Published April 10, 2007 in the Orlando Sentinel

by Aaron D. Rubinger

Easter Sunday was also the middle of the Jewish festival of Passover. Both of these religious holy days emphasize the caring of God's children, especially those children of God who are most in need of our care -- the hungry and needy.

So it was with great embarrassment that I read about individuals who were arrested for the "crime" of feeding the hungry -- a.k.a. transients -- in Lake Eola Park. Mind you, I have no support whatsoever for such groups as Food Not Bombs, CodePink and the Young Communist League. Still, as a member of the clergy, I am ashamed that my city would prohibit anyone from acting as his "brother's keeper," as our scriptures command of us.

A truly religious community is one which would behave as did Abraham, our common spiritual ancestor, who, when believing that God was acting unjustly regarding the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, challenged God to act with the same righteousness and justice that God demands of us.

I would urge all people of faith, but especially my fellow clergy, to join together to help Orlando regain its moral bearings and not turn its back upon the Lord's needy. In my humble opinion, our community's civic leaders, well intentioned as they may be, would appear to be in need of spiritual guidance on this matter.

A public, peaceful gathering outside City Hall, led by the religious leadership of Orlando to dissuade our city from enforcing city ordinances that seek to forbid feeding the homeless, would be in keeping with the highest values of our religious traditions and the teachings of our prophets. Those who wish to be part of helping to plan such a religious convocation, I would welcome to contact me so that we may jointly, in a true ecumenical fashion, respond as, I believe, our God would expect from us.

Rabbi Aaron D. Rubinger of Congregation Ohev Shalom in Orlando can be reached at rabrub@aol.com.