Supporting the Haitian Community in Springfield, Ohio

On Sunday, September 22^nd, Rabbi Karen Bodney-Halasz delivered these remarks at the Poor People's Campaign in support of the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio. Rabbi Bodney-Halasz brought a Muslim colleague with her to participate, allowing this moment of injustice to help re-build a bridge that has sometimes been strained over the past year.

Shalom. I'm Karen Bodney-Halasz, the Senior Rabbi of Temple Israel in Dayton, OH. Today, I want to begin with a verse from Proverbs 31:9:

פְּתַח-פִּיךָ שְׁפָט-צֶדֶק; וְדִין, עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן. 
"Open your mouth, judge righteously, and champion the cause of those in need and subject to oppression."

I stand here today because, as a Jew, my faith demands that of me. It is our responsibility to speak out against the xenophobic lies and misconceptions that threaten our neighbors. Haitian migrants, like all people, are created b'tzelem Elohim, in the image of God. When fear and prejudice dictate our actions toward others, we fragment our world further, moving us further from the world as it is meant to be.

In the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, we are commanded to protect, guard, and love the stranger no less than 36 times. This is not simply a suggestion; it is a moral obligation rooted in empathy and shared history. Leviticus 19: 34 teaches, "The immigrant who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself, for you were migrants in the land of Egypt: I the LORD am your God."

So today, we have come to speak up for the dignity of all people, regardless of where they come from or what they have endured.

And so we pray:

Oh God,

We thank You for bringing us together today to work towards repairing our world. Thank You for reminding us that being created in Your image means diversity, not uniformity. Grant us the courage to stand up for the dignity of all, transcending fear and suspicion, and resisting the urge to turn away from those in need.

Inspire us to engage in acts of justice and compassion, working together to build a better future in Springfield alongside our Haitian brothers and sisters.

Thank you, Adonai, for the opportunity to stand here this afternoon with my partners in faith. Though we come from diverse backgrounds, we are united in our commitment to a God of compassion, who calls us to protect the most vulnerable among us. May our gathering today foster understanding and kindness among us.

Kayn Yehi Ratzon - May it be Your will.

Amen.

From Rabbi Jonah Pesner:

These lies about the Haitian migrant community in the U.S. are not only absurd, but deeply dangerous. Political leaders, community leaders, and faith leaders - including rabbis - have an obligation to push back. As Jews, we are all too familiar with the danger of spreading conspiracy theories about minority groups. We condemn it and urge others to do the same. The most oft repeated commandment in the Torah is to welcome the stranger. Not your loved one, not your neighbor, but the stranger. At times when it is hardest to see what connects us, the Torah reminds us we are all God's children.