One Person Makes a Huge Difference on the Path (Ki Tavo 5778)

Mahalia Jackson at March on Washington August 28, 1963
Photo by Bob Parent, Getty Images

This week marks the 55th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington -- with 250,000 participants it was the largest political rally for human rights in American history. One of the most memorable and moving moments from that day was Martin Luther King Jr’s I have a dream speech.

But today it is not King's words themselves that move me. Rather it is how one person by encouraging King to speak those words links up with an evocative passage in this week's Torah portion and to how one person's caring regard for an orphaned family made it possible to sustain Jewish life in a small community for generations. 

Returning Home: First Day of School (Ki Teitzei 5778)

The tremendous paired excitement and anxiety of the first day of school seemingly is seemingly predicted in the seasonal alignment of this week's Torah portion and next week's. The name of this week’s portion is Ki Teitzei, literally "when you go out" and next week's is Ki Tavo, literally "when you enter" or "when you return." The start of a new school year pivots from going out to distant places toward entering back or returning home. 

At JCHS this week, just before I welcomed students back from summer, the student body president encouraged them to appreciate and celebrate the small treasures that can be found every day taking the opportunities available to learn and to grow. Her encouragement to seek out the sometimes hidden treasures brought to mind a folktale about Reb Izzy of Krakow.* 

Reb Izzy lived in a very small home. He always dreamt of something bigger, grander. Reb Izzy's house was so small . . . 

How small was it?

From Summer Days to School Days (Shoftim 5778)

The rhythm of transitioning from summer days to school days echoes the rhythm of transitioning from the closing days of the Jewish year to Rosh Hashanah and the High Holy Days. Our attention turns from aimless moments to purposeful days, from carefree activities to careful self-reflection. 

This week the JCHS professional community worked on campus to prepare for the coming school year. (And our largest student population ever - 187!) This week also began the Hebrew month of Elul, which winds down the Jewish year and comes just before Rosh Hashanah. For many it is a season of introspection and self-reflection – seeking to see ourselves honestly and as others see us.  

This summer also brought renewed attention to the Supreme Court and its justices as we often expect them to advance or discern justice even when it seems most elusive. But justices are only human as confirmed by a story about Associate Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. when an impressive full-length portrait of him was painted for Harvard Law School. On seeing it - the handsome face, flowing robe, and distinguished white hair – Holmes exclaimed, “That isn’t me. But it’s a darn good thing for people to think it is!”