Clergy Blog

Dear Friends,

One of my teachers was once accused of being the rabbinic mouthpiece of a particular political party. His response stays with me years later:

The Torah has no party, no affiliation, no doctrine. Torah stands above ideological differences. Our tradition tells us that no matter what ideology we hold, we need to be doing better. Until all human beings can live in full dignity and respect, our work is incomplete. Our tradition will always demand more of us.

We've made it through another election cycle. In our state and community, the results are what some wanted and what others did not. Now that choices are made, what's the Jewish approach? The answer is the same regardless of how we voted.

We maintain relationships with our political leaders. The more contact and dialogue we have, the more we'll be heard. Judaism values human relationships, dialogue, and disagreement—especially when both sides argue for a higher purpose. This has been our practice at B'nai Abraham: maintaining direct lines with representatives at all government levels.

We stay true to our values. We applaud when public servants meet our expectations. We make ourselves known when they miss the mark, doing whatever we can to guide them where they need to be.

We pray for their success. Regardless of agreement or disagreement, we pray they serve all constituents ethically and well. Our tradition teaches us not to pray for an end to the wicked, but for an end to wickedness. We pray our leaders follow a path of righteousness.

We come back together. With the campaign and election of Zohran Mamdani, we witnessed what might be the most divisive election in recent Jewish memory. Now it's on us to reenter conversation and work towards shared goals. Our sages teach that the second temple was destroyed because of senseless hatred between Jewish factions. We are strongest when we stand together in mutual support and understanding.

Shabbat shalom,

Dave