| An open letter to Pastor Ric Olsen, Pastor of the Beacon Church in Orange, California:
Dear Pastor Olsen:
I decided to write this open letter of gratitude, appreciation, and blessing to you because I want my congregation to know how deeply touched and moved I am by your continued outreach, support, and friendship over the past year.
We are approaching 450 days since October 7, 2023. Over 100 hostages remain in Gaza. Israel is still being besieged by Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis: all proxies of Iran. Too many innocent people – on all sides – have died and continue to suffer. Yet so many forget what took place on October 7th, 2023: Hamas perpetrated the worst terrorist attack in Israeli history, brutally murdered over 1200 people of all ages, committed atrocious acts of sexual violence, and kidnapped over 251 people. In the rest of the world, antisemitism and anti-Zionism have sky-rocketed. They always existed, but now, they are out in the open in exceedingly vocal, sometimes violent, and often threatening ways. I witness it every single week in my own neighborhood.
I first met you, Pastor Olsen, last year, at Chanukah. You and members of your church showed up to our Temple Beth Sholom chanukiyah-lighting to “support and protect” us. You touched our hearts and souls with your presence. You impressed us when also brought a large tray of kosher jelly donuts from OC Kosher. Each night of Chanukah, you, along with three other local ministers and churches stood alongside our community in solidarity and support. Thus began our beautiful friendship.
It has been a helluva year: I was targeted online, as were several of my colleagues. Our Jewish students at college campuses here in California and across North America have experienced tremendous vicious attacks – from outsiders who show up on campus, from fellow classmates, from professors, and from administrators. Students in grammar school, middle school, and high school have come to expect antisemitic comments as a “matter of course.” Many city councils have been hot-beds of anti-Jewish and anti-Israel vitriol.
However, I never give up hope. I find hope in many different places – including in good people like you and your congregation. I told my congregation in my Yom Kippur sermon: “I will continue to speak out and speak up for what is right and just. I hope that others will do the same on our behalf.” We are so very grateful for your presence!
The first night of Chanukah, this past Wednesday, December 25th, I felt so fortunate: I found a parking space right on the circle for our Temple Beth Sholom chanukiyah-lighting in the plaza on the circle. I pulled into the spot, saw that our TBS member and my dear friend Michael Sumague was parked right next to me. Just as I was preparing to exit my car, I received your text message: “We had intended to be there tonight with our family. However, our Christmas dinner isn’t cooperating, and we are only just sitting down to eat now. Happy Hanukkah and I will see you this Hanukkah season. We know the year hasn’t gotten any better. We continue to want to stand with you. I have asked the other pastors to join you as well.”
Pastor Olsen, your text message of support and solidarity last night was like a beacon of light during a dark time. It reminded me that we are not alone. Knowing that we have good friends to stand by us during this difficult time gives us continued hope that we will get through this stronger than ever.
Our Torah portion for this week Miketz, reinforces this notion of finding hope through the support of others. Joseph uses his faith in God to give him inner strength and resilience to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, be released from Potiphar’s prison, and go on to lead the Egyptians through one of the worst famines they have experienced. Joseph discovers good people who support him when he is “down and out." These were the others who served in prison with him and spoke highly of him to Pharaoh, as well as support from Pharaoh himself. In the process, Joseph became second in command over all of Egypt and eventually saves his own family from famine as well.
Joseph’s story is our story. Pastor Olsen, the presence of our interfaith friends standing by our side during this time is incredibly moving and heartwarming. To me, this represents some of the factors that will sustain and nurture our people, it brings hope in the darkness, and it reminds us that all good people of faith want the same things: peace, harmony, love, safety, security, and justice for all.
As we prepare to light the third light of Chanukah this evening, surrounded by our own community as well as by our interfaith friends, I emerge from this celebration with renewed hope and optimism. We have seen that the current situation is taking a long time to resolve and we have a long road ahead of us. However, I am reminded that with God by our side, with the stories of our past inspiring us, with our own community gathering in unity and purpose, and with the support of our friends and neighbors, we fan the flames of hope for vitality, peace, strength, and a bright tomorrow.
Pastor Olsen, you are indeed a blessing to us, and to your own community. Todah rabbah – we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
In gratitude and friendship, |
