Rabbi's Blog

Dear Haverim,

In the lovely and poignant song about war and peace by Israeli singer Naomi Shemer, “Al Kol Eleh,” she writes:

“Grant them blessing, grant them blessing,

Peace and blessing I entreat.

Bless the honey and the thistle,

Bless the bitter and the sweet.

Oh, uproot not what we have planted,

   keep our ancient hope alive,

Our prayer for peace and blessing,

   let our homeland ever thrive.

Guard this cottage, I pray you, and the garden

   and the wall,

From all anguish, sudden terror and from cruel war.

Keep the little that you gave us, guard the children,

    guard the town,

Guard the fruit that hasn’t ripened, and the grain that’s grown.

Grant them blessing, grant them blessing…”

That’s what all of us are asking for, as well:  less hate, more empathy, less ignorance and more honey than thistle.

Please RSVP now (click here to RSVP for our in-person services) for this Friday, January 12, at 7:00 p.m. when Shabbat services will include beautiful music and a discussion about anti-Semitism on college campuses.

Our guests at services on January 12 will be the “Shabbatones,” a Jewish a cappella group from the University of Pennsylvania, that performs Jewish and American songs around the country.  One of the performers and managers of the group is Beaue Bernstein, who grew up at University Synagogue and whose parents, Gideon Bernstein and Jeanne Pepper, have been long-time members of our congregation. 

In addition to the Shabbatones singing at services, they will also speak about anti-Semitism on campus and what they and other students, faculty and administrators are now doing to combat it.  We’ll learn about their fears as well as their resolve to stand up for Jews and Judaism at this difficult time. 

Here is an excerpt from a powerful and painful letter that Beaue wrote to the now former President of Penn:

“My name is Beaue Bernstein.  I am a Jewish student on your campus, and I am here to share with you the horrific evidence of anti-Semitism on your campus.  We are the students on your campus who you are supposed to be educating, yet I wake up every morning with only one thing on my mind.  It isn’t school, it isn’t what my plans are for the day, it’s just surviving.

On September 23, around 7 AM., Penn Hillel was vandalized.  This was during the week before Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for the Jewish community.

I am particularly sensitive to anti-Semitism because I have been mourning the murder of my older brother by a Neo-Nazi for the last 6 years.  When a person deliberately walks into a Jewish space with the intention to disrupt, deface, and terrorize the people inside, there is no denying the reality.  This is anti-Semitism. “F*** the Jews” is anti-Semitism.”  “F*** the Jews” is also racism.”

I wish I could say that this was all that happened, but, of course, there has to be more.  Our podium was smashed, our tables knocked over, our place on this campus was targeted because of our religion, because of our ethnicity, because people continue to gaslight us into believing that anti-Semitism is not racism, that Jews are white supremacists, that we “Killed Jesus Christ,” part of the thousands of years old Blood Libel that still rampantly exists on our campus.

I am sickened because the only place I really feel safe anymore on this campus is in Hillel, and this is also the place that I am probably the most likely to be harmed.  Why have you allowed me to feel unwanted on this campus?”

So, please be with us on January 12 to give these students your support, pride, and encouragement.  We will also celebrate January birthdays and anniversaries, and say Kaddish for Beaue’s brother, Blaze Bernstein.

Also, if you attended the University of Pennsylvania (as I did, and as University Synagogue’s president, Eric Blum, as well as several other members did), please email me at rabbi@universitysynagogue.org by Wednesday, January 10, because Penn alumni will get a special group part in services – another way of our showing solidarity with our Penn guests.

Shana Tova/All the best in the New Year for more honey and less thistle,

Rabbi Arnie Rachlis