Perhaps the most famous saying of the great sage, Hillel, is, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But, if I am only for myself, what am I? And, if not now, when?”
Typically, when this saying is invoked, one or maybe two of the three questions in the proverb apply to the situation at hand. Rarely, do all three apply at once. It would have to be something manifestly important and urgent for all three of Hillel’s points to apply at once.
And this is, in fact, the case for an event that I strongly urge you to attend a week from this Sunday: the New Jersey Together Against Gun Violence Assembly on Sunday, April 14 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church in East Orange, NJ. Please register and get tickets for the event today by click here. Teens are welcome. Please let me know if you or your teen need a ride. A flyer with the relevant details is attached.
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” – The epidemic of gun violence in our country endangers all of us. It is clear by now that we cannot depend on the political leadership in our country to protect us by passing common sense gun legislation without taking action ourselves to make our voices heard. I am proud to let you know that the Board of Trustees of Temple Sinai recently voted to have Temple Sinai join New Jersey Together Against Gun Violence. But, that matters little if we, the members of Temple Sinai, don’t stand up for ourselves by contacting our elected officials and coming to events like the assembly on April 14th.
“If I am only for myself, what am I?” For some it might be tempting to respond to the epidemic of gun violence by getting a gun to protect themselves and their families. It seems logical and for this reason, perhaps, some of you do own guns. Sadly, however, the risk of homicide is 3x higher in homes with firearms than those without them and keeping a firearm in the home increases the risk of suicide by 3-5x as well (see www.bradycampaign.org). Meanwhile, having a gun in your home is certainly not going to do anything to protect those who are not members of your household. Certain problems can only be solved by thinking beyond oneself and acting collectively. Consequently, many gun owners as well as those who do not own firearms are supporters of stronger gun control legislation to make sure that everyone can live safely. Whether you are a gun owner or not, come join together with members of congregations of all faiths for the NJ Together Assembly on April 14th.
“If not now, when?!” I add the exclamation point here because now is the moment we must act if there is going to be any kind of legislation passed on Capitol Hill. The house and Senate are coming back from recess next week and are expected to begin debating gun violence legislation. We simply cannot wait. Now is the moment when we need to make our voices heard. Join us on April 14th!
Shabbat Shalom U’m’vorach – A blessed and peaceful Shabbat to you all.
Rabbi Jordan Millstein
Rabbi Jordan Millstein
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