Finding Our Voice: Shabbat D'varim

Dear Friends,

This Shabbat we begin the book of D'varim, Deuteronomy, the fifth and final book of the Torah. Its Hebrew name simply means "Words." The opening verse reads, "These are the words that Moses addressed to all Israel..." (Deuteronomy 1:1).

There is something beautifully ironic about that. When Moses first encountered God at the Burning Bush, he protested his calling by saying, "I have never been good with words...I am slow of speech and slow of tongue" (Exodus 4:10). Yet here he stands, forty years later, delivering an entire book of Torah. The reluctant speaker has become the voice that will prepare the Israelites for their future.

Moses teaches us that people can grow. The experiences of the wilderness, the triumphs and failures, the moments of fear and faith, the losses and the resilience, transformed him. He found his voice.

Before leading the people into the Promised Land, Moses does something remarkable. He retells their story. He reminds them where they have been, what they have endured, and how they have grown. He understands that before a people can move forward, they must remember not only their struggles but also the strength they discovered along the way. That lesson feels especially meaningful this week.

On Tuesday evening, the Schenectady County Legislature unanimously adopted Resolution 114-26, condemning antisemitic attacks against Jewish individuals and institutions, denouncing intimidation directed at supporters of Israel, and reaffirming its commitment to religious freedom, inclusion, and democratic values.

This action came only weeks after Rabbi Matt Cutler of Congregation Gates of Heaven and I wrote to local elected officials expressing our deep concern about the rise in antisemitic rhetoric and the need for moral leadership at this moment. We asked our elected officials to affirm something that should never be controversial: every person deserves to practice their faith freely, gather safely, and participate in civic life without fear of intimidation or violence.

We are grateful that they listened. I want to thank the members of the Schenectady County Legislature for speaking with clarity and conviction. Public resolutions alone cannot eliminate antisemitism, but words matter. They shape culture. They establish expectations. They reassure those who feel vulnerable that they are seen, that they belong, and that hatred has no place in our community.

In this week's Torah portion, Moses reminds the Israelites that words have the power to prepare a people for the future. They can strengthen courage, reinforce values, and call a community to its highest ideals. That is exactly why moments like this matter.

Yet our work is far from finished. One resolution cannot erase antisemitism. One public statement cannot undo prejudice or heal the wounds left by hatred. We need more voices: faith leaders, elected officials, educators, neighbors, and community members willing to speak with moral clarity whenever antisemitism appears. Silence creates space for hate. Courageous voices create space for hope.

As Jews, we also know that our responsibility does not end with confronting antisemitism alone. Our tradition teaches that every human being is created b'tzelem Elohim, in the image of God. That sacred truth compels us to stand against every form of hatred and dehumanization. We must continue to oppose antisemitism, racism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and every expression of bigotry that denies another person's dignity. We do not choose between these causes. We embrace them because they flow from the same Jewish conviction that every life possesses infinite worth.

And here in the Capital Region, our work continues. There is still work to do in Albany and throughout our neighboring communities. We must continue building relationships across lines of difference, fostering understanding, encouraging moral leadership, and ensuring that antisemitism is confronted whenever and wherever it appears. We will continue to advocate, to educate, to partner with our neighbors, and to help build communities where every person can live openly, safely, and with dignity.

Moses did not speak merely to recount the past. He spoke to prepare the people for the future.

May we do the same. May we find our voices, not voices of fear, but of courage; not voices of division, but of dignity; not voices that merely react, but voices that inspire others to build communities rooted in justice, compassion, and respect.

May we remember where we have been, give thanks for those who have chosen to stand beside us, and recommit ourselves to the sacred work that still lies ahead.

Together, may our words, and more importantly our actions, help create a Capital Region, and a world, where every person can live without fear and where every community can flourish in peace.

Shabbat Shalom, 

Rabbi Weitzman