Dear Members of the George Mason Community,
As we begin the year 5771 and celebrate Rosh HaShanah, we are facing a very significant issue in our lives. On Sept. 11, the ninth anniversary of the attacks of 2001, there is a very real threat that the Koran will be burnt. As Jews, we are well aware of the power of book burnings and the symbolic impact that a horrible event like this can have.
I hope that as we wrestle with our own personal feelings about those we hold responsible for Sept. 11, that we will speak out against the burning of books. We are reminded of the quote from Pastor Martin Niemoller who stated (there is some controversy over the exact words) in response to the Nazis:
They came first for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up.
As we celebrate a time for forgiveness and making significant changes in our lives, I hope that we will speak out in whatever ways we can, against hatred and bigotry. I also look forward to ongoing dialogue after the High Holidays about the plans to build a mosque at Ground Zero since this project challenges us to think about issues of religious freedom and sensitivity to the victims of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
May 5771 be a year of growth, forgiveness, new beginnings, and the possibility of significant change in our lives in the places we desire to change.
Shanah tovah,
Rabbi Bruce Aft
GMU Hillel Rabbinic Adviser
Member, GMU Hillel Community Board
Adjunct Professor ICAR, GMU
Rabbi at Congregation Adat Reyim, Springfield, VA