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.
Wed, November 21 2018
13 Kislev 5779
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KHL - Please Join Us at Our New Location
We have moved to The Church of the Holy Comforter (CHC), 130 W. Seminary Avenue, Lutherville 21093. All Friday and Saturday Shabbat services will now be held at CHC in the chapel. The chapel is handicap accessible.
Shabbat Music
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 Shabbat Unplugged on the fourth Friday night of the month. Shabbat 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 access them from this home page under the Program tab above). Come and enjoy guitar, drum, voices and song!
Interfaith Learning and Discussion of the Hebrew Scripture with CHC: Focus on the Prophets
Rabbi Geoff is joining Pastor Chris Tang in co-teaching the Wednesday morning "Bible Study" class at CHC. The theme is "Prophets and Prophecy," the timeless messages of the Hebrew prophets have importance and relevance for all. (And it is a chance to familiarize ourselves with less-often read books of TaNaCh.) This promises to be good learning and, even more important, good inter-faith conversation and expansion of understanding. ALL ARE WELCOME on Wednesdays, 10:00 to 11:15 a.m. in the Parish Hall.
Learn Hebrew!
Of all the entry points into the Jewish wisdom tradition, the Hebrew language is the "Golden Gate." Join Rabbi Geoff on Wednesdays, 6:00-7:00 p.m. Materials will be provided, and in no time you will gain skills to participate competently and comfortably in services, knowledge of key words and meanings, access to the wisdom embedded in the language -- the acquisition of immensely valuable resources to connect with and use, be they blessings, prayers, songs, Torah itself, and other texts. Please join us, your religious life and identity is about to get a lot richer!
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Weather Closing Policy
It is Kol HaLev's policy that if Baltimore County Schools are closed due to weather then any KHL service or event scheduled for that day will also be canceled and/or rescheduled.
Wed, November 21 2018 13 Kislev 5779