On Saturday, February 17, my 12-year-old daughter, Carlie and I joined with hundreds of others to protest the lecture of a well-known anti-Semitic white supremacist, Matthew Heimbach of the Traditional Workers’ Party on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tn.  One core part of my rabbinate is the concept of V’ahavtah Lereiacha Kamocha, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  This quote may sound familiar as it comes from the Biblical book of Leviticus: 19:18. I have always tried to live my life by this very important ideal.  I was raised to treat everyone with respect and love, so I expect to be treated the same from everyone else.  When I heard that a member of the TWP would come to the University of Tennessee campus, I jumped to action.
 
After attending a meeting with Vice Chancellor for Communications Ryan Robinson and about 15 University of Tennessee professors, I was encouraged and challenged at the same time.  I was encouraged because it was clear the University of Tennessee would not accept or support any kind of hate speech.  I was challenged because with the 1st Amendment of the Constitution allowing free speech, I knew there was a lot of work to do to educate students and protest against the hate speech of the TWP.  I took these responsibilities very personally.  As a leader in the Jewish community, I knew I needed to act.  And, as a father, I wanted to make sure to make my daughters and son proud of me.
 
One of my congregants, a professor at the University of Tennessee, asked me a simple question.  She wondered if anyone had reached out to Matthew Heimbach and invited him to have a conversation.  Perhaps he had never met a Jewish person before, she remarked.  She was challenging me to see what I perhaps had not seen – the humanity of someone who despises or hates me.  While I was intent on educating the students at the University of Tennessee; while I was set on teaching my children right from wrong – was I not seeing that those on the other side are humans too?  I had to think about that a bit.  You see, I believe it is ok to detest the ideas of another person.  However, it is NOT right to detest the other person – we must find a way to love them, looking beyond the hate speech.  So, after some deep reflection, I decided to reach out to Matthew Heimbach.  Unfortunately, though, I did not hear back from him or the TWP.
 
When I decided to ask my daughter to join me in the protest, I was sure this was the right thing to do.  And, yes, I am very glad she joined me.  I believe it was a learning experience for her and for me.  This was her second protest – she joined me at the Atlanta airport in January, 2017 to protest against a proposed travel ban.  But, this was different.  This was someone coming to our town, to our home and preaching hatred against not just “the other,” but against US.  So, it was personal.  While I wanted her to learn, I did not want to put her in any danger or for her to feel unsafe at any time.
 
After parking at Temple Beth El (where I serve as the Senior Rabbi), Carlie and I, along with our friend Stacy Beyer walked to the UT Campus and found the section where the protest was stationed.  When we arrived at the protest location, we were greeted with a heavily guarded security check point.  We emptied our pockets, were checked for weapons and then allowed to cross into the protest area.  What we saw was a sectioned off area with armed local and state police stationed every 3-5 feet.  We were surrounded…we were protected.  We were there to protest peacefully while being protected at the same time.
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We stood, in the cold and rain, for several hours.  Across the street and about half a block away, in a parking garage, about 30 members of the TWP, including their speaker, Matthew Heimbach, gathered.  There was intense anticipation from the protesters as we anxiously awaited our opportunity to protest loudly and clearly against their hate speech and ideology.  After about 30 minutes, another much larger group (probably around 200 or so) of students appeared, marching from the opposite direction.  Armed with signs and bullhorns, the students made their presence known, even if from afar.  They wound up gathering across the street from us about half a block away in the other direction from the TWP crowd.
 
Once the TWP group started to cross the bridge to get to the building where they were meeting, both of the protest groups raised their voices even louder as we chanted against the hate of the TWP.  “We will win…”  “Hate speech is not free speech…” “You are not wanted here…”  These were a few of the chants from our protest.  After about another hour, the rain really began to pick up and it was time to go home.  The TWP was still meeting, but the group across the street were getting a bit rowdy, and my daughter became a little nervous and scared.
 
On our way back to our car, we passed a group of 4 or 5 of the protestors who were being arrested for stationing themselves in the middle of the street.  One of these brave souls was singing Shalom Aleichem, “Peace be upon you.”  Stacy and I stopped and began to sing with her.  She looked out at us with a smile and tears streaming down her face as she felt the connection between us.  It was at that point that my daughter, no doubt intimated somewhat by the overwhelming presence of police and loud protestors, told me she wanted to go home.
 
I am very proud of my 12-year-old daughter and her desire to live in a better world, a world in which all of us can truly be equals.  She has only one voice, but a strong one for sure.  Standing up against those that hate us and in support of others is something very important to me, my family and my congregation.  It is about loving your neighbor – no matter who your neighbor is.   

My Thoughts on Parkland

A broken record
Nails on a chalkboard
Incessant and loud gum chewing
Snoring
A 3 year old’s insistent “mine, why? I want it!”
Shootings, death, MURDER!
Pain coursing through my veins as I wonder, “why, God, why?”
 
Excuses, excuses and more excuses
It’s not my fault, blame the NRA
It’s not our fault, blame the government
Pass more laws, more stringency
Wait, no, we need to focus on mental health
Anger in my brain, “What next?”
 
Take action!  No – send thoughts and prayers
Take the guns away!  No – don’t take away our rights
When is enough?  Are we really asking that question?
Cry, Scream, Hurt, Cry, Scream, Hurt
“Where will my help come from?”
Tears running down my cheek, “How can I help?”
 
Community, hope, prayer, action – SOMETHING!
 
Sanctuary

Sanctuary, home, dwelling, safe…
B’makom, Bayit, dirah, batuach…
Camp, Temple, School…
Machaneh, Beit K’nesset, Beit Sefer…
 
I wake up, take a deep breath and get ready.
I eat breakfast, drink my coffee and leave my home.
My day goes on and on and on…sometimes it seems monotonous.
 
I take a break, take a breath and imagine.
What will today bring me?
My mind wanders and wanders…
 
The day comes to an end.
I kiss my family.  I hug my children and my wife.
My home is where they are…no matter where they may be.
 
I think of those who now may not have that same peace.
Perhaps the pain will dissipate over time, perhaps not.
We are in this together – we stand strong together.
 
Baruch Atah Adonai mi Sh’magein aleinu.
Blessed are You, Adonai, the One who shields us.
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Today seems like a writing day.  This week has been, well, in a word, LONG.  On Sunday evening, I was notified that a White Supremacist and well known Anti-Semite was scheduled to speak on the campus of the University of Tennessee on February 17.  If you know me, you know that I am a die-hard University of Georgia fan.  I graduated from UGA; I was in the Redcoat Marching Band at UGA; I "bleed red and black" as they say.

However, on Sunday and continuing this week, I find myself committed and a part of the University of Tennessee family.  It is sad and yet overwhelming that it takes an event such as this to tie me to UT.  Ok, I do have a couple of UT stickers/magnets on my car.  However, those are really just so I can show my support to the local team.  However, after multiple emails back and forth AND being invited to a meeting with the Vice Chancellor at UT, I feel like I am part of the Volunteer family.

I have had many conversations with congregants, faculty members and others this week regarding the organization that Matthew Heimbach is affiliated with - Traditionalist Workers Party (TWP).  One very interesting suggestion yesterday was - to reach out to Matthew Heimbach and offer to have a conversation with him.  Perhaps he has never spoken with a Jewish person.  As you could imagine, I responded to this suggestion with a very predictable response - "no, not me."

I have given this thought all night and into this morning.  So, yes, I reached out to Mr. Heimbach this morning through his website and offered to sit down with him to have a face to face conversation.  I am certain I will not get a response...but what if I do?  I know I will not change his mind or his beliefs; could I, however, show him a human side of my community?  Perhaps all he knows/thinks he knows is his rhetoric.  Perhaps not.  What I do know is that violence and vitriol is not the proper response.  

While meeting at UT yesterday, we decided it was best to educate the students, rather than react to the hatred in a way that would cause violence or more of a problem.  Education is the key - no question.  We must reach out to the most impressionable AND the most vulnerable in our communities.  The most impressionable need to be given the opportunity to learn about love and acceptance.  The most vulnerable in our community need to be given a safe space and to feel they are space where they are.  

I have been prone in my life to get migraines.  Often, these are a result of two main factors - bright light (which is one reason I wear subscription sunglasses) and stress.  This week, I have found myself more stressed than I have been in a while.  Why?  As a leader in my community, I want others to feel protected and safe where they are.  I want to help others learn about others in that safe place/space.  I know that the answer is not violence and hatred - no matter what we see in the media and/or the political climate.

Fear cannot be the answer.  Anger and frustration cannot be the answer.  Hate cannot be the answer.  Love may not be the answer either...Perhaps the answer is acceptance.  Acceptance may lead to understanding and it may not.  But, what acceptance will lead to is greater opportunity to teach, learn and maybe even love.

For now, let's just take a moment and breathe.  Each of us needs to do so to live.  Each of us deserves to live.  Each of us has the responsibility to live...