Today feels surreal to many of us. We will watch the Inauguration rituals, but it will take a while to fully realize that Donald J. Trump is the 45th president of the United States. Our President.
I will pray for him, pray that Mr. Trump will find the skills, wisdom and humility to help the very people who propelled him to office.
I will pray for our country, as well, but we must do more. Tomorrow many of our members will march in DC and here in NYC. More than that we must live our values—fight for justice and dignity for citizens as well as immigrants.
Tomorrow morning’s Torah reading, Sh’mot, highlights two midwives who refused to surrender their humanity to the Pharaoh who wanted to exterminate the Jewish people.
One person can make a tremendous difference. As Jews we must not throw up our hands. Or remain indifferent. Or remain silent.
This is a good moment to record Elie Wiesel’s important exhortation: “The role of the Jew is not to make the world more Jewish, but to make the world more human.”
Amen. Shabbat Shalom.
