"An American Reawakening" - My "No Kings" address, plus photos from Guilford, CT event
I am so honored to be here. I felt it was my obligation to be here, as a rabbi, even though it is the Jewish Sabbath. In the wake of recent hate-based attacks, especially on people of faith in their places of worship, there has never been a greater need to come together,
We must pool our spiritual resources, now more than ever, to reclaim the moral high ground that has for too long been given over to those who wear masks of piety to cover up their corruption, their greed, and their hatred of the stranger in our midst.
The upcoming days are a time of sacred celebration for so many of us:
For Christians, it’s Holy Week, a time of rebirth.
For Jews it’s Passover, the time of liberation.
For Muslims, Ramadan has just ended.
And for the White House, it’s April Fool’s Day.
They love to play us for fools, to fool us once, fool us twice, fool us every day.
That’s especially true when they clothe themselves in false piety.
Yes, this regime uses religion in the most, shall I say, godawful ways.
They use religion to divide and torture.
We use religion to unite and nurture.
They use religion to stoke fear and resentment
We use religion to teach coexistence and contentment.
They use religion to incarcerate children
We use religion to embrace the stranger
They use religion to turn mass carnage into a video game
We use it to proclaim that all human beings are created in God’s image.
They quote chapter and verse to justify their inhumanity.
We quote the Bible to affirm our resolve.
My favorite right now is Psalm 109 verse 81
יִֽהְיוּ־יָמָ֥יו מְעַטִּ֑ים פְּ֝קֻדָּת֗וֹ יִקַּ֥ח אַחֵֽר׃
May his days in office be few;
may another take over his position.
Something remarkable is occurring right now. Religion is making a comeback.
Not the fake religion that justifies oppression, abuse and discrimination, but real religion,
the kind that tells truth to power,
the kind that disdains corruption,
the kind that provides comfort when your life has fallen apart,
that brings communities together to defend the weakest and most vulnerable,
that picks up a neighbor’s kids and takes them to school because the parents fear they will be arrested if they leave the house.
We must pool our spiritual resources, now more than ever, to reclaim the moral high ground that has for too long been given over to those who wear masks of piety to cover up their corruption, their greed, and their hatred of the stranger in our midst.
We are seeing a religious revival, one keyed by values of compassion and courage.
Of kindness and honesty.
Of trust and truth.
While Trump is driving the world off a cliff, we are rediscovering our moral compass.
This is an American Reawakening
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, “Indifference to evil is worse than evil itself…in a free society, some are guilty, but all are responsible.”
We are all responsible to stop those who have killed and deported and lied and stolen and desecrated our moral foundation and trampled upon our Constitution. Nothing matters more right now than that we stop this evil.
We cannot be distracted by all the things that could potentially divide us.
We must be united!
And I have news for the man in Mar-a-Lago who calls himself God’s chosen:
GOD BEGS TO DIFFER.
God does not believe that might makes right.
God is not steering us into an apocalypse.
God did not choose you, Donald.
In the words of one coexistence advocate:
“May the convergence of Passover, Easter, and Ramadan remind us that we really do belong to each other, that our diversity is part of what makes us, us. That there is room at the table for us all.”
On D-Day in June of 1944, President Roosevelt went on the radio and recited a prayer to steady the resolve of the American people. FDR’s words apply almost perfectly to our current existential moment:
He said:
With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations, into a world unity that will spell a sure peace, a peace invulnerable to the scheming of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all (humanity) live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
AMEN.
That is my prayer for America!
Now, I want to conclude by teaching you the Hebrew words for a very special passage from Psalm 133, words that imagine the true harmony that our faith traditions envision. “How good and pleasant it can be, when all God’s children dwell together as one.“
Hinay Mah Tov U’Mah Na’im Shevet Achim Gam Yachad.
PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT
Psalm 109 is filled with fitting quotes! Real zingers, straight from God to DJT.
OK - this one made me feel really good.... from Gloria Reynolds:
"Your statements yesterday morning opened an aperture of light I needed to see…. words I needed to hear. Thank you for touching that portion of the soul that only kindness, compassion and resolve can do. Hate destroys. Love revives. Thank you for your goodness. The universe needs more of you."
My cousin Cheryl went to Granby, CT. She said it was really cold but that they had a good crowd there. I went to Dothan, Alabama, it was a beautiful day and a pretty good turnout. I liked your sermon. Perfect.
Thanks - for your words and for doing your part!
I love everything you write!
Nearly 20,000 of us marched in Pittsburgh, Pa today. I love our little city of diversity filled with immigrants & all faiths!
And a pretty cool fictitious emergency room too in “The Pitt” that had zero tolerance for ICE.
Wonderful! We even "marched" in Munich! Not quite the crowd, but...a lot of overseas voters who hope their voices will be heard in the coming election 🙄.
Once again you are a blessing to us all. outstanding! Today gives me hope. Ridgefield Resists today and I am proud to have been a part. YOU are an inspiration.
Awesome, honest, loving Rabbi❤️
I couldn´t say it better.
Stunning address. Thank you, Rabbi.
Thanks so much!
Thank you Rabbi
Bravo, well done, yasher koach! Great speech, gives us strength and hope to continue the battle.
Thank you, Josh!!!
Thanks, Duane!
Good evening, I am so glad that you posted your address. Somehow I missed it when I watched it this afternoon.
How good and pleasant it can be, when all God’s children dwell together as one.“
Hinay Mah Tov U’Mah Na’im Shevet Achim Gam Yachad.
I wrote the words down and then went back to the video so I could join you. :-)
Thank you for the text 🙂! Such a beautiful song.
Yes, it is beautiful and Rabbi did such a great job of singing it. I so enjoyed his voice and the message. I pray that my progeny will be able to see the fulfillment of "together as one".
Word. Thank you, Rabbi. Plain and simple.
Perfectly stated Rabbi! Missed you at the Stamford rally. Madison is lucky to have you!
Thanks, Donna! I know you can hold the fort down there.
Thank you for this positive loving message.