After a full week in Rome, Italy, I just returned on September 1st. I wouldn’t have been there except for a very special invitation. Some weeks ago, the organizers of TMO (The Metropolitan Organization), a region of IAF (Industrial Area Foundation), of which Congregation Beth Israel is a member, invited me to join 18 people on the third of three meetings that their west and southwest organizers have had with Pope Francis.

A full eight-hour day of planning on Tuesday, August 27th, led to the highlight of our time in Rome, which was a 90-minute meeting with Pope Francis, on August 28th. At Santa Marta, his residence, we sat around a large living room in a small circle awaiting His Holiness. At the top of the hour at 3:00 pm, Pope Francis entered the room. He walked carefully around the circle to shake hands with each of us. As soon as he took his seat and the organizers opened the meeting, we took turns to introduce ourselves and share our roles in the work we came to address with him. Quickly, we learned that Pope Francis is a humble man despite his high position, and has a sense of humor that eased us into shared conversation. The meeting was in Spanish, so some of us wore earpieces to hear a simultaneous translation.

When individual stories were shared, I was called on to report to the Pope how Beth Israel participates with TMO. As a profound and historic congregation, I said, we’re dedicated to social action initiatives that express our commitment to the Hebrew prophets who advocated for the poor, the hungry, and the vulnerable among us. I acknowledged my working relationships with Cardinal Daniel DiNardo and Bishop John Ogletree in Houston. I concluded my remarks by citing Mishnah Pirkei Avot, “It is not our obligation to do all the work, but neither are we free to desist from trying. The day is short, the work is long, and the Lord is waiting” (Mishnah Avot). The lesson urges us to lean in and join hands with others who are engaged in the same work. Pope Francis liked it very much. In Houston, and across America, it is very common and important for interfaith groups to identify goals for their communities and set out to achieve them. But it isn’t just a matter of our own hands; it’s often dependent on how elected officials, locally and nationally, are held to account for promises they make to us and to their constituents. The vulnerable are not without power and agency when groups like TMO and Beth Israel help them find their voices.

One of the goals of our convening with Pope Francis was to identify our community organizing as a model for other places in the world. For him and this group, a crucial area is Latin America, specifically Buenos Aires. Yes, it has much to do with life’s crises there and also related horrors of migration and immigration. And with a nod to the Middle East, Pope Francis, though not political, was hopeful about what we can do and pray to change the course of events happening there.

To Catholics and Protestants in the group, his blessing was an extraordinary gift filled with inspiration and grace. To me, the only Jew and rabbi in the room, his blessing was not lost on me, either. Pope Francis has been kind to the Jewish community and not unsupportive of Israel. The fact that he leads billions of Catholics places him in a role to address the world where his words, actions, and hopes cannot be ignored or misunderstood. That is enough to make even a secularist feel the enormity of his role as a Pope in the stream of world history and for these contemporary times.

My trip was not finished without time to see Rome, and a Jewish guided tour to see its Jewish past and present. Due to the heat of August, which was very hot but not as humid as Houston, many residents of Rome leave the city, including the Jews. Shabbat services resume in September. So, I made my own Shabbat and enjoyed Saturday in this holy city to find my own prayers for “Shalom.” My notes from the trip are multiplying, and my goal is to share the best ones with you.

As our Jewish New Year approaches, it’s time to ask, what will you do to make a difference? In the past, Beth Israel members have participated with me to make a positive difference on issues that we identify as mission-aligned with our congregation. With TMO, we’ve met with community leaders, and state and nationally elected officials, to address topics such as transportation, women’s healthcare, immigration reform, and gun safety. We can’t do it all, but with TMO, like our work with ADL, Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston, and RAC-TX, we do more together than we could possibly do alone. Won’t you join us? I believe that kindness begets hope, and hope begets peace.

It’s good to be home. I look forward to being with you as we anticipate the sweetness of the Jewish New Year. Ciao!

L’Shalom,