We have all come to Great Neck from many different places, literally and figuratively. We have varied histories, life experiences, and spiritual and cultural sensitivities. We are so thankful that we reached this day and that we are all together now, sharing this beautiful town we call home.
We are a community that is united in our common desires to create homes where our families can thrive, lead happy, successful lives, provide for our children, take care of our loved ones and live lives of purpose.
We are like the ocean, pushed and pulled in many different directions by many different forces, yet all connected and, thus, much too strong to be spoiled by a few poisonous drops.
In these times of increasing religious and racial hate crimes, let us pledge to be part of the solution and to promote healthy political discourse while treating each other with respect and dignity. Let us not allow prejudicial comments or generalizations to cast a shadow on the important issues we face in our community.
Let us use this moment in our community’s evolution to proudly acknowledge that we are too intelligent, too moral, too ethical, too loving and too appreciative to allow ourselves to be ripped apart and divided by a few of the unenlightened or the political process.
We will not disparage one another by repeating negative stereotypes or indulging
those few among us who resort to ancient prejudices. But, rather, let us delight in our differences and the unique opportunity our diversity presents for learning new things about one another.
Let us give the gift of tolerance to one another and vow to respect each other whether we agree or disagree. We are neighbors, we are friends, we are teachers, we are students, we are parents, we are children, we are clergy, we are leaders and we stand together to defeat our most dangerous foe—hate—for we have all seen its destructive force wreak havoc on generations.
Great Neck is our home, and we are committed to working side by side to ensure that
we live in peace and harmony. We vow to treat each other with dignity and respect, and to promote these values within our respective communities.
—Ahavat Shalom Synagogue
—Babylonian Jewish Center
—Beth Hadassah Synagogue/Iranian Jewish Center
—Chabad of Great Neck
—Cherry Lane Minyan
—Congregation Shaare Torah
—Congregation Shaare Zion of Great Neck
—Great Neck Chinese Association (GNCA)
—Great Neck NCSY
—Great Neck Synagogue
—Lake Success Chabad
—Lake Success Jewish Center
—North Shore Hebrew Academy
—Ohr Esther/Young Mashadi Jewish Center
—Shaare Rachamim
—Shaare Shalom Synagogue/Mashadi Jewish Center
—Temple Beth-El
—Temple Israel
—Torah Ohr Congregation
—United Mashadi Jewish Community of America
—Young Israel of Great Neck
