“Local Leaders Reflect on Antisemitism”

Progress has been made over past 12 months, but more work remains for 5783.When Rabbi Elaine Zecher of Temple Israel of Boston was composing her Yom Kippur sermon this year, she invoked three pertinent questions from Rabbi Hillel two millennia ago.  According to the Pirkei Avot, Hillel asked: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?”; “But when I am for myself alone, what am I?”; “And if not now, then when?” Continuing her sermon, Zecher asked three similar questions based on current events: “Are Jews alone to defend ourselves?”; “And if the answer is yes, then what becomes of us?”; “Is it time to act now and bring others in?”  Zecher was one of several Jewish community leaders to share their top concerns about antisemitism entering the new year 5783, while reflecting on what they considered the greatest successes against antisemitism in 5782.  Read the full article.