Peaceful Pursuit
From the Rabbi's Study

When I was a child, I found the whole notion of borders very confusing, and ultimately silly. As I became aware of geography, I learned that my country, Canada, had a common border with the United States, a long one, with lots of shared land, water and bridges.

Okay, so what's the big deal, thought my 8-year old self? Over here, on this side, it's land - and there, it's land! Especially confusing was the whole notion of… AIR! It, I gathered, didn't give a hoot about where it was hanging out, we all breathed the same stuff, and it had the right idea!

I didn't realize at all that these childhood notions reflect deeply held religious and spiritual convictions, not just in Judaism, but also in many religious traditions. Expressed through a range of sacred texts and liturgies, the notion that borders of all kinds may be artificial constructs runs through the history of humanity, whether couched in the language of holiness, or the language of philosophy. The language of science, too, has encountered and grappled with this notion.

What then can, and should, bind us all together, Canadians and Americans, Jews, Christians and Muslims, nationalities and faiths from all lands? Surely not how we speak, what we observe, what we call ourselves; surely the notions of identity need not evaporate and blend into some bland sameness, just in order to protect the notion that I intuited as a child – that air/breath/life force/the earth itself is of One whole and unique source.

What can and should bind us together, and inform all of our efforts, be they programmatic, educational, ritually-oriented, is the notion betzelem elohim. Our creation story uses this language, that God created humans in the image of God. And while the theological challenge of parsing that sentence is ongoing – the gender issues alone are immense – we can still safely glean this kernel of truth, that in every human being is a spark of the Divine, and that all holy, right, true behavior must be rooted in that knowledge and awareness.

Could this awareness serve to evaporate borders? Eliminate political, racial and national conflicts? Unlikely, to say the least. But for those of us who believe fervently in this, and who are in a state of distress approaching despair over the daily, and increasingly bloody, violations of this principle in the Middle East, know that we must now speak and act in this language and framework.

Friends and colleagues in North America are launching Rabbis for Human Rights/North America, to support the work of Rabbis for Human Rights in Israel. RHR is the sole religious organization in that country with representation from across the denominational spectrum focusing on this core Jewish value – calling attention to those moments and actions where the principle of betzelem elohim is forgotten and violated. While many of these violations are occurring in the context of the current matzav, or political situation, their concerns are framed by the following mission: A Rabbinic Voice of Conscience, Defending the human Rights of All.

They have worked courageously and tirelessly supporting health care for all, the rights of vulnerable foreign workers, addressing issues of women's rights and equality, and bringing human rights issues to the Israeli Supreme Court. RHR has no explicit party affiliation or political ideology, its true boundary-less-ness only strengthened by its composition of over 100 rabbis and rabbinical students from the Orthodox, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Reform, and Renewal movements.

I am proud that Reconstructionist rabbis are taking the lead in sustaining the work of RHR through a base of North American support. Rabbi Brian Walt of JRF congregation Mishkan Shalom in Philadelphia will serve as Director of RHR/NA; our Director of Israel Programs, Rabbi Amy Klein, serves on the steering committee, and the current and past presidents of the Reconstructionist Rabbbinical College, Rabbis David Teutsch and Arthur Green, will sit on the honorary Advisory Council.

I hope to speak to you more in the coming months via other forums, invite guest speakers to our community, and join with other Reconstructionist communities as we engage in the important work of strengthening this vital rabbinic voice in Israel. With your support, I can join the RHR/NA Rabbinic Cabinet [see below]. Together, we can join in solidarity with the people of Israel and Jews of the diaspora, to uphold a sacred vision of justice and democracy.

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To support the efforts of RHR/NA, send your contribution to Rabbi's Discretionary Fund/Congregation Beit Tikvah, earmarked RHR/NA.

Currently, there are thirteen rabbinical students from RRC, along with spouses and three infant children, spending a year of study in Israel. In the current crisis, some are contemplating a return to the states, but the practical and financial implications of interrupting studies, relocating mid-year, are significantly challenging. Those who choose to stay may need to take more taxi rides, or employ other safety measures for themselves and their families; those who may return may need to purchase new air tickets, supplementary health insurance, etc.

You can offer your support to our future Reconstructionist rabbis currently in Israel through the Rabbi's Discretionary Fund/Congregation Beit Tikvah, earmarked RRC students.

And if you have friends or relatives in Israel pick up the phone; let them know that your hearts are with them in this difficult time.