Dear Friends,

I hope this note finds you well, safe, and healthy. I am writing these words to you as we adapt to the flow of information regarding the spread and impact of the coronavirus, as we engage with a new set of needs – the needs of the hour – and as we implement the precautions of social isolation and stricter emphasis on hygiene and disinfection. Our central, overarching purpose at this time is to meet the crisis at hand, to support and strengthen each other, and to remind ourselves and our loved ones that we are not defined by our circumstances, but by the way we see and engage with our world.

Public health emergencies and crises represent a set of unique and acute challenges – challenges that undermine our private and collective notions of safety and needs for a semblance of control over our lives. Let us recognize with frankness and directness that the current crisis is no exception. Our personal safety and the well-being of our friends and loved ones are in greater and more perceptible danger than they were only weeks ago. The biblical plague of blood presented significant challenges, requiring Pharaoh and his administration to understand this new pollution challenge, evaluate water reserves, and if necessary develop new means and methods toward the rapid re-purification of water. Yet, we perceive a qualitative difference between such a plague and the fear of grave illness and death touching any household and family. So many of us have dedicated so much time and effort to advancing the safety and well-being of our families; this new crisis offers us a stark and unwelcome reminder of our vulnerabilities, limitations, and constraints. In our weekly Shabbat service, we read that “wherever we go, it is eternally Egypt.” Yet, we continue to affirm that “there is a better place, a promised land,” and that our collective journey to it “passes through the wilderness.” Let us recognize together that this year’s Passover celebration is colored by the shadow of Egypt. Further, more than ever, this year, in some sense, we are all Egyptian, we are all afflicted.

Yet, as we recognize the vulnerabilities of the human conditions, we cannot, do not, and will not lose sight of and hope in the strengths and blessings of love, resilience, and transcendence – the capacity to grow and overcome. We meet this crisis determined to worship and pray together, to learn together, and to support each other in sickness and in health. We call upon every member of our congregation to take the time and make the effort to stream and participate in our worship services. Beyond the gifts of engagement with our liturgy and community, every person’s participation at this time constitutes a statement of special, cherished friendship and solidarity. We also call upon you to participate in the adult and family education programs offered by our clergy and the Temple Learning Center. Let us live out and send the message that ongoing learning and growth are important values in our lives, and that we give expression to this sense of Torah in community, enriching and being enriched by others. Let us communicate that we do not suspend our faith in the potential for new insight and understanding even in the face of fear and discomfort. In addition, we call upon members of our congregation to support each other and both grow and strengthen the network of resilience that our Temple community represents. Please let us know if you or someone you know needs assistance, guidance, or support.

Our Temple clergy and staff stand ready to help and to direct and refer all of us to the appropriate resources for the help and support that are available. Please know that we still welcome additional volunteers who would call, otherwise reach out to, and assist especially vulnerable or isolated members at this time. Please consult the instructions with regard to worship, learning, and support that we offer here, through our congregational emails, and through social media.

The Temple-Tifereth Israel community is rising to this crisis. We shall emerge from this moment as a covenant community, united in faith that together we can truly see and meet the frailties and strengths of the human condition. We have the capacity and can muster the will to continue to learn, grow, and become the people we wish to be, and that our task is to always walk together through the wilderness we encounter. We shall offer no false hopes. We will not promote unrealistic, let alone magical remedies and prospects, nor shall we retreat in the face of physical and spiritual pain where we encounter it. We shall hold each other in our hearts. We shall strive to live, to teach our children and grandchildren that our Jewish and interfaith community will always make a difference. We will strive to heal, repair, and lead the way toward justice and compassion one person at a time, together. This is who we are.

Rabbi Jonathan Cohen

Dear Friends,

I send you my end of Hanukkah greetings and best wishes for a peaceful, healthy, and happy 2020 from Israel. Yet, while the lights of Hanukkah shine brightest on the last night of our eight-day festival, on this night our Hanukkah seems different, in certain ways darker, than others we celebrated in years past. At this time, the lights of Hanukkah mingle with the dark news of anti-Jewish attacks perpetrated almost daily throughout our country, let alone other parts of the world.

Let us be clear and forthright: The rate and seriousness of anti-Jewish events throughout America have increased following the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, continuing with more than 1500 reported incidents in the last two and a half years, including the lethal attacks in Pittsburgh and Poway. The events of this Hanukkah have yet again constituted an escalation in anti-Jewish violence, especially in the New York area. What have we learned from these attacks and throughout 2019? The following are a few brief observations:

1. Some anti-Jewish attacks are meticulously planned and certainly pre-meditated, while others are more spontaneous expressions of hatred. Needless to say, the latter are more difficult to prevent, and detect;
2. Anti-Jewish attacks are perpetrated by white supremacists and neo-Nazis as well as many others, so the threat of anti-Jewish violence cannot be associated with any one political or ethno-racial ideology;
3. Anti-Jewish attacks now target more than Jewish institutions (like community centers, temples and synagogues, or cemeteries, to cite a few examples;) they target Jewish homes and individuals, including adults and children walking in the street;
4. The frequency and severity of these attacks combine to constitute an increasingly significant set of social, political, religious, security and law enforcement challenges.

As Hanukkah draws to a close, and as we prepare for 2020, let us offer special prayers for the recovery and well-being of all who were touched by these recent acts of hate. Further, let us dedicate ourselves to redoubling our efforts to combat anti-Judaism and build bridges of trust and understanding. Let 2020 be a year of increasing discussion, education, and awareness-raising within our congregational family and beyond. Let it be a year of increasingly strategic partnership and collaboration in creating and reinforcing networks of support and advocacy countering this and other forms of bigotry. Let it be a year of increased vigilance and alertness on the one hand, and the warmth and welcoming spirit that characterize our Temple on the other. Finally, let this be a year of mutual support and understanding among us. May we draw closer to each other, and engage in honest, respectful, and empathetic discussion and decision-making as we face the challenges that lie ahead.

The light of Hanukkah is our light. It represents our commitment and obligation to advance a Judaism that promote fairness, diversity, and trust, especially at times like these. I look forward to working with all of you on this and other pressing issues throughout 2020.

With warm regards,

Rabbi Jonathan Cohen

Dear Friends,

By the time we share this letter, first results will be arriving from Israel’s national parliamentary elections. By this afternoon (our time), the people of Israel will have been invited to vote a second time in six months, an unprecedented occurrence in Israel’s seven decade history. Against the backdrop of Israel’s challenges from without and within, let us also take a moment to recognize this special moment in Israel’s life.

As we all know, Israel’s war of independence only ended in July 1949 when Syria was the last of Israel’s enemies to sign one of the Armistice Agreements with the young Jewish state. The conclusion of these negotiations left Israel with armistice (or internationally sanctioned ceasefire) lines, rather than permanent borders, as well as a new refugee and national-security crisis that has defied resolution. Yet, over the past seventy years Israel has become a haven for Jewish migrants, grown, and evolved into a vibrant, participatory, multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-vocal democracy. It would be among the first democracies in the world to elect a woman, Golda Meir, to lead a major political party and government as Prime Minister. In the meantime, Israel’s centers of higher education, arts and cultural institutions, and high concentration of leading authors, film-makers, artists, and musicians started paving new ways and gaining international attention and recognition for their work. Israel’s private sector, which has grown and evolved beyond recognition during the past forty years, would produce innovation and contributions that improve lives and well-being throughout the world every day. Most importantly, Israel has remained a robust democracy characterized by an independent judiciary, a free and vocal press, as well as free and fair elections. In short, we recognize that challenges to Israel’s security and well-being, as well as its social cohesion and core institutions face a set of complex threats and challenges. Yet, we must not lose sight of its extraordinary achievements and boundless energy. In the midst of a series of unfolding crises and concerns, let us also take a moment to celebrate the conclusion of an almost entirely non-violent, free, and robust democratic exercise there.

In the coming days, we will have occasion to discuss Israel’s national elections. We hope that you would join us for our panel discussion on these elections at 7:30 pm on Saturday, September 21. It will be followed by a dessert reception at 8:30 pm and our beautiful Selichot Service at 9:30 pm. In the meantime, let us pray for peace and justice in Israel and throughout the Middle East. May Israel and its leaders find the wisdom and the courage to overcome its difficulties and obstacles and lead this unique country towards the prophetic ideals that animated its founders and stirred the world.

With all good wishes toward the conclusion of this Jewish year and a sweet and healthy New Year,

Rabbi Jonathan Cohen

Dear Friends,

I write to you today as a rabbi and an immigrant. With my wife Yael, I chose to build our lives, raise our children, and anchor our home in this country. I have also committed myself to helping others build their lives, families, and homes in and inspired by Judaism for the sake of the good and of the sustenance of ongoing life (Deuteronomy 22:7.) I have done so with faith in the American promise of opportunity and equality to all regardless of origin, faith, ethnicity and culture, race, and gender. I have done so with great gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the most ambitious and exciting human challenge ever undertaken: together, as an immigrant in a nation of immigrants, to participate in the formation of a great society, of the ‘City upon the Hill,’ founded in freedom, opportunity, equality, and fairness. I write this note to you in both deep discomfort and disappointment on the one hand, and in unshakable commitment to my American dream, to our values as Americans and Jews and as members of our Temple community, on the other.

Within the last few days, the President of the United States of America addressed four democratically elected members of the House of Representatives, three of whom were born in this country and one who is a naturalized United States citizen. They were described as coming from countries with dysfunctional governments and called to go back ‘where they came from,’ undermining their American credentials, and along with them, my sense of safety, equality, and opportunity to contribute to the building of this country and all it represents. To their credit, both Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown and Robert Portman have condemned these comments as “un-American” (Senator Brown) and “divisive, unnecessary, and wrong” (Senator Portman.) Yet, condemnation of this kind of rhetoric, regardless of its source, is not enough.

We, immigrants and heirs to the legacy of systemic inequality, discrimination, and persecution, know all too well that the ideal and dream of a ‘City upon the Hill’ can turn to the Tower of Babel. We have seen sophisticated and cultured people turn vile and democracies self-destruct through disparaging, delegitimizing, and hateful, discourse. We know the words we use matter; we know that hateful words can lead to hateful actions and to the breakdown of a sense of common purpose and mission as well as trust and good will among neighbors and fellow citizens.

We will stand against the rhetoric of hate regardless of its source. We will fight anti-Semitism, the de-legitimization of Israel, as well as the marginalization of American voices, hate, and discrimination. We will also educate our adults and youths first to identify hateful speech and then to promote civil, respectful, and constructive discourse and work with our partners to support allies in civic engagement. In the Jewish New Year, we will share detailed plans to educate and promote our vision of civic society and the promotion of American values. We look forward to engaging in this holy work with you.

With all good wishes,

Rabbi Jonathan Cohen