This Week’s Dinner Conversation: <i>The Liberty Bell</i>

This weekend, as part of the fifth grade world religions field trip, we attended a Bat Mitzvah at Temple Emanu-El in San Francisco. During the service, the Rabbi asked the congregation to recall the words inscribed on the Liberty Bell.

She received blank stares, although one young person mumbled something about liberty. The Rabbi then shared the inscription in a way I found thought provoking and will discuss later in this message.

But, first, a little about the history of the Liberty Bell and its significance for Americans. The bell actually is older than our country. It was founded in the early-1750s, a quarter-century before the Declaration of Independence was written, after being commissioned by the city of Philadelphia. At that time, it was common to ring a bell to give notice of important public events or grave danger. But a new and larger bell was needed because Philadelphia was rapidly expanding, and the bell being rung could not be heard across the city.

The bell also was not called the Liberty Bell until many years later. At your dinner table this week, I invite your family to learn about its fascinating history. Learn more at: http://www.libertybellmuseum.com/ and http://www.nps.gov/inde/liberty-bell-center.htm.

In her Bat Mitzvah message, the rabbi noted that the bell is inscribed with a passage from the bible, Leviticus 25:10, “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” As I listened to her, I reflected on our duty as citizens of a democracy to actively participate in our freedom, proclaim our liberty throughout our land, and, in a sense, to be our own Liberty Bell.

Liberty is tempered, though, with duty and responsibility. While the word stems from liber, the Latin root for “free,” liberty does not mean the freedom to do whatever you want. If everyone exercised that approach to freedom, the result would be anarchy. Liberty means freedom guided by duty or responsibility, and the difficulties inherent in that process are referenced in these wise words from President Abraham Lincoln, “Plainly, the sheep and the wolf are not agreed upon a definition of liberty.”

Proclaiming liberty includes acknowledging our duty to consider the perspective of others who share our community and our responsibility to safeguard others’ liberty. In our community, we share the responsibilities of being aware, caring, courageous, honest, and living in integrity. Our students have the freedom to pursue those aspirations in their learning and in their relationships with others, but not at the expense of others. I invite you to discuss this, too, with your family this week and share your thoughts at mySCDS .

Brad Weaver, Ed.D
Head of School