Rabbi Hillel often said: If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?
These famous words from one of our greatest sages continue to challenge and inspire every generation of Jews, and our congregation is no exception. Let’s parse this famous phrase from Pirke Avot, the Wisdom of our Ancestors:
If we are not for ourselves: Our synagogue’s primary mission is to be a welcoming, meaningful center of Jewish life for our diverse, committed community – fostering a sense of belonging while enriching our members’ Jewish existence through lifelong learning, spirituality, and a marking of Jewish time both personal and collective. We work towards Jewish survival, continuity, and flourishing growth, we engage with Israel, and fight vigorously against antisemitism in all its forms, so that our community, our country, and our world will be a safe place for all Jews. And, AND…
If we are only for ourselves: I am so grateful to have spent nearly my entire adult life serving a community that treasures and embodies the Jewish values of Tzedek (Justice) and Rachamim (Compassion) across all dimensions of our synagogue’s life. That’s why we have decided to launch a new weekly synagogue email: Olam Chesed (World of Kindness) that will put the action in Social Action, empowering us to speak out, show up, be present, and bring our caring, committed selves to the never-ending mission of Tikkun Olam – repairing our broken world.
We know that not every member aligns with every issue, and these weekly suggestions for action are by no means an endorsement of any candidate, elected official, or political party. When choosing which issues to highlight, we will let Jewish values which predate labels such as Democrat or Republican by thousands of years be our guide. These values are grounded in Jewish text and tradition, passionately advocated for by generations of RSNS members, and endorsed by our movement alongside wide swaths of modern American Jewry. And just as our kosher kitchen is meant to welcome, not alienate Jews of all backgrounds, so are each week’s social action initiatives meant to provide resources, inspiration, and concrete steps for those who feel called to speak out/stand up regarding any of these issues, while continuing to embrace our community’s political diversity as we do its religious diversity.
Here, then, are the essential Jewish values that will inform each week’s Olam Chesed Social Action email:
Pikuach Nefesh (Protecting Life): Above all, our tradition prioritizes the sanctity of human life. We will take action when health, safety, and lives are on the line. This includes access to affordable healthcare, reproductive rights, and gender-affirming care. It also includes fighting food insecurity in our own backyard, and advocating for the continued availability of scientifically-proven life-saving vaccines, as well as the invaluable oversight of food-, travel-, and workplace safety that our government has been entrusted to provide.
Ahavat Ger (Loving the Stranger) – “You shall not wrong nor oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 22:20) The commandment to love, respect, and not mistreat the stranger occurs thirty six times in the Torah. Our self-identification with the stranger, the immigrant, and the refugee is foundational to the Jewish story. In our day, this means making sure America’s Lamp remains lit, and its Golden Doors remain open to refugees fleeing danger, and immigrants seeking a better life, as we work to protect their rights and support them as they settle and build new lives in our communities, just as so many of our own ancestors did.
Lo Ta’amod al Dam Rei’acha (Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor) – Our community will always stand up for the most marginalized among us. When the safety, equality, rights, and very existence of vulnerable communities is threatened, among them our siblings who are disabled, trans, people of color, or those experiencing homelessness – we will be there to recognize their humanity, fight hatred, and advocate for systemic fairness and equality on the local and the national level. Again, this does not take the place of the urgent need to fight antisemitism in all its forms. We have committees devoted to this sacred work, and our clergy and lay leadership remain dedicated to Jewish safety as a top priority of our synagogue community. We also believe that standing up for each other makes all of us safer.
Shomrei Adamah (Protectors of the Earth) – Humanity’s original mission, given by God in the Garden of Eden, was to cultivate and preserve the Earth in all of its beauty. Our relationship to a healthy planet is acknowledged in our holiday calendar, which is replete with celebrations that are agricultural in origin, and in the ancient values of ba’al tashchit, avoiding wasteful destruction, and tzar ba’alei chayim, protecting all creatures on our planet. In our own day, we advocate for policies and strategies that will help us avoid the worst climate outcomes, while preserving a sustainable planet and healthy environment for generations to follow.
Al Tifrosh Min Hatsibur (Do not separate from the community) – As Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of our movement wisely observed – Jews have always inhabited multiple civilizations at the same moment. In America, this means cherishing our democracy while maintaining our Jewish identity. When the democratic systems which make our country a more perfect union are under attack (voting rights, separation of powers, government officials free from the corrupting influence of greed or foreign allegiances), we will work together to ensure that our Great American Experiment survives intact and ready to face the challenges our nation faces, both foreign and domestic.
We hope you will welcome this new addition to our weekly email schedule, and find the resources and actions contained within to be worthy of your compassion, time, and collective effort. Our neighborhoods, our country, our world calls us to action, and as Hillel said, if not now, when?
Yours in justice and solidarity,
Cantor Eric
