To Our Beloved CRC Community,
As we sit here just after our Pesach festival of liberation, we wanted to reach out to our community to reaffirm our commitment to keeping our hearts open enough to break for our entire world. It is agonizing to witness actions taken and rhetoric used in our own St. Louis Jewish community that denies the humanity of others. From the first days after October 7th, we at CRC have strived to ensure that empathy, humanity, and complexity are our guiding principles.
Eighteen months later, there are still dozens of Israeli hostages being held in bondage; hundreds of thousands of innocent Palestinians have been displaced, killed, and seen their lives devastated by this endless war; and here in America we are witnessing both Jewish college students made to feel unsafe on their own campuses, and the weaponization of “antisemitism” by those working to dismantle the very democracy that has enabled American Jewish flourishing.
It can feel overwhelming, even contradictory, to hold all of these profound sorrows simultaneously. Yet, our Jewish tradition, in its depth and wisdom, has always asked us to wrestle with complexity. Like Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai, whose differing views were both considered “words of the living God” (Eilu v’Eilu), perhaps we too can make space for multiple truths. Acknowledging the pain and tragedy in Gaza does not diminish our anguish over the hostages or the losses in Israel. Recognizing the deep trauma and fear within the Jewish community does not negate the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
The very center of our Torah commands us to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). Perhaps loving our fellow beings and pursuing peace in these times means cultivating the capacity to hold the suffering of all people in our hearts. It means resisting simple narratives, having tough conversations, and embracing the difficult, vital work of empathy.
This is not about easy answers or political solutions – those are complex and contested. This is about grounding ourselves in our deepest values: the sanctity of every life, the pursuit of peace, and the compassion that flows from recognizing the Divine spark in each and every person.
At CRC, we are committed to navigating this journey together. We strive to be a community where all members feel they belong, a truly wide tent capable of holding the full spectrum of deeply held viewpoints, personal connections, and lived experiences each of us carries regarding Israel, Palestine, and Jewish identity.
May we continue to find strength in our community, supporting each other across our differences during these painful times. May we have the courage to keep our hearts open to the suffering of all. And may we continue to pray and work for a future where peace, safety, and dignity are the reality for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Bivracha,
Rabbis Karen, Daniel, & Randy
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Engaging Together: Upcoming Programs
Continuing these vital conversations and supporting each other requires dedicated space and learning. We invite you to join us for these upcoming programs* designed to help us wrestle with these complex issues as a community:
- Yom HaShoah: The History and Future of Holocaust Torahs, w/ Dr. Celia Elaine Rothenberg
- Machloket Matters: Disagreeing Agreeably on Israel/Palestine & Jewish Sovereignty
- “Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning”: A Book Club Potluck with Rabbi Daniel
* Click any program above to learn more!
We hope you will join us as we continue to learn, grow, and support one another.