Lessons Learned in 2015

When the clock hits midnight in a few days, the whole world will celebrate the arrival of a new year.  New Year’s Day is not considered to be a Jewish holiday (we have our own New Year, Rosh Hashanah in early autumn), however, January 1st is a big marker of time!  It serves as a reminder to stop and think about where we are at this moment both as individuals and a society.   In light of this calendar change, I’d like to reflect upon the lessons that I personally learned in 2015 and my hopes for the future.

Stand up for what you believe

Earlier this summer, I received multiple invitations from Reform Rabbis to join “America’s Journey for Justice” a forty day march from Selma, Alabama to Washington, DC coordinated by the NAACP.  This march highlighted the deep racism and income inequality that pervades our society.  After hearing about the march, I thought about whether I had the time or the inclination to travel down to rural Georgia.  Luckily, I made the right decision and stood alongside people of all ages, races, and religions, to march for justice.  The lesson I learned is that talk can be cheap.  We must stand up for what we believe and act in order to better our world.

Support Our Friends

Just a few weeks ago, our society was rocked by the vicious terrorist attacks in Paris, France and San Bernardino, California.   Certain politicians and the media began to spew hatred about Muslims.  Our leaders began to talk about closing the US border to Syrian refugees, while others lambasted the Muslim community saying that many were terrorists.  Just days after the attack in Paris, I was contacted by my friends from the Islamic Center of Long Island to join with them to condemn ISIS and to state publicly that moderates of all religions care about human life.  I was proud to join them and be one of the few Jewish representatives.  When our friends need our support and our help, it is our obligation to stand by them and speak out against hatred and fear.

Change Does Happen

It can be hard to be an optimist in today’s world.  It seems that our country is becoming even more polarized and that politicians utter whatever is in their hearts without thinking about the ramifications of their words.  Terror and fear pervade our world and too many still are affected by the economic collapse.  It sometimes feels that we are moving backwards instead of forwards.  However, this June, we celebrated a major victory: Gay Marriage became the law of our land.  Millions of same-sex couples, their friends and families, were able to celebrate as their relationships were now legally recognized.  Change does happen!  It might be slower than we like and there might be many downs before there are ups, but change does happen!  It’s a tough road ahead, but when we support our friends and act for justice, our world can become a more peaceful and transformative society.  May we continue to do our part in 2016 to bring Tikkun Olam, healing to our world.