WPAFB Chapel’s Religious Support Symposium

On July 9, Rabbi Karen Bodney-Halasz had the honor of joining a clergy panel at the WPAFB Chapel’s Religious Support Symposium. She was asked to share how our Jewish community understands the world—and how we’re making a difference locally.

Here are her remarks from the symposium:

Judaism is both ancient and alive. It is a religion, a people, a shared story, and a system of values rooted in sacred texts but lived out through generations. At its core is a powerful belief: that while the world is imperfect, it is not unchangeable. It is our sacred responsibility to act in partnership with God in making it better.

We call this tikkun olam—repairing the world. It’s not a metaphor. It’s a mandate.

Judaism teaches that every person is created b’tzelem Elohim—in the image of God. That means every person is sacred and worthy. And from that truth flows our commitment to justice, compassion, and community.

But belief alone is never enough. Judaism is a faith of deed, not creed. Our tradition teaches: “It is not what you say, but what you do, that makes the difference.” Like Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who said he was “praying with his feet” while marching with Dr. King in Selma, we believe that words must lead to action.

Throughout the Miami Valley, Jews of all backgrounds live out these values through service, education, and presence. Speaking from my own experience at Temple Israel, we have done—and continue to do—as much as we can. We provide meals to the hungry, knit and crochet for meaningful causes through Sacred Stitching, and partner with interfaith coalitions and community organizations to care for our neighbors through advocacy and dignity-based outreach.

What does this look like?

Within the congregation, we collect clothing for Clothes That Work, knit and crochet winter gear and preemie hats through Sacred Stitching, and even make dog toys for animal shelters. We volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul and the House of Bread, and partner with other synagogues to support the local food pantry. When Feed Dayton was active, we grew fresh vegetables on our own property for food-insecure families.

In our religious school, we teach our children the importance of justice and community. We host mitzvah days, pack lunches for youth shelters, and donate tzedakah to important causes. We nurture environmental stewardship through our native garden initiative. Our older students travel to Washington, D.C. to lobby on social justice issues through the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, an organization I am involved in on a state level. Locally, we engage in community organizing efforts to advocate for vulnerable communities.

Our religious school creates space to learn about inclusion through Petach (“open doors”), a program focused on disability awareness, as part of a special Shabbat. We celebrate the diversity of our community through Pride Shabbat. We support early literacy through our partnership with the Brunner Literacy Center, which our Rabbi/Educator oversees. We recognize that reading is foundational to dignity and access.

We address health issues by promoting Jewish genetic awareness, organizing blood drives, and swabbing for the Gift of Life bone marrow registry. In partnership with a local hospital, we’ve held health education programs for adults. I’ve served in an advisory role for a senior health center in West Dayton, focusing on healthy eating, and have provided backbone support for maternal health equity. During the pandemic, I regularly met with local health leaders and school officials to help protect vulnerable populations. I also serve on the Montgomery County Human Services Levy Council and help review services for people with developmental disabilities.

Our congregational Caring Committee, trained in partnership with Hospice of Dayton, offers meal deliveries, care shawls, and emotional support to those who are ill, hospitalized, or grieving. We host support groups for those navigating loss, including ambiguous loss related to dementia and long-term caregiving.

Through Jewish Family Services, under the umbrella of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, we also provide case management, counseling, and crisis support for individuals facing aging, disability, or trauma.

We believe deeply in the power of education to build bridges. Temple’s foundation supports graduate students from Hebrew Union College to teach Jewish content at the University of Dayton. I teach regularly in UD’s Lifelong Learning Program, sharing Jewish holidays and ethics with adult learners from all backgrounds. We also offer Intro to Judaism classes open to everyone—whether exploring conversion, interfaith partnership, or simple curiosity.

And for more than a decade, Temple’s Jewish Cultural Festival has welcomed thousands of guests to learn about Jewish food, music, ritual, and life. These festivals are more than fun—they are acts of radical hospitality, breaking down barriers with joy.

And when our broader community is hurting, we show up.

We’ve stood with our Muslim neighbors against Islamophobia, and with our Haitian neighbors in Springfield. When hate came to Dayton in 2019, we united against it. After the Oregon District shooting, we grieved side by side. When tornadoes devastated our area, we helped distribute aid. During COVID, we responded quickly and compassionately to emerging needs.

In recent years, the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton has trained individuals as upstanders—people who take courageous action in the face of injustice.

Like other faith communities, we face challenges: rising antisemitism, increased security needs, generational disconnection, and questions of continuity.

But we persist. Because our tradition teaches that even if we cannot complete the work, we are not free to desist from it.

We value our religious liberty. It allows us to gather, teach, serve, mourn, and celebrate without fear. It allows us to be visible in our sacred work. And in a world where division often hides in the shadows, visibility is its own form of courage.

When our military protects religious liberty, it empowers us to fulfill our calling—not just to worship, but to build a better world.

We know there is more work to do. This is not self-congratulation—it is gratitude, and a renewed sense of responsibility.

When I think about Temple Israel and our commitment to tikkun olam, I think of our rich history in Dayton. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us—like Rabbi David Lefkowitz, who helped organize the Montgomery County Red Cross during World War I and served as its first president, and Rabbi Selwyn Ruslander, the first Jewish Navy chaplain to serve with a combat fleet, who also stood with Dayton’s Black community during the civil rights movement.

Their legacy—and the legacy of many Temple leaders—calls us forward.

Who are we? We are a people of memory, of covenant, of sacred restlessness. What matters to us? Justice. Human dignity. Collective responsibility. What are we doing? We are showing up. With yarn and gardens. With textbooks and tzedakah boxes. With kugel and classroom lessons. With hope and heart and chutzpah.

Thank you for the sacred work you do—protecting the freedoms that allow communities like mine not only to exist, but to thrive.