Rev. Donna Vande Kieft
On Sept. 11, 2001, a beautiful day in Lexington, Ky., I was between classes at seminary in the library when I heard about the first tower collapsing. Impossible to imagine the horror taking place in NYC.
Enrolled in a class on New Testament Scriptures, our professor was a Jewish scholar. After 9/11 he spent several days of class talking with us about the ramifications of this terrible event for all of us. I learned the term Tikkun Olam, which refers to the Jewish concept of “repairing the world.” It encompasses the idea that it is the responsibility of human beings to actively work towards making the world a better place for all. He dwelt on this topic for many days and we had sobering discussions as the days after 9/11 unfolded. Everyone drew close at first and our professor helped us to envision the long-term aftermath and how it would influence the world. He explained that each of us are ministers of the Gospel; especially as a need for revenge and destroying the terrorists sprung up.
This year marks 25 years since 9/11 and still it is hard to wrap our minds around how our world outlook has changed. Through a Facebook post I received a message from a friend whom I had not seen in many years. She was born in Venezuela and converted from Catholicism to Judaism after moving to the U.S. She planned to be visiting Phoenix and Tucson to take in an Immigration Justice workshop with a Jewish organization, Tzedek America. Tzedek is the Hebrew word for Justice. Their mission is to provide experiential opportunities to teach as many perspectives and narratives about an issue as possible to empower participants to make their own decisions about what they feel moved to support. They reinforce the Jewish values that teach the obligation to welcome and take care of the stranger, practicing Tikkun Olam and Tzedek.
They started in Phoenix with an educational day and then bused to Tucson, where I joined them. We traveled to Nogales and met with a retired Border Patrol agent who walked us along the border wall near the Port of Entry. We then went to a humanitarian organization, People Helping People, in Arivaca, a small remote town that immigrants travel through on their way to seeking refuge. We walked a short distance of their path where volunteers set out water jugs, blankets, and supplies to help them survive the harsh desert elements. Their mission is No Deaths. Many who cross the border perish in the desert. It is a humanitarian crisis response.
After the desert immersion, we bused back to Tucson to a local synagogue and were warmly welcomed for Friday night Shabbat service, a joyful celebratory gathering followed by a wonderful dinner. We left reflecting on an enriching informative day and concluded that we are all humans trying to make our lives and the world a better place, one small action at a time. L’Chaim! To Life! Shalom! God’s Peace to ALL!