CONCLUSION OF THE SHLOSHIM FOR GEORGE FLOYD
Standing up against systemic racism needs to be a priority for the Jewish people. July 8 marked thirty days since the burial of George Floyd. In Judaism, this time period is referred to as “shloshim,” which means “thirty” in Hebrew. Shloshim marks the point at which a mourner begins to return to normal life, using our grief to perpetuate the memory of the one we have lost in order to bring blessings into the world. In observing Mr. Floyd’s shloshim, however, we are striving not to return to a “normal life,” but instead to mark our renewed commitment to working harder, digging deeper, and actively opposing the racial injustice that still exists in the world today.
As Jews, we uphold the obligation of nichum aveilim, the duty to comfort those who mourn, utilizing our human presence and compassion, our attentiveness and our generosity, to assuage the grief of the bereaved. Going forward, we must remember this value as we support those in our community who are still mourning, and we redouble our obligation to those impacted. As we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Black community, we will seek to leverage our voices to bring about lasting change. Our aim is not simply to endure the mourning of these difficult days, but to use it to help us grow.
As leaders of Houston’s Jewish community, we are grateful for this opportunity to express our solidarity with our Black brothers and sisters. Our own unique history reminds us that the persecution of anyone leads to the suffering of everyone, and our moral values demand that we speak out and step forward to work together toward stamping out prejudice, racism, and bigotry toward any of our fellow human beings.
Rabbi Gideon Estes
Rabbi Barry Gelman
Rabbi Oren Hayon
Rabbi David Lyon
Rabbi Brian Strauss
Rabbi Ranon Teller
Kari Dunn Saratovsky
The signatories of this op-ed are the leaders of Houston’s largest Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox Synagogues as well as the Chair of the Houston Rabbinical Association and the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston.
