I returned on May 19 from a whirlwind 30-hour trip to Washington, D.C., as part of the Jewish Federations of North America’s Securing Our Communities Advocacy Fly-In. This was my first fly-in and first experience lobbying members of Congress in the Capitol. We were there to ask Congress to take meaningful action to safeguard our Jewish communities and institutions in the aftermath of the Temple Israel attack in Michigan and rising antisemitism across the United States.
As I prepared for my meetings, I reflected on a famous verse that appears in this week’s Torah portion, Naso. God instructs Moses with the blessing that Aaron and his sons should offer to the People of Israel (Num. 6:24-26):
Yivarech’a Adonai v’Yishmarecha.
Ya’er Adonai Panav Elecha vi’Chunecha.
Yisa Adonai Panav Elecha v’Yasem l’cha Shalom.
May God bless and protect you.
May God shine Her face upon you and give you grace.
May God lift up His face toward you and grant you peace.
My wife and I recite these ancient words every Friday night at our Shabbat table when we bestow the same blessing on our son. As a parent, reciting these words feels simultaneously like an act of holding on and letting go. When we sing them, it is the same words that our ancestors said to their children on Friday night, a powerful linkage with our rich heritage that we are holding onto and passing down to the next generation. And it is also a prayer we are offering to God that as he goes through life, he will know peace, security, and love.
Ultimately, I cannot guarantee that for him, just like I cannot guarantee that after we drop him off at his Jewish preschool in Cambridge, someone won’t try to break down the doors and cause harm to the children and teachers inside (thankfully, we do have a full-time security guard).
The thought of an attack like what happened in West Bloomfield happening in our community terrifies me. That’s why I went to D.C. Because while I will keep reciting this prayer to my son every Friday, prayers are not enough. Bold action is needed.
I pray that Congress and the administration will do the right thing and pass the recently introduced Jewish American Security Act. And I will continue to do my small part. Because no community should have to choose between their security and celebrating who they are proudly and openly.
May God continue to give us strength, blessing, and grace as we continue this vital work.
More than 400 Jewish leaders from 82 communities across 41 states participated in Jewish Federations of North America’s Securing Our Communities Advocacy Fly-In in Washington, D.C., meeting with members of Congress to advocate for increased funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program and support for the bipartisan Jewish American Security Act. The legislation would strengthen security for Jewish institutions, improve protections for Jewish students, support law enforcement efforts and increase accountability for online antisemitism.
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