Truah, Rabbis for Human Rights, published my D’var Torah for this week. http://truah.org/resources-91356/divrei-torah/583-sanctuary-cities-no-walk-in-the-dog-park.html

It is remarkable how current and timely Torah can be. This week we read about setting up ir miklat–cities of refuge, shelter. The very word miklat is the word in modern Israel for a bomb shelter. While most of my thoughts are on Israel and the continuing tragedy there, I cannot forget what is happening on our southern border either. Think this is just about Tucson and San Diego and Texas? No so. There are implications for all of us. Here in Elgin, where 40% of our population is Hispanic. For Lowell, a city of immigrants.

In preparing the D’var Torah, I learned much–much more than could be put in a short, online D’Var Torah. I challenge each of you to learn more about this topic–from a halachic standpoint and from a humanitarian crisis standpoint. Then let’s figure out what each of us can do.