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Chaplain's Corner

Retell the Telling of Our Story

BY RABBI BARRY COHEN
As a nation, we are struggling to tell our histo-
ry. We cannot agree on the national narrative that
Published biweekly by binds us. Rabbi Barry
Jewish Federation of This relates to an array of controversies from Cohen is the
Greater Portland the national to the local: Critical Race Theory, Jewish commu-
9900 SW Greenburg Road, the 1619 Project and the legacy of slavery; how nity chaplain
Suite 220 Texas public schools teach what happened at the of the Greater
Tigard, OR 97223 Alamo; in Tennessee, the McMinn County Board Portland area.
of Education’s decision to remove Maus from
503-245-6219 the curriculum; Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, chaplain@
JewishPortland.org dictating how gender is taught. jewishportland.org
facebook.com/JewishPDX In a recent Throughline podcast, “The Story of
instagram.com/ Us,” Mir Tamim Ansary explored the fraying of verse collection of peoples: we have lived and
jewishfederationpdx/ our national narrative and history. Ansary is an continue to live in almost every nation. We are
Afghan-American author, public speaker and of Ashkenazic, Sephardic, Mizrahi and Italian
Editor philosopher of history. His latest work is The In- descent. We are interfaith, POC and LGBTQ+.
And so much more.
vention of Yesterday.
Deborah Moon This podcast grabbed my attention because we To varying degrees, we have all been enslaved.
editor@jewishportland.org are about to gather around the seder table to share We have our personal stories of redemption. To
503-892-7404 (message) our story. What is the status of our narrative? reflect our collective identity, we must create a
Does it express who we are? Is everyone includ- shared story in which everyone can see them-
Circulation ed in the telling? Do we agree with how we are selves.
To receive the Jewish sharing our story? We also must be careful of how we refer to and
Review in your email inbox, The beauty and the strength of the Haggadah, even co-opt other people’s stories of slavery.
email your name and email the telling of the tale, is its organic nature. Our I grew up in Memphis during a time when the
address to Haggadah is ever-changing, depending on the city was highly segregated. One of the highlights
editor@jewishportland.org needs of the day. We have incorporated into our was our singing “Let My People Go.” We sang it
story of redemption the story of civil rights and to the melody of an African-American spiritual.
OPINIONS printed in the women’s rights. We modified our story to include We thus linked the Jewish people’s experience of
Jewish Review do not the struggle of Jews in the former Soviet Union. slavery with the African-American experience of
necessarily reflect those We have also incorporated into our story the ne- slavery.
In 2022, I have a much more accurate under-
of the Jewish Review cessity to address climate change.
We face complicated questions as we confront standing of our nation’s history and how it is
Committee, the Jewish the status of our national narrative. Who is in intimately connected to the enslavement and ex-
Federation of Greater charge of the telling? How do we determine what ploitation of African-Americans. I no longer feel
Portland, its governing is included? How do we interpret the content? comfortable singing “Let My People Go,” which
board or the staffs of either Ansary explains that to maintain a common na- symbolically incorporated the slave experience
the newspaper or the tional identity, we must agree on a common sto- of African-Americans into the slave experience
Federation. ry. We must all feel part of being a “we … an of my ancient ancestors. I acknowledge that I
intertangled spaghetti of human lives.” am instructed at the seder table to feel as if I am
Next issues because we are questioning the motives of those can feel the pain of enslaved African-Americans.
Our national narrative is breaking down in part currently enslaved. But that does not mean that I
who for centuries have controlled the content and And I definitely cannot truly feel what post-Civil
Issue date Deadline the telling of the narrative. In addition, more and War African-American generations have felt in
more of those victimized or omitted are objecting a nation that has yet to come to terms with our
April 27 April 14 that the narrative does not include them, and that original sin of slavery.
they are tired of not being recognized for their
Thank goodness we are taught that our Hagga-
(early) place in the telling of our nation’s history. dah must reflect our current needs. Hardwired
Concerning our Haggadah, now is the perfect into the telling of our tale are instructions to ask
May 11 May 5 time to take a look at the foundational stories that hard questions and debate constructively. This
we have incorporated into our tale of redemption. year, let us expand the telling so that it begins to
May 25 May 19 We must reflect on who “we” are and ensure that reflect the diversity of our people. Let everyone
all of us are included in the narrative. We must who gathers with us at our seders say with pride,
June 8 June 2 celebrate our diversity and recognize our back “I see myself in this story. This Haggadah reflects
stories. The Jewish people are a beautifully di- who I am.”
Submit news, photos In addition to the Chaplain's Corner, The Jewish Review offers space for a Rabbi's
and obituaries to Corner each issue. Our community's rabbis are invited to share their thoughts on the
editor@jewishportland.org week's parsha or current events. To schedule a column, email editor@jewishportland.org.
12 Jewish Review April 13, 2022