Balance

Since the attack on a synagogue in Texas three weeks ago, synagogues around the country have been reexamining their security measures and providing “situational awareness” training similar to the training that helped the Rabbi there assess the hostages’ best exit strategy.

The aftermath of the attack has led many of us to grapple with two issues of balance in Jewish life.

The first is the balance between welcoming the stranger, a value fundamental to Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and security. If we close our doors we mitigate the risk of violence, but we eliminate the ability to enlarge our communities or to provide care and comfort to strangers in need. After being held hostage at gunpoint by a man he had welcomed with a cup of tea, Rabbi Cytron-Walker said that he would do the same thing again.

The door to my temple is always locked. I have often served as a greeter before services, opening the door to congregants I know well and to strangers. When someone I don’t know arrives, I have always let them in. I take some comfort in knowing there are police officers parked outside, but I am always aware that there is a risk, and there is always a moment of hesitation and fear. I hope the fear will never override the commitment to welcoming the stranger.

This issue feels familiar. When I was a community college president and there had been a shooting in a rural community college like mine, our director of security director suggested limiting access to the campus. While we implemented several new security measures, that was not one of them. It would have undermined the very thing that made us a community college.

The second issue of balance is between gathering to pray as a community, giving ourselves over to the worship experience, and hyper-vigilance. Yes, we should be aware of odd behavior and the nearest exit, but if we let our wariness interfere with our spiritual devotion, we may as well stay home.