Uncovering the Truth

Newsletter November 23, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred...

Histories are complicated. They get confused with multiple viewpoints, shrouded by perspectives from biased participant actors, and others with agendas. The truth can be difficult to uncover. But it is always there.

Recently I visited New Orleans which is a city of beautiful homes and delicious foods, and that celebrates free expression. But it was the site of the largest slave market in the United States, and crippling racial disparity persists.

One can see history, issues, and current events from various angles. But what angle will we choose to view history from?

While in New Orleans, I visited the WWII museum. It focused on the global war strategy by the nations involved, and military might and impact. There was one section dedicated to women’s contributions to the war efforts. And one to interfaith chaplains. Mention of the Shoah was a small section of the experience.

But, if you go to the Smithsonian Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, you will find a different kind of museum. There, room after room of facts, artifacts, oral histories, and video footage of the experience of those who experienced the death camps, the propaganda that led up to it, and the impact to families following. There is a very moving memorial honoring all who were murdered.

Both museums were covering the same time period, but from different angles. And within each museum, you can see echoes of the truth from another perspective.

The holidays are like this, too. Thanksgiving, can be dressed up and the more savory (literally!) parts can be focused on to celebrate the kindergarten version of the day-- a celebration of a festive meal, Pilgrim pioneers, and knowledgeable local Native Americans. But in truth, Smithsonian tells us that massacres, disease, and American Indian societal and political damage is what the local tribes received. The Wampanoag tribe spends the holiday of Thanksgiving in deep mourning.

So, whose truth do we see? What truth do we accept? This goes for the facts around WWII, the Thanksgiving holiday today, and every world event that has ever or will ever come to pass.

Today is a day that I’m dedicating to the exploration of truth and asking questions about how we uncover the truth: where do we get our information from? What are their motives? What might they miss? What information could be lost in the fog of war and time and history? 

In Hebrew, the word “truth” is “emet”- and it is spelled with the first, middle, and last letters of the aleph-bet. This shows the expansive and enduring nature of truth. This is what Abraham Abulafia wrote about in the 12th century about Divine truth expressed through the power of letters. He encouraged, "engross yourself in truth's holy letters." (Our beloved member, artist and scholar Bruria Finkel recently explored this concept in Jerusalem; find her discussion below).

The rabbis often encouraged us to ask questions and consider various perspectives  When something seems too simple, it usually is. Ultimately, the truth, is still sitting right there. Waiting patiently to be discovered and shared. The search for the truth is sacred. What will we find? 

Together, we’re #keepingitsacred…

Rabbi Heather Miller

Founder, Keeping It Sacred

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Thanks for your interest, and thanks for #keepingitsacred...