Saperstein address at Shirat Hayam could not have come at a better time




Rabbi David Saperstein, who spoke at Shirat Hayam’s Kulp Scholar-in-Residence weekend on July 12 and 13, inspired those present to act in order to create the change they want in government and society.

Rabbi David Saperstein, who spoke at Shirat Hayam’s Kulp Scholar-in-Residence weekend on July 12 and 13, inspired those present to act in order to create the change they want in government and society.

The Kulp Scholar-in-Residence Weekend at Shirat Hayam is a not-to-be-missed highlight on our Jewish community’s calendar, but, following musical and joyful Friday night services, this year’s scholar in residence, Rabbi David Saperstein, really hit the mark.

I have long admired Rabbi Saperstein, who served as director and legal counsel of the Union of Reform Judaism’s Religious Action Center for more than 30 years. He was also, under the Obama administration, the first non-Christian to hold the post of United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. He has long been a social justice advocate at the forefront of religious pluralism, driven by his abiding passion to make real the Jewish “ideals of justice, peace, freedom, equality and compassion, in America, in Israel, in the lives of human beings everywhere.”

In his remarks at Shirat Hayam on July 12 and 13, Rabbi Saperstein spoke of the growing incivility and intolerance in our country and in government, with respect to how we respond to political and humanitarian issues. With plenty of blame to go around on both the left and right, Rabbi Saperstein noted that silencing or denigrating others or resorting to violence is never the correct course of action, especially in the Jewish community.

What was particularly inspiring was the call he issued for grassroots action within our synagogues and agencies. As a Jewish community, we must come together to create civil dialogue, to educate and engage our community, and to be proactive rather than reactive. It is never enough to complain about that with which we are unhappy. We must listen to all sides with respect and avoid the assumption that the views of others have no merit. It is the task of our community’s leadership to allow every member of the Jewish community to be heard and to openly support the positions that matter to them. It should not matter where on the political spectrum one sits, only that as a community we enable civil discussion of diverse views and encourage members to support their positions through action.

We may not always agree, but it is not always necessary that we do. It is important that we are each true to our beliefs, that we transform thought into civil and peaceful action, that we never feel silenced or marginalized, and that we never silence or marginalize others. As Jews and as Americans, we must come together to share our thoughts and ideas. We must transform our ideals into action.

Our local rabbis and cantors are our best resources, and we are fortunate to have a Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) ably chaired by Dr. Harvey Wolbransky, who is also Cantor at Shirat Hayam. Speak to your rabbi about what you can do to create greater social justice in our world, and contact JCRC to explore how you can make a difference. s

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