ED: The following is a excerpt from the story, “Rabbis Share Sneak Previews of Holy Days Messages” which ran in our Rosh Hashanah Sept. 7 issue.
Rabbi Michelle Missaghieh
Temple Israel of Hollywood
When truth is called into question by those who claim that negative news is fake news, or when politicians go on record saying that “truth isn’t truth” and that “facts are in the eye of the beholder,” it gets a little confusing. How can we reclaim truth, humbly knowing that only God’s seal is truth? When the average person is on the phone every 6 1/2 minutes, which amounts to about 28 hours a week, 112 hours a month, or 56 full days a year, and when most teens send 100 texts a day and 44 percent of us do not unplug, ever, not even during religious services, how can we reclaim face-to-face conversations? When men and women who have been marginalized or silenced for years after surviving sexual assault or rape are now speaking up, shouting #MeToo and trying to change the power dynamic in the workplace, how do we listen with open hearts and take bold steps to make necessary changes?
