We often hear the aphorism, “for evil to triumph, it is only necessary that good people should do nothing.”

The Westboro Baptist Church, an anti-gay, anti-semitic hate group, in Hampton Roads on March 1.

On Monday, March 1, the good people of Norfolk and Hampton Roads did something; and good triumphed that day.

The Westboro Baptist Church, a group of hate-mongers from Topeka, Kansas, descended on Norfolk last week, picketing several different public high schools and Jewish institutions. That misnamed group does not represent either the Church in general nor the Baptist denomination in particular. Its main messages are homophobia and anti-semitism.

Learning in advance of the planned demonstrations, the local Jewish community debated its response. Some community stewards recommended doing nothing, so as to deprive the Westboro group any added publicity. At Temple Israel, however, our consensus was that we could not afford to do nothing, because the planned picketing would have been an emotional blow to our worshipers seeking to enter the building at the hour of the demonstration. Our synagogue had been defaced by neo-Nazi vandals a year ago, and we did not want to endure further bigotry without any countervailing positive energy.

We opted to invite members and friends to gather outside the synagogue, and then to march into our house of worship together. We were determined not to interact directly with those sporting hateful signs or heckling us. Our point was to become one community, united in the spirit of toleration.

A counter-protester across the street from Temple Israel.

Three hundred people of all faith communities assembled at the appointed hour, some having come from as far away as Williamsburg and Richmond. The Westboro group did not make an appearance, ultimately, but that did not vitiate the meaning of the hour, because our point was not simply to oppose, but rather to congregate and celebrate. We walked into the synagogue–Jews, Christians, Pagans–and demonstrated unity amidst our diversity. Once in the sanctuary, we sang Hebrew settings of Biblical lyrics: “How good and pleasant it is when brethen dwell in unity,” and “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war anymore.”

After the evening worship, all the clergy and lay leaders of the various faith communities represented gathered on the pulpit–over two dozen representatives. The two rabbis present, myself and Rabbi Israel Zoberman, president of the Board of Rabbis and Cantors of Hampton Roads, recited the biblical “priestly benediction” in Hebrew, and all of the clergy, of all the denominations present, responded with the English translation of those lines.

That day, some prayed with their mouths, and some prayed with their feet; but all were in a high place of spirituality.