By Cantor Mark Horowitz
On the 13th of Iyar in 5725, the Torah portion of the week was Emor. I stood before the congregation of my Conservative synagogue, Temple Beth El in Cedarhurst, NY, to chant the b’rachot (blessings) and read from the Torah in public for the very first time. It marked the beginning of a lifelong devotion to my Jewish heritage—a commitment that, to my amazement, began 60 years ago this week.
If you have studied Torah with me, you know I often say that whenever I am asked to deliver a D’var Torah, I wonder whether the portion will feel relevant—to my own life, to the Jewish people, or to our world today. And of course, as those who study regularly will attest, Torah never disappoints.
In this week’s portion, Emor, the set times of the Jewish calendar are named and described: the Sabbath, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the pilgrimage festivals of Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot (Leviticus 23:1–44). In addition, the Torah addresses who may serve as priests—and who is disqualified from the priesthood. We read:
“No one at all who has a defect shall be qualified: no man who is blind, or lame, or has a limb too short or too long; no man who has a broken leg or a broken arm…”
(Leviticus 21:17–19)
For many reasons, both external and internal, I have sometimes felt impure or defective in my own life’s journey—struggling to celebrate who I am and to feel pride in myself. It does not help that the Torah here seems to model exclusion, barring those with physical differences from full participation in sacred service.
Yet, I am reminded of one of the Torah’s most enduring teachings: that humanity is created b’tzelem Elohim—in the image of God. While spearheading the writing of a curriculum for early childhood programs across North America, we framed Tzelem Elohim this way:
“We are able to think, to feel, to reason, to choose, and to create. We have enormous capacities for dignity, courage, wisdom, and love. It is these powers—the qualities of our soul—that reflect the Divine image, rather than any physical attributes we may possess.”
How, then, do we reconcile these apparent contradictions? What can we learn from the tension between the exclusion of some from sacred tasks and the commandment to treat all people as equals?
It is easy to recognize the Divine image in those we love—our family and friends. It is harder to see it in the stranger, the differently abled, the homeless, the infirm, and those of different nationality, faith, or philosophy.
How do we move past this conflict? By making a commitment to learn, to grow, and to act. I am beginning some of this work (on behalf of the JCC), partnering with Janet Gunner of Temple Beth Tzedek’s Kesher Inclusion Committee. Together, and with the support of the broader community, we aim to work collaboratively, positively, and constructively to ensure full and seamless lifelong inclusion in every aspect of Jewish communal life.
Let’s work together on these and other projects, to turn the dream of full belonging for everyone in our community into a reality.
My 13-year-old self could never have imagined the many paths my life would take, nor the many stumbling blocks along the way. Yet I continue learning to celebrate every step of the journey. I remain committed to the never-ending task of becoming—guided by the profound truth that while we are created in the image of God, it is up to us to realize the likeness of God through the lives we lead.
Cantor Mark S. Horowitz is currently the Chief Operations Officer of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo.
