As Selichot converged with the third anniversary of Sept. 11, leaders of three faiths gathered Saturday night at Peninsula Sinai Congregation in Foster City to examine intolerance, forgiveness and the impact of the terror attacks on religious belief.
“This year, we wanted to offer a spiritual means of resistance against the idea that we cannot live together in today’s society,” said Rabbi David Wirtschafter of Peninsula Temple Sholom in Burlingame, one of four participating South Bay synagogues.
Wirtschafter, who facilitated the panel discussion preceding the service, said the coincidence of Selichot with the anniversary of Sept. 11 reminds Jews of their special responsibility to remember that at the end of the day, they are a tolerant people who live in an interfaith, multicultural nation.
Selichot, which ushers in the High Holy Days, is marked the Saturday evening before Rosh Hashanah, as Jews begin to focus on the themes of forgiveness and repentance with the chanting of the Ashamnu and Avinu Malkeinu.
Speaking before an audience of more than 100, the Jewish, Muslim and Christian panelists grappled with some basic questions: Where was God on Sept.11? What is the distinction between free will and hatred? Have Americans gone too far in their patriotic response?
The panelists emphasized that Sept. 11 did not alter their views on faith, God and Scripture.
“The beginning of the Book of Genesis tells us Earth was founded on chaos and void,” said Mychal Copeland, rabbi at Hillel at Stanford. From the world wars to the Holocaust to the current atrocities in Sudan, catastrophic events “show us that we’ve always been living in terror. This isn’t something new.”
Since Scriptures indicate that God created good and evil, the more important question is how humanity handles the good and evil that God created within us, panelists pointed out.
When humans respond to one another with evil, “I’m not convinced God is pleased,” said the Rev. Jonathan Ruben Staples, senior pastor at Jerusalem Baptist Congregation in Palo Alto.
The panelists emphasized that it is counterproductive to blame God for such events as Sept. 11.
“God created humans with the basic instincts of anger and hatred, but God puts faith in humans to rise above these destructive instincts,” said Abdullah Bawaney, of the Muslim Community Association of the Peninsula. Unfortunately, such atrocities prove “humans often fail at gaining control and follow these instincts over their intellect.”
The panel also addressed the response to Sept. 11, and Staples expressed “strong concern about an unhealthy marriage between patriotism and faith.” Examining whether Americans have gone too far in their embrace of patriotism, he and others on the panel said that in many ways, they have.
“Everywhere I went after Sept. 11, I saw an American flag,” said Staples. While emphasizing that he is very much a proud American, he added, “Patriotism shouldn’t puff up one country to the detriment of another one. … God loves places other than America, while we can still believe God blesses America.”
Concerned about bumper stickers indicating that God will avenge America, along with attitudes of U.S. superiority, Staples and others said such behaviors go against shared religious teachings that love and tolerance should expand beyond borders to include all humanity. They agreed the challenge facing the faith-based community is to create a place where ideas can be expressed freely and patriotism discussed constructively.
“We are called to live a life of faith rooted in love for God and humanity,” Staples said.
Copeland, too, pointed out her disappointment with people’s response to the tragedies. “I struggle with the idea of Americans believing we are God’s favorite people,” and that God will always do one’s bidding. While events occur that are out of one’s control, a community can control its reaction, she said, “and as a community, we are not doing well.”
She and Bawaney both stressed that instead of hiding behind the idea that God will avenge us, the faith-based community should respond with grander concepts, such as education and tikkun olam, healing the planet.
“It is our responsibility as a community to repair the world as best we can,” Bawaney said.
Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo and Temple Beth Jacob in Redwood City also co-sponsored the community panel and Selichot service.