Most of you have heard the news from Israel. For those of you who have sent me emails asking about our family - thank you. All is well. Talia and Moti and the girls were home in the northern part of Israel, Shiri had just left work in Tel Aviv and though Ilan was at that bus stop an hour before the explosion, he is safe at his base. Nevertheless, today’s attack is personal because we all have a stake in Israel and her welfare.
Dear congregants,
Many of you have commented on the irony of Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s address to the United Nations on Yom Kippur. I urge you to read the full text. When you read his speech it is alarmingly mild. Do not be mistaken, he speaks against Israel and America, but he claims to have a vision for world peace, which will put an end to the suffering of the innocent people around the world. His public words must be measured against his words in his own language and his actions. The timing of his speech is an example of duplicity. More than ever we must be careful while forming opinions.
Shabbat is about to enter Jerusalem. This is always such a peaceful moment. Yesterday sixteen teenagers from BJBE returned home from a ten day odyssey to discover their Jewish past and touch their Jewish souls. We traveled to the Czech Republic and then Israel, accompanied by the loving and attentive presence of Cantor Wolman and Emily Schwartz, Director of Youth Engagement. The power of this journey cannot be overstated. BJBE has a long-standing commitment to the Czech Republic. The Nazis decimated the city of Kolin, which is outside of Prague.
This year's AIPAC Policy Conference was a powerful expression of true democracy. At last count, 13,000 people had access to the President of the United States, the President of the State of Israel, the Prime Minister of Israel, as well as the majority of members of the House and Congress and other policy makers. It is at once exhilarating and disconcerting. It is exhilarating because you see the power of a true democracy where the voice of the people is listened to, respected, and given a platform. It is disconcerting because the vast majority of the three days in Washington was spent talking about the nuclear threat of Iran. More about that later.
Below is a blog post from one of our participants, Danny Goldberg, a 9th-grader who attended the conference with his father, Mike. Danny and Karly Worth, who attended with her mother Pam, inspired us to institute a new initiative. As we speak, a handful of this year's delegates are arranging for scholarships for any high school Junior or Senior who wants to attend next year's AIPAC Policy Conference (March 4-6) with a parent. Enjoy Danny's blog.
Rabbi Karyn Kedar
BJBE Members,
Day 1 was absolutely fascinating. Starting my day at six thirty in the morning, and then going to the Walter Washington via the cleanest subway system in the world (the Metro.) While on
Shalom,
The letter below was sent to us by our son Aron who is doing IDF reserve duty on the Egyptian border. I would humbly comment that it would be a Kiddush Hashem for the world to see this. Please feel free to pass it on to whomever you please, including to the editors of newspapers. Marilyn & Josh Adler
My name is Aron Adler.
