In high school and college, I worked as a lifeguard.  It was the perfect job for me because I loved to bask in the sun's rays.  At a young age, I learned that the most important factor to happiness in our work is to enjoy what we do.  I so enjoyed my job that I proceeded to further my professional education, becoming a swimming teacher and lifeguard & CPR instructor.  Consequently, I spent many hours in American Red Cross training sessions and pouring over educational manuals and I would like to share the following observation with you.

It is taught: When one discovers an unconscious person who will not wake, one should activate the emergency system by making eye-contact with a bystander and shouting, "You, go call 911 and come back here!"

From this teaching, we gain tremendous insight into the psychological concept called the Bystander Effect.  Imagine a crowd of people gathering around the scene of an emergency to see what the excitement is all about.  Each one assumes that someone, surely, has called for help.  For this reason, the rescuer must single out an individual, looking them straight in the eye and instructing them to call 911 and come back.  It is critical that the person return in order to report that they have made the call and help is indeed on the way.

In this week's Torah reading, the same lesson is taught when describing our responsibility to care for and strengthen our fellows who are down on their luck.  We are not to collect interest from them and never take advantage of them. 

A nuance that is absent in the English translation and apparent only in the original Hebrew, is that when addressing the issues of the poor, "And if your brother grows poor..." (Lev. 25:35), the text switches from the plural, more generic grammatical form it had been using previously to the singular, more specific form "your brother."  The Torah is teaching that it is not a collective responsibility that someone must help, rather the Torah is instructing in the same way as the lifeguard: "He is YOUR brother, YOU must help."

I don't have to tell you that these are troubling times for Israel and the Middle East.  Many changes are underway and the region is becoming increasingly volatile.  Now more than ever, Israel needs the support of its closest friend and ally, the United States of America.  There is only one organization that, in a wonderfully non-partisan way, lobbies our elected leaders and effectively works with them to ensure the common interests of the United States and Israel.  Every year, AIPAC provides an opportunity for its supporters nationwide, to come to their capital to personally thank their elected officials for their support and encourage future cooperation by building lasting relationships that grow stronger after each event.

Israel is a strong force for freedom and democracy in the region, but her adversaries are mounting and her security is at stake.  AIPAC is only as strong as the sum of its supporters and advocates.  That is why I will join the growing delegation from Temple Emanu-El who are going to the AIPAC Policy Conference which will take place May 22-24 in Washington D.C. and I am asking you, my brother; go to AIPAC Policy Conference and come back here.  Come back more educated and more capable of articulately defending our Homeland with your voice, with your wallet, and with your efforts.  Come back knowing that you have met with those who make important decisions and have shared your wisdom with them.

There is still time, though not too much, to join our group.  Please call the Temple office for more information 201-750-9997.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Steve Suson