Page 1 - The Jewish Voice - July '20
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VOL. 10 NO. 7 www.seabreezepublications.com JULY 2020
Jewish Volunteer Center Provides Vital Support,
Opportunities for Acts of Kindness
To address the immediate and critical needs of the
community, Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County’s
Jewish Volunteer Center (JVC) has been at the forefront
of creating opportunities for the community to share
kindness and support, all while observing health and safety
recommendations. Founded with the mission to demonstrate
the Jewish value of tikkun olam (Hebrew for “repair the
world”), the JVC also quickly created a comprehensive web
presence with ways those of all ages in the community could
volunteer, spread kindness, and help the vulnerable in our
community — all in partnership with Jewish and secular
organizations; the site is located at jewishpalmbeach.org/
volunteerprojects2020.
Most recently, JVC brought the community together in
partnership with Operation Gratitude over Memorial Day
weekend to thank our service men and women. Community
members knit and crocheted scarves and hats, made paracord to schools and providing gift cards to each teacher.
bracelets (also known as survival bracelets) and handmade JVC also rallied the community to give back in other
cards for our troops, and more. inspiring ways, often in partnership with Jewish and secular
To end the school year, JVC also helped to celebrate organizations. Among the most successful, community
nine local teachers for their stellar achievements — in the members made videos sending well wishes to the senior “The response we have received during these trying times
classroom and through all the newly introduced digital residents at MorseLife who had not had visitors in months. has been extraordinary. While it’s completely understandable
platforms — during National Teacher Appreciation Week. In JVC also led other coordinated check-in calls to isolated to feel powerless during this pandemic, I am incredibly proud
partnership with the Education Foundation of Palm Beach older adults via the new Community Cares Phone Tree; led how those of all ages have rallied together to help members of
County and Federation’s Anne and Sam Klein Literacy a Pack a Wish challenge where people packed up clothing our community who need it most during such a challenging
Program, nine educators received boxes filled with much- to donate along with messages of kindness to the recipients; time,” shared Juliana Gendelman, chair of JVC. “I couldn’t
needed books and supplies to best serve their students and and empowered local residents to create and share acts of be more proud of the work of the JVC and Federation who
their classrooms. JVC supported the effort, donating books kindness across social media. are helping countless individuals and families in need.”
How Moses Overcame Racism and How We Can, Too
By Rabbi Dovid Vigler their skin and not by the content of their character. natural egoic prejudice merely by switching it off. Hate
Everyone is talking The Saintly Baal Shem Tov teaches that human hearts doesn’t simply go away unless you shine a greater light.
about racism today, but it are like mirrors. When we see a fault in someone else, it’s Confronting Racism in the Torah
was a fellow Chabad rabbi only visible to us because that same fault exists, to some When Moses confronted Pharaoh while he had his knee
(who happens to be black) degree, within ourselves. When a clean person looks in the to our necks and we couldn’t breathe, he spoke truth to
who gave me the most mirror, he sees a clean face. Only the dirty man sees a dirty power. He proceeded to educate Pharaoh and the Egyptians
beautiful definition on our face in the mirror. through ten crushing plagues “so that they may know that
Facebook Live Broadcast We all have an ego — a sense of self that is struggling I am G-d as I stretch my arm over Egypt.”
in June. Rabbi Binyamin for its definition in a tumultuous world. The easiest way to Why the need for a show-and-tell lecture in theology
Murray, the Chabad rabbi define ourselves is by contrasting ourselves with others, and when racism was rampant and the Jewish slaves were dying
of Middlebury, Vermont, sadly, the contrast is most often one that places “I” above daily? If his objective was merely to free the Jews, G-d could
explained that racism is “them.” have simply killed the Egyptians and the Jews would have
merely a form of bias. So how can we ever overcome our racism? If it’s so been free.
And we all have it. deeply tied into our very identity, is it even possible to let Getting the Jews out of slavery was pretty straightforward.
We all judge a book by its cover. Some believe it takes 30 it go? But getting slavery out of the Jews, now that was a whole
seconds to form a first impression of another person. Others The Key different story!
believe it takes 2-3 seconds. There was even a study done As a child, the fifth Chabad Rebbe, Sholom Ber, was Only when humanity would be permeated with the
by Princeton psychologists that found it takes only a tenth taller than his older brother, Zalman Aharon. Once while awareness of the presence of G-d would they be able to
of a second to form an impression of somebody! Sadly, the playing, Zalman Aharon pushed Sholom Ber into a ditch overcome racism and bias.
research has proven that we all judge others by the color of and triumphantly declared that he was finally the taller one. Woven into the Fabric of Our Nation
Their father, Reb Shmuel, Our Founding Fathers intuitively understood this
was observing the scene. He truth and wove it into the very fabric of our great nation.
pulled out a chair and asked Despite their insistence on separating church and state
Zalman Aharon to stand upon through the Establishment Clause, they also insisted that
it. He then told him that “to “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
be bigger than someone else, Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these
there is no need to push him are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” with
down. Simply lift yourself frequent references to G-d throughout the Declaration of
higher!” Independence.
It is unrealistic to think
that we can overcome our How Moses Overcame Racism on page 2