12 Cheshvan, 5773
Oct. 28, 2012
Dear Chevreh,
A few hours ago Chaim Mahgel, co-owner of
Afikomen Judaica, shared this photo of Afikomen's smashed front window.
Thank God, everyone is fine, and damage was minimal. But this store is our Jewish community's treasure, and an attack on it is an attack on us all, Jewish and not. Please make an effort to pay a special visit to Afikomen this week, spending some extra time and money as a statement of support and solidarity with Chaim, Nell, and the important work they do convening our community and exposing us all to new and exciting Jewish learning, books, music, art, and more.
How much more relevant can this teaching be? We are in the final weeks of the 2012 election, our Berkeley community will vote on several contested offices and many provocative measures, and we just had our hearts hurt by a violent attack on one of our Jewish communal homes.
The fabric of our lives as Jews and as American voters can be easily torn and is in constant need of strengthening. Both roles call us to pay close attention to the world around us, to answer our Jewish and civic obligations with awareness and vigilance, advocacy and open-ness.
May the days ahead find us safe and healthily engaged in building the future of our fragile world.
Kol Tuv,
Rabbi Creditor
"plug" for a program we're hosting this Sunday morning at 10:30am, thanks to the work of the Adult Education committee. And now the content of that program is ever more urgent. 
“The responsible life is a life that responds. The Hebrew for responsibility, achrayut, comes from the word acher, meaning “other.” Our gr...