Stories from of the lake
Imagine: Dulac, Louisianna

Stories from of the Lake: A compilation of stories reflecting on my experience leading a group of introspective,  learned 13-15 year olds on a trip from the synagogue, B'nai Jeshrun, in NYC to Dulac Louisianna. Trip's purpose: Learn about different approaches to social justice through one hands-on experience. Learn of social injustices. Connect Jewish Values with the call to social justice in American life. Get new facebook friends.

Why Sit Still? 
Rabbi Marcelo shares a story for shabbat. A true parable. Once he went to a coffeee shop in NY- You know. To get a cappucino. The ex-pat rabbi from South America thought he'd be very New Yorker that day. When he ordered and was done, the coffee shop clerk called "Next!" He continued calling: "next!, next! next! next! next! next! next! next! next!"... but it was just him and Marcelo in the shop. Marcelo turned to him: "What are you calling? There's no one there." So they had a moment.

But is this not a metaphor for- too often- how life can be or how we may go through it? Always so focused on what is coming next that we do no see what happening around us.

Mayim B'Rabim. And So We Bear Witness.
In our Shabbat eve service, in hebrew, we bless this mayim b'rabim- this water in abundance- so important to our ancestors in the desert. Yet we are here in Dulac, on the gulf coast where it's no blessing. Perspective. In a day we've learned of much we didnt' think to contemplate before arriving. Salt water fish caught in fresh water bayous as oil tankers replace shrimp boats washed into marshes from the last storm: hardly compelling from a TV screen in a rowhouse on a city street 1,160 miles away. Or further. And so no one knows. And so we bear witness.

For the Sake of Peace

We look at a text from the Talmud which calls on us to take care of, to help the non-jew alongside the Jew "for the sake of peace." Many of our students focused in on this line throughout their chevrutot, paired studying: We like that we're called to create peace between ourselves and other communities. But we did not come here to make peace. we came beacuse we wanted to, because we wanted to do good work, to help others...

We must keep in mind the time in which these words were written and then perhaps think of it as the least reason: If for no other reason, then we are called to do it for the sake of peace. So that tragedy as in Israel and Gaza never starts in the first place. For it's hard to stop the rolling ball once it rolls. Newton said so... So that communities like the Houma do not become devastated because they were kept away from resources and schools so purposefully for so long. They have not taken up arms as they are a peaceful culture, or so I'm told. But they wage an ongoing battle for federal recognition that must tire both sides after 30 long years.

And if we hadn't come here to learn of the people and circumstances, we may inadvertently have sown the seeds of future tragedy through ignorant acts.

So while we help all people because... we just want to, or because we have a sense it is right and loving, we come also for the sake of peace.