Passover Celebrates Freedom

Howard Packowitz

WJBC

Moses Montefiore Temple, Bloomington

Jews around the world are celebrating freedom as the eight-day Passover holiday began at sundown (Monday), and one local man is remembering the lessons his late father taught him about the Israelites escape from Egyptian bondage.

McLean County Board member and retired professor George Gordon shares the story taught to him by his father, Rabbi Ted Gordon, who died in 2005 at age 96.

Gordon says the Torah, which is the Jewish law, is not clear how long Israelites were in bondage. It could be anywhere from 30 to 400 years.

Gordon’s father suggested the Torah might be intentionally vague.

“Dad speculated that was done by someone whose identity we’ll never know to emphasize the point even harder that slavery was not something we enjoyed or that anybody should enjoy and that freedom is a major point, but a point made more significantly by the addition of the number 400,” George Gordon said.

Gordon says each Passover, his father reminded him that no one really knows how long Israelites were in bondage.

“Emphasizing 30 years and 400 years makes the point more poignantly and more convincingly that the Israelites were in slavery for such a long time,” Gordon said. “That’s why we value freedom so much.”

Rabbi Ted Gordon was a reform rabbi in Philadelphia. In his 90’s, he led Bloomington’s Moses Montefiore Temple for two years.

Anti-Hate Rally Commemorates Kansas Murder, Seeks Unity

Lenore Sobota

The Pantagraph

and Camille Taylor

Rabbi Rebecca Dubowe of the Moses Montefiore Congregation in Bloomington asked people attending a Not In Our Town anti-hate rally Thursday at Illinois Wesleyan University to join hands and repeat after her.

"We are not here to protest or rally against any group or individual, but to educate ourselves and our children and become more aware of what is happening around us. After you leave these doors, remember tonight, remember our stories, our cheers, our emotions and friendship, remember that we our one. Together, Let us be compassionate, kind, and respectful towards each other. We must see people for who they truly are and teach our children to take a stand against racism, bigotry and all forms of intolerance. Let us celebrate our diversity together and inspire and honor each other as brothers and sisters. -- Archana Shekara

“We are here. We are your brothers and sisters. We hear you. We believe you,” she said as the crowd of more than 150 people echoed her words. “Hatred and intolerance have no place here. We shall not fear. Love will hold us together as one family of humanity."

The gathering started with a mantra recited by a Hindu priest and the lighting of a candle to symbolize removal of darkness from the community.

Aishwarya Shekara (Photos by Mike Matejka)

Speaker after speaker talked about the need to support each other, to speak out against hatred and bigotry and to work for peace.

Imam Khalid Herrington

The rally took place in IWU's Hansen Student Center where the two dozen flags of other countries that ring the upper level took on special meaning.

“We are all here in solidarity as a community to stop hate together,” said IWU Provost Jonathan Green. “We are gathered here tonight to express love for our neighbors.”

But it was the personal stories of insults and slights, particularly those of high school students from Bloomington District 87 and McLean County Unit 5, that seemed to touch the crowd.

A student whose family is from India told of being asked in a social studies class what caste her family was from.

Another who is Muslim said the day she decided to wear her hijab to school she received "weird looks" or was ignored by people she knew.

A Hispanic student said she was told not to speak Spanish in school — “you're in America now,” they said.

And a student of mixed race related how, when she was only 6 years old, her mother, who is white, came to school for a program and another student asked if she was adopted.

Imam Khalid Herrington of the Islamic Center of McLean County experienced racism growing up in the 1970s with a mother who is white and a father who is black. When he became a Muslim in the mid-1990s, he encountered other bigotry, especially after the 9-11 attacks.

Bloomington Police Chief Brendan Heffner and local law enforcement officers were on hand at the event. Below, Normal Mayor Chris Koos, right, and Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner stress the need for community solidarity.

One day, Herrington, whose parents both served in the U.S. military, was told to “Go back to your country,” he said.

“I didn't know whether to laugh or cry,” he recalled.

But amid the stories of rude comments — or worse — there were also stories of feeling welcome in Bloomington-Normal and staying far longer than they ever thought they would.

Archana Shekara, a Not In Our Town member and one of the event's organizers, lived in India for 19 years, but she has lived in Bloomington-Normal for the last 24 years.

“Bloomington-Normal is my town. It's where I live. It's my home,” said Shekara, prompting applause from the crowd.

A number of speakers, representing different races, religions and nationalities took the stage at one point — immigrants and children of immigrants from countries such as France, Brazil, Bangladesh, India and Venezuela.

“This is what Bloomington-Normal looks like,” said Shekara.

The Rev. Susan Baller-Shepard of rural Bloomington warned that hate speech is becoming hate action in parts of America, but she emphasized that hate should not be answered by hate.

“We have to guard against lowering … our behavior to that of the haters,” she said.

Shekara urged people to report instances of hatred.

Her daughter, 17-year-old Aishwarya Shekara, said, “See us as the next generation of leaders who have the power to change our nation, even in these polarized times.”

Baller-Shepard said, "Let's continue to celebrate diversity, not just tolerate it, not just moan about it, but celebrate."

Herrington reminded the crowd: "We are not going to agree all of the time. We can still respect each other all of the time. We can try to understand each other all of the time."

Four of NIOTBN's nine Not In Our School (NIOS) schools also were represented at the rally. An Indian student translated the gathering's Hindi prayer into English, while students from Bloomington Junior High and Bloomington High School read a post-election letter written to them by their teacher assuring them of their safety.

Another BHS student read a prepared statement from the Bloomington District 87 School District affirming its support of all students. A Normal West High School student read a similar statement prepared by the Normal Unit 5 School District.

Other Indian, Muslim, biracial, and Latina students shared personal stories about being stereotyped, feeling singled out, and wanting to be seen as a human being first and foremost. Some of the students were the leaders of NIOS clubs; others were members/students from their schools.

A group of children from BCAI (Breaking Chains Advancing Increase) performed with dances reflecting the Indian culture. Their sponsor, Angelique Racki, is on the steering committee of NIOTBN, as chair of its Arts and Culture Committee.

Moses Montefiore Latest to Open Doors for Understanding

As part of the ongoing Faith Series interfaith dialogue co-sponsored by Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal, Moses Montefiore Congregation of Bloomington-Normal is holding an open house to help Twin Citians better understand Judaism.

"Meet Your Jewish Neighbors" is scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m. at the temple, at 102 Robinhood Lane, near the Bloomington U.S. Post Office on Towanda Avenue. Please RSVP for the event at mmemple1882@gmail.com.

NIOTBN earlier this year helped coordinate open houses for local Muslim and Hindu temples.

Rebecca: In Interfaith Relations, Trust is a MUST

Rabbi Rebecca L. Dubowe  

A few weeks ago, the local Muslim community in Bloomington/ Normal offered an Open House to invite others to learn about their Islam faith. In fact, there was an overwhelming response from the community, which actually led to many people being turned away at the event only because the mosque could not fit everyone. Now this is what I call a good problem!

Rabbi Dubowe at December's NIOTBN-sponsored interfaith rally at the old courthouse in downtown Bloomington.

I know all about what happened at the event because our synagogue, Moses Montefiore Congregation, as the only Jewish community in Bloomington, was going to arrange for a group to visit the Open House. And then we were informed that there was no room! It was until then we all agreed that there should be another open house because of the outpouring positive response and interest for the greater Bloomington/Normal community to get to know their interfaith neighbors.  

According to the Pew, Muslims make up less than 1 percent of Americans. About 1.8 million are adults, and if Muslims of all ages are counted, the total Muslim population in the United States comes to about 2.75 million. These small numbers may mean that most Americans will never come across a Muslim in their day-to-day life, and therefore, they may sometimes make biased assumptions about the entire community. This also means that approximately 8% of Americans may have met a Muslim when it should be 100%.  

Here in the Bloomington/Normal, our chances of meeting a Muslim is far greater than 8% because we have indicated the essential value of knowing our neighbors. When people get to know each other and are willing to listen with open hearts, they are more likely to understand and discover how much they have in common. The efforts for inter- community dialogue are one of the most effective ways to break down stereotypes about race and religion. And this is how trust is built!

The commandment—the obligation to establish relationships with our fellow Muslim neighbors along with our Christian neighbors— is deeply rooted in the Jewish tradition. In the Torah, the Jews are taught to accept others without prejudice or bias. The Torah states, "You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart. Reprove your kinsman, but incur no guilt because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your countrymen. Love your fellow as yourself: I am the Eternal.” In order to wholeheartedly embrace the Biblical teaching of loving one’s neighbor, trust must be taught and shared among us.

As we eagerly proceed with the goal of increased dialogue and interaction with our neighbors, I believe that these principles of Interreligious Dialogue would be a valuable source for us to consider.   Principles for Interreligious Dialogue (Adapted from Leonard Swidler, “The Dialogue Decalogue,” Journal of Ecumenical Studies 20/1:1-4).

1. Enter into dialogue so that you can learn and grow, not to change the other.

2. Be conscious of the need to allow people the space to enter the discussion. Some people are less assertive about offering their thoughts, but will be encouraged to do so if more outspoken persons avoid dominating the exchange.

3. Be honest and sincere, even if that means revealing discomforts with your own tradition or that of the other. Assume that everyone else is being equally honest and sincere.

4. Everyone must be permitted to define their own religious experience and identity, and this must be respected by others.

5. Proselytizing or seeking to “convert” the conversation partner is not permitted in an interreligious dialogue setting. Participants should feel free to express their own faith traditions and beliefs, but not try to persuade others to assent to them.

6. Don’t feel that you are the spokesperson for your entire faith tradition or that you ought somehow to know everything there is to know about it. Admit any confusion or uncertainty you might have if a puzzling question arises.

7. Don’t assume in advance where points of agreement or disagreement will exist.

8. Everyone should be willing to be self-critical.

9. All should strive to experience the other’s faith “from within” and be prepared to view themselves differently as a result of an “outside” perspective.

10. Trust is a must. Trust is a must and may we, as the Bloomington/Normal community, look forward to many more Open Houses filled with celebration of diversity, respect, and love.

Rabbi Rebecca L. Dubowe currently serves as the Interim Rabbi for Moses Montefiore Congregation in Bloomington.

Multi-Faith Activism: Unplugging the Peace Process

Jewish, Muslim, and Christian peacemakers from Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Galilee will gather at Illinois State University to talk about what happens when the peace process stalls.

Eliyahu McLean, Ghassan Manasra, and Jiries Mansur will give a talk titled Multi-Faith Activism When the Political Peace Process Stalls: An Evening With International Peacemakers at 7 p.m. October 20, in the Prairie Room of the Bone Student Center. The event is free and open to the public.

The three are members of Abrahamic Reunion, a multi-faith group of peacemakers from Israel who seek to use religion as a force for peace. McLean is an Orthodox Jew from Jerusalem, co-founder of the Abrahamic Reunion, and director of the peace organization Jerusalem Peacemakers. Manasra is an ordained sheikh in the Qadiri Sufi Order of Islam, and director of the Peace Center in Nazareth. Mansur is a Christian Arab and deacon in the Greek Orthodox Church, and principal of a middle school in the Arab village of Kfar Rame in the Galilee.

“The Abrahamic Reunion represents something that is rarely seen when people think about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict–the cooperation and willingness to work for peace across faiths that occurs in Israel and Palestine,” said Associate Professor Michael Gizzi, who worked with McLean when he visited Jerusalem last winter to lay the foundation of a possible study abroad class. “Bringing the peacemakers to Illinois State University provides our students and the community with a great opportunity to learn about peacemaking in the Middle East.”

The talk is sponsored by Illinois State University Diversity Advocacy, Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Hillel Student Union, the Presbytery of Great Rivers, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Moses Montefiore Temple, Illinois Wesleyan University’s Evelyn Chapel, the Harold K. Sage Fund, and the Illinois State University Foundation.

For additional information, contact the Dean of Students Office at (309) 438-2008(309) 438-2008. To set up an interview with Michael Gizzi, contact Media Relations at (309) 438-5744(309) 438-5744, or MediaRelations@IllinoisState.edu.