Forward in Hope

M any of us are familiar with the teaching of Victor E. Frankl, Holocaust survivor and psychotherapist, who said, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing, the last of the human freedoms, to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

My friends, what are you being called to do at this precious moment in time? The duality that exists in Judaism, the fight for justice balanced with the presence of hope, has never been more present.

The late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks wrote, “The whole of Judaism is a set of laws and narratives designed to create in people, families, communities, and a nation, habits that defeat despair. Judaism is the voice of hope in the conversation of mankind.”

Let us engage in this holy conversation together. Let us bring others into relationship, with tolerance, communication, understanding, open heartedness, and open mindedness. Let us demolish the walls of prejudice and bigotry, and work to eradicate the inclination to “other” one another. May we be forever mindful of the presence of yetzer hatov, our inclination for good, and may the power of love, kindness, and hope prevail.

Ken y’hi ratzon, may this be your will.

Editor’s note: Those above were the words spoken by Cantor Menaker to conclude the “Remembering Rabin, Pittsburgh Remembered” vigil at Sigmund Rimm Park in Margate on November 4, 2020.