A Moment in Time: “We Are” – A Response to the Tragedy at Congregation Tree of Life in Pittsburgh

We are Parkland.

We are Newtown.

We are Orlando.

We are Las Vegas.

We are Charlie Hedbo.

We are Virginia Tech

We are Charleston

We are San Bernadino

We are Laramie

We are Oklahoma City

We are Columbine

We are the Congregation Tree of Life in Pittsburgh

We are all these places where violence has inflicted terror on humanity.

And today WE are Culver City, and we bring a message of SHALOM

We are Jews

We are Christians

We are Muslims

We are Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists.  We are Bahai.

We are atheists and agnostics.

We pray to God, to Adonai, to Allah.

We love our children.

We are black, we are white, we are Latino.  We are Asian.  We are LGBTQ.

We are Democrats.  We are Republicans.

We are immigrants.  We are native.

We are survivors.

We are redeemers.

We are.

We are and we love and we dream and we hope.

We are.

We pray and we listen.  We embrace and we care.

We are.

We march toward truth.  We replace darkness with light.

We are.

We pursue justice.  We march for peace.  We gather with unity.

We fight the evils of antisemitism, a disease that has plagued Judaism – and all who care about humanity – for 3500 years.

We inherit the right to be safe in our schools, our houses of worship, and our places of recreation.

We inherit the responsibility to demand more of our community when that safety is compromised.

We are.

And we always will be.

As the prophet, Amos taught, “Let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

And as our liturgy, like a loving embrace, reminds us:

Baruch Atah Adonai – hapores sukat shalom aleinu v’al kol Yisrael, v’al kol Yerushalaim, v’al kol yoshvei tevel.

Blessed are You, Adonai, Ruler of the universe, who spreads a Sukkah, a shelter of peace, over all of us, over Israel, over Jerusalem, and over all who dwell on earth.

Amen.