“It starts right now/There’s a way I was before/But I can’t recall how I was those days anymore/I’m learning how to be here and nowhere
Yesterday I was floored by the callous disregard for justice – no, I’m used to that. What I was floored by was its blatentness. To
“And in towns across the country It’s color that divides When in working men and ladies We could find our common side” What a respite
by Rabbi Benay Lappe in chevruta with Laynie Soloman Photo credit: Jess Benjamin, 2019 The Jewish new year season tends to have one “star of
הִנְנוּ עוֹמְדִים בּוֹשִׁים וְנִכְלָמִים בִּפְנֵי חֲלוֹם אֲשֶׁר נֻפַּץ. אֵין מָנוֹס מִלְּהוֹדוֹת בְּאַשְׁמוֹתֵינוּ, בְּחַטְּאוֹתֵינוּ, וּבְפִשְׁעֵנוּ. עַל אֲשֶׁר עָמַדְנוּ בַּצַּד וְלֹא הִתְעָרַבְנוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאִינוּ אֶת הָעַוְלָה שֶׁנֶּעֶשְׂתָה.
“Why God, why God do I gotta suffer?/Pain in my heart carry burdens full of struggle.” Many Jews around the world working toward the Yomim
Rabbi Alana Alpert delivered this Yom Kippur dvar torah on her recent experiences in East Jerusalem with the Center for Jewish Nonviolence.
A D’Var Torah and reflection on Isaiah from Mishkan Chicago’s Yom Kippur services: “Because casting off the yoke of antisemitism means building deep partnerships with our neighbors and other marginalized communities, rather than ceding to the existing power structure… It’s not going to be easy, but we’re asking people to show up. To engage in this messy, constantly evolving work of transformation. To love ourselves and our people. To hold ourselves with compassion, and push ourselves outside of our comfort zones. And we need to hold in our minds a dream of what true safety could feel like. we’re asking people to show up. To engage in this messy, constantly evolving work of transformation. To love ourselves and our people. To hold ourselves with compassion, and push ourselves outside of our comfort zones. And we need to hold in our minds a dream of what true safety could feel like.”
So many of the words of our high holidays machzor describe our God as melech, king, judging us from on high. For many of us,
This political moment requires acting in solidarity — having other people’s backs and enabling people to have ours. As Jews, we need practice in both.