Letters: Hope, gratitude are key to progress

In this troubled time of hopelessness, I think it is important to reflect on the past year and appreciate the gracious moments — to focus on the hope.

As president of Beth Shalom Synagogue, I have been honored to welcome people of all faiths. Each year we have many opportunities to open our doors to our neighbors to experience our traditions and customs. We have a Holocaust memorial program with the Tree of Life congregation in the spring and a food festival in the fall that bring in members of the greater Columbia community. The Sunday prior to Thanksgiving, we are a part of a collaborative Thanksgiving service with our neighboring religious institutions to show our appreciation for each other.

I think those who take the opportunity to get to understand and know each other will make our community stronger and more tolerant. Our congregation was established 110 years ago, and today we still hold strong to those traditions of our forefathers of being a welcoming place. Thank you to the community for supporting us. Together we can make a difference in gratitude for each other.

This story was originally published January 22, 2017 at 6:01 PM with the headline "Letters: Hope, gratitude are key to progress."