By Ina Albert Secher, Whitefish
There are times when we experience personal acts of kindness in difficult times. We felt its healing power in December, 2016, when my husband, Rabbi Allen Secher, and I were victims of neo-Nazi cyber terrorist attacks here in Whitefish along with two other leading Jewish families. It was a horrifying and frightening time for all of us and for our children. But support from the community of Whitefish, our US Senators, and caring and concerned letters from people across the country helped turn our fears to gratitude.
However, the personal visit from Governor Steve Bullock created the most powerful example of human compassion. He spent the afternoon listening to our stories about hundreds of vile and threatening emails we received calling for our deaths in the ovens of the Holocaust, as well as the gunshots we heard when we answered late night phone calls, and Internet postings of our photos in front of the gates of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp wearing Nazi yellow stars and captioned with personal insults that reached a new low in human behavior.
We told him all of it. Governor Bullock’s response was a lesson in empathic listening and generous spiritual support. In Judaism, we are commanded to perform Tikun Olam… actions that call on us to repair the world. Gov. Bullock set the example for kindness that afternoon. By listening empathically, he blessed us with a vision of Tikun Olam grounded in human healing.
Should he be elected as our next US Senator? YES! His kindness and ability to listen are exactly what is needed in Washington and around the world. Learning to hear one another is a powerful path to understanding and peace.
From those of us at home, thank you Governor Bullock for the dignified and thoughtful campaign you are waging to gain the support of Montana voters.