by Rabbi Joel Mosbacher, the spiritual leader of Beth Haverim Shir Shalom in Mahwah, NJ, one of the national co-chairs of the Do Not Stand Idly By campaign, and an OSRUI Alum.

“Do not stand idly by while your neighbor’s blood is shed.”
— Leviticus 19:16

This passage, from Parashat K’doshim in the Book of Leviticus, is one of the most challenging mitzvot of the 613 in the Torah. It calls on us to think beyond our own needs, beyond the needs of our families, perhaps even beyond the bounds of our congregations and communities, to take action on behalf of others.

The scourge of gun violence is one that has affected so many of our neighbors, and we are commanded by Jewish tradition to act.

I grew up in NFTY (the Reform community’s youth movement) in the Chicago area, active in my synagogue youth group, eagerly anticipating each summer at URJ Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute, a Reform Jewish summer camp in Wisconsin. I learned from my family, from my rabbi, Leo Wolkow, and from my experiences at camp and in NFTY to care about issues that affected not only my community but also my world. Gun violence was one such issue I cared about as a human being and as a Jew, but it was an issue that I never imagined would touch me personally.

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