Praying with Our Feet

Pursuing justice is a central pillar of the Jewish faith that is emphasized in all of our sacred texts. The Torah tells us, “Justice, justice you shall pursue.” The Prophets exhort us repeatedly to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, to free the oppressed, to treat with justice the stranger, the orphan and the widow. In the minds of the majority of our prophets, God cares more about ethics than worship. And the Zohar, the principal text of Jewish mysticism, teaches us that when God created the world, the vessels containing God’s light were shattered and it became our job to pick up the broken shards.

Our primary purpose as Jews is to heal the world in which we live—to create an environment of economic equity and equality and to ensure justice for all human beings. From its inception in America, the Reform Movement has formed its foundation on these ethical values. Not only in our synagogue, but in most Reform synagogues, social action committees are thriving. The majority of Jews in America, even outside our movement, are drawn to Judaism’s quest for justice. They see the task of tikkun olam, of repairing our world, as the primary expression of their Jewish identity.

In 1965, in the heat of the Civil Rights struggle, an esteemed Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel took leave of his job as professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary in order to march down South. In describing that experience he wrote, “I felt as though I was praying with my feet.”

There are times as Jews when we are called to pray in our sanctuaries with words, with silence and with song. And there are other times, when we are called to pray in the world outside with our feet and with our actions.
Here at Temple Beth El, we pray often with our feet. Not only do we have more than twenty ongoing social action projects and Mitzvah Day this month that will bring hundreds of our members into the broader community, but we also walk for many causes. We take part in the Crop Walk as a response to hunger. We run in the Race for the Cure in an effort to promote awareness and research to heal Breast Cancer. We march in the Martin Luther King Parade to remember the fight for Civil Rights and affirm our desire to pursue equality for all. We join in the AIDS Walk as we affirm our commitment to support those who are suffering. And next month, on June 6th, we will take part in the Walk as One, which will bring people together from all walks of life, cultures and backgrounds. This walk is sponsored by the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) which is an organization that works to fight all forms of bias, bigotry and racism and to promote inclusion and social justice.
 
The Walk As One Walk-a-Thon is a two-mile walk that will support the expansion of NCCJ’s youth leadership programs. These programs take hundreds of diverse youth from across Charlotte and teach them how to recognize and respond to issues of discrimination and bias. These students learn how to create change within their schools and hopefully will become the leaders of our future who will create change within our community and society.
The late President John F. Kennedy once wrote that, “Ever since David slew Goliath, youth has never been a barrier to leadership” and the Prophet Joel taught that “The old shall dream dreams and the youth shall see visions.” In taking part in this Walk as One we will give the youth of our broader community the tools they need to bring to life the vision of justice that is the fabric of our faith.

Celebrate Diversity…
Walk As One
June 6, 2004
2:00 pm at Marshall Park

Temple Beth El will be participating this two-mile walkathon to support the youth programs of the National Conference for Community and Justice that works to fight all forms of bias, bigotry and racism and to promote inclusion and social justice. Rabbi Schindler is the Faith Chair of this year’s Walk-a-Thon.
To join in this walk please contact Melissa Raphael at 704-366-5560 or Rabbi Schindler at the Temple office.

Temple Beth El’s
Social Action T-Shirts
“Praying with our Feet”

Dress for success for healing our world. Each week our Temple Beth El members engage in Social Action projects on behalf our congregation. If you would like to purchase a t-shirt to wear proudly when you are doing your social action work, they will be available on the morning of Mitzvah Day, May 16th at our Temple office. All proceeds will go to the Social Action Committee.

Judy Schindler
Rabbi