Rabbi's Week in Review Blog

While waiting for a program to start, in which I was giving a D’var Torah, I had a conversation with someone whom I had the honor/pleasure of working with years ago in the Jewish community, someone I still admire. The conversation was centered on fighting antisemitism, and what the best approach is to successfully carry on that fight.

In this week’s blog, I am not elaborating on that fight. Rather, I want to relate how refreshing it was to have the conversation, to be in a place without complete agreement but that moved forward with respectful listening.  

We can put forth our positions and our sense of how our Jewish values frame our approach to any number of issues without demonizing those with whom we disagree. The art, if you will, of Machloket L’shem Shamayim — argument for the sake of heaven — is in how we advocate for our positions and, at the same time, listen to and uphold the dignity of those with whom we disagree.

The truth is, there is a lot of negative space right now, and I’m tired of being in that space. Now I recognize that there are some with whom that sort of engagement is not possible, that they are too embedded in anger and grievance. But focusing on who we are for, rather than who we might be against, could be a balm to get through what we see as difficult times ahead.