A Moment in Time: On Yom HaShoah, We Remember Why we are Jews

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Rabbi Zach Shapiro

April 11, 2018

Dear all,

Tonight (Wednesday) begins Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day.

Our people was nearly exterminated. And I therefore have an obligation to better understand why being Jewish is so important to me.

I am a Jew because I want to leave the world a better place through how I live.

I am a Jew because I am partners with God.

I am a Jew because I wrestle with God.

I am a Jew because every answer opens the door to new questions.

I am a Jew because my husband and I keep a Jewish home.

I am a Jew because I rekindle an Eternal Flame.

I am a Jew because I want the next generation – and the generation after that – to rekindle the flame as well.

I am a Jew because every time I say the Shema, Hitler loses.

I am a Jew because I share the study of Torah with Rabbis Hillel, Akiva, Isaac Meyer Wise, and Sally Priesand.

I am a Jew because I share the study of Torah with all who want to engage the text.

I am a Jew because Abraham confronted God, Moses stood up to God, and Elijah looked out of the box to find God.

I am a Jew because Israel evokes a sense of pride.

I am a Jew because listening to Carole King’s music evokes a sense of pride.

I am a Jew because at any given moment in time, I realize that I am part of something holy, something meaningful, and something unique.

For all those who live in places where Judaism is part of your life, I would love to know what makes it important and relevant in our day.

With love and shalom,

Rabbi Zach Shapiro

A change in perspective can shift the focus of our day – and even our lives. We have an opportunity to harness “a moment in time,” allowing our souls to be both grounded and lifted. This blog shows how the simplest of daily experiences can become the most meaningful of life’s blessings. All it takes is a moment in time.
Rabbi Zach Shapiro is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Akiba, a Reform Jewish Congregation in Culver City, CA. He earned his B.A. in Spanish from Colby College in 1992, and his M.A.H.L. from HUC-JIR in 1996. He was ordained from HUC-JIR – Cincinnati, in 1997.