TE’s first Soapbox Night a great success!

TE’s first Soapbox Night was a great success!  Ten TE members courageously shared their thoughts for 7 minutes each, speaking about deep personal feelings, experiences, or issues that concern them.  Topics included the development of the TE logo, Start Bank’s work with poor communities in New Haven, art as a means of overcoming life challenges, the rights of non-custodial fathers, justice for child prisoners, concerns about environmental damage from vapor trails, a love affair with literature, caring about both Israeli Jews and Palestinians, finding peace in nature, and “a late stage Jewish conundrum, feeling lost in the desert.”  It was wonderful to get to know members of our community more deeply, and the talks sparked lively discussion among members afterward over desserts.  

 Soapbox Night was the first of three nights planned by SACS (TE’s Social Action Committee) as Divrei Laila, or Night Commentaries. We hope to engage our community with ideas and with each other.  The second and third Divrei Laila will be panels of TE members with diverse views.
On Saturday January 12th the panel’s question will be: “Should the 1967 border between Israel and the West Bank (the Green Line) be drawn on maps of Israel?” This is an issue about what to teach our children, as well as what to convey to ourselves and the rest of the world.  Most Israeli maps  show no Green Line.
On Saturday Feb. 9th the panel will discuss the pros and cons of single payer health care.
Both panels will be preceded by a brief havdalah, and be followed by dessert and discussion.  Please come to be a panelist or listen and discuss!