Should We be Worried?

 Dear Friends,


As we prepare to commemorate Kristallnacht, Nov. 9 and 10, the night of broken glass, I wanted to share some thoughts in the context of Abraham and Noah. On October 27 we marked the fourth anniversary of the shooting at "Tree of Life" synagogue in Pittsburgh.

I am intrigued by the comment that Noah didn't tell anyone he was building an Ark to save humanity because he didn't believe that the world would really be destroyed.

As we witness celebrities who are making anti-semitic comments, I hear folks saying that we should ignore these comments and not worry about the potential consequences. We should celebrate all those who are suspending an athlete and ending endorsement contracts rather than dwell on the potential ramifications of the hateful comments that are being posted and made.

Now...enter Abraham...He goes forth and separates himself from a world of idolatry to profess his faith in one G-d. He takes a leap of faith by journeying forward to usher in a new era. Commentaries abound about what it means to "lech lecha," I believe that Rashi (the famous medieval commentator) has a meaningful insight when he says that Abraham should "journey for yourself." I think that this is a time when we need to journey into our hearts and souls and make a determination that we will try to create a new order, one where we will make people aware that these antisemitic comments must end. We can't just dismiss them by saying they are the words of celebrities to whom we should just not pay attention.

I am not an alarmist, but the ADL statistics indicate a rise in antisemitism and as we remember the victims of Kristallnacht and "Tree of Life" synagogue, I hope we will take these comments seriously and believe that there are those who do not like Jews and other minorities.

I believe that we can make a great nation of people who will celebrate the potential that all of us can enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness but that this won't just happen on its own. Please contact your local ADL office and find out what YOU CAN DO to help eradicate hatred when we hear it or see it.

As Rabbi Hillel said, "If not now, when?"

B'shalom,

Rabbi Bruce Aft

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