Tolerance - Through Three Meaningful Weekend Events


Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings this weekend were all very meaningful to me related to three varied events I was a part of. 

Friday evening we went to a vigil followed by a Sabbath Service of the Makom Shalom (Jewish Renewal) Synagogue.   The vigil commemorated the recent killing of 11 Jews at a synagogue in Pittsburgh.   It was simple as we held candles – and quite memorable for me.  B – felt unsafe along the sidewalk, fearing that we could be attacked by someone in a car.   I felt safe.

The service was most enjoyable.   Attendees included a number of people who were not Jewish but were being supportive of Jews.   That was very welcome!   Singing together was a significant part of the service.   It felt very warm and inclusive.   

After the conclusion of the service a good portion of those there shared food and drink together and talked.   Several people immediately came to us before we’d left our seats to talk with us.  It was clear quite quickly that they had a small, warm, inclusive community.   We felt very accepted there!   I hope that we will join the congregation and regularly attend the non Torah Study events – which seem to be 1-2 times/month.

I have long wanted to find more community and this seems like an excellent place to start.   I liked all the people that I met.

Saturday evening we went to a small theater to see: A Shayna Maidel, a most wonderful play.   The play is a story of two sisters, one who escaped from Poland to Brooklyn in the late 1930’s at the age of four meeting her older sister who survived the concentration camps, having not left Europe because of poor health.

The play was an exploration of differences and change as the two women adapted to each other as well as dealing with their father, an oft difficult man.   A variety of themes were explored and developed.   Everything about the play was extremely effective!   The actors were incredible, the staging great, etc.

I was amazed!   We had previously seen plays at Chicago’s two best known theaters:  The Goodman and Steppenwolf.   Their plays were excellent.   This production of the TimeLine Theatre seemed far better to me than either of the other theaters.   It was a most pleasant evening.

Tonite – Sunday night, we went to see my step-child M – in a reading of The Laramie Project.   It told the story of the murder of Matthew Shepard through many interviews of Laramie residents.   It was a most inspiring story of both the intolerance of a few, and the warm, opening hearts of many more.

I cried a little, feeling moved by the story.

All three of the events spoke in varying ways of the importance of communication and tolerance.   The themes were all highly meaningful give that in two days we have the 2018 election.  Hopefully things will go well Tuesday!

Thanks!


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