Page 3 - The Jewish Voice - February '24

The Jewish Voice, Page 3

From the rabbis

This Is the Time to Show Up “There are many forces in our world insisting, again, that
all Jews must die. But there is a force far, far greater than
By Rabbi Rose Durbin that. And that is the force of who we are. We are a people
Throughout my childhood, descended from slaves who brought the world ideas that
my dad reminded me that his changed the course of history. One God. Human dignity.
dad, my beloved Zayda, The sanctity of life. Freedom itself. That is our inheritance.
came here as a child in 1904 That is our legacy. We are the people commanded to bring
to escape violence against light into this world. Do we believe in our own story? Can
Jews in his native Russia. I we make it real once again? I believe that we can. And that
was familiar with words like we must.”
“pogrom,” “inquisition,” and At Temple Judea we are committed to fighting against
“Holocaust” from an early antisemitism and encourage you to consider joining a temple
age, and I have brought up Sara Gold Rafel, Josephine Gon, Yoline Decosma, Rabbi and be part of that fight. When we are serving other faith
my daughters similarly. It Yaron Kapitulnik communities together, when we educate ourselves and our
helps that our eldest daughter, like her parents before her, children and grandchildren, when we advocate for policy
has always been interested in WW2 history, specifically both in word and in deed. Yet also, their testimony should change and raise our voices, we are a stronger community
the Holocaust. It has always felt essential for our daughters motivate our own. If the powerful won’t speak up in advocacy and we are living up to our obligation as Jews to be God’s
to learn about our communal tragedies — not only to help for the Jewish community, then we must continue to speak partner in repairing our world.
build their Jewish connection and pride, but also so they will truth to power. We must educate ourselves about the situation Rabbi Rose Durbin is a spiritual leader at Temple Judea
use this knowledge to protect other marginalized peoples. in Israel, and the current status of our local community, to in Palm Beach Gardens.
It’s only been since October 7 when I’ve fully realized such an extent that we can serve as confident and passionate
that — as much as we continually need to care about and voices for the Jewish people. This is the time to show up, to Don’t Carry Your Mountains
for other marginalized peoples — we also must proactively commit to learning and then doing — for as the rabbis teach:
and vigilantly stand up for Judaism. Because tragically, as Study is essential, because it leads to action! — Climb Them!
we clearly see from the torrent of anti-Israel and antisemitic Last month, Temple Judea hosted a panel with Sara
occurrences and social media posts that have occurred Gold Rafel, executive director of Stand With Us Southeast; By Rabbi Dovid Vigler
in the past few months, few others will. Of course, I’ve Josephine Gon, executive director of Community Affairs Do you sometimes wonder
witnessed students experiencing antisemitism and anti-Israel for the Palm Beach Jewish Community Relations Council; what you might have done to
harassment as a rabbi on campus — and I’ve lived in Israel — and Yoline Decosma, fellow at Florida Atlantic University’s deserve the hand that life has
but I did not truly feel in my kishkes, in my guts, the fear of Hillel, about what’s been happening locally and how we dealt you?
my persecuted ancestors and the terror of our Israeli brothers can work together to advocate for Jews and for Israel at this A gifted silversmith was
and sisters — until now. critical moment. earning a good living in the
As you are undoubtedly aware, this Chanukah, a large Just as we teach the next generation how much Jews have city of Polotzk, Belarus,
sandcastle menorah in Juno Beach, created by the Jewish overcome through thousands of years of persecution and when suddenly he lost his
Community Synagogue, was defaced with a swastika. A oppression, so must we remind ourselves that Am Yisrael job and was unable to find
symbol of Jewish joy and light, a symbol of our continued Chai, the Jewish people lives. We must have faith that we work. Having no other
resistance and resilience, replaced by the ultimate symbol will continue to be here — that is the comfort, the peace that choice, he moved with his
of hatred and violence against Jews. I’ve had to accept, and our tradition brings us — and we are so blessed to have this family to the town of Vladimir, deep in the Russian
through heartbroken tears I’ve had to explain to my daughters, tradition, and this is the time to access the richness therein. heartland. Though he was able to make a nice living as
that antisemitism is not simply something that happened to Pray our traditional words of blessing and pray from your before, Vladimir had no Jewish life at all. He didn’t even
our ancestors — it’s still very much real and present, and it’s heart. Study our ancient wisdom. Be in community. And have a minyan to pray with.
our job to fight it. We fight it when I came to their classes to act. As our prayer book reminds us each Friday night: We As any chossid would do, he traveled to the town of
talk about being a rabbi during career day, we fight it when should pray as if everything depends on God, and act as if Lubavitch to consult with the Rebbe Maharash — the fourth
we did family presentations about Chanukah at their schools, everything depends on us. Action can mean calling your Chabad Rebbe. “Why would G-d have put me in such a
and we fight it every time we speak up about being Jewish elected representatives and sharing your views on their spiritual desert if we wanted me to live a Jewish life?” cried
and when we call out antisemitic acts. And here at temple, we stances regarding the security of the Jewish community the chossid.
can help fight against Jewish hate by continuing to educate and Israel. Action can be reading Jewish books, watching “Do you really think that you moved to Vladimir because
ourselves and then spreading our message of tolerance to the Jewish movies, and discussing them with your friends and G-d could no longer provide for your needs in Polotsk?”
greater community. neighbors. Action in this present moment can mean writing replied the Rebbe. “Vladimir has a large community of
The cowardly testimony of the presidents of Harvard, letters to the editor, and speaking up at dinner parties when Cantonists — Jewish Russian soldiers who were forcibly
Penn, and MIT, which demonstrated the double standard for guests share antisemitic opinions. We are long past the point kidnapped from their homes at a very young age. After 25
antisemitic discourse on campus, should only motivate us to of only sharing our anxieties and heartbreak with each other; years in the military, they know nearly nothing of their
action. Yes, we should be outraged at these influential leaders we must use our despair to inspire action. As Bari Weiss, Jewish identity, other than that they were Jewish. G-d has
Ballet Palm Beach - Romeo and Juliet Seabreeze 6.75x6.pdf 1 1/11/24 2:04 PM
who are reticent to protect Jewish students and organizations, author of “How to Fight Anti-Semitism,” reminds us: sent you there to lovingly help them find their way.”
A Secret Transmitted in Two Words
As we begin the book of Exodus, we are pained by the
suffering that befell our ancestors as they descended into
210 years of slavery in Egypt. Why would G-d have made
them suffer in this awful manner? What crime could they
have committed that could have justified such anguish?
Yet a closer look exposes us to a stunning revelation
about the enigmatic paths of our destiny: When G-d foretold
the slavery in Egypt to Abraham, 200 before its onset, he
said: Your offspring will be slaves in a land not theirs.

From the Rabbis on page 4
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