Social Justice Speech by Sam Blau at the Migrant Family Justice Rally
KHL Social Justice chair Sam Blau spoke on behalf of Jews United for Justice this past Saturday at the rally in Patterson Park for migrant families. Here's the text of what she said, and a link to a video.
My name is Sam Blau, and I’m a member of Jews United for Justice Leadership Council. We are a local grassroots activist organization. And we stand in solidarity with migrant families. Something to know about Jews is that we have a section of Torah for each week of the year. This week’s Torah reading is about Balak, King of the Moabites, who sees the Israelites camping along his borders. They are still wandering after their flight from oppression in Egypt. Balak fears them. He fears their numbers, he fears their otherness, and so he calls upon the prophet Balaam to curse them. Balaam looks upon the camp of the Israelites and sees instead a people who travel with blessings. God opens Balaam’s eyes and he is able to see with “mochin d’gadlut”, a big mind or an open consciousness. From that moment of truly seeing the Israelites as they were, Balaam could only offer a praise so beloved we use it as a favorite prayer today:
Ma tovu ohalecha Ya’akov.
Mish’k’no’techa Yisrael.
How lovely are your tents, O Jacob.
Your dwelling places, O Israel.
Let us have our eyes unveiled as Balaam did. Let us look upon these asylum seekers as we would look upon the ancient Israelites: families fleeing violence and oppression in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico, people who walk with blessings. Let us look with “mochin d’gadlut”, an open consciousness, and offer them praise:
How lovely are you families, your culture, your heritage.
Come join us in a land where all should be free.
My name is Sam Blau, and I’m a member of Jews United for Justice Leadership Council. We are a local grassroots activist organization. And we stand in solidarity with migrant families. Something to know about Jews is that we have a section of Torah for each week of the year. This week’s Torah reading is about Balak, King of the Moabites, who sees the Israelites camping along his borders. They are still wandering after their flight from oppression in Egypt. Balak fears them. He fears their numbers, he fears their otherness, and so he calls upon the prophet Balaam to curse them. Balaam looks upon the camp of the Israelites and sees instead a people who travel with blessings. God opens Balaam’s eyes and he is able to see with “mochin d’gadlut”, a big mind or an open consciousness. From that moment of truly seeing the Israelites as they were, Balaam could only offer a praise so beloved we use it as a favorite prayer today:
Ma tovu ohalecha Ya’akov.
Mish’k’no’techa Yisrael.
How lovely are your tents, O Jacob.
Your dwelling places, O Israel.
Let us have our eyes unveiled as Balaam did. Let us look upon these asylum seekers as we would look upon the ancient Israelites: families fleeing violence and oppression in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico, people who walk with blessings. Let us look with “mochin d’gadlut”, an open consciousness, and offer them praise:
How lovely are you families, your culture, your heritage.
Come join us in a land where all should be free.
Mon, January 17 2022
15 Shevat 5782
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Kol HaLev, with the guidance of Cantor George has been introducing new, exciting, stimulating, joyful music to our services. Much of this music is for Friday nights and is played by Kol HaLev Unplugged on the fourth Friday night of the month. Kol HaLev Unplugged has made recordings so that the community can learn the melodies more easily. This link takes you to the recordings and the lyrics for the songs. You can also check out our latest You Tube video of Kol HaLev Unplugged singing Cantor George's Shalom Rav! Come to Shabbat and enjoy guitar, drum, voices and song!
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Mon, January 17 2022 15 Shevat 5782