Grounded in Torah: Centering Respect and Love in High Holiday Sermons
by Rabbi Fred Reeves
At this moment of charged polarization in our society, the text which inspires my Torah is “Be of the disciples of Aaron – seeking peace and pursuing peace.” As we write our sermons this year, we know that in our congregations there is a range of beliefs on a broad swath of issues, and we want our congregations to be a home for all of our congregants. In order for that to be, we need to elevate facts over misinformation, stress the humanity of the stories that we tell, and focus on our own local community’s situation.
We need to avoid harmful language – refraining from using the language of war unless we are talking about war, and not describing people as inhuman either directly or through analogy. Regardless of what we are talking about, we need to be sure to ground what we say in Jewish teachings, and when we talk on controversial issues, we should approach them as machloket l’shem shamayim bringing respect to the people who hold different positions.
Most importantly, in complex times such as these, we need to set positive norms for our congregants by stressing the mitzvot of loving one another and other person-to-person commandments.
October is going to be challenging for our community, and the election in November will be challenging for all of America; we need fully to establish our synagogues as places where our people can receive comfort, guidance, and respite amongst all of the noise that will accompany this fall. I have heard from many colleagues who feel impelled to speak on controversial topics but are concerned about coming across as partisan and therefore turning off part of their congregation. When we speak from a conviction firmly rooted in Jewish values coupled with kavod for those who take a different position, we will not be partisan. We will be moral leaders walking with all of our people on the path of peace.
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Speaking From the Heart: Five Essential Guidelines For Giving an “Israel Sermon”
by Rabbi Elliott Tepperman
To state the obvious, speaking about Israel in a newsletter, a d’var Torah and perhaps particularly a High Holiday sermon is very hard. That we feel compelled to keep doing it even when it is hard and knowing we might be in disagreement with some listeners is its own testament to how important this topic is for our communities. In my experiences these simple guidelines make it easier. They also help guard against unnecessary stumbling blocks that can distract from your message.
Humble Listening – Shema Yisrael
Teach and reteach that we have an obligation to listen to each other as Jews and all the more so with a topic as important as Israel. And model humility about the importance of those conversations. We have reason to be very humble when it comes to impacting policy in Israel or in the US vis a vis Israel. It is a big problem and we are small players, but we can be certain that how we talk about Israel and our ability to do so meaningfully in our community will have a deep impact.
Covenant – Kol Yisrael Aravim Ze b’Zeh
Share your self-interest by explaining why we are discussing/critiquing/defending Israel. Emphasize the ways our fate as North American Jews is bound up with the fate of Israelis.
While this has historically meant that US Jews should support Israel, it is ever more obvious that as Yossi Klein-Halevy says – Israel’s action impacts Jews worldwide. The Israeli government has a responsibility to take this into account and we have the right to make demands of the Israeli government. This maxim is also true of Israelis and Palestinians who are also bound together. There is no acceptable path forward for the region that does not acknowledge the continued presence and rights of the Israelis and Palestinians who live there.
Ask people to name their connection to this place, these issues and their opinions. Jews and many Muslims feel a personal connection to this conflict. Ask participants to name why it is important to them specifically. Have they lived there? Do they have family/friends there? How does Israel/Palestine intersect with their story, the Holocaust, Nakba, immigration, etc. I have found it increasingly important to ask Christians to name their connection as well.
Mindfulness
Almost as soon as you say the word Israel or Palestine, it is certain someone’s pulse rate just went up. Take time to recognize people are triggered by these conversations and remind them along the way. When giving a sermon/or facilitating a conversation \set ground rules and remind people at the beginning that we are in a safe space. Invite them to take a breath and to pay attention to how their body reacts when they hear Israel or Palestine. Then stop along the way, maybe after a story or a big question and ask them again. How are they feeling? Who in the story are they identifying with? Are they breathing? Notice we are still safe.
Stories
Use the voices and stories of Israelis and Palestinians whenever possible. Israelis and Palestinians are not bound by the same ideological norms, language policing, identity litmus tests as many in the US. Also listeners understand that they have unique firsthand experiences and are impacted directly by the conflict.
Be Loving
I have increasingly abandoned the metaphor of threading the needle and embraced the metaphor of a venn diagram and shared values. I speak about these issues with as much love as possible because it is so easy for listeners to feel judged. I have come to realize that many listeners are guided in their opinions either by an idea that could be summed up as “I love all children but love mine the most.” or “Of course I want all people to do what is right, but I hold my own family to higher expectations.” Acknowledge both these perspectives.
It can be alienating when a congregant feels out of sync with the views of their rabbi. Reach out personally to people who might feel anxiety or disagreement with you. Call them before you speak, seek their input, and let them know what kind of message you will be giving or what kind of dialogue you are creating. Let them know that you are sharing positions you feel comfortable with and invite their disagreement. Let them know you value their opinion but more important that you value your relationship with them.
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You Are Also Right
by Rabbi Philip J Bentley
During the opening song of “Fiddler,” there is a bit of dialogue about whether it was a horse or a mule. Tevye says to one saying “horse,” “You are right.” He says to the one saying “mule,” “You are also right.” Then someone asks, “How can they both be right?” Tevye answers, “You are also right.” How can they all be right?
For centuries the followers of Shammai and the followers of Hillel argued over halakhic issues. In the end it was decided, “Both these and these are words of the living God…”
In order to preach about controversial issues to a congregation whose members have differing opinions, it is necessary to acknowledge that everyone has arrived at their opinions due to their own experiences and thinking. The preacher must explain that their opinion from the pulpit is what they see the Torah as teaching, but everyone must think about these things for themselves. The honor of every person there must be acknowledged.
There is an approach to dialogue called Compassionate Listening. Doing that requires withholding judgment of the opinion held by another. Instead, it says to ask questions that will help the other explain their opinion. In being heard and in knowing they are being heard, they are more likely to be open to hearing the other side. Our instinct is to seek to convince others of our opinions, but that will be resisted unless the listening goes both ways.
Even preaching from a pulpit should mean hearing one’s listeners.