This fall, Metro Council Member Sheri Weiner (District 22) was one of 29 people, including Mayor Freddie O’Connell and council members Terry Vo (District 17), Tonya Hancock (District 9), and Zulfat Suara (Metro Council At-Large). The trip was part of the Sisters Cities of Nashville (SCN), a chapter of Sister Cities International, based in Washington, DC. The volunteer organization aims to create connections and shared experiences between Nashvillians and friends around the world.
Weiner shares some reflections about the trip in the interview below.
1. Talk a little about the overall goals of the trip and some key takeaways that resonate with you.
Our first takeaway was immediately apparent: the Japanese are filled with respect for others, for their community and their natural resources. For example, we did not see a single public trash can nor was there any trash (as in not one bit) on any public street in any of the communities we visited. We drank a lot of tea – as sharing a cup is considered a sign of hospitality. Their crime rate is negligible.
These examples are just the tip of the iceberg of the overwhelming feeling of calm we experienced while visiting there. There are differences beyond language to include their focus on the good of the whole (community), workplace loyalty (people tend to stay with their company for a long time), and relationship structure. Personal space - in the US we shake hands and/or hug while in Japan they bow and have a very respectful way of exchanging business cards. They emphasize a blending of traditional and contemporary as they are very tied to their history and ancestry.
We visited and met with four of the staff at the United States Embassy, enjoyed tea and learned Zen Buddhist meditation with the Chief Abbott, toured Temples and Shrines, enjoyed their waterfront scenery that surrounds them, met with the Kamakura Mayor and several Council members celebrating our decade’s long relationship.
2. What was your experience visiting the synagogue and Jewish community?
When I travel abroad, I always check out the Jewish community and visit a synagogue whenever I can. This visit was like going home. Alison, my daughter, and I were greeted by Rabbi Andrew Scheer who many of our Jewish Nashvillians may remember from when he served here as an intern at Sherith Israel. He, his wife and two children welcomed us (they are adorable) as did several members of the congregation. Of course, we played a robust game of Jewish geography, and I was amazed by the number of Middle Tennessee connections there were.
There was primarily a Western influence in the faces of the attendees, and a diverse make up of services that morning which, I understand, is typical. Interestingly, Rabbi Scheer surprised me with the request to give the sermon that morning. It was actually an easy ask in that I was able to share with the “what” I’m sharing with you now (as our visit was at the end of our trip) and fielding questions about the tenor of our upcoming elections.
3. Is the Jewish community there experiencing antisemitism and if so, how is it manifesting?
Let me preface this by sharing I spent a lot of time with Benjamin Boas, born and raised in Westport, CT who, at a very young age, became enamored with Japan. A Fulbright scholar, he is an expert on Japanese culture, fluent in the language, a member of the Jewish Congregation of Japan, and was instrumental in planning and executing (with former councilmember and President of Sister Cities Mina Johnson) a flawless and robust experience there. He, Alison and I spent a lot of time together and have formed a bond with him, his wife Mika and their children. In fact, they are planning to visit Nashville in 2025. He shared that most Japanese know nothing about Judaism or the Jewish community there. He won’t say there is zero antisemitism, but he rarely sees or hears of it. That said, their congregation is equipped with cameras, a secure entry system out of an abundance of caution.
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4. What impacted you the most about your visit to the Jewish community?
There are two Chabads (that we did not get to visit) and the Jewish Congregation of Japan (JCJ) serving as the cultural centers for the Japanese in Tokyo. We were also in Yokohama and Kamakura and, like so many of the other cities in Japan, there was no Jewish community center or synagogues. Benjamin and his family live in Kamakura and travel to Tokyo to participate at JCJ. Interestingly, roughly 25% of their membership attended services that morning (without a family of life celebration).
5. How has the Jewish community reacted to October 7th and the yearlong conflict? Are there hostages from the community?
While there are no hostages from the community, he did share that public opinion is very much against Israel in terms of the Gaza conflict and, increasingly, towards Israel in general. He recently saw a news program that compared the wall separating Gaza from Israel to a wall at Auschwitz.