Invocation by Rabbi Yossi Mendelson
Rabbi Mendelson of Congregation Machane Chodosh delivers an invocation reflecting on October 7th, his great-grandfather's activism, and the sanctity of life, asking for wisdom and compassion in deliberations.
We will now have today's invocation, which will be delivered by Rabbi Yossi Mendelsohn of Congregation Mahanei Hadosh, which is located at 11012 68th Avenue in Queens.
There are moments in life that force us to face what matters most.
In times of crisis, we have to choose between the superficial and the authentic, between the temporal and the eternal.
October 7th, 2023 was one such day for me.
It was a holy day, and my religious observances limited my access to accurate information.
And so in that fog of uncertainty, my imagination ran wild with a terrible possibility.
What, if never again, turned out to be a false hope?
And I thought of my great, great, great grandfather, Abraham.
My great-grandfather, Abraham Baroff, came to this country, escaping violence against Jews at the end of the 19th century, and he became the patriarch of seven generations of New Yorkers.
He thought he'd survive as a poet and journalist, but when he saw the crisis of disadvantaged workers, he stepped up.
Leading the Garment Workers Union as they desperately tried to prevent tragedies like the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire.
His life reminds me that never again is not just about survival.
Instead, it's about what you stand for.
It's about what survives through you.
His fight for justice, fairness, and humanity continued the life and teaching of his great forefather, his namesake, the biblical Abraham.
The biblical Abraham's message is this.
As life is everywhere, so too its source.
The source of life is known by many names, but really is beyond any name.
The infinite, eternal, and almighty is beyond gender and class.
We are all contained and sustained by the same source.
God is bigger than religion.
There is no place, no aspect of life where the Almighty is absent.
And I believe that the biblical Abraham would see what's happening right here
right now in this august chambers as the fulfillment of his message.
Look, women and men whose decisions will shape the future of this great city and in many ways guide the course of the whole world are beginning their deliberations and their work with a moment of sincere reflection and prayer.
God is here.
Even in the halls of human power, we invite a reminder of our sacred responsibility to humanity.
That we remember to care for each other as the source of life cares for us.
That we remember our obligation to uphold the dignity of every human life,
to strengthen the families and communities that sustain life, and to craft policies grounded in compassion, responsibility, and the sanctity of life.
Never again begins in remembrance, deepens through prayer, but must live through action.
In the choices we make, the institutions we build, and the lives we refuse to abandon,
And so, let us pray.
May the one source of life, Almighty God, guide our deliberations and our decisions.
May we act with wisdom and compassion, humility and courage.
May we affirm the dignity of every human life.
And nurture the families and communities through which life flourishes.
And may the favor and pleasantness of the all-merciful and almighty rest on our work for peace and prosperity.
Amen.
Thank you, Rabbi Mendelsohn.