Dear all,
As I participate in the Reform Rabbinic Conference, I take note of the many accomplishments of Reform Judaism. I am proud to stand on the shoulders of luminaries whose courage has shaped our world. They were trailblazers whose light in prior decades enabled me to do what I do today.
Social justice has always been a cornerstone of our Reform Movement.
Yet just as prayer without action is shallow, action without robust places for spiritual gathering as Jews lacks sustainability.
I have no doubt that people of Jewish heritage will continue to be at the forefront of social justice. But this justice should be part of the greater whole – not the total embodiment of Judaism.
We should be politically aware.
And we should also be spiritually mindful.
We should be pursuing justice.
And we should also be ritually engaged.
We should be visiting members of elected leadership.
And we should be visiting the sick.
We should be standing up for those so often marginalized.
And we should be giving people rides to worship services.
We should be donating to causes we value.
And we should be pledging to our synagogue funds.
We should be putting out fires of hatred.
And we should be lighting Shabbat candles.
We should be raising questions about climate, immigration, and gun violence.
And we should be raising our children to be menches.
The soul of Reform Judaism lies in both the causes we transform as well as the lights we nurture. So when we go out there to make the world better, we need to also take a moment in time to connect ourselves with Jews across time and space with a prayer, a song, or a ritual. When we do, we add our voices to the symphony of our people.
With love and shalom,
Rabbi Zach Shapiro
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