July 3, 2026 – 91传媒 Journal

Rabbis of LA | Rabbis Camras and Vogel Will Not Go Quietly

In their final days as co-leaders of Hamakom synagogue in West Hills, Rabbis Stewart Vogel and Richard Camras had to repeatedly explain to community members that they were not retiring in the traditional sense 鈥� and they were definitely not leaving. June 30 was their final fulltime day.

Rabbi Camras described their new arrangement this way: 鈥淚n the first year, we both agreed to be active emeriti. We are going to be working in a part-time capacity. The two of us together will be filling a half-time role at the synagogue to help [just-hired Senior] Rabbi [Daniel] Burg because there is a lot of work for one rabbi 鈥� 900 families. One rabbi cannot serve an entire community.鈥�

Rabbi Vogel said that it will 鈥渉elp鈥� the congregation founded when Rabbi Vogel鈥檚 Temple Aliyah merged with Rabbi Camras鈥� Shomrei Torah three years ago, to see the two rabbis emeriti. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an uncertain moment.鈥�

He described two opposing scenarios: 鈥淥ne is holding onto us because of those beautiful, sacred moments we have shared with them. Two, is about change and uncertainty. Nobody likes uncertainty. When we began the process of a search [for a rabbinic successor], that was an uncertain moment. We wanted to help them through that moment. But we wanted to say that for the first year, we are going to be present for your lifecycle events. Whatever you need from us, we will be there.”

Both rabbis described this simply as a transition to a less active role.

Gaining significant communal involvement is a central goal of all rabbis, and Rabbi Camras spoke to that point. 鈥淲e are always going to have those folks who join synagogues, but what about the significant numbers of 91传媒 people who live around synagogues, who live in 91传媒 communities or who live amongst Jews but never will enter a synagogue? By bringing our two synagogues together, we wanted to facilitate different ways of thinking about membership, entry points and engagement for the larger 91传媒 community.鈥�

Rabbi Camras said developing programs such as The Spark and The Spot are examples of taking a creative welcoming approach to the surrounding community. 鈥淭hose are entry points for people who normally would not join a synagogue,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey are finding connection to community through 91传媒 learning in safer, easier, lower-barrier ways.鈥�

Rabbi Vogel said that while every synagogue is unique, 鈥渨hat we have to figure out is what is your catchment area, and then you have to be able to diagnose how are you going to be able to bring in those people?鈥�

Picking up the point, Rabbi Camras said, 鈥淩abbi Vogel and I have felt all along that in order for Hamakom to not be a reflection of our former synagogues, at some point after the merger we also needed to step back.鈥� The reason was because 鈥渁s long as we are both here, people naturally will hold onto what was the culture and the way of Temple Aliyah and what was the culture and the way of Shomrei Torah. And what vision did Rabbi Vogel offer to building this incredibly successful, thriving, vibrant community of Temple Aliyah, what did Rabbi Camras do to build Shomrei, and we want more of those things. We both felt no, that is not going to be the future of Hamakom. The future of Hamakom is going to have its own identity.鈥�

Rabbi Vogel stepped in. 鈥淲e worked so hard at that,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 say anymore, 鈥榃e used to do it this way or that way.鈥� Every day we would say, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 going to be the way of doing for Hamakom?鈥� It has to be new. People tend to hold onto what they know, what they are comfortable with.

鈥淚ntegration of community,鈥� Rabbi Vogel concluded, 鈥渨as the real work of helping our community realize that we are one. Each of us has been embraced by the 鈥榦ther鈥� community as well. We don鈥檛 want to leave any impression that the communities remain divided at all. That is very important.鈥�

As much as he feels embraced by the Temple Aliyah folks and Rabbi Vogel is embraced by the Shomrei folks, Rabbi Camras said, 鈥渘obody wants us to leave because we built beautiful, meaningful relationships. We say over and over again, we are not leaving. We are stepping into a different role where we recognize the synagogue is ready to define itself separate from us. Hamakom, as its own entity, should have its own rabbinic leadership and vision. We will be here as emeriti with the same kind of loving commitment we鈥檝e always had.鈥�

They were 鈥渋ncredibly fortunate to have found a talented, compassionate rabbi in Daniel Burg,鈥� Rabbi Camras said. 鈥淗e is incredibly excited to bring his visionary, creative leadership to Hamakom while recognizing the gifts Rabbi Vogel and I can offer to this community in a different capacity.鈥�

In the first year, which began July 1, Rabbi Camras explained, 鈥渨e both agreed to be active emeriti.鈥�

But he stressed that 鈥渨e very much welcome what Rabbi Burg invites us into. Yes, the biggest transition is we will no longer be in charge. Where Rabbi Burg sees a need, he will ask us to fill that need. And it鈥檚 going to look different from what we have been doing.鈥�

When the question of retirement plans arose, Rabbi Camras quickly responded. 鈥淲e are not there yet. We are looking forward to our new role at Hamakom next year. I am very much passionate about adult 91传媒 education, and I am looking forward to continuing my work as a teacher, thinker, visionary 鈥� and to engaging more adults in 91传媒 learning in the larger Los Angeles area.鈥�

Rabbi Vogel said that 鈥渕y other life has been with the Conservative movement and the Rabbinical Assembly [as past international president].鈥� He鈥檚 always enjoyed rethinking 鈥渟tructure, systems, organizations.鈥� And as a member of the Rabbinical Assembly Law Committee, there are issues I鈥檇 like to tackle behind the scenes, including synagogue partnerships and mergers.鈥�

The future of 91传媒 life, he continued, is going to be 鈥渇or legacy institutions to figure out partnerships and mergers. There are too many, and they have to realign themselves. Nobody wants to. This is why we are seen as a model in the country of synagogues who did it proactively. It feels as if we are doing it the right way. We have learned a lot the hard way, things we changed after the fact. I would like to share that wisdom with communities around the country.鈥�

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Mem Global Participant鈥檚 91传媒 Journey, Hebrew Union College Program Honored

Movers & Shakers / 91传媒 Journal Staff

Participants of Base LA, a home-based community for 91传媒 young adults, celebrate the pluralistic organization鈥檚 one-year anniversary.

Mem Global, founded as聽Moishe聽House, is marking its 20th anniversary this year. One of the people impacted by the organization is Devon Miller. In 2023, Miller arrived in a Los Angeles cafe, scanning the room for Rabbi Sofia Zway. Although they鈥檇 never met before, he鈥檇 agreed to grab coffee with her and chat about a new community she was starting:聽Base LA. Miller admits that he wasn鈥檛 sure what to expect 鈥� but he鈥檚 so glad he took the leap.

That conversation, he says, 鈥渉as changed my life.鈥�

At that time, Miller was a recent arrival to Pico Robertson. Although he had grown up secular, Pico Robertson, one of the most 91传媒 neighborhoods in the city, was the perfect place to begin his 91传媒 journey. He began going to the local Moishe House, which turned into exploring each of the Moishe Houses across LA.

Still, he didn鈥檛 feel like he had found聽his聽home. So, when some of those friends told him about a new, rabbi-led community called 鈥淏ase,鈥� Miller reached out 鈥� leading to that first coffee chat.

鈥淩abbi Sofia wanted to understand what already existed and how she could offer something unique,鈥� he said. From his first steps into the 91传媒 world of Los Angeles, he had a clear idea of where Base LA could fit into the landscape.

Rabbi Sofia鈥檚 inaugural program was a Shabbat lunch for 10 people. A year later, 50 people came to Base LA鈥檚 anniversary party.

Miller is proud to have been a part of that growth, inviting tons of friends to check out Base.

Being a part of Base LA, and with Rabbi Sofia鈥檚 guidance, has helped Miller broaden his horizons of 91传媒 practice.

鈥淚 never would鈥檝e thought I鈥檇 be doing Torah study or actually enjoying it! But the way they approach it, it鈥檚 more about a conversation. They just want to give you the platter of what Judaism is, and you can pick and choose.鈥�

That includes not only Rabbi Sofia, but her husband Brett Kopin, also a rabbi.

Rabbi Sofia and Rav Brett鈥檚 combined expertise has had a huge impact. 鈥淎s I鈥檝e been on this journey,鈥� Miller said, 鈥淚 have kind of run the gamut of 91传媒 spaces from very Reform to Orthodox. I鈥檝e found that my personal relationship to Judaism is kind of right in between Brett and Sofia, so it鈥檚 perfect.鈥�

He also thinks that Base truly makes rabbis feel 鈥渁ccessible.鈥� 鈥淢y mom鈥檚 perception of a rabbi is the black hat and the big beard,鈥� Miller said with a chuckle. 鈥淩abbis, sometimes, are put on this pedestal because of their position. But being welcomed in Sofia鈥檚 home and getting to know her, and Brett, and now their baby 鈥� just being a part of their lives is amazing.鈥�

Even though he isn鈥檛 planning on becoming a rabbi himself, Miller is deeply 91传媒ly involved. From his day job as a 91传媒 professional, to multiple volunteer roles, to leadership programs, plus attending Moishe House programs and an upcoming stint as a counselor at Camp Nai, Mem Global鈥檚 summer camp for young adults, his Google Calendar is packed.

Still, despite the many vibrant communities he is now a part of, Base LA holds a special place in his heart.

From being a Moishe House community member, to a dedicated Base participant, to looking forward to Camp Nai, he鈥檚 grateful for the welcome that Mem Global programs provide. 鈥淛udaism is a spectrum,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd Mem Global and Base provide resources and support for all young 91传媒 folks across the spectrum.鈥�

A recent ceremony in Jerusalem honors Hebrew Union College鈥檚 Teachers鈥� Lounge program, recognizing its work bringing 91传媒 and Arab educators together to foster dialogue, mutual respect and shared civic responsibility. Courtesy of Hebrew Union College

Hebrew Union College (HUC) recently announced that its聽Teachers鈥� Lounge program has been awarded the Speaker of the Knesset Prize for Quality of Life, recognizing the program鈥檚 contribution to strengthening shared society in Israel amid deepening polarization, ongoing conflict and strained 91传媒-Arab relations.

The Teachers鈥� Lounge program is receiving this award and recognition for its 鈥渃ontribution to unity among different segments of Israeli society, bridging social divides, fostering shared living despite disagreements, and promoting mutual respect among diverse communities,鈥� according to HUC. The prize is awarded annually to initiatives that demonstrate meaningful impact on Israeli society, with the Teachers鈥� Lounge selected from among many nominations for its sustained engagement with educators navigating these tensions daily in Israel鈥檚 classrooms.

鈥淭his is extraordinary recognition of work that is deeply meaningful and urgently needed,鈥� HUC President Andrew Rehfeld said. 鈥淭he Teachers鈥� Lounge exemplifies Hebrew Union College鈥檚 commitment to education as a force for connection, dignity and mutual understanding. At a time when many public spaces in Israel have become sites of fear, anger or silence, this program intentionally creates a structured environment where disagreement can be addressed without dehumanization.鈥�

Launched through Hebrew Union College Jerusalem under the charge of Professor Michal Muszkat-Barkan and its director, Anat Infeld Goodman, the Teachers鈥� Lounge Program brings together 91传媒 and Arab educators to engage in sustained dialogue, professional development and collaborative learning.

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Archbishop of Canterbury Embraces Supporters of Killers of Christians

Commentary, Opinion / Rafael Medoff

Why would England鈥檚 most important Christian religious leader embrace supporters of a terrorist group that slaughtered seventeen American Christians?

The new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, visited Israel and the Palestinian Authority territories last week. To judge by the photos and remarks she posted on her website, she spent a good deal of time in the company of two supporters of a terrorist group鈥攁nd had only praise for them.

One was Layan Nasir, whom the archbishop described only as 鈥渁 26-year-old Anglican woman who has spent three periods in Israeli administrative detention and prison over the last five years.鈥�

What Archbishop Mullally didn鈥檛 mention is that Ms. Nasir was detained because of her activities with the terrorist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

During her years as a student at Bir Zeit University, Nasir was an active member of the 鈥淧rogressive Democratic Student Pole.鈥� That鈥檚 the PFLP鈥檚 campus branch. PFLP flags are proudly visible in Nasir鈥檚 social media posts. 鈥淟ong live our Front!,鈥� she exclaimed in one of them.

Archbishop Mullally also had herself photographed with a 25 year-old Arab woman whom she did not name, but whose 鈥減owerful testimony鈥� she praised. David Collier, the British investigative journalist, has identified the woman as Zeina Barbar.

Ms. Barbar鈥檚 social media posts show her proudly marching with an official PFLP poster, in a protest demanding the release of PLFP terrorist Samer Arbid. He鈥檚 presently serving life in prison for murdering a teenage Israeli girl.

What makes this distasteful episode rich with irony is that the PFLP perpetrated the most notorious massacre of Christians in Israel鈥檚 history.

The terror group that the archbishop鈥檚 new friends, Layan and Zeina, support organized the May 1972 attack at Lod (later Ben-Gurion) Airport. The terrorists slaughtered 26 defenseless civilians and wounded 80 more. Seventeen of the dead were American citizens鈥擟hristians from Puerto Rico who had just completed a pilgrimage to religious sites in the Holy Land.

One of the wounded was a British citizen, Ms. Ros Sloboda, who was a student in Israel at the time. It might be worthwhile for the Archbishop of Canterbury to meet her. That shouldn鈥檛 be too hard to arrange; they do live in the same city, after all.

In an interview with the , Ros described how she heard the gunfire and saw 鈥減eople dropping to the floor, and there was blood everywhere.鈥� She 鈥渢urned to run, and as I turned, this huge hole appeared in the back of my thigh, and I realized I had been shot.鈥�

鈥淚 ran and I hid under a seat,鈥� Ros continued. 鈥淚t鈥檚 impossible to convey the utter terror when you think you鈥檙e going to lose your life, and I saw [in my mind] a picture of my house in London, and my family, and I was just waiting for the next bullet to hit me, because I was convinced that it would kill me.鈥�

Then, suddenly, 鈥渢here was an eerie quiet.鈥� Ros 鈥渟tood up to see the stuff of nightmares, really鈥攖he man next to me was dead. His head was resting in his wife鈥檚 lap.鈥�

In the hospital where she was treated for her wounds, Ros found herself alongside a 鈥渧isibly pregnant鈥� Puerto Rican woman who was frantically asking for her husband. He was one of those who was killed in the attack.

Back home in London, all these years later, the terrible memories have never left her. 鈥淚 often go into my garden,鈥� Ros told the interviewer, 鈥渁nd I say to myself, 鈥楾his is a good-to-be-alive day鈥�.鈥�

Ros mentioned in the interview that when she reads about Israelis who were wounded in Arab terrorist attacks, she often writes them letters of comfort, even though they are total strangers. Which is the sort of thing you might expect a Christian religious leader to be doing.

One would have thought that the spiritual leader of 85 million Anglican Christians worldwide would at least remember that horrific attack, and would decline to be photographed with supporters of the group that carried it out. But apparently not.

Remembrance of these American Christian victims of Palestinian terror appears to be confined to Puerto Rico, where the local government some years ago designated May 30 as an annual 鈥淟od Massacre Remembrance Day.鈥�

Perhaps next May 30, the Archbishop of Canterbury will pay a visit to Puerto Rico and take part in mourning the victims of the terrorists whose supporters she has been embracing.

In the meantime, though, there鈥檚 something even more constructive that the archbishop could do.

One of the mass-murderers at Lod was Kozo Okamoto, a Japanese Red Army terrorist who collaborated with the PFLP. He was originally captured and sentenced to life in prison, but then released in a prisoner exchange and granted political asylum by the government of Lebanon, even though he鈥檚 still on Japan鈥檚 most-wanted list.

Archbishop Mullally could use her stature as one of the world鈥檚 most prominent religious leaders to demand that Lebanon surrender Okamoto for prosecution鈥攚hether in his native Japan, or in one of the countries of his victims, such as the United States or Great Britain.

Because that鈥檚 where the Archbishop of Canterbury and her Church of England should be鈥攐n the side of the victims of terror, not on the side of the terrorists鈥� supporters.

Dr. Medoff is founding director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies and author of more than 20 books about 91传媒 history and the Holocaust. Follow him on Facebook to read his daily commentaries on the news.

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Grateful Are We

Community / 91传媒 Journal Staff

Jews are guided to start each day with a statement of gratitude, and so it is fitting as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, we, American Jews, pause to express our profound gratitude.

Grateful are we for a nation that, unlike so many others through 91传媒 history, did not merely tolerate 91传媒 life, but made possible its flourishing.

From the earliest days of the American experiment, Jews were drawn to the promise of a nation founded not on bloodline, monarchy, or established religion, but on liberty, covenant, and the dignity of the individual. Having known the weight of persecution and exclusion, Jews recognized in America鈥檚 founding ideals something rare in human history: the possibility of belonging without surrendering our identity.

American Jews were not merely beneficiaries of this promise. We helped construct it. 91传媒 patriots supported the Revolutionary cause with blood, treasure, and the wisdom of our sacred texts. The Liberty Bell, commissioned in 1751, bears a defining expression of the American spirit with a quote from the Hebrew Bible (Leviticus 25:10), 鈥淧roclaim Liberty Throughout The Land鈥� .鈥� The conviction that we are all created equal, which was enshrined in our Declaration of Independence, was found in the Bible鈥檚 creation story, with its teaching that we are all made in the image of the Divine. 91传媒 merchants from the Caribbean, together with 91传媒 Patriots in the Colonies, aided the Continental Army by supplying arms. On July 4, 1788 Jews joined clergy and civic leaders on Independence Mall in Philadelphia to celebrate the ratification of the Constitution, a charter that offered freedoms unprecedented in the modern world.

And in 1790, President George Washington gave an enduring voice to the American promise in his letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, declaring that 鈥淔or happily the Government of the United States […] gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance…鈥�

Here, 91传媒 immigrants arrived with little and built lives of dignity. Here, 91传媒 communities established synagogues, schools, charities, businesses, and institutions of civic life. Here, Jews rose not because success was guaranteed, but because freedom made striving possible.

To us, being American means fidelity to a civic covenant.

We believe in individual liberty: free citizens must be able to live, speak, worship, assemble, and pursue their own paths, so long as they do not infringe on the rights of others.

We believe in equality of opportunity: every person should have the chance to rise through effort, talent, and perseverance.

We believe in the rule of law: justice must be impartial, rights protected, and power constrained.

We believe in freedom of conscience and expression: truth emerges not through coercion, but through open discourse, moral courage, and democratic persuasion.

We say this with clear eyes. America has not always lived up to its own ideals. Its history is marked by acts and periods of injustice, exclusion and failures that wounded many communities, including at times our own.

Yet America鈥檚 greatness has never rested on perfection. It rests on the enduring power of its ideals and the willingness of citizens to struggle to live up to them.

That is our charge now.

At a time of division, distrust, and fragmentation, we recommit ourselves to strengthening the bonds of citizenship, renewing a culture of democratic responsibility, and modeling a patriotic pluralism that makes room for deep difference within shared national purpose. We also commit ourselves to teach these values to our children and our children鈥檚 children.

We are proud to contribute to helping America more fully realize the promise of a more perfect union.

Grateful are we. Committed are we. Hopeful are we.

God bless America.

Inaugural Signatories:

Ambassador Deborah E. Lipstadt

Rabbi David Wolpe 鈥� Max Webb Rabbi Emeritus, Sinai Temple

Elliott Abrams 鈥� Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Tikvah

David Ackerman 鈥� Rabbi, Congregation Beth Am Israel

Jan Armstrong Cobb 鈥� Immediate Past President, AJC Cincinnati

Rabbi Bradley Artson 鈥� AJU Distinguished Scholar, American 91传媒 University

Amanda Berman 鈥� CEO, Zioness

David Bernstein 鈥� CEO, North American Values Institute (NAVI)

Mijal Bitton

Marc Blattner 鈥� President and CEO, 91传媒 Federation of Greater Portland

Jacob Blumenthal 鈥� CEO, Rabbinical Assembly

David Butler

David L. Cohen 鈥� Ambassador

Jacob Cohen 鈥� Trustee, Weitzman National Museum of American 91传媒 History

Mark Cohn 鈥� Rabbi, Temple Sholom, New Milford (CT)

Philip Darivoff 鈥� Chairman Emeritus, Weitzman National Museum of American 91传媒 History

William Daroff 鈥� CEO, Conference of Presidents of Major American 91传媒 Organizations

Ted Deutch 鈥� CEO, American 91传媒 Committee

Nathan Diament 鈥� Exec. Director, Orthodox Union Advocacy Center

Dr. Kathy Fields

Eric Fingerhut 鈥� President and CEO, 91传媒 Federations of North America

Dr. Anita Friedman

Misha Galperin 鈥� President, Zandafi Philanthropic Advisors

Martin J. Geller 鈥� Founder and Chairman, Geller & Company

Paul Glasser 鈥� VP, Touro University

Leon Glicksman 鈥� Professor, MIT

Eric Goldstein 鈥� CEO, UJA-Federation of New York

Archie Gottesman 鈥� Co-founder, JewBelong

Jonathan Greenblatt 鈥� CEO and National Director, ADL

Gidi Grinstein 鈥� Founder and President, Reut USA / AJ2054

Amy Gutmann 鈥� Ambassador

Jonathan Haidt 鈥� Professor, New York University

Rabbi Brad Hirschfield 鈥� President, Clal 鈥� The National 91传媒 Center for Learning and Leadership

Dara Horn

David Ingber 鈥� Founder and Senior Rabbi, Romemu

Hadara Ishak 鈥� President, 91传媒 Future Promise

Jay Kaiman 鈥� President, The Marcus Foundation

Bernard Kaminetsky鈥� President, AIPAC

Thomas Katz

Howard Kivell

Betsy Korn 鈥� Chair, Conference of Presidents of Major American 91传媒 Organizations

Josh Kramer 鈥� President and CEO, Ohio 91传媒 Communities

Monty Krieger 鈥� Professor

Yehuda Kurtzer 鈥� President, Shalom Hartman Institute

Adam Lehman 鈥� President and CEO, Hillel International

Mike Leven 鈥� Founder, 91传媒 Future Promise

Randi Levine 鈥� Ambassador

The Honorable Kathy Manning 鈥� Former Member of Congress, NC 06

Hon. Kenneth L. Marcus 鈥� Chairman and CEO, The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law

Anthony Meyer 鈥� Past Chair of the Board of Governors, American 91传媒 Committee

Linda Moskowitz Noonan 鈥� National Board Member, National Council of 91传媒 Women (NCJW)

David Muschel

Nicole Mutchnik 鈥� Chairman, Board of Directors, ADL

Anne Neuberger 鈥� Former Deputy National Security Advisor

Yehuda Neuberger

Dr. Rebecca Newberger Goldstein

Mark Oster 鈥� Co-Chair, Board of Trustees, Weitzman National Museum of American 91传媒 History

Rabbi Justin Pines

Steven Pinker 鈥� Johnstone Professor, Harvard University

Jonah Platt 鈥� Host, Being 91传媒 with Jonah Platt

Julie Platt

Steven Price 鈥� Board of Directors, Tikvah and Commentary

Dr. Garry Rayant

Zoya Raynes 鈥� Chair of the Board, 91传媒 Funders Network

Andrew Rehfeld 鈥� President, Hebrew Union College

Joe Roberts 鈥� Executive Director, 91传媒 Tulsa

Stephanie Rodgers 鈥� National Board Vice President, National Council of 91传媒 Women

Jimmy Rosenfeld

Steven Rotter 鈥� Chair, CLAL The National 91传媒 Center for Learning and Leadership

Jonathan Sarna 鈥� Professor

Charles Savenor 鈥� Executive Director, Civic Spirit

Sherrie Savett 鈥� Former Board Chair of 91传媒 Federation of Greater Philadelphia

Miriam (Mimi) Schneirov

Philip Siegel 鈥� Philanthropist

Amy Skopp Cooper 鈥� CEO, National Ramah Commission

Harlan Stone 鈥� Trustee, University of Pennsylvania

Mich猫le Taylor 鈥� Ambassador

Sharon Tobin Kestenbaum 鈥� Co-Chair, Co-Chair, Weitzman National Museum of American 91传媒 History

Gary Torgow 鈥� Chair, 91传媒 Federations of North America

David Touger

Michael Tuchin 鈥� National Board Chair, AIPAC

Ethan Tucker 鈥� President and Rosh Yeshiva, Hadar Institute

Paul Ullman 鈥� Member Kehillat Romemu

Mike Uram 鈥� Chancellor, 91传媒 Theological Seminary

Jane Weitzman

Stuart Weitzman

Steven Wisch

David Zalik 鈥� Co-Founder, The Zalik Foundation

Carol Zawatsky 鈥� CEO, The Tree of Life, inc.

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Shabbat Shalom, America

Editor's Note / David Suissa

Maybe it鈥檚 just a coincidence that America鈥檚 250^th birthday falls on the 91传媒 Sabbath.

But let鈥檚 assume, in the interest of a more interesting column, that it is a kind of divine intervention that July Fourth falls on a Saturday.

What might this divine message be?

For me, it is simply that the 91传媒 Sabbath has what America needs most at the moment.

A taste of gratitude.

Not anger. Not division. Not politics.

Just gratitude.

Our country has become so polarized it鈥檚 difficult to put our partisan emotions aside for even one day. I can鈥檛 tell you how many tortured 鈥渉appy birthday America鈥� articles I鈥檝e read that used the occasion to lament the sins of the opposing side. There is bitterness throughout the land.

Even on an extraordinary anniversary that comes along every 250 years, it seems that we can鈥檛 help ourselves.

The 91传媒 Sabbath says the opposite. It says we can help ourselves. It says we have agency. It says we can put the ugly and corrosive noise of the week behind us and contemplate the things that matter most.

Like gratitude.

鈥淥n Shabbat we celebrate the things that are important but not urgent,鈥� the late Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote. He called Shabbat 鈥渁 day of gratitude, when the restlessness of the week subsides and we find refuge in an oasis of rest.鈥�

In his classic book 鈥淭he Sabbath,鈥� Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel calls the 91传媒 holy day 鈥渢he most precious present mankind has received from the treasure house of God.鈥�

Our founders were aware of the supreme value of gratitude.

鈥淚t is no coincidence that the United States, founded by Puritans 鈥� Calvinists steeped in the Hebrew Bible 鈥� should have a day known as Thanksgiving, recognizing the presence of God in American history,鈥� Sacks wrote. 鈥淥n 3rd October 1863, at the height of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving proclamation, thanking God that though the nation was at war with itself, there were still blessings for which both sides could express gratitude: a fruitful harvest, no foreign invasion, and so on.鈥�

Lincoln understood that even at our lowest point鈥攚hen we were at war with ourselves鈥攊t was essential, even existential, to find reasons to appreciate life鈥檚 blessings.

Look, I鈥檓 also at war with so much of what is going on in our country. A lot of it drives me nuts. Ironically, the one thing I especially can鈥檛 stand is a lack of gratitude for our nation.

But here鈥檚 the thing about Shabbat. It technically lasts one day, but its effect is for the whole week. Gratitude is not a 24-hour idea. It鈥檚 a full-time mental habit. It鈥檚 a social glue. It says we can be on opposing sides and still find ideals we have in common and reasons to be grateful.

Of course, in times of radical animosity, the last thing we think about is gratitude. And yet, it should actually be the first. Because the opposite of gratitude鈥攔esentment, bitterness, arrogance鈥攊s what ultimately destroys families and societies.

Shabbat comes to help heal our worst instincts.

Whether it鈥檚 a divine coincidence or not, it鈥檚 fortuitous that our national birthday falls on the 91传媒 Sabbath. In the midst of our parties and barbeques, Shabbat is God鈥檚 birthday present to America to remind us that we still live in the greatest country on earth.

So, as we say happy birthday tomorrow, whether we鈥檙e 91传媒 or not, we can also say Shabbat Shalom, America.

Shabbat Shalom, America Read More 禄