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| THE CHRONICLE
MEET HUC-J IR’S STUDENTS
Clearly there wasn’t so much that separated
us after all.
I also befriended a teen named Bros-
back, who carried a great burden on his
shoulders. As the eldest of three siblings, he
served as the designated caregiver in his fam-
ily. He shared with me that Ghana has
overwhelming problems: three percent of the
population of Ghana has AIDS, many with
no access to treatment; forty-five percent of
the population lives on less than a dollar a
day; and Ghana still struggles to find a dem-
ocratic path in its 50
th
year of independence.
And yet, Brosback was hopeful for the fu-
ture. One of the most spiritual moments of
this trip was watching Brosback’s church
choir perform. The traditional melodies, the
incredible enthusiasm – the music formed a
truly inspirational
sukkah
of peace.
On the last day of our travels we visited
a Liberian displaced persons camp. Ghana
plays host to 42,000 Liberian refugees who
have found themselves homeless while neigh-
boring Liberia encounters ongoing internal
strife. With open sewers and minimal clean
water access, the camp is one of the most
densely populated areas in the world. En-
countering such sorrow and pain directly, I
couldn’t help but wonder what it must have
been like for many of our relatives who spent
time in displaced persons camps in Europe
after the Holocaust. While it was a different
time and a different land, this Ghanain story
was also my story. Just as my family has found
blessing, so too must I consider these and
other disadvantaged citizens of the world.
This trip made me acutely aware of my
responsibilities as a Jew and as a world citi-
zen. It served as an awakening to the power
of human connection. Each one of us, work-
ing together, can make a difference. The
people of Ghana were among the kindest
and most welcoming people that I have ever
met. As we prepared for our departure, I was
taught one more Ewe phrase:
mau neira
–
may God bless you. I now hold in my
prayers my new friends in Ghana. Moses,
Brosback, and to all those in need:
mau
neira
.
Together, may we find a path to stand
hand in hand, healing the world, spreading
and sharing blessings for all.
Rabbi Daniel Mikelberg is Assistant Rabbi of Temple
Sholom, Vancouver, British Columbia
A
number of students come to HUC-JIR
with family legacies to uphold. Among
them,
Rachel Joseph,
L’12,
Aaron Miller,
C’11,
and
Joseph Skloot,
N’10,
describe how they are
putting their own stamp on their respective
rabbinical dynasties.
A third-generation rabbi-to-be and Schus-
terman Fellow (see page 15) in Cincinnati,
Aaron Miller
has traced his Reform rabbinical
ancestry at HUC-JIR. “I did not know my
Grandpa Judea as ‘Rabbi Miller’ until very re-
cently,” he explained. “Last year, for my
grandmother’s birthday present, I researched
my grandfather’s files at the American Jewish
Archives and put together a scrapbook on his
life as a rabbi. As I searched though countless
sermons, newspaper articles, and letters, it be-
came clear that Grandpa Judea’s rabbinical
interests extended far beyond his congregation.”
Miller learned that his grandfather was an
advocate for Soviet Jewry, ardent supporter of
the State of Israel, traveled to the South twice
during the 1960s to advocate for integration
and voter registration, and was involved in
countless other causes. “I remember growing up
that my family would not eat California grapes
but never knew why, until I read in his archives
how appalled Grandpa was by the unjust treat-
ment of California grape workers. Grandpa
dedicated himself to social justice, both in the
United States and all over the world.”
Miller has a multi-generational perspec-
tive on the rabbinate. “I grew up observing
and experiencing the life of a congregational
rabbi first hand, and it was the congregational
rabbinate – that intimate involvement within
a contained Jewish community – that drew me
toward becoming a rabbi. My dad, Rabbi
Jonathan Miller, has loved serving as rabbi of
Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham, AL, and I
expect to find the pulpit rabbinate equally re-
warding.”
Having a rabbi as a father offers many
benefits. He notes that “over the years, my dad
has become my best rabbinical sounding-
board. Whether I am writing a difficult sermon
or experiencing some challenge at my student
pulpit, I know that he is only a phone call away.”
The family cause of human rights and in-
terfaith relations is a source of inspiration for
Miller’s vision for his own rabbinate. “My dad
has established close relationships with his
Christian ‘clergy buddies’ with whom he has
traveled all over the world – Bosnia, Croatia,
and Southeast Asia – to study the effects of in-
tolerance and strategies for resolution,” he says.
“
This has led to a growing sense of love
and respect between the clergy of Birmingham
across religious and denominational affilia-
tions, and more importantly, between the
congregants of their synagogues and churches.”
For Tisch Fellow (see page 16)
Rachel
Joseph
,
a third-year rabbinical student in Los
Angeles, “one of the role models who influ-
enced my decision to become a Jewish
professional is a person who serves many roles
in my life: that of my rabbi, my teacher, and
most importantly, my father, Rabbi Sam
Joseph” (see page 60).
Seeking to find a way to bring a Jewish
voice into a non-Jewish world, the political
arena became an important outlet for Joseph.
She began to volunteer at the Food Bank/Free
Store of Cincinnati, OH, which was located a
block away from her elementary school, and
subsequently became engaged in her first po-
litical campaign to secure funding for that
organization.
ADD I NG A L I N K TO
Rachel Joseph, L ’12
