{"id":9037,"date":"2013-08-29T21:50:49","date_gmt":"2013-08-30T03:50:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=9037"},"modified":"2013-08-29T21:53:52","modified_gmt":"2013-08-30T03:53:52","slug":"topolosky-responds-with-open-letter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/topolosky-responds-with-open-letter\/","title":{"rendered":"Topolosky responds with ‘Open Letter’"},"content":{"rendered":"

By RABBI URI TOPOLOSKY
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

(Editor’s note: The following is a letter sent to the Jewish community of New Orleans in response to the recent JTA article<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n

In remembrance of all the loss eight years ago. And in celebration of all we have gained since then.<\/p>\n

Dear Friends,<\/p>\n

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Our family is settling in up here in Maryland and trying to adjust to wearing sweatshirts at night, congestion on the roadways, and fast talkers. We will be spending our High Holidays in my new pulpit in Rockville, MD, trying to communicate our ingrained southern values to a bunch of Yankees (and a few Red Sox fans).<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the appreciation we feel towards all of you, and the extent to which we cherish our NOLA community, was mischaracterized in a recent article about our family’s departure to Maryland. It is true that our family’s decision to leave was largely based on our desire to provide a different educational environment for our children. This I shared openly with all of you back in January and in the interview with JTA.<\/p>\n

However, in no way did I ever insinuate that our move was the result of an overall decline in the state of the NOLA Jewish community. (Certainly, the word “crumbling” never came out of my mouth!) In fact, I offered the exact opposite narrative of our larger community. I highlighted the resurgence of our Orthodox synagogue, as well as the terrific strategic plan implemented by our Federation after Katrina. I discussed the new Torah Academy being built, the existing mikvahs<\/em> (ritual baths), the community mikvah project that is underway, the multiple kosher options, and the community eruv<\/em> (community enclosure).<\/p>\n

I spoke about the unique cooperative spirit that exists amongst the various religious denominations in New Orleans – one that serves as a model for our entire American Jewish community. (And not just on Katrina anniversaries!) I shared my appreciation for the warmth and closeness of our entire Jewish community – big enough to offer variety, yet small enough to wrap your arms around. Finally, I talked about the Big Easy. And while it was hard for me to put our city into words for the benefit of a New York writer, I still managed to say a few things about what New Orleans might teach to the great beyond.<\/p>\n

In some parts of our religious Jewish world, there are only one or two measuring sticks that determine the vitality of a community. That might be because they have never spent a good weekend in some of the special places where Jews have gathered outside the giant metropolises of our country. Compared to New York and Los Angeles, I did say that New Orleans isn’t a haven for orthodoxy. (The context was lost there.) But I also said it is the exact type of Orthodoxy we have loved for the past six years. And it is the kind of Jewish community that broke our hearts to leave.<\/p>\n

Many communities, large and small, share the struggles of maintaining a Day School – that is not unique to New Orleans, and should not be waived as a red flag to undermine all the good work that has been done. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for smaller communities to hire young rabbis, who often serve short terms before seeking different options for their growing families. But as one of those rookie rabbis, I feel blessed to be a New Orleanian – it was there that I learned some of the most fundamental teachings about what it means to live in a healthy Jewish community.<\/p>\n

Shanah Tovah U’Metukah!<\/p>\n

With love (and a nod to giving the benefit of the doubt, and the joy<\/strong> of being taken out of context),<\/p>\n

Rabbi Uri (with Dahlia and the kids)<\/p>\n

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