We are fortunate to have secured space in a church in Arlington for High Holidays services. I am excited to usher 5783 with prayer and meditation, together with all of you. We will have a family service and an adult service, and we are looking forward to having you there, either in person or on zoom. To participate in our services, please send an email to info@jilli.org and we will send you all the details. There is no charge to attend our services, however, a donation to JILLI to the best of your ability is greatly appreciated. Please consider a donation in multiples of 18, the numerical equivalent of the Hebrew word for life, such as $54, $90, $180, $360, $1,800.
The church has opened its doors to us, and the pastor and their staff are eager to make us feel comfortable in their spiritual home. For this reason, they have allowed us to bring art that will cover the Christian symbols while we are praying in their space. I am creating three pieces that will hang from the ceiling during services. One piece features the opening words of Psalm 133: Behold, how good and how pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell together. This is one of my favorite quotes from the Book of Psalms, and one that is very meaningful both for the High Holidays services and for the moment we are experiencing in our country right now. How good it is, and how pleasant it is, that we can use the same space, respecting our uniqueness and our differences, and listening to each other. We could have stayed away from sharing space with the church in order to avoid looking at Christian symbols. We would have missed a beautiful space that will add to our spiritual experience, a sanctuary filled with light that will aid us in the work of teshuvah, the work of returning to a relationship with our own souls, with God, and with our community. The pastor could have been offended by my suggestion, but instead welcomed my solution. How good and how pleasant it is when brothers and sisters listen to each other and make space for each other. There’s plenty of space for the different faiths to share the building in order to be together. We do not need to use more resources building spaces in order to pray and experience a sense of community. We can celebrate what makes each of us unique, the different ways in which we express our spirituality, as well as what unites us, namely, our search for ways to elevate our souls, to serve God, and our communities.
The sharing of resources and the dwelling together of brothers and sisters is not happening in our country. I wish that soon we will be able to proclaim that in America it is good and pleasant because people understand how to live together. We live in a beautiful and large country, one that can accommodate the needs of different groups. This is a country where we can celebrate the uniqueness of each group, being able to listen to each other, while respecting our differences. Unfortunately, we are in a moment where the desires of a religious group is eclipsing the needs of all other groups. There is a lack of concern for other beliefs, and a blurring of the separation between religion and politics. The America that I love is a country where we can all live comfortably, according to our beliefs, where the laws are fair, where our work enhances the environment, and where we do not need to be afraid for our lives. Judaism teaches that life (which begins at birth) is precious, that mass murders are forbidden, and that the earth and everything in it belongs to the Eternal and we are not allowed to squander our environment for the sake of profits. We can dwell together, brothers and sisters that do not believe the same thing but open their hearts and ears to truly listen to others, concerned about each other’s well-being, conscious of the effects of our actions on our environment and our communities.
I hope you will join us for High Holidays services. I hope you will share the space with our community, with gratitude for our neighbors, and true concern for each other. I look forward to being with brothers and sisters, and being able to say, with a full heart:
How good and how pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell together.
Psalm 133