Great idea to bring in people who hate us.<\/p>\n
From Rabbi Brous’s Rosh Hashanah sermon<\/a>:<\/p>\n \nWhat if we had demanded a repair to our crippled refugee and asylum system years ago? Instead, we allowed legitimate but vague security concerns to eclipse the human tragedy unfolding before our eyes. Even in our beloved Israel \u2013 we watched the leadership shamelessly claim the country lacks the \u201cdemographic and geographic depth\u201d to take in refugees, leaving them to die at the border. No room for a thousand children, orphaned by war? One hundred? Have we forgotten so quickly that Jewish refugees \u2013 fleeing for their lives – were denied entry by this country and so many others under the very same set of justifications and excuses? A couple of weeks ago, Jon and Wendy brought their new baby up for an aliyah and spoke of how they chose her name. When Jon\u2019s father came to the US from Germany, much of his family stayed behind, including his first cousin, Deiter. Deiter was among those who boarded the SS St. Louis to flee Germany in 1939, along with 900 other Jewish passengers. They made their way across the ocean, only to be denied entry by Cuba, then the United States, then Canada. The ship was sent all the way back to Europe and Dieter, like so many of the passengers of the St. Louis, was deported to a death camp. He was five years old when he died. \u201cWhen our baby grows a little older,\u201d Jon said, \u201cwe\u2019ll tell her that she\u2019s named after a very special little boy who never had a chance in life.\u201d I\u2019m not talking about opening floodgates. I\u2019m talking about making room for children and their parents, running for their lives, who want nothing more than the chance to try to build beyond the ashes of their past.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I wonder how many Muslim migrants Rabbi Brous would like to bring into her home?<\/p>\n Racial diversity destroys social capital. The more diverse Europe and America become, the more frayed they will be. <\/p>\n As Jason Richwine wrote in 2009<\/a>:<\/p>\n [Robert] Putnam began by telling us about one result he encountered that was thoroughly upsetting to him\u2014the more ethnically diverse a community is, the less social capital it possesses. When a person lives in a diverse community, he trusts everyone less, including those of his own ethnic group.<\/p>\n So how did Putnam come to conclude that ethnic diversity is so problematic? The answer begins with the notion of \u201csocial capital,\u201d which Putnam defines in simple terms\u2014\u201csocial networks and the associated norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness.\u201d Social capital turns out to be an exceptionally valuable commodity. Building complex networks of friends and associates, trusting others to keep their word, and maintaining social norms and expectations all grease the wheels of business by enabling cooperation.<\/p>\n But the value of social capital goes well beyond economics. Many of the activities from which people draw the most deep and lasting satisfactions are stronger and more prevalent in areas with high social capital. People living in these places tend to have more friends, care more about their community, and participate more in civic causes. Where social capital is greater, Putnam says, \u201cchildren grow up healthier, safer, and better educated; people live longer, happier lives; and democracy and the economy work better.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Great idea to bring in people who hate us. From Rabbi Brous’s Rosh Hashanah sermon: What if we had demanded a repair to our crippled refugee and asylum system years ago? Instead, we allowed legitimate but vague security concerns to … Continue reading