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Dear Congregation and Friends,

I had the pleasure and duty to attend a very powerful Interfaith Rally against Anti-Semitism held at the Holocaust Memorial on Miami Beach this evening June 3rd. This rally was sponsored by the Greater Miami Jewish Federation with more than 65 participating organizations and Synagogues coming together as a unified community against fear, hatred, violence, racism and particularly Anti-Semitism. Several elected Miami Dade officials spoke brilliantly especially our own Mayor of Miami Beach Dan Gelber, who took the time to discuss privately the current political situation in Israel with me. The new Israeli Consul  to Miami also spoke very well to a crowd of well over 2,000.

Am Yisrael Chai!!

Rabbi Stephen Texon

Dear Congregational Family and Friends,

Yesterday 5/26/21, our  Executive Director, Becky Cohen and I on invitation, had the great pleasure to meet with Congresswoman Maria E. Salazar and staff. A large gathering of other local Rabbis were present together with many representatives of Jewish partner organizations which took part in a very productive and passionate discussion on the urgency of joining forces and uniting in strong support of Israel, combatting antisemitism and racial division. It was extremely gratifying to hear Congresswoman Salazar’s rock solid support of Israel and Judaism expressing that we are “the chosen people” and what that means. She asked for a timeline of all the recent antisemitic acts in this country and around the world since the start of the Gaza War that she plans to present before the Congress. It was truly energizing to be present and to feel the solidarity and determination of all!!

… and the Journey Continues 

As April, begins, we are concluding our most transformative time of Passover. We celebrate breaking out of the narrow confines of slavery to experience the journey of the wilderness. The seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot, which commemorates the receiving of the Ten Commandments, are meant to remind us of a spiritual journey that leads to commitment, promise and special relationship with God. The journey includes many challenges, and the destination – The Promise Land – provide even more challenges. Our journeys continually offers us way to grow in our knowledge, our spiritual well-being, and our commitment to making the world a better place, day by day.

The modern calendar is trying to remind us that we still have a long way to travel. We continue to remember the harsh times when enemies, Ancient Egypt, the Crusaders or Nazi Germany, seek to destroy us. And we continue to celebrate our persistent resilience, maintaining strength despite the challenges. We stand to remember; we stand to celebrate; and we continue our journey to preserve our identity. It isn’t always easy, it isn’t supposed to be. It requires dedication, commitment and learning. Survival demands us to fulfill traditions and create new ones and make our time enjoyable and stimulating. With every hurdle we jump over, a new challenge can get in our way. The challenges make life exciting, and our ability to preserve energizes us to re-creating new ways to be touched by deep meanings.