Once upon a time, Spain was ground zero – the center of the Jewish world. Spain was home to one of the largest and most accomplished Jewish communities in the world, (think New York, Tel Aviv or Los Angeles) until in typical historic fashion… history turned things upside down.
I celebrated Shabbat in Madrid with a few dozen Jews alongside an equal number of non-Jews exploring their past and searching for their faith.
I trekked the streets of Toledo, where for hundreds of years, Muslims, Christians and Jews lived, loved and thrived together. I dined in Cordoba, home of Maimonides, a man revered by people of all faiths. I walked the magnificent gardens of the Alhambra in Granada. Originally built as a Roman fortress, later repurposed as the stunning royal palace for the Sultan; and ultimately taken over by Ferdinand and Isabella as their Royal Palace. In 1492 Queen Isabella issued the Edict of Expulsion, forcing Jews and Muslims to convert or be expelled from Spain. I stood in the very spot where a few days later the Queen approved the voyage of Christopher Columbus, recognizing that she could finance his voyage using the confiscated property of those she had expelled.
God gives.
God takes.
I am exhilarated and exhausted. I am also more convinced than ever that we are visitors on this earth -sent to tip scales, move mountains and build on the foundations of generations that preceded us. Not by might or force, but with love – for only love can bring the complicated pieces of our human puzzle together.
We plan.
We break.
Before I board my plane for the long flight back to Los Angeles, I’m reading a slew of toxic, partisan, absurd and somewhat scary Facebook posts. Critics of Israeli government policy are labeled “anti-Semites” by the Right. Activists on the left suggest “racist” Israel has no right to exist. Muslim members of congress are branded as “Hamas loving” Islamists, for their crime of being Muslims, supporters of planned parenthood are outed as “murderers”, members of the NRA are all “bigots” and whatever news you don’t agree with is simply labeled as “fake”. My desire is not to glorify Spanish history. I am well aware that is home to the best and worst history of our people.
I wonder what the gardens of the Alhambra would teach me? What would the citizens of Toledo suggest? What would the wise Dr. Maimonides advise? I think he would prescribe a dose of healthy debate, a few deep breaths, followed by respectful conversation and a teaspoon of nuance and love.
Love heals.
Love awakes.
Love…
only love remains.
Gone are the Queens, Kings, Sultans, scholars, explorers, architects, Rabbis, Priests, warriors and artists of the past – only their art, castles, passion and dreams remain.
As I age and grow, I’d like to do so with less cynicism and more compassion. Less judgement and more tolerance. Fewer conclusions and more questions. Less whining and more joy. To know before who I stand, by respecting my past, committing to build a better today, and with the faith that tomorrow will indeed…be.
I do not seek the praise of my liberal friends or the scorn of my friends to the right. We are above that. We cannot use rhetoric and the fear of anti-Semitism to fuel our political agendas. When we think our beliefs are perfect reflections of reality, we ignore that a ton of other people think we are full of crap!
We need to plant seeds of hope and sow the promise of the dreamers of yesterday, today and tomorrow. We must embrace and respect our differences and unique stories.
I am convinced that alone we may be strong, and that together we can grow stronger.
These are not words or a bloated mission statement scribbled on paper. This is my song, a song that I have diligently committed to share for as long as I remember and actualized for the past five years at the Pico Union Project.
I don’t want to do it alone, I can’t do it alone, for it is only in community that we build and learn from each other. Jews and non-Jews, old immigrants and new immigrants, Republicans and Democrats, privileged, challenged, old, older, millennial and young.
For the sake of heaven, join me and commit to something that reflects who you are. It may not be “popular”, “comfortable” “in” or “the thing to do”.
And, in honor of the legacy and memory of Rabbi Albert Vorspan, remember: “Behold the turtle, it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.”
