(1) Of David, when he feigned madness in the presence of Abimelech, who turned him out, and he left. (2) I bless the GOOD at all times; praise of God is ever in my mouth. (3) I glory in the GOOD; let the lowly hear it and rejoice. (4) Exalt the GOOD with me; let us extol God's name together. (5) I turned to the GOOD, and God answered me; God saved me from all my terrors. (6) People look to God and are radiant; let their faces not be downcast. (7) Here was a lowly person who called, and the GOOD listened, and delivered them from all their troubles. (8) The angel of the GOOD camps around those who fear God and rescues them. (9) Taste and see how good the GOOD is; happy the one who takes refuge in God! (10) Fear the GOOD, you God's consecrated ones, for those who fear God lack nothing. (11) Lions have been reduced to starvation, but those who turn to the GOOD shall not lack any good. (12) Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you what it is to fear the GOOD. (13) Who is the one who is eager for life, who desires years of good fortune? (14) Guard your tongue from evil, your lips from deceitful speech. (15) Shun evil and do good, seek amity and pursue it. (16) The eyes of the GOOD are on the righteous, God's ears attentive to their cry. (17) The face of the GOOD is set against evildoers, to erase their names from the earth. (18) They cry out, and the GOOD hears, and saves them from all their troubles. (19) The GOOD is close to the brokenhearted; those crushed in spirit God delivers. (20) Though the misfortunes of the righteous be many, the GOOD will save one from them all, (21) Keeping all one's bones intact, not one of them being broken. (22) One misfortune is the deathblow of the wicked; the foes of the righteous shall be ruined. (23) The GOOD redeems the life of God's servants; all who take refuge in God shall not be ruined.
-A Peter inspired translation
This was published and presented on September 26th, 1997 shortly after returning from a tour of five countries in Eastern Europe.
Here you are, comfortably seated in the sanctuary of Temple Beth David of the South Shore (I hope comfortably). This evening, I expect, you had some semblance of a Shabbat dinner, perhaps even a glass of wine,...then you got into your car, drove freely to Randolph Street... looked for the lighted blue and white sign and pulled into our unencumbered parking lot, selected a space of your choosing, closed up the car, walked into the unlocked...building, entered the open sanctuary, selected a seat on your own and have been involved in the service until this moment. When we are finished with the service, you will leave the building at your leisure. You will enter your car...and you will drive home. All of this activity done in absolute FREEDOM.
Let us now examine what Essy and I have experienced in our travels...
In Budapest,... the location of one of the largest, most ornate and historical synagogues in the world, "The Great Synagogue", we were greeted by Security Police, Metal detectors, ticket purchase requirements, and a large number of unmarked security personnel during the entire visit.
In Vienna, Austria, once having located the synagogue (not an easy task because of its store-front façade having been spared on kristalnacht), we were met by a security officer, sitting behind bulletproof glass, who questioned us for fifteen minutes...and ordered presentation of passports. Questions were asked in order to establish whether we were Jewish or terrorist. Having passed the third degree we were allowed passage through an electronically operated, bulletproofed glass and metal door into a hallway. Behind us the door closed shut...Once inside, we were allowed to approach a locked glass door to the sanctuary where we were allowed to take a picture through the glass but not to enter the hall. Entrance is only permitted during services...
While in Warsaw...we encountered similar security measures upon entrance to the synagogue as well as a pungent odor of burned wood, and then again in the sanctuary where we were accompanied wherever we went. We were also directed to notice the room at the rear of the Sanctuary, which had been burned out by anti Semitic hoodlums just months before our arrival. (This one we had to pay to get out, not in).
On a previous trip to Europe, while in Amsterdam, Holland, we took a taxi to the synagogue on Friday night. As we...approached the building, we noticed an iron fence, 10 feet high, and totally locked. We assumed we had made the trip for nothing and that the services had been cancelled... Since we were already there, we approached the gate and rang the bell. To our surprise, a guard answered our call and asked who we were and why we wanted to enter. We explained we were Jews from the United States and wanted to attend services. He said something into his walkie-talkie and then, upon receiving a reply, proceeded to open the gate to let us in. We had no sooner entered through the gate than we realized we were now between two locked gates and were in a holding area, not yet in the synagogue. At this point, a shamas appeared from the inner door. He greeted us and began to question us, in a very nice way, to determine our "Jewishness". What congregation did we represent, what was our branch of Judaism, what book did we use, who was our Rabbi, etc., etc., etc., until he was reasonably satisfied that we were, in fact, Jewish (a little USA identification didn't hurt either). After the service, and a lovely Oneg, we decided to leave. The Shamas saw us putting on coats and heading for the door and asked us to wait in the holding area while he called a cab. The guard informed us that he would open the outer gate only when the cab had arrived, opened its door, and he had checked the area between the gate and the cab. All this having been accomplished, we left the outer gate, moved to the cab at quickstep and drove away to our hotel. FREEDOM ????...
"Vo is das Yuden platz?" This was our cry throughout Europe. No one on the street relates to "Synagogue". It is as if you are treading on thin ice if you mention the word which most will not recognize. "Where is the Jews place? ", that they will generally answer.
Now let's look at the other side...One cannot travel Europe, and even now Russia, without bumping into umpteen churches, cathedrals, mosques, or other houses of worship just about on every block. Not only are the doors unlocked, not only are you welcome without security measures, but we were even anxiously ushered to v.i.p. seats in the prestigious Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. In St. Peter’s in Rome one is encouraged to visit every nook and cranny of the edifice unaccompanied, unencumbered, and unchallenged at the entrance. One is encouraged to contribute but not required. One is encouraged to touch, feel, sit, wander, but not followed nor watched...Yes, in the mosque you must remove your shoes, and yes, in the church you must remove your hat...but Freedom is ever present in those buildings...
Do you take your Freedom for granted? Sure you do. Why shouldn't you? It is your inalienable right in our country. Do we experience anti-Semitic behavior? Yes we do, in some isolated instances, but do we have the same restrictions as our European friends do? I think not.
As we approach the high holidays, let us reflect upon our rights and freedoms as well as our obligations. We must feel obligated to preserve the freedom to worship as we choose, the freedom to question, to VOTE for what we believe, to argue with each other and walk away as friends, to enter through unlocked doors, to have our children in schools closed for the Jewish holidays, to see public monuments to Jewish history in our major cities.
Did we ever see Free Jews in Europe?…..yes, we did. In Krakow...we decided to take in a traditional "Jewish" meal in the so-called "Jewish Quarter" of the city. It was located, in fact, in an area shown on the maps as the "Ghetto", for historical purposes, of course...We arrived in the pouring rain, and found a historic, original restaurant. Here, we partook of a wonderful traditional meal and found a new kind of freedom. The freedom to feel comfortable, to hold Jewish conversation, to mention the word JEW while not worrying who was at the next table, to know that even though not everyone in the restaurant was Jewish, you were in a JEWISH PLACE, and all about you were Jews...enjoying the same FREEDOM...We really didn't want to leave, especially knowing that on our tour, the four of us at that table were the only Jews on the trip.
Do the Jews of Europe have Religious Freedom? Are they free to conduct religious services and practice their traditions, openly and unabashed. According to their governments, yes they are. However, is it "Freedom" to worry if security is tight enough for you to safely get to the synagogue? Is it "Freedom" to be required to look under your seat or watch your back for fear of a Bomb or a terrorist rampage?
...It is our obligation to preserve and protect the Freedom to Worship here in America.
Freedom in America is a privilege not to be taken for granted. Freedom in America is what allows us choices.
Freedom in America, for Jews, is still our most precious gift. Let us pledge to appreciate it, to cherish it, to respect it and to build a positive future for it.
Freedom is nourished by Attitude, Environment and Heritage, just like good mental health. Let us promise ourselves to keep it safe, pass it along to our children and provide the most positive environment we can for the coming New Year and those to come.
-Peter Rapp
Edited for this source sheet
(ב) אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי, בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם בַּת קוֹל יוֹצֵאת מֵהַר חוֹרֵב וּמַכְרֶזֶת וְאוֹמֶרֶת, אוֹי לָהֶם לַבְּרִיּוֹת מֵעֶלְבּוֹנָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה. שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה נִקְרָא נָזוּף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי יא) נֶזֶם זָהָב בְּאַף חֲזִיר אִשָּׁה יָפָה וְסָרַת טָעַם. וְאוֹמֵר (שמות לב) וְהַלֻּחֹת מַעֲשֵׂה אֱלֹהִים הֵמָּה וְהַמִּכְתָּב מִכְתַּב אֱלֹהִים הוּא חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחֹת, אַל תִּקְרָא חָרוּת אֶלָּא חֵרוּת, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ בֶן חוֹרִין אֶלָּא מִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה. וְכָל מִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה הֲרֵי זֶה מִתְעַלֶּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כא) וּמִמַּתָּנָה נַחֲלִיאֵל וּמִנַּחֲלִיאֵל בָּמוֹת:
(2) Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Each and every day a heavenly echo goes out from Mount Horeb, and announces and says: "Woe to the creatures for disparaging the Torah;" for anyone who does not involve themselves in the Torah is called "rebuked," as it is said (Proverbs 11:22): "A ring of gold in a swine's snout is a beautiful woman who turns from discretion," and it says (Exodus 32:16): "And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tablets," do not read "graven" (harut) but rather "freedom" (herut), for there is no free person except one that involves oneself in Torah learning; And anyone who involves oneself in Torah learning is elevated, as it is said (Numbers 21:19): "and from Mattanah (a place name that means 'gift,' and so can refer to the gifting of the Torah), Nachaliel; and from Nachaliel, Bamot (a place name that means 'high places')."