Wolfram
08-09-2006, 08:14 PM
Lessons from the Talmud--just what we needed!
I wonder if Rabbi Saperstein has written to Ehud Olmert, urging him to tear down Israel's wall of segregation, and stop blowing up Lebanese children with the smart bombs the Smirking Chimp keeps sending him?
Somehow, I rather doubt it...
WASHINGTON.- In a letter sent to President George W. Bush, Rabbi
David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform
Judaism, praised the President for signing the National Museum of
African American History and Culture Act into law and urged him to
fulfill his commitment to racial understanding and tolerance in
America by supporting funding for this historic project. The bill,
introduced by Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), will establish a Smithsonian
Institution museum, prominently located and broader and deeper in
scope than any existing museum.
The complete letter to the President follows:
Dear President Bush,
The Senate and the House of Representatives have both passed, by
overwhelming majority, the National Museum of African American
History and Culture Act calling for the establishment of a
Smithsonian Institution museum, located on or near the National Mall
and dedicated to the collection, preservation, research, and
exhibition of African American historical and cultural material
reflecting the breadth and depth of the experiences of individuals of
African descent living in the United States. I am writing on behalf
of the Union for Reform Judaism, whose over 900 congregations
encompass 1.5 million Reform Jews, to commend you for signing this
landmark bill into law and to urge you to put your strong support
behind its full funding in the near future. At the 67th Biennial
Conference of the Union for Reform Judaism last month, our
congregational delegates passed a resolution calling for the
establishment of the very type of museum and memorial described in
this bill.
The Talmud teaches: "In every generation, we are commanded to view
ourselves as if each of us was personally brought forth out of
Egypt." This mandate highlights the importance of remembering the
injustice of slavery throughout the years. As Jews, with our own
history as victims of discrimination and persecution, we are
particularly sensitive to the plight of victims of discrimination,
and we are cognizant of the dangers that we face in a society where
inequity is allowed to persist. In this spirit and in the pursuit of
justice, we are committed to remembering, and confronting, historical
wrongs.
As Americans, we recognize the need for tolerance and the painful
lessons of slavery and injustice to be taught to our children, and to
our children's children. In light of continuing racial tension in our
nation, as well as widespread societal ignorance of African American
history and culture, there is a critical need for more comprehensive
presentation, preservation, and recognition of the contributions of
African Americans within American society. Such efforts would not
only hold enormous educational value and enhance racial harmony, but
they would also honor the memory of those who suffered and perished
as victims of hatred and brutality. Museums provide a focus for us to
reflect upon and learn from the past, and they remind us of the ever-
present need to prevent injustice in the future.
Therefore, I call upon you to take the lead in this effort to enhance
social justice and racial harmony both by memorializing the lives of
those who suffered and perished as a consequence of slavery in the
United States, and by promoting understanding of African American
heritage and African American contributions to American culture.
In the words of Robert Wilkins, who served on the presidential panel
that studied the feasibility of a new African American history and
culture museum, "This is an opportunity for the nation to honor and
respect the sacrifices, the pain and the overall triumph of the
African American community in a way and scope that has never been
done before."
Thank you for your commitment to this worthy cause.
I wonder if Rabbi Saperstein has written to Ehud Olmert, urging him to tear down Israel's wall of segregation, and stop blowing up Lebanese children with the smart bombs the Smirking Chimp keeps sending him?
Somehow, I rather doubt it...
WASHINGTON.- In a letter sent to President George W. Bush, Rabbi
David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform
Judaism, praised the President for signing the National Museum of
African American History and Culture Act into law and urged him to
fulfill his commitment to racial understanding and tolerance in
America by supporting funding for this historic project. The bill,
introduced by Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), will establish a Smithsonian
Institution museum, prominently located and broader and deeper in
scope than any existing museum.
The complete letter to the President follows:
Dear President Bush,
The Senate and the House of Representatives have both passed, by
overwhelming majority, the National Museum of African American
History and Culture Act calling for the establishment of a
Smithsonian Institution museum, located on or near the National Mall
and dedicated to the collection, preservation, research, and
exhibition of African American historical and cultural material
reflecting the breadth and depth of the experiences of individuals of
African descent living in the United States. I am writing on behalf
of the Union for Reform Judaism, whose over 900 congregations
encompass 1.5 million Reform Jews, to commend you for signing this
landmark bill into law and to urge you to put your strong support
behind its full funding in the near future. At the 67th Biennial
Conference of the Union for Reform Judaism last month, our
congregational delegates passed a resolution calling for the
establishment of the very type of museum and memorial described in
this bill.
The Talmud teaches: "In every generation, we are commanded to view
ourselves as if each of us was personally brought forth out of
Egypt." This mandate highlights the importance of remembering the
injustice of slavery throughout the years. As Jews, with our own
history as victims of discrimination and persecution, we are
particularly sensitive to the plight of victims of discrimination,
and we are cognizant of the dangers that we face in a society where
inequity is allowed to persist. In this spirit and in the pursuit of
justice, we are committed to remembering, and confronting, historical
wrongs.
As Americans, we recognize the need for tolerance and the painful
lessons of slavery and injustice to be taught to our children, and to
our children's children. In light of continuing racial tension in our
nation, as well as widespread societal ignorance of African American
history and culture, there is a critical need for more comprehensive
presentation, preservation, and recognition of the contributions of
African Americans within American society. Such efforts would not
only hold enormous educational value and enhance racial harmony, but
they would also honor the memory of those who suffered and perished
as victims of hatred and brutality. Museums provide a focus for us to
reflect upon and learn from the past, and they remind us of the ever-
present need to prevent injustice in the future.
Therefore, I call upon you to take the lead in this effort to enhance
social justice and racial harmony both by memorializing the lives of
those who suffered and perished as a consequence of slavery in the
United States, and by promoting understanding of African American
heritage and African American contributions to American culture.
In the words of Robert Wilkins, who served on the presidential panel
that studied the feasibility of a new African American history and
culture museum, "This is an opportunity for the nation to honor and
respect the sacrifices, the pain and the overall triumph of the
African American community in a way and scope that has never been
done before."
Thank you for your commitment to this worthy cause.