in the defense of our nation,
and to the families that go on without them.
Fill the heart of every American
with pride in those who served,
and caring concern for their survivors.

 
May it be Your will
that every American be re-dedicated
to the task of building a nation
worthy of the sacrifices made by our honored dead.
And may it be Your will, also,
that all of us pursue a just peace throughout the world,
so that no more lives are lost in armed conflict
anywhere in Your creation.

by David Abernethy

David Abernethy practices law in the Philadelphia area and is a member of the Beth Am Israel community in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania.
And let us say Amen.

Let People Eat

I am heartsick that the WCK team was murdered while on their mission to feed the hungry.

I have long supported Chef Andres’s sacred mission at World Central Kitchen. In fact, in our fundraising efforts, WCK was the beneficiary of the proceeds along with Magen David Adom.

As Chef Andres states in his OpEd, Israel is better than this. And regardless of whatever the investigation of this tragedy will find, Israel must ensure that food aid gets to the hungry and those providing it are protected.

I am praying for the innocents who have been lost and those suffering.