January 3, 2020 “Joseph gave his brothers the best of the land”                Vayigash 47:11

Jews in America have transformed from illiterate slum-dwelling immigrants to enjoying, today, the “best of the land”. Our journey profited from our vigorous Jewish and family values and our fixations on education and advancement. It was aided as well, despite eruptions of anti-Semitic sentiment, by our ability to assimilate into the general culture, to escape the oppression of slum neighborhoods, and to finance our own generous social service culture. Racial minorities, however, have had none of these advantages, trapped by redlining in the inner-city, by job discrimination, and by all of the social ills these conditions perpetuate. We Jews are justly proud of our gains, but let’s not permit that to engender the conceit that, because we did it, those so less empowered than us are deficient. By advocating for our downtrodden brothers for housing equity, social services, improved school resources, day care, early education and college tuition, we can make the “best of the land” reachable for all. L’Shana Tova!