A Message from the Clergy
Email sent to the congregation on January 7, 2021
Dear Friends,
Yesterday’s chaos and insurrection ended, thank God, with calm and resilience in our nation’s Capitol Building.
This morning there is reason to still be in shock, to mourn four people who died, one from a gunshot, to decry the clear bias in policing different protests, to worry about the ability of our democracy to withstand this chapter in our history, and to feel outrage about what is being incited in our country.
As Jews, the images of people in our country’s Capitol with antisemitic, hateful messages including “6MWE” – standing for 6 million wasn’t enough – were infuriating and scary. There were Confederate Flags and other insignia of white nationalists. We can understand that these are a relatively few extremists, but their numbers and prominence are growing, and President Trump has used their anger to his advantage.
At Mount Zion, we will stand up against tyranny and hate, be a forum where ideas across the political spectrum can be discussed thoughtfully, and mostly be a haven where all of us can feel safe. This is our spiritual home.
We offer this prayer for you to say on your own. We will also read it tonight at 5:45 pm at Daily Services and this Shabbat evening at 6 pm. We invite you to attend.
Our God, and God of our Ancestors and God of our Descendants, in these incessant days of challenge, I need You.
Steady my breaths.
Quell my worries.
Calm my anger.
Alleviate my sadness.
Allow my mind and heart to trust that decency, law, and reason will abide.
Help me find the strength to protect myself and all people against antisemitism, racism, and all hatred of the Other.
Open my eyes to see the good in our time and give me the ability to nurture that good in others.
And, please God, may I experience living in an America where all feel safe, our democracy is sanctified and streets peaceful, and all shall sit under their own vine and fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid.
Amen.
As always, we are here for you. Let us know how we can be helpful.
With prayers of safety and peace,
Adam Stock Spilker, Rabbi
Esther Adler, Rabbi
Jennifer Strauss-Klein, Cantor
Rachel Stock Spilker, Cantor
