All The Community Are Holy
This letter is written by our Director of Community Engagement, Avital Krifcher
Most folks who grew up attending Jewish summer camp are familiar with this week's parsha, Korach. Throughout my seven years at an East Coast Jewish summer camp, I listened to the story of Korach on Shabbat, participated in skits, discussion groups, and even mock trials about the parsha. Last summer, during my time at the Brandeis Collegiate Institute program in California, we dedicated a Shabbat afternoon to carefully reading the text of Korach, assuming characters, and engaging in youthful and goofy dramatic readings. Despite all these encounters with the parsha, I still find myself feeling deeply unsettled when I read Korach’s story.
The story of Korach revolves around a rebellion led by a man named Korach, who approaches Moses and Aaron with 250 men and questions why only they are granted the High Priesthood when "all the community are holy, all of them, and God is in their midst" (Numbers 16:3). This challenge incurs Moses’s wrath, prompting Moses to call upon Korach and his men to offer incense as offerings to God to see who is right, while Aaron and his men do the same. In the end, Korach and his followers are swallowed by the earth and consumed by fire, seemingly for challenging the leadership of Moses and Aaron and questioning the distribution of spiritual connection.
There are lots of questions swirling around concerning Korach’s challenge. Was he genuinely speaking on behalf of the people, or was he driven by personal ambitions for leadership? In exploring this parsha (this time around), I choose to separate the man from the question and instead focus on what Korach reveals about the power structures and dynamics of his time. The question that he poses to Moses and Aaron feels to me to be not just a valid question, but an inherently Jewish one, and one championing inclusivity and fairness. Shouldn't all members of our people have had the opportunity for a profound and meaningful relationship with the divine? Why are they punished for seeking that connection?
In our post-temple era, our understanding of divine relationship and communication has evolved. We now know and believe that every individual has a direct line to the divine if they choose to engage with it. It hurts my heart when I speak to folks in this community and beyond who feel they are somehow less Jewish or less connected to their Judaism due to their lack of knowledge, atheism, or any other reason. In many ways, Korach was the original advocate for a form of personalized Judaism that we are familiar with in Kavana. I would even argue that Korach’s cause has been realized and that today we are a people that recognizes that each individual is holy in and of themselves.
In today's society, inclusivity and fairness are not always championed as they should be. We have and have had modern-day Korach’s who have worked tirelessly for the rights and well-being of marginalized folks, only to face admonishment and punishment. As we celebrate Pride month, we must remember the trailblazing leaders and icons like Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and modern activist Qween Jean who have fearlessly advocated for the ongoing struggles of the LGBTQIA+ community, despite facing systemic repercussions (learn more about Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera in this collection of interviews and transcriptions). The determination of these leaders and others in their pursuit of a better world, even at personal risk, is inspiring. Their demands to be heard and respected in a world that is cruel to them is revolutionary, and oftentimes, life-changing for the folks around them. While Korach’s fight came to an end in the parsha, we have the opportunity today to recognize, support and uplift those who are engaged in the sacred work of advocating for equal treatment in society. Showing up as one’s full and authentic self and demanding to be seen, welcomed, and accepted is holy. And it becomes even more sacred when done on behalf of others who also face marginalization and discrimination.
As we reflect on the powerful lessons from Parshat Korach and its resonance with modern struggles faced by the LGBTQIA+ community, we invite you to join us tonight at Pride Shabbat. This gathering, co-sponsored by many Jewish communities here in Seattle, will be a celebration of the diversity in our community and an opportunity to open our ears and hearts to the voices of queer Jews around us. Just as Korach and queer leaders challenged and continue to challenge the status quo, we too will gather to challenge societal norms and foster a space where all are welcomed and accepted.
Shabbat Shalom,
Avital Krifcher, Director of Community Engagement
