President Susan Angel brought the meeting to order with a ring of the Rotary bell and led the Club in reciting the 4-way test. Anne Cauley offered a reflection from Mother Theresa, and voices united to sing God Bless America.
Julie Pingston was on microphone duty to welcome guests and visiting Rotarians; the health of the club was determined to be (mostly) well. Thank you again to Julie for stepping in at the very last minute.
A special music performance was provided by two theater students, Ethan Curry and Lindsey Camp, along with pianist John Dillingham, introduced by Kelly Stuible-Clark, LCC faculty in the music department.
ANNOUNCEMENTS included a call for volunteers to help Downtown Lansing, Inc., with the Big Red Ball on Saturday, November 21st, and a reminder to wear your Paul Harris pins next week for our District Governor’s visit.
Anne Cauley, multitasking as Chair of the Day, introduced Rabbi Amy Bigman, Rabbi of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in East Lansing since July 2008, to talk with assembled Rotarians about “Living as a Jew in an increasingly antisemitic world”.
Rabbi Amy Bigman received her honorary Doctor of Divinity in recognition of her 25 years of service to the Jewish and general communities from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in March 2017. Rabbi Bigman has been active on several advisory boards and committees, and continues to serve our community in many ways.
Antisemitism has been around for too long. A simple definition is “hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people”. The State Department Website has a long list of manifestations of antisemitism. But there is a more personal side of how Jews today feel about being Jewish in an increasingly hostile world. Rabbi Bigman notes, “We are scared. Our synagogue is locked 24-7.” They’ve made investments in security, applying for grants to help fund their security needs. “People are hesitant to enter the building” due to threats there and elsewhere. “Cemeteries are desecrated, buildings are defaced, members are hurt or killed. The list goes on and on”. Three years ago, Hamas attacked Israel (Oct. 7, 2023). Most of us know this global event as a battle that continues today, but it means something more to Jews. Israel is an important part of modern Jewish life. “It is our homeland”; many have connections there – relatives, friends, memories. On that dark day, a family of Jews around the world grieved on what should have been a celebration day – a Holy Day. 1,200 Israelis were slaughtered, and 251 people were taken hostage. Israel retaliated and tried to get the hostages back home. For 2.5 years, Israel continued to fight to get hostages back home; the living and those who had died- so that families could bury their loved ones. She noted that the vast majority of Jews do not agree with all the Israeli government's actions, just as we all don’t agree with everything the US government does.
Rabbi Bigman reflects that “it is dangerous to be a Jew in our world today”. She reminds her congregation, “We must be proud to be Jewish, as Americans and as Jews”. “Every person is equal, and we should treat others as we would want to be treated. Freedom of religion is a foundational belief of America. “We must be safe in our homes, our synagogues, and in public, as everyone should be”.Q& A ensued, with several reflecting, with sadness, on what they see in our communities and around the world. There was additional dialogue around solutions, education, civics, observation of holidays, communication, collaboration, and more. Thanks to every Rotarian who showed up to hear about this important topic; we all have a role in making this world a better place for everyone.
Our next meeting will be Friday, October 30, with District Governor Tim Lee joining us to present the Paul Harris Awards.
Email for Michelle Reynaert: mreynaert@michfb.com