POWER Interfaith Convention: Introduction by Rabbi Abi Weber

Good afternoon. Today I stand before you to give the “Faith Reflection” for this event. If you’ve been part of a POWER meeting or action before, you know that the “Faith Reflection” is a standard opening for POWER – a chance to think about how our own faith traditions bring us to this moment, and to pray that our Higher Power be with us in this work. It is an essential component of any POWER gathering. 

But I faced some difficulty in writing this opening, because I, like many Jews, have trouble with the word “faith.” Rather than refer to Judaism as a faith, most would call it a religion or a practice. In traditional Judaism, what we do matters more than what we believe. There’s a joke in Judaism: if you have two Jews, you have at least three opinions. Two Jews may have vastly different understandings of God, of the historicity of the Bible, even of the very meaning of being Jewish. The gaps in our systems of understanding are great. All the more so when people of many different religious traditions come together! How, then, can we speak of “faith”? 

But the truth is, being here today, at this first-ever POWER statewide convention, is an act of faith. Faith that coming together across lines of deep difference is good for the world. Faith that our children deserve better, our planet deserves better, our Commonwealth deserves better. Faith that when we lift up our voices as one, we can actually make a difference in Pennsylvania. Faith that being here today matters. 

And, more so than ever before, this faith must be strong. Because there are voices out there today, loud voices, that are shouting that we shouldn’t be united. That we can’t trust each other. That each religious group, each racial group, each ethnic group, ought to shrink into itself and circle the wagons. That we couldn’t possibly join hands with those who are different from ourselves in this way, or that way. That it’s just not the right time for these conversations. That we aren’t capable of overcoming our differences of opinion, our differences of identity, our differences of belief. 

Those voices are not voices of faith. Those are voices of fear. 

Voices of faith say this is the time, this is the place. That the best way to fight antisemitism, and Islamophobia, and anti-Black racism, and all forms of bigotry and hatred, is not to barricade ourselves inside of our communities, but to stand up and to speak up together. That our difference is not our obstacle but our power. 

It takes courage to overcome these loud voices of fear. But I have faith that this group of people here today has that courage. 

Even though some Jews have a hard time with the word “faith,” emunah, a Hebrew word often translated as “faithfulness,” is an integral part of our tradition. Each morning, many Jews wake up and say, Modah ani lifanecha, Grateful am I before you, melech chai v’kayam, living and enduring king, she’he’che’zarta bi nishmati b’chemlah, who returned my soul to me with compassion, rabbah emunatecha, your faithfulness is great. Great is God’s faith in us, so great that the Divine returns our souls to us each morning, confident

that we will use that day wisely. God’s faith in us is great – let us have that same faith in ourselves, in one another, in what we can build when we are united. 

And so, from the very gaps between us, from the spaces between each of our unique traditions, from the contrast between each of our particular and essential selves, let us draw our power and our prayer. 

Ribono shel olam, Master of the Universe, be with us today. Let your Power flow through us as we demand change in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Let your voice bind our voices together as one, as we call out: TZEDEK TZEDEK TIRDOF, “Justice, justice, shalt thou Pursue.” Let your emunah rabah, your great faithfulness, lift up our faith that another world is possible, olam hesed yibaneh. 

Ken yehi ratzon, may this be your will, and let us say, AMEN.