December 5, 2012

Letter to the Editor: Town hall on religious pluralism

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Dear Editor,

I want to thank Rob Eshman for his review of the important Town Hall on Religious Pluralism that took place at Temple Emanuel last week and for his moderating a community conversation in which people have such passionate and diverse opinions.  What he didn’t mention in his review were the names of all the other synagogues and organizations that cosponsored the event.  They included the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, the Board of Rabbis of Southern California, LimmudLA, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Academy of Jewish Religion, Adat Ari El,  Temple Beth Am, Beth Chayim Chadashim, Beth Shir Shalom, Congregation Or Ami, Kol Ami, Temple Beth El Riverside, Temple Beth Hillel, Temple Isaiah, Temple Israel of Hollywood, Temple Judea,  Hillel at UCLA, University Synagogue,  Hillel at USC, Valley Beth Shalom, IKAR, Kehillat Israel, Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue, Nashuva, National Council of Jewish Women, Jewish Women’s Conference of Southern California, Adat Shalom, Sinai Temple, Stephen S. Wise Temple, Temple Akiba, Wilshire Boulevard Temple, and the Jewish Journal.  Had there been more time to organize the event, I am confident that there would have been even more sponsors.  I know that all the sponsoring organizations are grateful to our Consul General David Siegel for his encouragement to go ahead with the Town Hall in spite of the crisis Israel faced with the shelling from Gaza. Just as the entire community can come together during a crisis when Israel is threatened from the outside, we who love Israel must come together to think creatively about the challenges that Israel is facing from within.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Laura Geller, Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills