דבר תורה לחברי מועצת קול העם – פרשת חקת

“A Future for All, Rooted in All”

A personal reflection from within the circle

Dear Members of the Voice of the People Council,

This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Chukat, opens with the mysterious law of the Parah Adumah—a divine command that defies logic. The paradox is well known: those who are impure become purified, while those who help them become temporarily impure themselves.

More than ritual, this is a spiritual truth: sometimes, to create healing and connection, we must leave the safety of certainty and step into someone else’s world, even when we don’t fully understand it. That act—of reaching beyond what we know—is at the heart of what it means to be a people.

As a Jewish reporter on the autistic spectrum, 

I live much of life through patterns, details, and sensory awareness that others may overlook. Communication can be both intense and precious. And sometimes, being understood feels like crossing a great distance.

So being invited to join this Council—a circle of voices from across the Jewish world—means the world to me. It tells me that difference is not just tolerated, but honored. That inclusion isn’t an afterthought—it’s the starting point.

 

From Striking to Speaking: A Model for Jewish Leadership

Later in the parasha, Moshe is told to speak to a rock to bring water for the people—but instead, he strikes it. That act of force, rather than voice, prevents him from leading the people into the Promised Land.

The message is clear: the next generation of Jewish leadership must be based on listening, not just leading; on dialogue, not dominance.

 

This, too, is the mission of the Voice of the People Council. We are not just discussing the Jewish future—we are reshaping how it is built. We are saying that policy must reflect the lived experience of every Jew, especially those on the margins: Jews with disabilities, Jews who experience the world differently, Jews whose voices haven’t always been heard in our communities.

And that includes people like me.

The Rebbe’s Light and Gimmel Tammuz

This week also marks the yahrzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson זצ״ל, on Gimmel Tammuz. The Rebbe championed the infinite worth of every Jew and saw the divine spark in every soul—long before inclusion became a mainstream value.

He often spoke of people with disabilities not as exceptions to be accommodated, but as souls with unique divine missions, fully part 

of Am Yisrael’s spiritual map. That legacy gives strength and context to the work we’re doing here.

Yehoshua: In Name and Mission

My name is Josh—short for Yehoshua. It’s a name I’ve always felt deeply. Yehoshua bin Nun was Moshe’s successor—not because he imitated Moshe, but because he walked among the people, he listened, and he had the courage to enter uncharted territory.

In my own way, I feel part of that same journey. Not to lead with authority, but with presence, authenticity, and deep commitment. To show that being different doesn’t mean being outside the story—it means being part of the unfolding Torah of our time.

And in that spirit, being included in this Council is more than symbolic. It’s real. It’s personal. It tells me—and others like me—that we belong not just on the page, but at the table.

 

Conclusion: A People Worth Listening To

The chok of the Parah Adumah reminds us that not all truth can be explained—and not all value can be measured. Some holiness defies neat categories.

As we shape the Jewish future together, let’s remember:

Not everyone speaks the same way. Not everyone connects the same way. But everyone has something sacred to say.

Thank you for letting me say mine.

Shabbat Shalom – from every corner of Am Yisrael, and every voice within it.