It's Time to Talk About Peace with Rabbi Paula Marcus

It’s Time to Talk About Peace with Rabbi Paula MarcusI met Rabbi Paula Marcus, senior rabbi of Temple Beth El in Aptos, CA, not long after returning to the Santa Cruz area in 2018. I was looking for ways to connect to interfaith social justice work in the area, and in every group I joined, Rabbi Paula was there! I remember our first meeting at an event organized by Partners in Caring, a project of the Hospice of Santa Cruz County to support faith leaders offering end-of-life care. It was like meeting an old friend, and I’ve treasured our connection and the meaningful interfaith events we’ve been part of together in the years since.In this conversation, Rabbi Paula speaks about her childhood and some important early influences in her life, her decision to move to Santa Cruz and become involved in the community here in various ways, and her lifelong commitment to social justice activism and its expression through music and creativity. We talk about our commitment to bridge building and peacemaking, even when progress is difficult to see, and what gives us hope to continue with this work.Rabbi Paula has been active for years (26 to be exact, as I learned during this conversation) in working for peace in Israel/Palestine. She has been leading pilgrimages in conjunction with a tour agency called MEJDI, (Arabic for “to honor”) and has been supporting the work of two peace activists, Palestinian Aziz Abu Sarah and Israeli Maoz Inon, who both lost family to the conflict. A book about their collaboration called The Future is Peace is forthcoming (see the links below for more information about Aziz and Maoz and peacebuilding organizations that Rabbi Paula is involved with).Rabbi Paula Marcus’s bio:Senior Rabbi Paula Marcus has served Temple Beth El since 1979, first as a teacher in the religious school and the preschool, then as a co-principal of the religious school, then as a congregational cantor, and as Rabbi beginning in May 2004, upon being ordained by the Academy for Jewish Religion in Los Angeles. She has apprenticed with cantors in the U.S. and Israel, and she received her BA in Judaic studies from SUNY at Binghamton. She also has a masters degree in Rabbinic studies from the Academy of Jewish Religion. Rabbi Marcus chairs the Ethics Committee of OHALAH-The Association of Rabbis for Jewish Renewal. She demonstrates her commitment to exploring spiituality and learning as rabbi, cantor, worship service leader, teacher, peacemaker and social justice activist.Please click here to read some of Rabbi Paula's sermons and writings.Links:Temple Beth El website:https://www.tbeaptos.org/clergy-and-staff.htmlRecent article by Rabbi Paula about her peace work:And links to some of the people and organizations mentioned in the podcast:Aziz Abu Sarah, who is Palestinian, is the co-owner of MEJDI, a tour company that hosts Rabbi Paula’s tours to Israel/Palestine.Aziz is also the co-director of InterAct.  He and Maoz Inon are the co-directors. And a forthcoming book by Aziz and Maoz:The Future is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land by Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon“It’s Time”is a coalition of over 60 peacebuilding and shared society organizations, working together with determination and courage to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a political agreement that will ensure both peoples' right to self-determination and secure lives.The Parents Circle (people who have lost family members in the conflict)Combatants for PeaceStanding Together (they have chapters in the US and Europe)Introducing “Standing Together,” a new global youth anthem. The Jerusalem Youth Chorus and Uniting Voices Chicago teamed up with the grassroots movement Standing Together to share our stories, our visions, and our determination to build a better future - together.Standing Together | The Jerusalem Youth Chorus x Uniting Voices Chicago