OUR$RABBIS$REFLECT$
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER+2013+
+ +On$the$Anniversary$of$the$Sandy$Hook$Elementary$Massacre$
I+drive+my+children+Shlomo,+now+5,+and+Zev,+now+2,+to+their+school+and+dayIcare+ almost+every+day.+Shlomo+hops+out+of+the+car+in+a+carIline+and+heads+inside.+Zev,+I+ +carry+in+my+arms+to+take+him+to+his+classroom.+I+say+goodbye,+give+them+a+kiss,+and+ move+on+with+my+day.+ +
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+I’m+not+a+worrier+by+nature;+I+don’t+spend+much+time+thinking+about+how+safe+their+
schools+are.+I+generally+take+for+granted+that+my+children+will+return+home+safely+at+ the+end+of+the+day,+tumbling+into+the+house+as+we+sit+down+together+for+dinner.+The+ +incredibly+horrific+massacre+at+Sandy+Hook+Elementary+in+Connecticut,+one+year+ago+ (Dec.+14,+2012)+called+all+that+into+question.+ + In+recognition+of+this+anniversary,+I+want+raise+up+the+work+of+one+amazing+woman,+Veronique+Pozner,+the+ mother+of+6IyearIold+Noah+Pozner.+Noah+was+the+youngest+victim+of+Adam+Lanza’s+rampage,+which+took+the+ lives+of+19+other+students+and+six+teachers+and+faculty+members+at+Sandy+Hook+Elementary+School.++ After+the+murder+of+her+son,+Pozner+channeled+her+grief+into+powerful+action.+Recently,+she+was+recognized+in+ the+number+one+spot+of+the+Forward+50,+the+Jewish+Daily+Forward’s+list+of+50+men+and+women+who+have+made+ a+significant+impact+on+the+Jewish+story+in+the+past+year.+In+the+words+of+the+Forward,+“before+Newtown,+ Pozner+was+a+private+citizen+leading+a+quiet+life+as+an+oncology+nurse+and+mother.+On+December+14,+2012,+she+ was+involuntarily+thrust+into+the+limelight.+But+rather+than+shy+away+from+the+media+onslaught,+Pozner+made+ the+Herculean+effort…of+communicating+her+grief+to+the+public.+In+so+doing,+she+kept+Newtown+and+gun+ control+on+the+national+agenda.”++ +
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While+action+towards+sane,+rational+gun+legislation+has+shamefully+ground+to+a+halt+at+the+national+level,+in+ April+2013,+partly+due+to+Pozner’s+efforts,+Connecticut+passed+the+strictest+gun+control+laws+in+the+nation,+ including+a+ban+on+the+sale+of+gun+magazines+with+a+capacity+of+more+than+10+rounds.+ You+can+view+a+powerful+four+minute+video+about+Pozner+at+http://video.forward.com/video/VeroniqueI Pozner.++The+video+begins+with+her+arresting+words:+“If+there+isn’t+some+type+of+change+in+the+national+ consciousness+by+six+and+seven+year+old+children+being+gunned+down+in+the+sanctity+of+their+school,+then+I+ think+we+have+lost+true+north+in+this+country.+Our+compass+is+broken.”+ +
In+the+weekly+parsha,+we+just+read+the+words+of+Joseph,+who+upon+revealing+himself+to+his+brothers+says,+“Now+ do+not+be+distressed+or+reproach+yourselves+because+you+sold+me+hither;+it+was+to+save+life+that+God+sent+me+ ahead+of+you.”+(Gen.+45:5)+In+a+few+months+we+will+read+the+words+of+Leviticus+19:16,+“Do+not+stand+idly+by+the+ blood+of+your+neighbor.”+And+a+few+months+after+that,+the+words+of+Deuteronomy+30:19,+“I+have+put+before+ you+life+and+death,+blessing+and+curse.+Choose+life—so+that+you+and+your+children+may+live.”+ The+extraordinary+availability+of+guns+in+our+country,+particularly+the+availability+of+assault+weapons+and+large+ capacity+magazines—whose+clear+purpose+is+to+kill+as+many+people+as+possible+as+quickly+as+possible—strikes+ me+as+one+of+the+most+lifeIdenying+elements+of+our+culture.++ +
It+gives+me+pause+when+I+drop+my+kids+off+at+school+in+the+morning,+for+since+the+massacre,+we+have+put+no+ additional+legal+measures+in+place+to+prevent+another+Sandy+Hook.+ One+year+after+this+massacre,+with+no+legislation+passed+at+the+national+level+to+protect+ourselves+and+our+ children+from+gun+violence,+we+are+all+guilty+of+standing+by+the+blood+of+our+neighbors.+I+urge+all+of+us+to+get+ involved,+at+least+at+the+level+of+email+activism+and+contributions,+with+one+of+the+national+gun+control+groups,+ such+as+Coalition+to+Stop+Gun+Violence,+Mayors+Against+Illegal+Guns,+or+the+Brady+Campaign+to+Prevent+Gun+ Violence.++ As+a+country,+we+can+do+better.+We+must+do+better.+With+hope+and+blessings+for+a+2014+that+protects+us+all+ from+senseless+violence,+Rabbi+Josh+ 2$ +
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