By: Brandon Rattiner
Senior Director, Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC)
The election is finally over, and after such a tense campaign season, imagining our shared future can feel impossible. This week’s parsha gives us guidance on how to move forward.
Parashat Lech-Lecha recounts the covenant God makes with Abraham. God promises to make Abraham’s descendants a great nation, and in return, Abraham commits to walking in God’s path. This covenant is an ongoing and reciprocal relationship, built on shared values and mutual responsibility. It can only be fulfilled if both parties, God and the people, act.
If this sounds a lot like democracy, that’s by design. The founding fathers took inspiration from the biblical covenant, building a system where we are bound by shared commitments in pursuit of the common good: the rule of law, freedom of speech and assembly, free and fair elections, respecting others with whom we disagree, protecting minority rights, etc.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote extensively about the transformational power of covenantal politics. He noted that covenantal politics “is about ‘We, the people’, bound by a sense of shared belonging and collective responsibility; about strong local communities, active citizens and the devolution of responsibility.” He also emphasized that covenants are not unilateral commitments, but active partnerships that each party must continually fulfill.
We have a duty to fulfill our covenants and build the world we want to see. And if there is one lesson we should have learned this past year, amidst growing antisemitism on the far left and far right, it’s that neither party will be our salvation. This week’s election does not change this reality or change our work. We have always been the leaders we are waiting for.
So how do we move forward during these uncertain times? The best balm for anxieties around national politics is local engagement. Local issues affect our daily lives so much more than what happens in Washington—and our local impact can be so much greater.
That’s why the JCRC’s work is more critical than ever. Together we are building a Colorado where Jews and all communities are safe, respected, and empowered. Our work will help make Colorado a national model of civic and political health.
If you’re celebrating the election, don’t rest on your laurels. If you’re grieving the election, don’t just doomscroll. Join us in doing the work. Email mobilization@jewishcolorado.org or sign up at https://bit.ly/mobilizejcrc.
Please email Brandon Rattiner at brattiner@jewishcolorado.org with questions or comments.