A Message from Dr. Schorr: "Charlottesville: Response and Responsibility"

Although we have not yet started the school year, we consider ourselves nevertheless a part of a big family – a family that extends beyond the walls of Beth Tfiloh.

Recent events, however, demand that we take a moment to reaffirm the values we all hold dear and the values which we try so hard to instill in our children each and every day.

Let there be no equivocation.

We stand for derech eretz, understanding, compassion, and equality.

We firmly reject bigotry, hatred, prejudice, and injustice.

Our moral compass needs to be strong and firm, and it is our responsibility to convey to our children George Washington’s famous words, written to the Jewish community of Newport, RI in 1790:

"The Government of the United States...gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance."

Please read the following articles, How to Talk to Your Kids About the Violence in Charlottesville and 10 Things You Can Do to Combat Hate, for guidance on how to address these highly sensitive topics with your children.

It is up to us to affirm and model respectful, kind and compassionate behavior so our children will learn what matters most and will realize, in the words of the Torah, “Banim atem LaHashem” – we are all children of God.