Jesse Jackon, who died Tuesday in the middle of Black History Month, was both an ordained Baptist minister and a political leader. Rev. Jackson and many other Black leaders have exemplified the intersection of religious teaching, civil rights and civic engagement. They show how we can pursue the common values that pervade our sacred texts, even if we do not always agree on the details of how to accomplish our goals.

This week in Parshat Terumah, we read of the people chosen for the work of designing and creating the Mishkan, from gathering and contributing precious metals, to crafting the Keruvim and the Menorah, to constructing the tent itself. Every member of the community has the opportunity to do their part, as their heart moves them. Rev. Jackson has been quoted this week using a poem to amplify this message to children decades ago. He recited the poem many times, and it became widely associated with him:

I am somebody
I may be poor, but I am somebody
I may be young, but I am somebody
I may be on welfare, but I am somebody
I may be small, but I am somebody
I may make a mistake, but I am somebody
My clothes are different
My face is different
My hair is different, but I am somebody
I am Black, Brown, White.
I speak a different language.
But I must be respected, protected, never rejected.
I am God’s child.
I am somebody.

These words and our Torah portion challenge us to defend and nurture the principle – both American and Jewish – of honoring individuality along with community, and diversity along with what we share. Every one of us will have moments when we falter in this challenge, as Rev. Jackson himself did at one time. Alliances he held and antisemitic comments he made compromised his leadership and damaged his relationship with the Jewish people. But he learned from this experience and became a partner of the Jewish community in pursuing justice and equality. Both in our actions and our words, we too must be open to learning about our own prejudices. We must uphold our obligation to ensure the values of justice and equality remain at the center of American discourse and Jewish teaching.

Whether we do this by offering ourselves as a mentor or teacher, giving to the vulnerable, protesting injustice, or standing up for the stranger, we can each do something make the world a safer and more welcoming place for all.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Jeffrey Saxe