May Newsletter: Civic Duty and Responsibility

Rarely does paying taxes, waiting in line to vote, or doing jury duty fill anyone with unadulterated excitement. Yet these civic duties are our collective responsibility in our country. Over the last several weeks I’ve watched prospective jurors wading through complex questions of values, morality, justice, and consequence. Watching this process has opened my eyes to the vulnerability of taking part in your civic duty and the bravery and commitment these jurors have exhibited in doing so.

I can readily admit that I have not always approached duty with this same commitment and steadfastness. The process of civic engagement in the courthouse this month has inspired me to redefine duty for myself as an opportunity to be a responsible neighbor to those I will never meet.

In our Jewish teachings there are actions such as “making a minyan,” where people wake up early to say the morning prayers together. We do this so that a mourner has nine people to accompany them in their prayers. You may not know the mourner, and this duty may be thankless and routine, but it cultivates a sense of duty and responsibility to one another.

In this vein, I invite you to reflect upon what civic duty to your community means to you. Sometimes solidarity and communal responsibility takes the bravery to stand with others in moments of great risk or importance. Sometimes it takes the courage to continue to show up for others and take part in the communal duty of caring for one another during difficulty and pain. We’ve been able to witness people embracing solidarity through the Blue Ribbons they pin to their clothes or hang from their doors and windows. It’s been inspiring to see how neighbors have come together across Pittsburgh and the United States to show care for the families and survivors during the trial and in solidarity with all those who’ve experienced hate-based violence.

If you are interested in learning more about ways to stand with one another while supporting yourself, and how taking time for our own emotions strengthens this community as a whole, I invite you to check out the op-ed I wrote last week for the Jewish Chronicle around building community resiliency. No matter how you fulfill your responsibilities this week, whether towards others or towards yourself, I wish you peace.