One light in a dark valley

In January of this year, my small synagogue in East Texas received a piece of funky art – a colorful painting of a cowboy hat with a Jewish star on it with the text: The world needs more Jewish Cowboys. And for those who have seen the painting, they know that in addition to the beautiful artwork was a letter written on the back of the canvas expressing love and support for the Jewish people from an anonymous group of non-Jewish friends here in East Texas. It was an awesome gift and I shared the story about that art in an article here in the Times of Israel.

I have told the story of that piece of art to friends near and far because during these difficult days, it is important to share stories of beauty and strength.

Last month, I attended the Jewish National Fund – USA conference in Dallas, TX where I heard Rabbi David Wolpe share a wonderful reminder. He said, “the Jewish people are very good at knowing who our enemies are. But we are not so great at knowing who our friends are.”

So, these days we are paying special attention to those who reach out to us and lift us up with love.

In early November of this year – I received a second piece of funky artwork. But before I tell that story, I need to share an even more beautiful backstory:

Almost every year since I have been in Tyler, TX  – around 22 years – like clockwork, there is a knock at the office door on or around November 9th. When I answer, there is a person standing there with a package for delivery to the congregation. If no one is at the Temple, they leave it at the back door.

It is a gift from a local church. And in the package is always some piece of glassware. Some years it’s a bowl, some years it’s a vase, and sometimes it’s a beautiful glass plate. And attached to the gift is a lovely note from the local church that talks about Kristallnacht – the Night of Broken Glass. In the note, they reference that on November 9th, 1938, a pogrom occurred in Germany that murdered Jewish people, broke business storefronts, and desecrated synagogues. And they say that Kristallnacht is often considered a starting date for what we now call the Holocaust.

The note from the local church speaks about the horrors of the Holocaust and the need to repair that which was broken. And in commemoration of night of broken glass, they offer my synagogue, Beth El, a piece of new, unbroken, beautiful glassware. It is a symbol of wholeness and hope.

Message received.

Every year, I am deeply moved by this gesture of love. If only that level of thoughtfulness was amplified in all our communities, then our world would be a much holier place.

And then came November 9th this year. This year, hanging on the front door of our synagogue was another random piece of new beautiful artwork.

It is larger than the original Jewish cowboy hat piece from January. And, as you can see from the picture, there is an enlarged picture of a face overlaid with the Hebrew text from Isaiah 33:6 (pictured on front):

וְהָיָה אֱמוּנַת עִתֶּיךָ חֹסֶן יְשׁוּעֹת חכְמַת וָדָעַת יִרְאַת יְהֹוָה הִיא אוֹצָרוֹ׃
Faithfulness to Your charge was [her] wealth,
Wisdom and devotion [her] triumph,
Reverence for GOD—that was her treasure.

It’s a powerful piece of artwork on its own. But that’s not all. There is a new letter written on the back side of the canvas that reads (text below):
To Rabbi Katz & the Wonderful Jewish people of Temple Beth El, our friends ~

Great Lord of Israel, may He bless you all! On this solemn day being the 86th year of the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the unofficial beginning of the horrors that have come to be known as the Holocaust, there are some of us here in Tyler who want y’all to know that we care. I give you this artwork I made which I call “Keeper of the Land” to you guys. Back in 1938 they had no nation of Israel for a home, no recourse to safety. Recent events in Amsterdam show just how very important that is … a grim reminder that hatred of the Jews is alive & well. Ultimately is the Lord Almighty who saves … but he established Israel! Amen. So may you all rest well knowing that the Keeper of Israel neither sleeps nor slumbers. We love you!

~ A Friend and His Friends

What can I say? Someone has done their homework and has shared an anonymous gift of love once again. I know there is a signature on the artwork, but it is unreadable. And as I shared from the January piece of artwork, I actually enjoy not knowing who it is.

And even though there is no direct connection between this piece of artwork and the local church that usually brings us a piece of glassware in commemoration of Kristallnacht, I have a suspicion that it is part of the same community of friends. It’s close in tone and thoughtfulness.

As we move into the late days of December, the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer. We know that this week, we will hit the peak of darkness at the winter solstice. And we also know that this is the very time of year when we need the most light. Enter Chanukah.

We are moving into the 14th month of war against the enemies of Israel. And as the pain of this moment continues, we are also beset with anti-Israel media bias and politicization and growing antisemitism and performative activism. In these days, the world feels darker and darker. And in that growing sadness, there is an ever-greater need for light. Enter the recent piece of art lovingly shared with my congregation.

I share this story in hopes that we can be reminded that the Jewish community is loved and revered. I know it may not always feel this way. So it is wonderful to be reminded from time to time – just how much love and uplift is truly around us.

And with this love, may we continue to bring holiness and light and strength to this world.