Dear all,
Toward the very end of the Adon Olam prayer are the words, “B’yado afkid ruchi/ Into God’s hands I give my breath.”
These words, which usually stir my soul with wonderment, have been haunting me over the past week and a half. Our first breath of life is a divine gift. Our last breath should be the opportunity to let go and give back. For George Floyd, that opportunity was stolen.
The responses have been overwhelming, and good people are doing the hard work to face the ugly reality that a grand canyon of racism exists.
Let’s reach deep within to find that divine breath. Let’s use it to close the gap, to dialogue across the racial divide, to inspire change, to teach values, to acknowledge our failures, and to ignite transformation. This can happen through big initiatives. It can also be through reaching out to people you know and telling them you care.
When injustice steals the last breath of a human being, we must embody the moment in time that becomes the catalyst for change.
Today.
With love and shalom,
Rabbi Zach Shapiro
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