Faith, courage, hard work
As we slip into another long, hot summer, the ongoing, albeit temporary, recession appears to be jeopardizing not only our Jewish community’s monetary health but also our self-confidence.
Our young desert city and our institutions lack the long history, firm roots and financial reserves that may help more established places weather the ebb and flow of economic change. Our community is at risk.
The summer months offer an excellent time to set aside our differences of theology and turf, to come together over pitchers brimming with ice-cold lemonade, and to engage in a clear-eyed assessment of where we’ve come from, where we are now and where we want to go.
Our communal inheritance is the faith, courage and hard work of individuals and families who in the late 19th and early 20th centuries -- before air conditioning -- came to live in the desert and to build our community.
Our present reality is the rich network of Jewish religious, educational and cultural resources we have established and support throughout the Valley. That network is diminishing. In response to the recession, several national organizations have closed or reduced their local offices. Many local institutions have cut staff and services.
Before we allow others to follow, let’s summon up our inheritance: the example of our hardscrabble ancestors -- in the ancient desert of Sinai and in the Sonoran desert that is our home -- who came together, against all odds, to build and sustain Jewish life with nothing more than powerful faith, strong courage and ceaseless hard work.
Jewish News is eager to be a media partner to an inclusive leadership group that understands, as our ancestors did, the need to move forward in bad times as well as good, never caving in to adversity.
As Rabbi Tarphon taught in Sayings of the Fathers: “It is not for thee to finish the work, nor art thou free to desist (from doing it).”
30 May, 2009 >
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Good words, Flo! It's been a while since we've heard from you. I, for one, are looking for more from you soon!
David - 20 Aug, 2010 - 14:35:48
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Great words of encouragement to help keep your head up during these tough economic times. I look forward to coming back and reading some more.
We at Jewish Free Loan are offering financial assistance to those in the community who need it. We invite you to visit our blog http://www.jewishfreeloanbl...
Jewish Free Loan - 25 Mar, 2011 - 13:45:56
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