Today, I started reading "Never Forget Our People Were Always Free: A Parable of American Healing" by Ben Jealous, the Executive Director of the Sierra Club. The book highlights how the path to healing America's broken heart begins with each of us having the courage to heal ourselves. According to Mr. Jealous, it would be transformative if every American treated each other as cousins.
Healing the Soul of America!
Estimated reading time: 1 minute, 10 secondsI’ve been reading Ben Jealous‘s “Never Forget Our People Were Always Free: A Parable of American Healing” since last Saturday. In his book, Mr. Jealous emphasizes the importance of every person taking responsibility for their healing, which can contribute to repairing America’s broken heart. He suggests treating each other like cousins would be transformative for all Americans.
I am grateful to live in a community where I can develop close friendships and witness the power of treating each other with the same love and respect shared between close family members. Living in downtown Cranford has helped me heal after losing my wife. Though I have put my grief behind me now, I might still be grieving if I were living somewhere else.
Last May, I met Ben Jealous briefly during the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism‘s Day of Action in Washington. As the board chair of Bridges, I’m committed to working for justice. That event was part of my ongoing, lifetime commitment to that cause.
I attended his talk at Temple Emanu-El in Westfield. His advocacy for civil rights, the environment, and the healing of America’s broken heart deeply inspired me. Ben Jealous is the Executive Director of the Sierra Club and the former President of the NAACP.
It means a lot to me that someone with Mr. Jealous’s experience wrote the inscription in my copy of his book. I highly recommend this book!
Never Forget Our People Were Always Free: A Parable of American Healing
Estimated reading time: 1 minute, 10 seconds
