President’s Message – May 2023

     T.H.I.N.K. before you speak.

     Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it inspiring? Is it necessary? Is it kind?

      Sounds like something a teacher would come up with, right?

      Sometimes we are very quick to react to comments people make. We have triggers that set us off, things we are sensitive to, and we can say something hurtful without a second thought. I’ve had this happen to me in the last month, and I’m wondering if this has happened to you. 

     We at Congregation B’nai Israel provide a spectrum of Jewish beliefs and backgrounds. We include people who are religious, love services, all the way to people who attend to celebrate gastronomic Judaism. Food DOES bring us together, and can be a great unifier, even when we have different interests and mindsets. We don’t want to create divisions – we have enough divisions in our country right now. We need to pause and consider those questions, especially when we notice a trigger, and remember that our common goal is to build our community. We don’t have to agree, but we should make the effort to listen, think, and respond in a way that is kind. 

      So what should you do about this? You can reach out to someone who is a little different, and ask a question… How is your week going? How is your family? Repair a connection, or make a new connection to weave that web around our Jewish community that will help us be the strong, vibrant community that we need to support all of us. Can you notice your words this month, and pay special attention to whether they are true, necessary, and kind?

       Our common goal is to repair the world, and we want to make sure we are making those repairs in our own community as well. 

– Cheryl Gewing