Dear Editor:
We have seen many statements condemning the littering of hateful propaganda as well the arson attack on an Austin synagogue. It is easy for us as a community to denounce such actions. But denouncing hatred is not enough. As a pastor in a tradition that has had to grapple with a history of antisemitism and reject some of the writings of our founder who was at times hateful, we have to recognize that hate exists mostly where there are no relationships with those who are not like us.
There is more to rejecting antisemitism than just making a statement. It is not enough to say we are against hate. We must also make positive action to declare what we are FOR. We must stand WITH our neighbors who are the targets of that hate. But we must do more than just say we accept those neighbors or even that we stand with them. We must SUPPORT and APPRECIATE them, and we EMBRACE what is special about them. We must CELEBRATE who they are.
