Posts by Molly Curren Rowles

The Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine unequivocally condemns the neo-Nazi gathering held last weekend in Portland. Hatred has no place in our city.   We know that this rally did not take place in isolation. After years of rising antisemitism, our community has become accustomed to constantly updating security protocols, maintaining vigilant situational awareness,…

Faith is the courage to take a risk for the sake of God or the Jewish people; to begin a journey to a distant destination knowing that there will be hazards along the way, but knowing also that God is with us, giving us strength if we align our will with [God’s]. Faith is not…

Dear JCA Community,   Each of us has been rocked by the news of the terrible murders of 19 schoolchildren and their teachers in Uvalde, Texas this week. And like many of you, I have found myself both wanting to leap into action and feeling acutely the limits of the scope of my expertise and…

The strength of our community has been tested over the past several years, but we continue to be resolute in our commitment to building a better, safer, more just world. Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, we know many of you are looking for ways to help make a difference.   The Jewish…

Once again, our community is reeling from an attack on a synagogue, the latest in a series of antisemitic attacks and incidents that have continued to proliferate over the past several years. Like you, I am grateful that those taken hostage this weekend are safe and unharmed physically. I am also struck by the mental…

We were so pleased to welcome the JCA’s first Afghan refugee family through HIAS late last night, just before the snow. We are grateful that they are safe and warm here in Maine, and that we have the opportunity to be here for them in the days and weeks to come.   We know that many of you are…

We stand together with the JCRC in Boston and the Jewish Community throughout New England following the attack yesterday on Rabbi Shlomo Noginski outside the Chabad Shaloh House in Brighton, MA. We pray for the Rabbi’s complete and swift recovery, and continue the fight to ensure freedom and safety for all.   ‘An Act of…

The events of the last two weeks in Israel have cast a pall over the season of Shavuot, traditionally a time to celebrate the “first fruits” of the year and the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Once again, violence erupted, and those of us with family and friends in Israel watched news coverage…

Dear JCA Community, As we welcome Shabbat tonight, we know that many are feeling the impact of this week’s events deeply. The use of violence as a political tool is frightening not just because it is unpredictable, but also because it is so dangerous. Some of us understand the contours of that danger academically, through…