I tried to stay offline today. I woke up with this intention and I got to synagogue with my children without incident. I learned and I prayed and I experienced holiness in a way that has been missing in my life for weeks. I felt the presence of the Divine and I knew for sure that holiness surrounds us and enlivens us.And then, before the Mourner's Kaddish, my rabbi announced that there was a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue and at least 8 people were dead. And he asked us all to join in the Mourner's Kaddish. A few minutes later, religious school staff brought the kids into the sanctuary. And my five year-old was troubled by my tears. And my three year-old kept telling me to be quiet (because that's what I normally tell him during the Mourner's Kaddish).
I am a bit numb. A friend's text chain brought me back to the reality of the world. (I had been trying to sink into Hebrew homework.) So I am here. I am here to say, I thought I was willing to put my life on the line when I tried to become a career diplomat after college. I never really dreamed I was putting my family in harm's way by trying to become a rabbi.This I know for sure: we are all less safe with Donald Trump as president. Nazis and white supremacists of every stripe have come out of the woodwork in the last two years like never before. There is a chasm of difference between deeply felt political disagreements and incitement to violence. Blaming George Soros and globalists for your grievances is the path of anti-Semitic hate mongers.And this I know for sure: holiness is real. We are all soul-endowed beings. May we cling to the good. May we be shepherds of goodness. May our actions honor the holy souls within us. And may our passion and our reason be united to speak holy words of truth.Vote on November 6th. My life depends on it. Yours does too.