History in this state has left a persistent scar.
Joining a march to commemorate Selma, as my brother in law’s Temple in Charleston is planning to do, is nice but does not acknowledge the sad role of the Jews who were members of that Temple during slavery and Jim Crow.
Why can’t the white folks understand that the only answer is to begin to honor the truly great heroes of their state, not the Johnny Rebs and their damned flag, but the heroic slaves who led rebellions?
SS Q
9:42 AM (9 minutes ago)
to my famuly
Dear Stephen:
As is often the case, you post inaccuracies ( http://handbill.us/?p=57749). First of all, our synagogue is in Charleston, SC not Charlotte, NC. Secondly, the March is to Washington, DC. Third, the call is coming from the NAACP. Fourth, The Reform Movement is standing with the NAACP in support of this action and has elected to March carrying the Torah just as Jews did in the March from Selma 50 years ago.
(http://www.usfca.edu/uploadedImages/Destinations/College_of_Arts_and_Sciences/Undergraduate_Programs/Jewish_Studies_and_Social_Justice/images/heschel-king-torah.jpg?n=1668).
From Rabbi Alexander’s message:
“The NAACP, in conjunction with labor, civil rights, environmental justice, educational, and faith-based communities, called for the formation of a broad coalition to march from Selma to Washington, D.C., under the banner “Our Lives, Our Votes, Our Jobs, and Our Schools Matter” – and the Reform Movement, as we did 50 years ago during Freedom Summer – has answered the call. ”
Our synagogue is one of a multitude of Reform congregations participating in this event.
Fifth, The KKK was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee in 1866 — not in SC.
Sixth, many many folks were slave owners 150 years ago, Our founding fathers all had slaves and some sired children with them. While we should learn from the past, how do today’s events relate to things that happened decades ago? Were any of us part of them? What we do now is to learn and move forward together — “one nation undivided with liberty and justice for ALL.”
We cannot change the past, but we can make a better future for ourselves and our progeny.
It would be a step forward if you would stop posting mistruths on this blog.
L’Shalom,
Steph