Report from our daughter Rena’s first experience attending High Holy Day services far away from home on her college campus: “You would not believe this, mom. The rabbi gave an entire sermon all about why we should all support one particular elected official. He started every other sentence with the words, ‘I know you will all agree with me when I say….’ But I and many others listening did not necessarily agree with his partisan comments. It’s a talk,” she concluded, “that you or dad never would have given.” Her comments got me to thinking about the ways in which we juggle ideas, values, positions and politics here at Temple Beth Am.

The vision that Rabbi Jonathan and I bring to our work at Beth Am combines our Big Tent approach that welcomes all Jews (and the people who love them) regardless of economic circumstances, degree of religiousness, belief in God, gender orientation, or political affiliation together with our Prophetic approach that compels us and Beth Am to be a strong voice on issues of our time that are rooted in essential Jewish values of concern for the most vulnerable in society. With both approaches always before us, we are bound to occasionally give some members a feeling of being marginalized (because we do take positions that may offend a part of our membership) while alternately offending other members who feel our voices are not loud and clear enough on issues that to them are fundamental values. Periodically, we will err in one direction or the other, but we always strive to get it right.

I wrote recently that Beth Am needs to be a voice on policy concerns that are rooted in our belief in the equality of all human beings as possessors of the Divine Image. Torah obligates us to act to protect the rights of vulnerable populations: people who are poor, women, sexual minorities, those who have been abused, and those living in war-torn regions, to name a few. What kind of synagogue would we be if we remained silent about the effect of the economic crisis on already poor citizens; the lack of affordable health care for all Americans; equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation; scientifically-based concerns for the pollution and destruction of our planet; and the crisis in Darfur and other regions where people are raped and murdered in appalling numbers?

At the same time, our congregation needs to be a place of spiritual, communal, educational, and social justice gathering for individual Jews (and non-Jewish partners) with divergent political beliefs. Our congregation provides a spiritual home for Republicans, Green Party members, Democrats, Independents and other political affiliations. When we gather to discuss, debate and take positions on issues, we should be mindful not to assume that everyone in the room shares our same perspective on any given topic, no matter how black and white the issue appears to us.

I welcome your comments and feedback as to how we, as a sacred community, can maintain our balance as a Big Tent that welcomes people of all political affiliations with our Prophetic Voice that speaks up loudly and clearly for tikkun olam.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Beth Singer