A Statement from Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple - June 1, 2020
 

This past week has been a painful one for our country. We have marked both the reaching of 100,000+ deaths due to COVID-19, and yet another senseless and avoidable death due to rampant racism in our country. As if these two tragedies weren’t enough, in the days after George Floyd’s death, our country seems to have been set on fire. The burning of precincts and public and private property is the outward manifestation of the pain, fear, and anger that many of us feel in our hearts and souls over what has occurred. And while we don’t believe that the destruction of property is justified, we do believe the anger that is being displayed is. 
 

We believe this to be righteous anger and indignation and we, as Jews, should be feeling this anger too. We should be feeling this anger because as Jews we have long felt the pain of government-sanctioned violence and discrimination. We should feel this anger because being a Jew knows no limitation on the color of your skin. We are a people of a tapestry of color and “kol Yisrael aravim zeh bazeh, all Israel is responsible for one another.”

Xenophobia is a cancer within our society.  We need to figure out a way of removing it and finding the courage to act. We need to shine a light on it and acknowledge it for what it is – malignant. If ignored, it will suffocate and kill all that it contaminates. We, your clergy, don’t know what the course of treatment will need to be, but ignoring these incidents and events will not make it go away. We have to acknowledge it, we have to talk about it, and we have to hear some harsh truths. Otherwise, this will just continue to happen again and again.

On Tuesday, June 2nd, at 6:30pm, Rabbi Bazeley will be joining in a demonstration organized by Highland Park community activist Ashton Burrell calling for the prosecution of all officers involved in the death of George Floyd; it’s being called: #JusticeforFloyd. The demonstration will go from the Edison entrance to Highland Park on Woodbridge Avenue all the way to the Albany Street Bridge.  Due to COVID-19 regulations, participants will travel down Woodbridge Avenue in cars with signs for George Floyd and other victims of police brutality. We invite you to join Rabbi Bazeley at the demonstration.

May the One who makes peace in the heavens make peace for us, for all Israel, and all who dwell on earth; and let us say:  Amen.