Prayer at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative March in Las Cruces, NM - January 17, 2016

I was asked to give an impromptu prayer to conclude the local NAACP Martin Luther King, Jr. commemorative march today in downtown Las Cruces. While I can't get this word for word, here is the essence of what I said....

"I was reading this morning about how much Dr. King and his good friend, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, valued and explored prophecy. We may think of prophets as primarily having a vision that let them see the future. The main focus of their vision was on what what happening right around them, during their time. They saw injustice and oppression, saw what needed to be changed, and spoke out about it to the community and leadership. One passage that Dr. King quoted was from Isaiah, Chapter 40: 'Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places will be made a plain.' This was a vision of equality and justice that can guide us.

Eternal God, as we stand here, from our diverse backgrounds, help us to be prophets who see more than just our diversity around us, prophets who notice racism and oppression, who can work to make changes that will create more equality, who will keep our eyes and hearts open, and who will hold onto and openly share a vision of a better community and a better world. May this be a mission to which we can commit together."

"Lives That Matter" - Sermon for Parashat Vaera - Exodus Chapter 6 -January 8, 2016

    In "Prince of Egypt," the animated retelling of the story of Moses and the Exodus, Moses, the Egyptian prince, had a disturbing dream after Aaron and Miriam had revealed to him his real identity.   In the dream, everyone appeared as figures in colorful wall paintings on a series of Egyptian buildings.  In his mind's eye, Moses saw Egyptian soldiers soldiers were relentlessly chasing him.  After Moses found a place to hide, he saw the Egyptians rounding up baby boys from the Israelite homes and throwing them into the Nile.  He also witnessed one mother, and her young son and daughter, putting a baby in a basket and placing it into the Nile River.  The dream ended with Moses imagining that he was falling into an abyss as he tried to escape the soldiers pursuing him.  After he woke up, Moses frantically searched nearby for the wall paintings he saw in his dream.  He did find stark and terrifying images of soldiers throwing Israelite infants into the river.   At that moment, Moses' adoptive father, the Pharaoh Seti, discovered Moses looking at the paintings on the wall.  Seti tried to comfort his son, saying, "Sometimes sacrifices need to be made for the greater good.  Oh my son, they were only slaves."  

   Moses looked at Seti's face in horror.  His adoptive father had called Moses’ own people "only slaves."   The next day, as Moses walked among the Israelites at their work, he realized that he would never see them in the same way again.  Now, they were fellow human beings, and even more than that, they were his people.   That was the day, as portrayed in the film, that Moses killed one of the Egyptian taskmasters and then fled to Midian.

   It is cruel, in and of itself, to say that anyone is "only" anything, where "anything" is a status that the speaker considers inferior and views with disdain.

     There are too many contemporary examples, even small ones, of that type of approach of one person to another.  

      Such statements have, unfortunately, come from candidates for the highest office in our country.   One spoke of a senator who had been a prisoner of war in Vietnam and said, "He is a war hero because he was captured.  I don't like people who were captured, okay?"    Another, while speaking at a school in the Midwest, referred to himself in a self-deprecating way about being the most horrible student in his fifth grade class.  Trying to make common cause with students in the audience, he added, "Any fifth graders here? Who's the worst student in your class?"   His question led some of the students to point to one particular classmate, causing a moment of needless embarrassment for that child. 

     To paraphrase..."Only" a prisoner of war - "only" the worst student in class.   "Only" a slave.    We declare in our prayers that God frees the captive.   We pray to God as a gracious giver of knowledge, where dedication to self-improvement can lead any student to a higher level of learning.  We believe in a God who redeems the oppressed because of this very story in the book of Exodus.   We are commanded to love our neighbor and the stranger as ourselves, because everyone's life matters.  

    In the section at the beginning of the portion VAERA that I will read tonight, God made five promises to the Israelites.  Those five commitments constitute the basis for the 4 cups of wine plus the cup for Elijah at a Passover Seder.  God declared: 

"I have heard the moaning of the Israelites because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant.  Say to the Israelites - I am the Eternal One.  I will free you from the labors of the Egyptians.  I will deliver you from their bondage.  I will redeem you with an outstretched arm...I will take you to be My people and I will be your God.  I will bring you to the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

     That message should have made the Israelites optimistic about their future.   But the Israelites didn't or couldn't hear the message at all.   The next phrase in the passage noted that "when Moses told this to the Israelites, they would not listen to Moses, their spirits crushed by cruel bondage."  

     Promises of progress can't take away a sense of being "only," of living a life that doesn't matter, if there is no reason to believe that change is possible.   

     Shoshana Keats Jaskoll, a woman from the Orthodox community in Israel, lamented, in a recent blog post, about the attitudes that make women "only," that treat them as if their lives don't matter.  Orthodox women who try to take leadership positions or to seriously study Jewish sacred texts or to advocate for women's rights in situations related to divorce are criticized by the Orthodox establishment as seeking to destroy the Jewish way of life.  Shoshana Jaskoll's article in Times of Israel online ended with this declaration: 

"The state of Orthodox Judaism is crumbling, and it is because of women — but it is not their ‘foreign desires’, their shunning of tradition, or their unkosher aspirations, rather it is their lack of options, opportunity, and respect for their true needs that is causing the schism. And the louder you [Orthodox rabbis and leaders] shout about how we are shaking the foundations, the deeper you forge the cracks."

      In Israel, the same could be said of progressive rabbis and their congregants, who continue in their struggle to achieve greater recognition.   There are Israeli Jews and Arabs who continue to work in common cause to show that they CAN mutually accept one another and demonstrate that their lives matter in a state and region that sorely needs peace and well-being.   There are voices on both sides that decry violence, whether random attacks aimed at Jews on Israeli streets or firebombings of Arab homes and attacks on members of that community perpetrated by a small number of Israeli Jews who seek to replace the Israeli government with a new Jewish monarchy.    

     Throughout the world, including in our own country, polarization continues, where the adjective "only" has become commonplace across the spectrum of ideology and belief.   It may be easy to say that it is limited to the extremes on the left and right, but everyone in the big middle is now challenged to find a way to create respectful dialogue and constructive discourse on crucial issues of the day.   As much as we might want to say "only" about anyone, it is not in keeping with human decency or with the Jewish tradition.  Everyone has a spark of God in them - even those who hate, even those who fail to think before they act in a way that jeopardizes the lives of others, and even  Pharaoh, who hardened his heart by virtue of having no compassion for anyone but himself.    To remove the perspective of "only" can happen when we work to soften hearts as much as possible for as many people as possible.  That is when we would achieve true freedom and peace.   And that is point of this entire tale - that the lives of supposedly lowly Israelite slaves mattered to God.  And if they mattered to God, then they should matter to earthly rulers and fellow human beings as well. 

      So may we look around in our congregation, in the greater community, in our country, and across lines that might divide us.  May we recognize that we all share the precariousness of being "only" human.  We are not perfect, or not yet perfect, but it is our mission to strive for perfection.  We can work towards the creation of a world in which everyone can have an opportunity to live a life that matters, to be treated with dignity and respect, and to look forward to the future with the hope of passing through life's challenges with the support of helping hands that can continue God's work of bringing deliverance to every corner of the earth. 

Sunsets and Snowy Landscapes - The beauty and Inspiration all around us -column for Temple Beth-El Las Cruces Newsletter for January 2016

 At this writing, I am watching the December 26 snowfall. I was among the many Las Cruces residents who made a last minute stop at the grocery store before significant ground accumulation began. I have taken several photographs already of the scenes of "real winter" around our home. Normally, the photos I take from our back patio are of the beautiful sunsets to which we get treated on a regular basis. That same vantage point now bears a white covering which is actually just as visually appealing.
     Earlier this month, it was Chanukah that added brightness to our community. On Friday, December 11, our Religious School students and faculty presented these thoughts about light: 
We are a light to others… 

• when we help someone. 
• when we are honest and caring. 
• when we give without being asked. 
• when we cheer someone up. 
• when we create community. 
• when we bring happiness to another otherwise sad person.
• when we are loving and involved with others. 
• when we make someone feel welcome. 
• when we make people feel good about themselves.
• when we say kind words and make people laugh. 
• when we give wisdom, a listening ear, joy and hope. 

 Over the last couple of days, I visited a congregant in an assisted living facility. We spoke for a few moments, and then I read the prayer of hope from the end of the service and we sang "Bayom hahu" together. It definitely brought tears to my eyes to see how a worship melody offered such a strong, enduring memory.
    It was an honor to be one of the Temple members who served breakfast at Camp Hope on December 25. It meant rising very early, but it was very worthwhile. We are commanded by our tradition to be eager to perform a mitzvah. I recited the blessing for community service as we began: "Blessed are You, Eternal One, our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who made us holy with commandments and commanded us to occupy ourselves with the needs of the greater community." I engaged one man who had come to eat in conversation about scripture and its application to modern events. He and others who came to partake in the meal expressed their thankfulness for the light and kindness we had brought to their day. 
    Then came Shabbat. On what is a major holiday for the general community, we had over 30 people of all ages gathered for worship, including extended family members of some of our congregants who were visiting from out-of-town. There is a point where we reach a critical mass in the way in which our voices come together for reading and singing. We had that on Friday, December 25 (as well as at our Family Shabbat on December 4 and our Shabbat Chanukah service on December 11). Each person who joins in participating in the service adds to our collective sound. There are times when that sound approaches the beauty of Las Cruces sunsets or the peaceful nature of the scene of snow upon our landscape. On Shabbat morning (December 26), a number of guests and a core of regulars brought us well over a minyan. That special sound returned, and the conclusion of our worship gave us a chance to speak at length with our visitors (who will return to Las Cruces soon). We then went outside to see the first snowflakes begin to fall. 
    On December 21, 15 congregants and guests gathered for the first session of our series devoted to Rabbi Dayle Friedman's book, Jewish Wisdom for Growing Older. Each person was asked to tell why he or she was attending that night. Their comments and questions all reflected an ongoing search for meaning in our lives: 

• How can I remain optimistic and cheerful? 
• How do I make the future more welcome? 
• How do I become wise? How do you tell your grandchildren what they need to know? 
• Learning Jewishly has given me great strength. How can continued learning give me even greater strength? 
• How do we learn to move on to the next level of life, whatever that might be?
• How can I continue to be a positive journeyer? 
• How do I develop more spirituality in a Jewish framework? 
• Having a purpose is the key to living longer. 
• How can I continue to sustain and redefine my purpose in life? 

 There is so much for us to learn to deepen our knowledge and continue along a path to fulfilling our own purpose and personal mission. We may accomplish those goals through travel, writing, artistic pursuits, reading, and individual study and prayer. My participation in the national conferences that I choose to attend enables me to keep Temple Beth-El connected with the greater Jewish world and to bring back new ideas about how congregants of all ages can generate a special Jewish spirit in the course of study, worship, celebration, community programs and social gatherings. I am grateful for those opportunities to seek new wisdom that can assist us in fashioning meaningful moments that can leave indelible impressions upon our lives. 
 Sunsets and snow scenes tend to remain with us, as our minds engage in their own type of "photography" to preserve images of beauty. May we do what we can, as partners in Jewish life, to recreate such beauty in our words, in our wisdom, and in the work we do for the betterment of our community. 

Dreaming of peace - column created for Las Cruces Sun-News of December 25, 2015

We are completing a year in which there have been all too many deaths from acts of violence in our country and throughout the world. Some incidents happened on the spur of the moment. Others were the result of premeditation intended to make a political statement or to hold the world hostage.

These words of the prophet Isaiah (chapter 54) come to mind for me in light of such events: "You shall be established through righteousness/justice. You shall be safe from oppression, and shall have no fear. You shall be protected from ruin, and it shall not come near you." The passage itself declares divine providence over those who follow God's teachings. I would take its meaning to another level. When we create a context in which people act towards one another based on fairness, respect and concern for everyone, there will no longer be oppression. There will be nothing to make us afraid, because people will find a way to resolve differences through words rather than weapons.

Is such a world a dream? Perhaps, but it offers a preferable alternative to a world in which violent acts take innocent lives all too often. The passage from Isaiah (chapter 54) also declares, "Great will be the peace of your children." What can we do to promote peace and well-being? We can offer comfort to those who have lost family members and friends to violence and conflict. We can support all those who keep the peace and make peace. We can learn more about our respective backgrounds and listen to each other's stories. We can approach one another based on a trust that recognizes our common humanity. We can teach people how to resolve disputes, even small ones, in a spirit of cooperation and compromise. We can recognize that, as members of the human family, we are traveling along the same road. The peace of our children will be great only if we walk that path together.

"We Can Work It Out" - overcoming dissonance and creating harmony- D'var Torah for Parashat Vayigash - December 18, 2015

    These last two weeks of news, especially news somewhat related to the Jewish community, have featured examples of separation and coming together, dissonance and harmony.    Let me show you what I mean.

      Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett recently visited one of the Conservative Jewish movement’s Solomon Schechter day schools in the United States.  He was immediately criticized by Israeli Chief Rabbi David Lau, who asserted, “To speak deliberately with a specific community and to recognize it and its path, when this path distances Jews from the path of the Jewish people, this is forbidden. If Minister Bennett would have asked my opinion before the visit, I would have said to him explicitly, ‘You cannot go somewhere where the education distances Jews from tradition, from the past, and from the future of the Jewish people.”    Naftali Bennett responded that he was proud to join in community with members of all branches of Judaism around the world.   

There was one more important response to Chief rabbi Lau.  Amichai Lau-Lavie is known for his great work in creating and sustaining Storahtelling, a program that effectively dramatizes Torah readings for congregations to make them come alive during worship.  Lau-Lavie will be ordained as a conversative rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary in May.  He is also a first cousin of Chief Rabbi David Lau.  Expressing extreme disappointment in his high-placed relative, Lau-Lavie declared in a widely-published open letter: “To Rabbi Lau, my respected cousin: We came together not too long ago at my father’s grave, where we paid joint tribute to the heritage of our forefathers. But let’s bear respect not only for our beautiful past. Here and now, let’s look together toward the future — in which there is great animosity and many foes, but also a great thirst for spirituality and religion and in which there can also be great peace emerging out of mutual support and the discovery of courageous ways to work toward the continuity of our tradition – in all its many faces.”

       The Vatican made a landmark statement this past week about how Catholics should approach members of the Jewish community.   The headlines noted that the Catholic Church will not officially pursue efforts to convert Jews.  Individual Catholics are still called upon to bear witness to their faith to all people.  The document recommended to Catholics to speak about their own faith to Jews in a “humble and sensitive manner,” particularly in light of the Holocaust.   What was clear from the Catholic Church’s statement is that the Jewish covenant with God is still intact, in force, and valid, and that we, as Jews have a path to salvation all our own.

  That statement from the Vatican was not good enough for Jews for Jesus.  David Brickner, executive director of Jews for Jesus, claimed that any group  that calls itself Christian must fulfill the Great Commission of the New Testament to convert all humankind to a belief in Jesus as the one true Savior of Humanity.  Brickner stated last Friday that his organization finds the Vatican’s position “…egregious, especially coming from an institution which seeks to represent a significant number of Christians in the world.”  This turn of events seems to confirm that Jews for Jesus is a group that must be defined as essentially Christian.  The aspects of their practice that one could call “outward Jewish trappings” are intended to bring more Jews to the Jews for Jesus mode of belief and practice.  This organizations declared good intentions in its missionary work lost a great deal of luster when Brickner claimed that the Vatican was “pandering to Jewish leaders” with its recent statement.

    Finally, I was intrigued at the responses from both ends of the political spectrum at the inclusion of Rabbi Susan Talve of Central Reform Synagogue in St. Louis at the White House Hanukkah celebration on December 9.  She offered an invocation at the event, speaking from her heart about issues near and dear to her and her approach to Judaism in action, including curbing violence in our communities (including gun violence), justice for Palestinians and security for Israelis and peace for the two sides together, and maintaining calm in our communities at home.  Rabbi Talve, one of my rabbinic school classmates, served as a faith leader in peaceful demonstrations in Ferugson, Missouri, which attempted to foster reconciliation and progress in relations between local citizens and law enforcement officials.  After Rabbi Talve’s high-profile appearance at the White House, and even before, she was roundly criticized by left-wing organizations for her persistent support for Israel while, at the same time, working with the Black Lives Matter movement. Left-wing groups see her as a walking contradiction, with some activists openly decrying her with the hastag “Real Terrorist.”   From the right, one commentator, Daniel Greenfield, wrote that “Rabbi Talve’s behavior at the White House was deeply insulting to the religious Jewish community and made it clear that the White House was determined to hijack even a Chanukah party to promote an anti-Jewish agenda.”   Rabbi Talve made her remarks in the presence of President (and Mrs.) Obama and Israeli president Reuven Rivlin, who both spoke right before her invocation.  What she said had been preceded by similar sentiments voiced by  President Rivlin, as he expressed a hope for peace in the Middle East. He made this statement to the crowd gathered that night: “Today, we see around the world terrible crimes, and danger to humanity which cause a lack of respect, a lack of freedom of faith, and a lack of freedom of religion.  Each night of Hanukkah, we add a new light to the menorah.  Rabbi Abraham Heschel, one of the best friends of Martin Luther King, wrote in his book, Insecurity of Freedom, that people usually follow the path of regression.  They begin high and fall down.  But instead, we should be like the Hanukkah candles and follow the path of progression.  He said that the people will have the strength to ascend if leaders…continue to rise….I would like to light this candle, this little flame, with a prayer and hope that one day, religious, cultural and moral liberty will be enjoyed without question by each and every person in the world.”

     All of these messages that reflect consideration for others uneasily coexist next to declarations that seem to widen divisions between people based on politics, race and ideology.  This persistent conflict called to mind for me the scene in this week’s Torah reading.  Joseph, second-in-command in Egypt, knew that his brothers had come during the famine to provide food for their family.  He concocted an elaborate scheme to see if his brothers would bring down his younger full-brother Benjamin, whom he knew was the apple of his father’s eye that he would not want to leave home.  Once Benjamin did come, and Joseph had his courtiers frame Benjamin as a thief, Joseph had created the ultimate test: would his brothers abandon Benjamin as they once had done to Joseph?   With this threat to their well-being, the brothers spoke with remorse about what they had done to Joseph, not knowing they were standing right before the aggrieved party who heard and understood every word they said.   Joseph realized that his brothers had changed, as had he.  He revealed himself to his family and made reconciliation possible for one major reason.  It was Joseph who finally could interpret his own dreams.  He had arrived at the moment when his family was bowing down to him, but not because he was superior. After Joseph told his brothers that he really was their long-lost sibling, he assured them that he knew that it was God who had sent him ahead to Egypt to save their lives.  There was no higher calling than that for this now-great leader of Egypt who had come from such humble beginnings.  

    I don’t expect full agreement from those who are sitting in front of me or will read this online regarding the examples I have shared tonight of how we find ways to build bridges in some cases towards one another, and, sadly, some construct tall, impenetrable barriers in other situations.  At the very least, we need to listen to one another just in case someone with whom we disagree may have a point.  Even more, we need to ask ourselves if what we are saying and doing follows a higher purpose well noted in Judaism, and included in Rabbi Talve’s remarks at the White House – that we are called upon by our heritage to see the face of God in the faces of all people.  That principle drives much of what I do, including reaching out to Muslim colleagues in my local interfaith work who have had people in local public places harangue and verbally accost them because of their outward appearance.  These individuals with whom I have worked locally, and the vast, vast majority of Muslims worldwide, have no alliance whatsoever with those very few who have perpetrated horrible acts of terror and violence which they, for themselves, associate with their view of Islam.  We know that we, as Jews, don’t like being stereotyped, because that approach leads to generalized hatred.    We should do all we can not to take that approach of stereotyping and generalizing with people of other faiths and backgrounds.  

   The song that gave this talk its title in the Temple’s Adelante newsletter was just entering onto the charts 50 years ago this week.  “Life is very short and there’s no time for fussing and fighting, my friend” should be a watchword for all of our relationships.  We can work it out – all of it – if we see the higher purpose of our existence on earth.  As our prayerbook states, “O may all, created in Your image, become one in spirit, and one in friendship, forever united, God, in your service.”  And further: “May our deeds exceed our speech, and may we never lift up our hand but to conquer fear and doubt and despair…light up the universe, our God, with the joy of wholeness, of freedom, and of peace.”   We can work it out, and build bridges, and foster hope throughout the world, if we rise above conflict and see the higher purposes revolving around us, just like Joseph was finally able to do.  May we find a way to that vision.  And let us say amen.

Light - A Reading for Hanukkah - from the Religious School students and faculty members of Temple Beth-El Las Cruces - December 11, 2015

The menorah is a beautiful light to have in the house, 

especially on Hanukkah.

Mia

 Menorah light 

is always plentiful 

near Chanukah. 

Burning so bright, 

and showing off its flicker.  S

I have been 

a light 

to someone 

when they 

need help.  

Gavin

  

Thank you 

for everything 

Shylah

Being a light to others…

·    Is about honesty caring and sharing

·    is giving without being asked

·    is being there even if it seems that

the person does not want you.

Rhonda

To be a light 

means 

to cheer someone up 

Olivia 

K’hilah

Community 

togetherness

Derek

 

A light means 

if someone is dark and empty,

you will bring light 

and happiness 

Kaila

Bringing light means

   Loving

   Involved with others

   Greeting someone

   Helping/happiness

   Together

Casey

To bring light 

is to bring 

happiness to an otherwise 

dark and sad person 

Sadie

I bring light by making people feel special and welcome when they are new. Also, if someone is sad and if you say something nice to them, you can bring happiness and light to them

Mateo

Sharing my light means to bring people happiness and

to make people feel good about themselves

Hannah Saltman

                                       

I have been a light 

to someone else 

when I helped her 

finish her math

Mara

           

 How can we spread light to others?

· Do community service

· Smile at everyone you see

· Give a hug

· Say kind words

· Help people in need

· Make people laugh

Lily - Olivia -Claire 

Elizabeth -Ben - Aaron

Bringing light to others means giving

·     Warmth

·     Wisdom

·     Hope

·     A listening ear

·     Joy

·     Love

Rabbi Larry

We - like Hanukkah lights - can coexist in harmony - November 30, 2015

Lighting Chanukiot at Temple Beth-El on
Friday, December 11, 2015

    I have found myself thinking in recent days about how we deal with diversity in the United States, and, specifically, in our own city and community.   Our differences are real.  What is also real is our basic and intrinsic similarity as members of the human family.  Unfortunately, differences may unnecessarily lead to divisions that drive us apart.  Differences, however, can also offer opportunities to learn about philosophies, ideologies and beliefs that we may not share so that we can better know and understand our neighbors.

   Temple Beth-El recently hosted "Ever Grateful - An Interfaith Conversation," which featured a panel that included Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Baha'i participants and an audience that broadened the range of faith groups represented that day.   We heard about prayers, stories, and perspectives that illustrated a tapestry of religious approaches that were connected by common threads of thankfulness for the gifts of life and community.   This event took place nine days after the attacks in Paris.  One question that was submitted wondered if all of us believe that our faiths can lead us to cooperatively improve the world.  We all responded with a resounding "yes"!

     The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is being celebrated this year beginning on the night of December 6 through sunset on December 14.  Hanukkah commemorates a victory for religious freedom by Jews in Judea in 165 B.C. against their Syrian-Greek rulers, who had demanded everyone in their empire to follow Greek culture and beliefs.  The Temple in Jerusalem, which had been turned in a place of exclusive tribute to the Greek pantheon of gods, was recaptured by Jewish fighters and rededicated as a Jewish house of worship.  Some Jews who had adopted Greek practices prior to the takeover of the Temple realized that there was greater value in their own faith. They willingly joined in this struggle for the right to be different. 

With Rhonda Karol at the Las Cruces Public Schools
Amistad Pre-school during a Chanukah Presentation

     Every Hanukkah menorah, with its eight branches for the eight nights of the holiday, plus the branch for the shamash/"helper" candle, is lit with one new candle each night, until we see the brilliance of nine lights on the last night of the festival.  Most boxes of Hanukkah candles provide a rainbow of colors (for which there is no religious significance).   Placing candles in a menorah (specifically called a Hanukkiah, by the way) is, therefore, always an exercise in creativity and diversity

     The Hanukkiah/Menorah reminds me of who we are as a nation and as a world community.   When the multi-colored eight-candles-plus-one are kindled on the last night of Hanukkah, it is an amazing sight, one that elicits wonder as the flames dance, seemingly in a coordinated movement.   These lights are a source of warmth, holiness and joy.   They call to mind our passion for what we believe, even as we acknowledge the devotion of our neighbors to their perspectives, with the possibility that we will discover ways in which we can work towards common goals.

    On Hanukkah, lights coexist in harmony.  In the same way that they stand side-by-side,  we can all be like the candles on a menorah, offering warmth and the promise of unity and respect towards one another.  For our well-being as a human family, that continues to be my hope.   

Last Night of Chanukah at the Karols' - December 13, 2015

[This article was carried online on several site:

In the Las Cruces Sun-News on December 8, 2015
 In the Las Cruces Bulletin on December 11, 2015
On NMpolitics.net