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This week marks Shabbat Shekalim, the first of 4 Shabbatot leading up to Passover that has a special name and theme. It gets its name from this week’s Torah portion that is read in preparation for Purim, requesting each adult male Jew contribute half of a Biblical shekel for the upkeep of the Tent of Meeting. The half-shekel is an interesting and curious amount. Each half would require someone else’s half to make a whole. In addition to collecting funds that would take care of the physical mishkan, the tax becomes a metaphor for the community as well. In the context of the spiritual community-each person is a vital part of the whole.

Last week the Union for Reform Judaism released a troubling report regarding sexual harassment and misconduct within the organization including our youth movement. (Click here to read the report.) While shocking and devastating, it was a very clear reminder that our people and institutions are not immune from the ills we see elsewhere in society. With this upsetting report, our attention naturally turns to our local youth who attended URJ Camp Coleman. It is important to know that recently retired camp director Bobby Harris could not have created a safer, more loving environment for his campers, counselors and staff. Having worked with him for over a dozen summers, I know this to be true.

The lesson of Shabbat Shekalim is that this is not “their [the URJ’s]” problem, it is our problem. Each of us owns a piece of the whole. We owe so much to the brave victims who came forward with their stories. Without their courage there would be no moment of reckoning and no path to atonement and healing.

Even if we are not the perpetrators causing the problem, we can and should be a part of the solution. Being aware, becoming educated and being vocal against harassment, mistreatment and impropriety are the ways in which we can influence our communities and demand that they live up to Judaism’s highest values. Temple Sinai is a safe place to bring these concerns to the table, to grapple with them and to make sure that all in our community feel protected. We are here to listen and to help. The Talmud states, “Kol Yisrael Arevim zeh ba’zeh, All Israel is responsible one for another.” (Shevuot 39a). The victims already paid their half-shekel, the rest of us need to honor them and pay ours. As we stand together humbly at this painful moment, let us look at it as an opportunity for true growth and evolution for all.

Shabbat shalom,

Beth