Renowned Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, of blessed memory, famously stated, “The opposite of love is not hate; it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness; it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy; it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death; it’s indifference.”

Indifference or the failure to care is often the first step in the decline of a society. Healthy nations are sustained not only by the freedoms they guarantee, but by citizens who care about one another and invest themselves in the common good.

It is precisely this spirit of caring that connects America’s 250th anniversary with the Torah portion read in synagogues across the country this Shabbat, making this a fitting moment of reflection for Jews and all Americans.

The United States was founded on the ideals of liberty and freedom, a nation that not only protects the right of its citizens to live according to their convictions and embrace their identities, but encourages them to participate in the civic life of their communities and passionately pursue their beliefs. Over the past 250 years, America has never lacked disagreement. Ours has always been a mosaic rather than a perfectly sliced........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)