I hope you’ve had a great week. The last few weeks have been a reminder of many things for our Jewish community. And while it can be easy to look at everything that happened in Smithfield and see only the bad, I want to take some time today to focus on some of the positive.

First, the bad. The awful incident of antisemitism—and the response from some in Smithfield—is a painful reminder that Jews can still be targeted simply for being Jews, even here in Rhode Island. The Alliance continues to speak with and advocate for the family. We continue our outreach to Smithfield Schools to ensure they are following through on their promises of further education. And we will not stop these efforts. But the pain of the initial incident—and of hearing some in Smithfield try to wash away the antisemitism as if it did not happen—is alarming, and a reminder that we cannot stop being vigilant.

Even in this dark moment, however, there have been positive outcomes. We could easily have had to take on this fight alone as a community. But we didn’t. I am so grateful to the faith leaders, elected officials, and everyday Rhode Islanders who stood with us at press conferences, released statements of support for the Jewish community, and shared positive messages on social media and in other venues. These were all reminders that we are not alone in these moments. At the Alliance, we have stood beside so many others over the years because it is part of our core value of Hineni, standing with others so no one stands alone. It was meaningful to have so many stand with us in this time of need.

And just as important as others standing with us, we stood together. As a community, we demonstrated how a single antisemitic act against one of us affects all of us—and we showed that our voices are strong. I was inspired by how many in our community joined us at the Smithfield School Committee meeting last week. I was inspired by how many reached out to ask what they could do and how they could help. In short, I was inspired by all of you.

These last few weeks have been tough, but they are also a reminder that in our darkest moments, there is always light. They remind us that at the Alliance, we will never stop fighting on behalf of our community—and with our community—for what is right.

Until next time, I wish you a safe, peaceful, and joyous Shabbat. 

Shabbat Shalom,
Adam Greenman
President & CEO