Dec 9, 2020

Statement from the Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami

Words spoken softly by wise men are heeded sooner than those shouted by a lord in folly.

-Ecclesiastes 9:17

As the U.S. elections have concluded, we realize the extent to which our nation is in desperate need of healing. The President-Elect has called for a time of healing and reckoning. This healing begins within our own communities.

Our synagogues are safe spaces of refuge, where we can lift up our inner voices to the Divine and connect with our neighbors. When the Jewish people sojourned in the desert, each of the twelve tribes encamped around the Tabernacle, that place where God and humanity would meet. They did not merge into one unit, but rather were a confederation of tribes, each with their own unique flag, each with their own identity and each with their own contributions. This vision of both unity but not uniformity inspired the wicked Bilaam to exclaim the words we say every day when entering our synagogues, “How goodly are your tents Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel” (Numbers 24:2).

The Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami, which represents many of our congregational rabbis, is built upon this notion that unity does not mean uniformity. We too work together to share ideas and consider ways we might collectively advance the common good.

It is for this reason that we express deep concern over the destructive rhetoric and language seen in recent months. The toxic language, disinformation, and mistrust is tearing apart communities, threatening the common civic space in which we all reside. We realize our synagogues are not immune. Whether it be political ideologies, one’s position concerning the State of Israel, or party alliances, our personal and tribal commitments can threaten to undermine the fabric that unites all of us as a compassionate, caring and spiritual synagogue community. Ad hominem attacks, vindictive language on social media and scapegoating the problems of society to a specific group or individual will not change people’s perspectives, but rather burn bridges of possible understanding.

Healthy communities will always be diverse, reflective of each of our individual stories, life experiences and dispositions. Healthy debate is a hallmark of healthy societies, and we encourage vigorous and enlightened conversation. The rabbis call this machloket leshem shamaim, disputes for the sake of heaven. The more that we not only tolerate, but also listen to the voices of others, the more likely we will clarify our own positions.

We cannot monitor the entire environment in which we live, but we can ensure our places of worship, our places of holy refuge, reflect the deep respect in which we hold one another, and that we remember to engage with one another in this same spirit.