Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on June 15, 2020

I wrote the poem, My American Dream a few years ago as a way to address the callousness some individuals in our society have developed toward other people, however you might define other. I use this poem as part of leadership training for 45 Iredell County High School juniors each year. My goal is to teach this diverse group of children from West, North, and South Iredell, and Statesville High that true leadership success comes from inclusiveness.

After the shooting in the Synagogue in Pittsburgh, I sent the poem to a Jewish friend of mine as a way of trying to console her. She sent the poem to the leader of her Synagogue who decided to read the poem at the service in mourning for those who died. It was moving to hear my words read to give comfort to those who were grieving.

I am sharing this poem with you today in hope of maybe reaching an even wider audience to remind us that we are all in this life together.

How you pray, who you love, or the color of your hand,

Makes no sense to me as a way to measure a man,

Nor the place of your birth in whatever nation,

On the day of your life that you joined Gods creation.

We are all human beings is undoubtedly true,

And the best way to judge someone is how they treat you,

To fear people never met, from lands far away,

Is hate, run amok, fueled by Tweeters today.

My dad said, greet people and then shake their hand,

Talk with them a while and see where they stand,

If they believe in fairness, they could be your friend,

And be part of your life from now til its end.

But if hatred, or bigotry, or filth they bestow,

Its OK not to like them, now that you know,

That people like them have minds very small,

And their race or religion doesnt matter at all.

We are all human beings is undoubtedly true,

Heart, brain, and lungs, inside everyone, and you,

The pigmentation of each of our covering,

Is an incredibly odd way of discovering,

Stop getting upset by what someone said,

That someone else did, that someone else said,

Try instead, do the work, and then use your head,

Choose to Love the world, each morn, as you rise from your bed.

Preach the gospel of love, in your own special way,

Be part of the solution at the end of each day,

Be best you can be as woman and man,

Let the world know, thats where You stand.

Greet other people and then shake their hand,

Talk with them a while and see where they stand,

All men created equal, the founding words of our land,

Sounds good to me. I think thats where I stand.

Go here to read the rest:

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Poem is reminder that we're all in this life together - Mooresville Tribune

Category: Synagogue
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