I was the president of Oak Park Temple during COVID, from 2020 to 2022. With our congregation virtual and our physical doors closed, we took the opportunity to improve our building space, and one of the projects we embarked on was replacing the aged windows in the religious school wing. In addition to aesthetics and practical issues, however, we also had to take security concerns into account. Jewish institutions have to plan like this so every child, both Jewish and non-Jewish, can feel safe and welcome in the physical spaces where we congregate.
This is the reality that Jewish leaders and clergy regularly have to confront. We have armed guards in the building for all our temple’s functions. We have a security system that rivals some banks. Our staff regularly participate in training exercises with the local police as well as national organizations.
By singling out Israel, the Nov. 3 ballot referendum directly impacts the Jews and Jewish institutions of Oak Park, making us into proxies for a conflict taking place somewhere else. People understandably have very strong views about Israel and Gaza, but voting for the referendum will not make people’s lives in the Middle East easier. What it will do is distract us from addressing the pressing problems our village faces.
And by singling out our community, the referendum’s effective, if unintended, message is that some of us don’t belong here. Beyond the obvious consequences for my religious and ethnic community, this makes our entire village less welcoming. We should be building ways to live together in Oak Park – I would rather we focus more on block parties than litmus tests.
I urge you to vote “No” on the Nov. 3 referendum.
Eddie Pont
Past president, Oak Park Temple
Treasurer, Oak Park Neighbors United