Reflections on the American Communities Response to Anti-Semitism

This past weekend we commemorated the year anniversary of the tragic shooting that took place at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Its gives us pause, as it did on the High Holidays when I spoke about it from the Bima, to reflect on our response to anti-semitism.

Dr. Yehudah Kurtzer is the President of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. He is a regular lecturer at the Hartman Rabbinic Study Seminar in Israel that I have attended the last two summers. This week he published a powerful essay on the American community’s response to anti-Semitism.

It is a bit long, but I recommend it, as it gives us a lot to think about when it comes to the priorities of the Jewish community in our day.

Wishing everyone a Shabbat Shalom. Tot Shabbat begins at 5:30 PM and early Shabbat service begins at 7:00 PM. And don’t forget our Blessing of the Pets on Sunday at 11:30 AM.

Rabbi Bradley Tecktiel has been Midbar Kodesh Temple's spiritual leader since August 2008. Rabbi Tecktiel was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in May of 1996. He holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees, one from List College and one from Columbia University. He also holds a Masters of Arts from the Jewish Theological Seminary.

You can follow him on Twitter @RabbiMKT.