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Chaplain's Corner

Derech Eretz Can Save Us

BY RABBI BARRY COHEN our ability to be civil. Civility
The nation that we call the is beyond “good manners.” Ste-
United States is based on ideas. ven Carter, professor of law at
Published biweekly by We are only as strong as our Yale University, explains that
Jewish Federation of ideas are sound. civility is “the sum of the many
Greater Portland We must accept the following: sacrifices we are called to make
• We can trust the results of for the sake of living together.”
9900 SW Greenburg Road, our elections. (Saying No and Letting Go, by
Suite 220 • The Supreme Court is not Rabbi Edwin Goldberg, page
Tigard, OR 97223 a political entity, but rather a 98.)
503-245-6219 legitimate part of our govern- With civility, we give people
JewishPortland.org ment’s checks and balances. the benefit of the doubt and Rabbi Barry Cohen is the
facebook.com/JewishPDX • Our democratically elected treat them with respect before Jewish community chaplain of
instagram.com/ officials represent the will of we feel they have earned it. the Greater Portland area.
Civility is the glue that holds
the people who voted for them.
jewishfederationpdx/ • Democracy’s genius is a our nation and our democracy chaplain@jewishportland.org
peaceful transition of power. together. Judaism’s version of said, I did not change the sub-
Editor • Our schools are safe places civility is derech eretz, a sense ject or make up an excuse to
Deborah Moon where teachers and administra- of common decency. leave the room. I did my best
editor@jewishportland.org tors have their best interests in Sadly, common decency has to stay present with him and
503-892-7404 (message) heart. become a luxury for too many listened. I tried to discover his
Part of me feels naïve or people. We are struggling and back story to gain a better grasp
Circulation even Pollyannish writing these at times failing as a nation to of the full person.
To receive the Jewish words. I never thought we navigate an incredibly stressful Looking back, I embraced
Review in your email inbox, would ever doubt these ideas, time. Too many of us see “the civility and practiced derech
email your name and email but here we are. How can we other” not as fellow citizens, eretz, however difficult it may
address to ensure that these straightfor- but as “the enemy.” We no lon- have been.
editor@jewishportland.org ward ideas remain trustworthy? ger recognize each other. What is another way of being
Perhaps the greatest threat to Let me share an anecdote civil? We can look at a syn-
OPINIONS printed in the these ideas is the fact that we about a patient I visited during onym of civility – courtesy.
Jewish Review do not are living in a time when, for my Clinical Pastoral Education Rabbi Goldberg, in his book,
necessarily reflect those various reasons, we feel a lack residency in Barrington, Ill., calls on us to treat one another
of control. We no longer feel in an upscale suburb of Chicago. as if we are in court … as if we
of the Jewish Review control of our safety and secu- As I visited with the elderly are royalty.
Committee, the Jewish rity; our ease of moving from gentleman, I learned that we Is that possible in 2022? May-
Federation of Greater place to place; the means we had much in common, which be, just maybe, if we treat one
Portland, its governing use to communicate; our trust included a love of the outdoors another with courtesy, that ci-
board or the staffs of either in our fellow citizens; our fi- and of college football. He vility and courtesy will be re-
the newspaper or the nancial future; our government; shared anecdotes of grilling flected back to us.
Federation. and the information the diverse steaks for his grandchildren, With all of the divisiveness,
media outlets provide. Perhaps much like my father grilled for anger and nastiness we wit-
Next issues the greatest trauma is our loss his children. But then the con- ness in our world, I am sharing
of control over our dreams and versation turned to the political, radical ideas by talking about
hopes for the future. and he shared his ideas about civility and derech eretz as a
Issue date Deadline As a result, based on a range the Trump/Clinton presidential solution. I am not saying this
of emotions, too many of us race. He praised Trump for his solution will be easy to imple-
ment. I am not saying that I am
are lashing out, whether with economic ideas and his “Amer-
March 2 Feb. 24 words or actions. This has led ican-first” jingoism. looking forward to polishing
to hopelessness, cynicism and I was taken aback. I had made my civility skills.
March 16 March 10 fatigue. a genuine connection with him, But if we want to preserve the
We have more control than but then felt blindsided by his glue that holds our society to-
March 30 March 24 we think. We have control over political beliefs. That being gether, what choice do we have?

April 13 April 7
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12 Jewish Review Feb. 16, 2022