Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

At the end of the sixth plague, as recounted in this week's Torah portion, Pharaoh asks Moses, "Who are the ones to go?" Moses responds with one of the most important statements in the entire Torah, "With our young and with our old, we go forth." As a Jewish leader, Moses understands that a community, a society, and a nation need the wellbeing of young and old. The old offer a perspective based on wisdom, history, and experience. The young offer a perspective  based on energy, vitality, and innovation. When these two demographics work with respect for each other, sharing similarities and differences, the result is a benefit for all concerned. 

Jewish tradition is based on the old, the youth of a previous generation, handing off our heritage to the young, who will become the old of a next generation. This successful transition from one generation to the next has ensured Jewish survival and growth. Each demographic needs to be nurtured and sustained. In my thirty-three years serving the pulpit rabbinate, the healthy synagogues are the ones that budget and offer meaningful programming for young and old alike. During this challenging time caused by COVID, I have been proud to see a lot of virtual activities directed to our elderly population, our young families, and our upcoming Bnai Mitzvah young adults.

The ideal situation is not only supporting the growth of young and old, but watching them cooperate together. I have observed the joy for both when a young person contacts an older person to simply say hello. Years ago, I oversaw a program where young people became pen pals to older members of the congregation. While each demographic has its own educational and spiritual needs, there are so many ways where young and old can work together and mutually benefit from each other's shared gifts and strengths.

A few thousand years ago, Moses did not merely tell Pharaoh that everyone was going forth. He was careful to say that we go forth with our young and with our old. Readers of our tradition understand the depth of meaning in Moses' response to Pharaoh.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Howard Morrison