Anyone who has visited our home in the past year is aware of the sign next to our doorbell which indicates that it is not working. Please knock, it says.
On Sunday, as we were doing chores around the house, there was a gentle knock on our door. With a big smile on his face stood Isaiah, our reliable weekly crossing guard at the corner of New Bridge and Westminster. He always has a kind and friendly word for each person on their way to and from shul.
The purpose of this particular visit was to give Nina information that she was not able to get from him on Shabbat. He has a niece who is looking for a job as a housekeeper, and he had asked for her to publicize her information. Obviously we will shortly do so on Teaneck shuls.
It was the balance of our visit which was most fascinating. Isaiah always has much to say about politics (he voted for Trump) and pretty much everything else. He is a registered pastor, although we did not know that pastors have to be registered with the government. We spoke for a long time about the devastating murders of four innocent homeless men in Chinatown just a few days ago. His opinions are fascinating. He speaks enthusiastically about how the system gives few in minority communities any incentive to work. There are so many benefits available to them if their income remains extra low that they rarely have a desire to move on.
Further into the conversation he spoke about his childhood growing up in South Carolina on a farm. He lived during the days of segregation and spoke of how his mother, who was a Navajo Indian, had preached to him each day to never speak with a white individual. He was to do his work on the farm and never wander around. Reaching out to a white person would put their lives in great danger. His father, who was black, tended the farm and each day they worried that one wrong move could cause them to be beaten, attacked or, God forbid, as was the case in so many of these instances, hung. We are talking about a man who will be turning 78 years old in a few weeks. These atrocities happened in a world where many of our parents and grandparents were living wonderful lives up north.
We remember as children, driving in the south with our parents and passing bus stops that were segregated, or washrooms that were indicated for “maids and porters” only, and wondering why none of our family members got more involved in fighting these injustices.
Here we are years later living in a time of affluence and contentment when daily we hear on the news about our nation’s southern border and how it is being flooded with immigrants trying to enter our country. We know that when we migrated to Canada there was no way that we would have been accepted to live there unless we had proper documentation and necessary paperwork.
What our position should be regarding what is going on with immigration in this country we are not sure. Most of us stay far away from giving it too much thought. After discussing with Isaiah the many injustices that still exist in the United States, we realize that perhaps it is time for all of us to educate our children with the notion that social injustice in this country should not be allowed. When situations arise outside of the Jewish community it does not give us the right to ignore them. Hopefully the new year will allow each of us at least one instance where we can quietly educate others regarding our frustration at the lack of equality which still exists.
By Rabbi Mordechai and Nina Glick
