'Turning the Temple Purple': Domestic Violence Vigil And March

WAYLAND, MA—October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Wayland-Sudbury community is holding a vigil and march that includes the Wayland Interfaith Leaders Association, the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable and the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund.

Multiple religious communities including Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland, the Islamic Center of Boston in Wayland and the First Parish in Wayland are taking part.

The following was submitted by Rabbi Danny Burkeman. Want to get in on the conversation? Email charlene.asrenault@patch.com.

When we lived in New York driving around the city always involved looking for the various landmarks we would pass on our journey. But for the Empire State Building it wasn’t simply a case of looking for a landmark, it was also a case of looking to see what color it would be this time; as it would frequently be lit with colors to demonstrate support for a specific cause or campaign. For my kids there was the novelty of the pretty colors atop one of the city’s tallest buildings, for us there was the message of social activism around an issue of concern.

Driving around Metrowest I imagine that we are rarely looking to see what color our local landmarks will be illuminated; but for the month of October look out for the color purple. October marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month and so a number of religious institutions, including Temple Shir Tikva, will be going purple for a week to show solidarity and support.

Illuminating the building makes a statement, but more important is the action that must accompany it. Therefore, on Tuesday, Oct. 9, we will be marching, and we will do so with our friends and neighbors. We will begin at 6 p.m. at the Islamic Center of Boston, walking via Temple Shir Tikva, to arrive at the First Parish in Wayland for an interfaith vigil around this issue. There we will be joined by marches from many other communities who will have made the journey to come together and to raise our voices as one.

As a Rabbi there are a few reasons why I am marching.

In Leviticus 19:16 we read: “Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor.” We cannot ignore the suffering of those around us. All too often domestic violence is a crime that takes place behind closed doors, where it cannot be seen directly. This commandment in the midst of Leviticus’ Holiness Code is a reminder that with awareness comes a responsibility to action. I am aware that, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), on average nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. How can we be silent in the face of this scale of suffering and pain?

Just two verses later in Leviticus 19:8 we read: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” In discussing this commandment, we often focus on the way that it compels us to act towards our fellow person. But to love your neighbor as yourself, the first step is to love yourself. This is not a commandment towards vanity, rather it is an obligation for each of us to see the value in ourselves, to see the richness of our personal existence, and to recognize that we are each, individually, made in the image of God. We have an obligation to help people to love themselves and to give them the courage and support to emerge from situations of domestic violence and abuse.

And I am marching because I believe that we have a responsibility to our children to make the world better than the way that we found it. The statistics show that nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year. I want our children to know that this is not acceptable, and this is not something which they should tolerate; rather it is something that must be fought against and eliminated.

Ultimately in Judaism we are told that our primary obligation is to save another person’s life. (We call it pikuach nefesh). I truly believe that the issue of domestic violence is a matter of life and death. By drawing attention to this issue, by turning the Temple purple, and by marching, we have the potential to save lives. How could we ignore this opportunity?

I want you to know why our Temple will be purple and why on October the 9th we will be marching. I hope that you will join us.

Photo via Shutterstock