Message From The Rabbi

Rabbi Rachael Miller

Three instances of hate made major headlines last week, but in case you missed it, I want you to be aware: 

1. On May 3rd, patrons paid for a sign to read F the Jews (fully written out) while bottle
service was delivered to them at a Barstool Sports bar in Philadelphia (a bar owned by Dave Portnoy, a Jew). Portnoy immediately responded, and within a few days, the story had only spiraled to get worse. To read more about the initial story, go here. The accused doubled-down on his antisemitism and even went on air with Stew Peters, a known antisemitic conspiracist to spew more vile hatred. The hateful interview can be viewed here. 

2. On May 7th, some 900 students were studying in Columbia University’s library when “protesters” disrupted, chanted, and defaced the inside of the library with calls to Free Palestine. 

3. On May 8th Ye West (formerly Kanye West) released a song called ‘Heil Hitler.’ The video even concludes with an audio clip of Adolf Hitler giving a speech. It has since been removed from most major platforms, but it is the internet, which means it’s out there. 

These were just the pieces of hate that made headlines (at least the ones I saw). But like I said in my title, we are stronger than hate. If we weren’t, we would have disappeared hundreds or even a few thousand years ago. 

Friday night was a perfect example of how we are stronger than hate. That evening, over 50 teens gathered for our final Share Shabbat of the year. Our Temple Emanu-El teens invited their non-Jewish friends to experience the joys of being Jewish, of sharing Shabbat dinner and services together, and hearing from their peers about what it’s like to be Jewish in the world today. It is brilliant in its simplicity. When we welcome people who have questions, want to know more, or educate themselves, we build relationships and allies.  

A family friend was just in town, he went to college with my parents. He used to visit us every year during Passover and has gone to many a seder,  Shabbat services, my bat mitzvah, Jewish weddings, etc. (he’s not Jewish). But he let me know on this visit that he always shuts down the micro-aggressions, the little remarks, that he can’t believe he hears so frequently. He knows that his Jewish friends don’t have to be in the room for him to stand up for the Jewish people.  

The hate is strong, but we are stronger. 

Shavua Tov, 

Rabbi Rachael