Voices of WRJ: Parashat B'chukotai

by Sue Berne The Parashot B’chukotai at the end of the Book of Leviticus, God promises blessings to the people of Israel if they follow the law and curses that will occur if the laws are not followed. A few weeks ago a gunman shot and killed three people in my community. The attacks took place at the Jewish Community Center and Village Shalom, a retirement community, which is directly across the street from my temple. The attack could have easily taken place during religious school and for whatever reason the gunman chose Village Shalom instead. The gunman was obviously anti-Semitic but what he did not realize at the time is that none of the three people killed were Jewish. This act of violence should make us all realize that each decision we make has consequences. We are all responsible for the choices we make and the actions that we take. We all have the freedom to identify our options, to speak our minds, and to live where and how we wish to live. Our community has forever been changed by the choices that white supremacist Frazier Glenn Cross, Jr. (also known as F. Glenn Milller, Jr.) made on April 13, 2014. This act of anti-Semitism touched Jews and non Jews alike and, as a result, our community has come together as one and become stronger as we all try to get past the senseless violence. In this parashah, Torah teaches us that we need balance in our lives and that we need to choose well and make wise decisions. This is a challenge for every community and WRJ woman. No matter what decisions we make or actions we take, someone will be affected. May we all remember the words of Torah and think before we speak or act and ask ourselves who may be adversely affected by our words or deeds. During this Shabbat may we all have the opportunity to rest and refresh and reflect on what we can all do to make our communities a better place because life is too short and can be taken away in an instant. Sue Berne is a WRJ Board member, WRJ Southwest District Vice President of Marketing and Communications, and Past Sisterhood President at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah in Overland Park, KS.