Dear Hevreh,

Yesterday our country commemorated another anniversary — the 13th — of the attacks on September 11th, 2001. This “bar mitzvah” year is no celebration, but as we shared at Perth Amboy’s commemoration yesterday it is an opportunity to recall what unifies us together, what makes us uniquely American. For many of our ancestors, America represented a beacon of light that promised a better and more prosperous future for us, their children. And for many of us though not all, that promise of a “goldene medinah (a golden land)” has been fulfilled. Yet, for many, including in our community and in our hometown, that promise is still a dream. If we are one of the lucky ones who feels blessed by living in America, how can we pass on that blessing to all who seek freedom, prosperity, and the pursuit of happiness? And if we feel that this country has yet to fulfill its promise to us, what needs to happen for us to feel that thisis our blessed home?

So as we continue this period of reflection leading to the High Holidays, may we also reflect on how we do and how we don’t feel American, and what we can do to make this country of ours truly a “land for the free, and the home of the brave.”

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Ari Saks

Photo taken from — http://www.mycentraljersey.com/picture-gallery/news/local/middlesex-county/2014/09/11/city-of-perth-amboys-13th-anniversary-of-september-11-memorial-ceremy/15467543/

Category : Perth Amboy News Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat
Tag : america American perth amboy perth amboy news rabbi rabbi's journal September 11th shabbat message