Dear Friends,
Shamor v’zachor b’dibur echad.
This phrase, which is uttered every Friday night to welcome Shabbat, is derived from the difference between the wording of the two statements of the aseret hadibrot—the Ten Commandments. In the Book of Exodus, we are commanded to “remember, zachor, the Shabbat.” In the Book of Deuteronomy, however, we are commanded to “guard, shamor, the Shabbat.”
Our Shabbat liturgy brings the two statements together, commanding that we, Shamor v’Zachor, should guard AND remember Shabbat.
In many ways, this dual responsibility is the hallmark of what it means to be Jewish. We remember our past and learn from it without dwelling too much on nostalgia. We guard the future by building Jewish life in the present while never forgetting that we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.
Shamor – Guard and Protect
Earlier this week, members of our community attended ADL’s Never Is Now Summit on antisemitism to learn about the current state of Jew hatred and steps we can take, as individuals and as a community, to combat this growing cancer.
The conference featured countless powerful speeches. Two that stood out to me were the words of David Schwimmer and Gal Gadot. Each spoke powerfully and made clear our roles in helping to stem the tide of this growing hate.
Watch David Schwimmer’s speech.
Watch Gal Gadot’s powerful words.
I invited participants to share their thoughts. Some highlights include:
“I have attended three ADL conferences. They were all good, but this year’s—with the severe rise of antisemitism—was the most meaningful.”
“I was really impressed with the speaker line-up and learned so much about what the ADL has been doing to combat extremism and antisemitism. From the court cases against terrorism to the BDS discussions, I was totally engrossed in the conversations.”
“This is an important conference year after year, and especially, at this critical and worrisome time, when anti-semitism and hate are rising in this country and abroad at an unprecedented rate.”
“Interacting with Jews from all over the country (and the world) during the conference was incredibly bonding and enlightening. It made me feel an even greater pride about being a Jew, and the importance of standing up now against all types of hatred in our society.”
“It was an excellent learning experience for me. Although I have been aware of the ADL my entire life, I was not aware of how large and far reaching their organization is. I learned at the conference that they have filed more lawsuits in the last year than in all other years before.”
“I highly recommend more of our congregation attend next year. So much great insight, and while it’s sad to hear firsthand how bad the Jew hate is, it’s inspirational on how to take action.”
“It was a wonderful experience, very enlightening.”
“This year’s conference, like past years, provided insight into anti-semitism, anti-zionism and hate in general. It is always enlightening, thought provoking and a call-to-action.”
As I am reminded when I attend Never Is Now each year, only by standing and working together can we hope to stem the growing tide of Jew hatred. My hope, my goal, is to have no less than 50 TSTI members in attendance at next year’s conference.
Thank you to Wendy Ferber for once again organizing our TSTI presence at the conference.
Zachor – Remember
The 48th Remember & Tell South Orange/Maplewood Interfaith Holocaust Remembrance Service will occur on Sunday, March 23. We will, as the organizers put it, “…honor the six million Jews who were victims of the Holocaust, many millions of non-Jews who were victims of the Nazi regime, Survivors, and stand against resurgent antisemitism and forms of hate.”
At a time when Jew hatred is exploding across our nation it’s more important than ever to know the dark history of anti-Jewish sentiment AND the resilience that has allowed our people to persevere and continue to build strong Jewish communities.
Together we will remember those dark days, tell the stories of some of the victims AND heroes of the Holocaust and commit ourselves to redoubling our efforts to combat this cancer.
A March of Remembrance and Hope will begin at 3 p.m. at Spiotta Park and will be followed by a 4 p.m. service at Congregation Beth El. This year’s speaker is Emmy Award-winning historian Dr. Jud Newborn. Dr. Newborn will explore the theme of Resistance and Resilience.
A huge thank you to TSTI members Alan Levine and Mark Lowenthal for their leadership roles in helping organize this important annual gathering. One of my take aways from ADL’s Never Is Now was the need to stand up and take action. This is an opportunity to do so. I look forward to seeing you there.
Shamor v’Zachor… Remembering the past allows us to understand history and our resilience. Guarding and building challenge each of us to do our part in creating a bright, secure Jewish future. Taken together, they allow us to take our place in the ongoing story of the Jewish people.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Daniel Cohen