What are We Willing to Do to Plant Seeds of Hope
Dear Friends, As we approach the Jewish New Year of the Trees, Tu'B'Shevat next week, I wanted to share some thoughts about recent events. Living in the Washington DC area and teaching at George Mason University, I encounter many people who are concerned about whether they are safe, whether their grants will be continued, whether their efforts to build a more peaceful world will be funded, whether they will have a job, and whether they will be able to stay in the United States. We hear reports about a plan for Americans to take over Gaza and turn it into the "Rivieria of the Middle East." As we read Biblical texts that deal with the Exodus from Egypt in our weekly Torah readings at this time of the year, we remember that we were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt. We endured plague after plague and in each case Pharaoh hardened his heart. Our ancestors continued to have hope that there would be a better world and finally were able to escape and journey toward the p...