News from Our Leadership
| From the Assistant Rabbi |
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On a cold wintry day, just a few weeks ago, six tenth graders from SSTTE proudly stood in Senator Schumer and Representative Nita Lowey's offices to share their opinions on two critical issues that were important to them as Jewish teenagers. I was proud of our Confirmation students as they spoke eloquently and passionately about the importance of protecting the State of Israel as well as prohibiting workplace discrimination against employees based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Our students joined hundreds of other Reform Jewish teens from all over the United States as part of the Religious Action Center (RAC) of Reform Judaism's L'Taken Social Justice Seminar. Throughout the weekend, we learned about important issues that matter to the Reform Jewish community, such as Healthcare, Reproductive Rights, Iran, the Environment, Homelessness, and Immigration Reform. We also experienced the best of Washington, DC, as we celebrated Havdalah together next to the Jefferson Memorial. We vowed "To Never Forget" as we toured the US Holocaust Museum, and experienced culture in Georgetown and at the Smithsonian. Our students prayed together, spent time socializing, and learned how to become a Jewish advocate! Our teenagers taught me that no matter how young or how old we are, each one of us has a responsibility to voice our concerns about the problems that affect our society. I was reminded once again that our Jewish tradition teaches many valuable lessons about what a perfect world could look like, if we only could reach such a perfect place. It is up to each one of us to learn and to advocate for what our religion teaches is the moral and ethical position for society. There are now six more Jewish advocates whose voices will be heard, working to make our world a more just and peaceful place.
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