From Rabbi Andy Koren

In Reform Judaism’s 150-plus year history, we have been solid voices for a serious, albeit broader, interpretation of our tradition. When others have said “no,” we have repeatedly said “yes.” More often than not, we have sought to expand the umbrella of Jewish participation, tending toward the more inclusive side. At times this has gained praise. Our more lenient and religiously liberal stances have also been a source of critique, concern, warning, and even scorn.

The start of 2025 has brought with it foreseeable challenges which remind us of a lesson that Jewish people have known for generations in all of the lands that we have called home: leaders change, and yet our core values don’t.

I am proud of Temple Emanuel’s long history of standing up for immigrants and immigrant rights. As we know, the way that our Temple speaks about and treats immigrants is supported by a Bible which stresses that it matters how we treat those “not from here” at least 36 times. Moreover, our own history, both here and abroad, has made this a central Jewish issue, even if our families came here generations ago. HIAS (formerly the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) summed up our approach in words that bear memorizing and repeating:

“We used to help refugees because they were Jewish; now we help refugees because we are Jewish.”

Moreover, as diversity and inclusivity are facing serious tests in the broader public and political spheres, I cannot think of a better time to return to values that our congregation has adopted and which we proudly reprint in our weekly worship handout, our monthly bulletins, and on the pages of every Board agenda. I am including it here in its entirety:

Diversity and Inclusivity Statement Temple Emanuel is committed to inclusivity: Hachnasat Orchim (Hospitality) means welcoming people of different cultural backgrounds, races, nationalities, sexual orientations, genders, gender identities, gender expressions, physical and mental abilities, and ages. We recognize Jewish identity from both matrilineal and patrilineal descent. Our Rabbis are open to officiating at Jewish ceremonies for interfaith marriages. Appreciating the critical role played by non-Jewish parents in the upbringing of Jewish children, we encourage full participation in congregational and religious life by interfaith families.

In other words, when we quote Genesis chapter 1 which expresses that all of humanity was created in God’s image, we understand this as we always have – in the broadest terms possible.

_________________________________________________

This past month also saw the first stages of those taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7th returning to Israel as part of another gut-wrenching hostage-for-security-prisoner deal. The last deal took place in November 2023. Hamas and their collaborators initially took 251 as hostages. As the end of January approaches, the number of remaining hostages will be 87. Assuming all goes as planned, 65 of the hostages – dead and alive – will still be in captivity, held against their will, as the first stage of this deal finishes.

You may have noticed that Daniella Gilboa, one of the hostages whose picture has been in our display case since the end of 2023, is now safely back in Israel with her family and friends. We also have the pictures of Ofer Calderon as well as Ziv and Gali Berman in that display case – they have yet to be released. These last days have been filled with the celebrations of freedom, but they are not complete celebrations. They can’t and won’t be; not until all of the remaining hostages including Keith Seigel (who is originally from North Carolina and has family connections to our Temple) are back in Israel where they should have always been.

_________________________________________________

One last note: the relationships that we as a Temple have with each other and the programs we offer here in Greensboro are of paramount importance. And yet, we cannot ignore the broader Jewish world. Every few years, Jewish people around the world are asked to participate in elections for the World Zionist Organization (WZO). You will find a more in-depth write-up of this effort elsewhere in the bulletin. I encourage you to read that article by Dr. Eve Knapp and Ken Stiles, Temple members who are providing local leadership to make sure that our participation is higher than ever. The WZO is the way that Jewish voices outside of Israel can be amplified in Israel. We need everyone eligible to vote to register and then to vote for the representatives of the Reform movement – specifically for the list known as ARZEINU. You will have ample opportunities in the coming weeks to learn more. As always, I am happy to serve as an additional resource for you. Most importantly, please register for this effort, and be sure to vote for ARZEINU during the designated election period.

Rabbi Andy Koren

Senior Rabbi