Our ancestors have always moved into the unknown. Their strength and stories help us as we move and grow. Consider a sunny Rosh Hashanah morning, 2500 years ago. Before the ruins of the First Temple, the men and women of Jerusalem gather at the Water Gate. [Redirects to the Times of Israel]
Anger. Sadness. Fear. Recognition. I would not presume to speak for the community of color. But these are some of the things I would be feeling if this were happening to the Jewish community. [Redirects to the Times of Israel]
“Why do we need to teach this at all?” The Holocaust, she meant. Why do we need to teach the Holocaust in our religious school? [Redirects to the Times of Israel.]
As Chanukah reminds us, Jews are no strangers to persecution. We have been fighting for our right to exist since the beginning of our recorded history. As we say at Passover: “In every generation, there are those who wish to destroy us.” A list of those who’ve tried would be long: Pharaoh, Amalek, Nebuchadnezzar, Haman, Antiochus, Caesar, Torquemada, to name only some. [Redirects to the Times of Israel.]
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