Adar/Adar II 5763
March 2003

Cantor's Corner by Eric Miller

As liaison to the synagogue's Social Action Committee, it seems appropriate to dedicate this month's Cantor's Corner to an open letter from the Committee to the congregation. During this month of Purim, it's very fitting that the Committee, under the leadership of chairperson, Tina Rothpearl and the dedicated Committee members, have decided to focus their attention not just on social service needs, but rather on “the whole megillah” - from what we can do to alleviate the causes of social inequities as well. I hope you find this letter from the Committee inspiring, and will continue to stay informed and involved in all of our efforts to bring healing and wholeness to our larger world community. Best for a happy Adar.

During the last few years our Synagogue Social Action Committee has been working hard to enable congregation members to meet social service needs in our community. Activities like “Mitsva Day”, Food Collections, and the Community Garden etc. have spurred us on to perform these important mitsvot.

During the last meeting of the Committee, we began to think about increasing our awareness and understanding of issues in our society that create the social service needs we try to meet so that we can begin to address some of these underlying concerns effectively. Why are so many of our neighbors hungry? Why do upwards of 35,000,000 people lack health insurance? Why is the right to choose to be pregnant or not at such risk? What about the serious environmental issues that threaten the quality of life on our planet? We considered how and whether to involve ourselves as a Synagogue community in educating ourselves and our children so that we can take action on issues. Though many specialized organizations exist, we believe that it is important to address issues as Jews.

Reconstructionist thought certainly encourages, even requires, such activity. After all one of the important reasons that Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan organized the first Reconstructionist Congregation was to have the freedom of the pulpit that would permit him to rail against the sweat shop owners in his congregation who exploited employees and prevented them from organizing labor unions. Kaplan looked at the Jewish tradition and believed that it required us to pursue social justice. On Yom Kippur we read the prophet, Isaiah, who tells us that God requires us to pursue social justice:

Is this not the fast I Choose?
To loose the fetters of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And to break every yoke?
Is it not to deal your bread to the hungry,
And to take the homeless into your home?
When you see one who is naked, to clothe him,
And not to hide yourself from your fellow man?

The Social Action Committee made the decision to begin this work by bringing one important and timely issue to the Congregation’s attention each month in the Shaliyah. Perhaps, in time, we will figure out how to do this by email as well. We will try to provide information and even model letters that can be sent. We would like to invite many more of you to participate in the work of the committee. Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Synagogue. Please join us in this work. If you cannot attend the meeting, please feel free to send your thoughts on this idea as well as thoughts on any issues that you would like to see addressed to Tina Rothpearl, the committee chair, who can be reached by phone or by email (please see Synagogue Directory for contact information).

This month, we want to inform you of our committee decision as well as of an important resource. The Reform movement has a Religious Action Center which provides excellent information and model letters on many important issues. You can access their material on the net by going to www.rac.org. There you will find up to date legislative information together with information relating current issues to Jewish tradition.

Signed the Social Action Committee

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