On Tuesday evening at their August board meeting, the JCRC voted to not take a stand on the JCPOA--or the Iran Nuclear agreement. As a result, on Thursday afternoon the agency's Executive Director asked to pass on the forum which has previously been promoted as an opportunity to address policy issues related to the Iran accords.

Since the timing of this left us with very short notice to prepare a thoughtful and well-planned program, our forum will be cancelled. That being said, we continue to encourage vigilance on this issue. In the past several weeks, there have been many Jewish organizations which have issued statements in support of the agreement and in opposition to the agreements. Judaism, and particularly the Judaism which we hold dear and practice authentically inside this congregation, is animated by both majority and minority positions on many religious matters. While not technically a religious matter, the values of saving a life; of one Jew being responsible for another; of honesty and transparency in "weights and measures"; of pursuing peace; and of providing strength to Israel are all ways to begin framing support or opposition to this agreement. At Beth Jacob we live with the traditional embrace of "Eilu v'eilu divre Elohim hayim--these and these are the voice of a living God." It is important to note that both the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition in Israel stand in solidarity in their belief that this agreement is gravely flawed and dangerous to the State of Israel's long-term security. There are voices in the Israeli Defense establishment and the Intelligence community who believe that there are aspects of the agreement which are positive and helpful for Israel. For many of us, if not almost all of us, the stridency of both the proponents and opponents has been a horrible scene to witness. The language of those promoting this pact and their denunciations in sometimes code word fashion suggesting a 'dual loyalty" for its opponents is no less objective than painting proponents as either self-hating Jews or insensitive to the existential threats Israel faces with this accord. Our shul has on its website much information about the agreement. We encourage people to continue to explore the issues in favor and in opposition of the agreement. We are very sorry that the forum--which was to focus on policy-will not be taking place. We encourage folks to continue to make their views known to their Congressional representatives.

Rabbi Morris J. Allen

I'm Tamar Gewirtz. I'm going into 7th grade at HMJDS. There are 7 members of my family. My mom and dad, my brother Amos, my sisters Meital and Mimi, me, and of course, our cutest and furriest little sibling, Lou (the dog). Some of my hobbies are: playing piano and track. I also love traveling and Netflix.