Even in a house divided
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Opinion

Even in a house divided

Thanksgiving 2024

Even in a house divided, there is room.
Room to listen; room to learn.
Room to conciliate; room to cooperate.
Room to rediscover; room to reimagine.

Even is a house divided there is room.
Room to find common cause; room to forge uncommon connections.
Room to achieve consensus; room to attain compromise.
Room to serve community; room to salute country.

Even in a house divided there is room.
Room to tell our story; room to honor our heritage.
Room to give our thanks; room to offer our gratitude.
Room to express our empathy; room to rejoice in our plenty.

Even in a house divided there is room.
Room to realize that love knows no boundaries;
Room to realize that compassion knows no borders.
Room to know that hope has no ceiling;
Room to confirm that courage has no confines.

Even in a house divided there is room.
But the choices are hard.
Room to revile or room to reconcile?
Room to build up; or room to tear down?
Room to discourse civilly or room to war uncivilly?

It has been said that a house divided cannot stand.
Yet there is always room to rebuild anew.

May we have the faith of Abraham and the fortitude of Sarah;
the trust of Isaac and the tenacity of Rebekah;
the persistence of Jacob and the perseverance of  Leah and Rachel;
the audacity of Joseph and the daring of Moses to bring us that much closer to the promised land of a more perfect union.

For even in a house divided, there is room.

Barry L. Schwartz is rabbi of Congregation Adas Emuno in Leonia and director and editor-in-chief emeritus of the Jewish Publication Society. His latest book is “Open Judaism: A Guide for Believers, Atheists, and Agnostics.

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