Dear Temple Beth El Family,
I’m writing from Buenos Aires, where our congregational journey has brought us into the remarkable history and vibrant present of Argentina’s Jewish community.
Yesterday, Americans went to the polls. The election has brought significant changes, and I know it has stirred a wide range of emotions across our congregation. Some are celebrating, others are disappointed or concerned, and many may be feeling a complicated mix of hope, relief, uncertainty, and worry about what comes next.
I’ve been thinking about all of this from thousands of miles away, especially after an encounter we had yesterday at Fundación Tzedaká, where we met four Holocaust survivors: Josette, Itzak, Eva, and Francesca. Over the course of their lives, they have witnessed extraordinary changes in the world, lived through upheaval and uncertainty, experienced hopes fulfilled and disappointed, and built lives and Jewish community in Argentina. We spoke about their experiences here. I wished we had more time to learn from their wisdom.
Our conversation brought to mind Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’s distinction between optimism and hope. Optimism is the belief that things will get better. Hope is the belief that we can help make them better. Sitting with people who have seen so much history, I was reminded that hope is something we practice and build. When we face difficult times and division, we can continue to build lives of meaning, nurture relationships, and strengthen the communities to which we belong.
An election can certainly change the direction of our country. It can bring relief, disappointment, excitement, or worry. Our feelings deserve to be acknowledged, and our differences taken seriously. Whatever the outcome of the election, our Jewish values demand something from us: to care for one another, uphold human dignity, and take responsibility for the world and community we share.
Temple Beth El is a community where we take that responsibility seriously. Where we care for one another, stand up for human dignity, welcome people into vibrant Jewish life, and create a community rich in learning, friendship, generosity, and joy.
The Jewish community we’ve encountered in Argentina was built by people who could not know what the future would bring, especially through significant political change. They built anyway. Generations later, their work continues to enrich the lives of people they could never have imagined.
We have that same opportunity in Charlotte. There is so much Jewish life still to create together.
I hope you’ll join us for Shabbat this Friday evening, where Rabbi Nichols and Patty Torcellini will lead our community in worship. And if you’d like to talk, our clergy team is here for you. Please reach out to Laura McGaha, Clergy Assistant, to arrange a time.
With gratitude,
Rabbi Asher Knight
