Dear all,
As we commemorate Yom HaShoah/ Holocaust Memorial Day, we think deeply on what it means to be a Jew.
I am a Jew.
I am a Jew because my soul dances when I see a Hora.
I am a Jew whose heart is moved hearing the sound of Kol Nidre.
I am a Jew when I yearn for a meal in a deli.
I am a Jew with a sacred responsibility to make the world better.
I am a Jew, called to action when those without a voice need to be heard.
I am a Jew, standing with Israel.
I am a Jew, calling upon Israel to be a pluralistic voice.
I am a Jew who believes in God.
I am a Jew who does not believe in God the same way others might,
I am a Jew because when Jews in other parts of the world suffer, I feel it.
I am a Jew because when ANYONE in ALL parts of the world suffers, I feel it.
I am a Jew.
If I ever forget, I realize that Pharaoh knew it, Haman knew it, Hitler knew it, and countless haters throughout time knew it.
And I vow, on this Yom HaShoah, to ensure that Pharaoh, Haman, and Hitler will NOT define who I am or who we are. We are Jews not because others have hated us. We are Jews because we are bound at this moment in time to define our future by what we love.
With love and Shalom,
Rabbi Zach Shapiro
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