Why Interfaith Dialogue Doesn't Work-- And What We Can Do About It: via HuffPost
Absolutely true statements. How often does interfaith dialogue really mean a pep rally for treacly quasi liberal values? Real interfaith dialogue requires taking your own faith and the other's seriously enough to put up a fight rather than resort to pablum. And really, why is it okay to get down and dirty over our sports teams but not our faith?
Just in time for Memorial Day, the U.S. Senate passed the necessary resolution to place a memorial to fallen Jewish chaplains in Arlington National Cemetery, next to existing memorials to Roman Catholic and Protestant chaplains. A similar resolution passed the House of Representatives earlier in the week. JWB Jewish Chaplains Council, a division of JCC Association, has led the effort to correct what was seen as a longstanding wrong. “We are immensely gratified that this sad oversight is about to be corrected,” said Rabbi Harold Robinson, director of JWB Jewish Chaplains Council. “We’re deeply grateful to Congressmen Anthony Wiener and Jeff Miller and Senators Charles Schumer, Richard Burr, and Patty Murray for their leadership on this issue. Finally, these fallen chaplains will be brought home to their comrades in ministry.” Robinson added, “As Memorial Day approaches, we are grateful to all military chaplains who serve our servicemen and women.”
N.Y. Representative Anthony Weiner and N.Y. Senator Charles Schumer introduced resolutions in the House of Representatives and the Senate to authorize the memorial. Florida Representative Miller and Washington Senator Murray are chairs of the veterans services committees in the House and Senate, respectively. Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina is the ranking Republican on the Senate committee.
The next step is approval of the monument’s design by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts when the Commission meets in June. After approximately six weeks for fabrication, the plaque will go on tour to different communities, giving people a chance to see it and learn more about the role of Jewish chaplains. JWB hopes to have the dedication in Arlington during the fall to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Jewish chaplaincy. The first Jewish chaplain was commissioned in 1862, in the midst of the Civil War.
The JFNA, Jewish War Veterans, and the Sons of the American Legion were among the many communal organizations that worked tirelessly to get the resolution passed. The project was initiated when Ken Kraetzer’s discovered that Jewish chaplains were not memorialized on Chaplains Hill in the same way as others. A member of Squadron 50 of the Sons of the American Legion, in Pelham, N.Y., Kraetzer was doing historical research on memorials in Rhode Island. He was familiar with the story of the USS Dorchester, which the American Legion focuses on annually in commemorations all over the country, and wondered why Rabbi Goode was not among those listed at Arlington. One of the transformational moments in American life was the heroic sacrifice of the four chaplains of the USS Dorchester, which was transporting 900 soldiers and civilian workers to the European front when it was sunk by German torpedoes off the coast of Greenland on February 3, 1943. Each of the four chaplains on board spontaneously gave his lifejacket to another soldier, and the chaplains perished together as they prayed and sang hymns to men in lifeboats and in the icy water. The chaplains represented three faith traditions—two Protestants, a Catholic, and a Jew—and their death marked the first time the term “Protestant, Catholic and Jew” was used to describe America. Three of the four are memorialized on Chaplain’s Hill, but neither Rabbi Alexander Goode nor any of the other rabbis who died in other active service situations are so remembered.
Tucked neatly away in a corner of Pirkei Avot, the Ethics of the Fathers found in Mishnah, is a teaching in the name of a scholar, Ben Hei Hei:
Effort is its own reward. We are here to do, and through doing to learn; and through learning to know; and through knowing to experience wonder, and through wonder to attain wisdom, and through wisdom to find simplicity, and through simplicity to give attention and through attention to see what needs to be done.
This was Jerry Arenson’s favorite verse from Pirkei Avot, and it’s easy to see why, for it describes the kind of person Jerry always strove to be: a man of simplicity and attention, a doer, who had wisdom to share with others, someone for whom the effort was always its own reward.
Jerry was born and raised in Los Angeles, growing up at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, along with his sister Arlene and his brother Alan. It was from his mother Shirley and father Irving and especially his uncle Art that he developed his sense of family and his values. He was raised with certain life expectations, not just physically but morally as well.
While at Los Angeles high he met the woman who would be his lifelong sweetheart, his Judy. They ran against each other for National Honors Society president. She won, of course, and that annoyed him at the time, or so he would joke later, but something about her caught his eye. He tried to get her attention but she wouldn’t look his way walking down the halls. This wasn’t because she was blowing him off—she would take her glasses off between classes and couldn’t see the person trying to get her attention. Well, with classic Arenson tenacity, he won her affections, and they have been together ever since. They were married at Wilshire Boulevard Temple when Jerry was in grad school—he was among the first in his family to go to college—and Judy wasn’t quite 21. The bridesmaids wore red. That was 52 years ago this past March. And in those 52 years their devotion for each other was constant and palpable. You saw it in the way he held her hand as they took their morning walk, or the way she rubbed his back. You saw it in the way they talked to each other, interacted with each other, danced with each other at the DuPont country club, and Jerry was an excellent dancer, and especially in the way Jerry took care of Judy these last years.
They didn’t have enough money to start out on their own, so Uncle Art came to their rescue, helping them get situated before he finished school and they moved out to Wilmington where Jerry took a job with DuPont, while Judy got active in the Jewish community, between Hadassah, teaching religious school and other endeavors. And of course, starting their family, welcoming David, Dan, Debbie and Andy into the world. Family was all-important to Jerry. A private person, with family Jerry could be more of himself. With his family he could giggle, especially if he was trying out a new (usually terrible) joke. “looks like Grandpa’s got the giggles again.” Someone would say. Nearly every vacation they ever took was to visit family back in California or elsewhere. Whatever the kids were into, he made sure to be fully present. He coached their teams, served as a scout master, running meetings with a toddler and a baby in each arm, and was always present in whatever activity the kids were into. For him it was essential to take care of people and make sure their needs were met, seeing what was needed and helping people as he was helped years before. And he was a devoted and immensely proud grandfather to Jeff, Jessica, Jason, Jacob, Rebecca, Eric, Sonya and Holton, sharing that love in a letter to you eight, as well as his ethical and moral legacy, and in some of his last words to Holton. One of the ways he showed that love was through the family vacations he’d throw every other year, especially the cruises, and he left instructions that those family vacations continue. He wanted to be the glue that held this family together and even in his passing, endeavors to do so. In remembering dad, Deborah commented that again and again, her friends would say, “I love my father and he’s a good man, but your father is the example.”
He also showed his affection for others by wanting to help them improve themselves. If there was a point of light in every person, Jerry was going to focus on that light, focus on that unique talent, and mentor that person. He did not suffer imperfection in people not living up to their ideals, he always wanted people to be their best selves and wanted to bring that out in people. There were his lectures on how to live life appropriately, so many that his kids numbered them. There were his lists—so many lists—on how to develop someone’s inner self. He was always proud of the way he mentored people at DuPont, trying to get them to come up with personal goals and develop plans on achieving those goals. And he shared that with his personal mentoring of young students here in Wilmington. As a community leader, whether it was in his homeowners association, or in the Reform Movement’s international efforts, especially helping establish liberal congregations in the former Soviet Union, or here at Beth Emeth, where he served with tremendous pride and love, there was always a sense that he was mentoring others, trying to develop others. And while that was, in some ways, most obvious in his work as president of this congregation, where he worked closely with staff and laypeople, welcoming new congregants with great joy, and helping new leaders cultivate their own visions. But it was equally true of his work as finance chair. As many of you know, finance is the least fun job on a synagogue board: you’re working the budget, figuring out dues, and asking people to pay their dues and if they haven’t, why they’re in arrears. Who wants to be accounts receivable for a synagogue? But Jerry did this job for nine years with tremendous rachmanut, tremendous sympathy and care and sensitivity to everyone with whom he interacted.
Jerry took pride in that mentoring ability, as well as his independence. He played tennis nearly till the end, often giving much younger players a run for their money, as our youth director can attest. He had very few unfinished projects in his life, though some required his son’s help. “I tried to fix the sink, so what are you doing this week?” But the main reason he didn’t leave unfinished business is because of his tenacity, his focus, some might say his stubbornness. If it was worth doing, it was worth doing the right way, and worth seeing through to completion. He would never give up on a project, merely put it aside for a while and come back to it later. And come back to it he would, but never with ulterior motive. Jerry was Jerry—congruent in his personal and public life, as clear and ethical in his business as he was in his dance instruction or in the sound of his voice singing with the choir.
Jerry was here to do, and by doing to learn, and teach, to attain and share wisdom, and pay attention to those around him. For this he was put on this earth, and we are blessed to have walked awhile with him and be the focus of his attentions, the beneficiaries of his love and learning. His legacy to his family and friends, to all of us, is undying and indestructible. Zecher tzaddik livracha, may he be remembered for blessing. Amen.
by Rabbi Matt Friedman
Editor's note: This weekend we observe Memorial Day in the U.S., a time we remember the sacrifice of our Armed Forces in defense of our country. Below is a prayer that may be read during your Shabbat Services.
Rabbis and congregational leaders might consider incorporating this prayer for those families who have lost a loved one in the service of our country as well as for the soldiers now serving in our armed forces. Let us ask God to protect, heal and comfort them. And let us, by praying, raise our own awareness, sense of responsibility and appreciation for those who defend our country.Eloheinu v'Elohei avoteinu v'imoteinu - Our God and God of our ancestors,
Watch over those who defend our nation.
Shield them from harm and guide them in all their pursuits.
Grant their commanders wisdom and discernment
in their time of preparation and on the battlefield.
Should battle erupt may their victory be swift and complete.
May the loss of life for any of your creations be avoided.
Grant healing to those who are wounded
and safe redemption to those who fall into enemy hands.
For those who have lost their lives, grant consolation
and Your presence to those who were close to them.
We also ask that you stand with our President and all our military leaders.
Guide them in their decision making
so that Your will is implanted within their minds.
May it be Your will that world hostilities come to a rapid end
And that those in service are returned safely to their families.
We pray that freedom will dawn for the oppressed and
Fervently we hope that the vision of Your prophet will come to be,
"Let nation not lift up sword against nation nor learn war anymore."
May this vision come to pass speedily and in our day, Amen.
Once, basic elements of identity were seen as unchangeable. If your mother is or was a Jew, then you are a Jew. If your father is or was liberal, then you too are liberal. Any shift from these home identities was considered radical and thought of as a conversion. But this is no longer true. An increasing number of people simply don’t accept their parents’ markers of identity. They see identity as something they create themselves. Our identities are no longer essential; they are constructed.""Rabbi Michael Sternfeld, my colleague at Chicago Sinai Congregation, writes, “maybe we should simply stop trying to say who qualifies and who does not. Instead we should be asking: who can we count on and whether they identify with the aspirations and values of the Jewish people.” I would rather draw boundaries based upon whether someone is an Ohev Yisrael, a lover of the Jewish religion, than based upon the purity of their religious commitments or the purity of their DNA."
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad suffered a heart attack on Monday while in the United States for his son's college graduation.
The Palestinian premier's spokesman, Jamal Zakout, said Fayyad was recovering and would likely be released from the Seton Medical Center in Austin, Texas, within two days.
Zakout said Fayyad felt strong chest pain on Sunday and went to the hospital for tests, where he then suffered a heart attack. Tests showed a blockage in a coronary artery, Zakout said. Doctors performed a catheterization to open the artery.
Fayyad, a heavy smoker, has been prime minister since 2007. The political independent could lose his job as a result of a recent reconciliation agreement between political rivals Hamas and Fatah.
