New Year Message for The Jewish News

2004/5765 Rabbi Mark Goldsmith (Chairperson of the Rabbinic Conference of Liberal Judaism)

“From year to year the need becomes more urgent for a religion that teaches reverence for life as its highest principle. Judaism is such a religion. The God it worships does not desire the death of sinners, but that they may turn and live: God’s word is ‘Seek me and live’, and ‘Choose life.’ Judaism is a religion which teaches that to destroy a single life is to destroy an entire world, and to sustain a single life is to sustain an entire world…. It is the religion of the Akedah, which is a symbol of life, not death, because Abraham is forbidden to sacrifice his son”

Those are the words of the President of Liberal Judaism, Rabbi John Rayner, which open our prayer book for the High Holydays, Machzor Ruach Chadashah. This past year we have witnessed the callous disregard for human life through bombings in Israel and Iraq and through the crisis in the Sudan. In the year to come let us hope that Jews continue to stand up for the continuation of life through our generosity to others in the face of tragedy and our determination and action to work towards a better world.

May we also give life to the Jewish community by our participation in it and our openness and inclusiveness to those who wish to join us. The Liberal and Progressive Jewish congregations that constitute Liberal Judaism send our best wishes the whole Jewish Community. May we all be inscribed in the Book of Life for a good year ahead.