Happy Independence Day

Happy July 4th!

flagfireworksIndependence Day is special. Despite flaws, the United States is great. We are blessed to live in a land where liberty and equality are the founding principles. As a Jew, I am profoundly grateful to be a citizen where I am free and safe from the hatred that has sadly been a part of Jewish history. As Americans, we need to remain vigilant, protecting and expanding these rights for all citizens and understand that our greatness comes from all of our people and our core beliefs.

Our election comes at a time when the world and our nation are confronted by many challenges. How we respond to these challenges will be telling. Will fear make us retract and retrench, or can we rise to the occasion shining a beacon to others in the world? The value boldly asserted in the Declaration of Independence that we are “endowed by (our) creator with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is the bedrock of the American Experiment, the aspiration of so many across the globe and for us as well.

We have come a long way and yet there is so much further to go. We must not stop.

God bless America!

Happy July 4th and Shabbat Shalom

This Shabbat we also celebrate the Fourth of July.

 By any standard, we have truly made it here in America. With gratitude and with joy we celebrate Independence Day. We are fully part of this great nation. We have so many blessings for which I am profoundly thankful. Nowhere in our history have we enjoyed such bounty and freedom.

 Let us not forget however from whence we came, and that for some, the dream of full acceptance and access to the abundance and opportunity that we enjoy remains unfulfilled. This Fourth of July let us commit ourselves to work towards creating an America where all have access.

 Happy 4th of July and Shabbat Shalom