What an incredible two weeks we have just witnessed. It began with that disgraceful march in Charlottesville. Neo Nazis, KKK members, and white supremacists marching with their hateful language and racist messages. Who would have thought that could happen in America today? But it did!

Some people were shocked into inaction. But not the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation. We reacted immediately. Foundation leadership immediately approved a grant of $25,000 to be shared with five organizations that we are proud to stand with, side by side, in our effort to combat hate. We called our effort the “We Will Not Be Silent” campaign. We granted $5,000 to each of the following organizations; Dallas Holocaust Museum, Cathedral of Hope, NAACP, Catholic Charity Immigrant Resettlement program, and the ADL.

As our chairman, Rusty Cooper said at a news conference, "The vile seeds of racism will not take root or grow in the dry dusty soil of our community."

Over 8,000 people viewed our Facebook posts on the "We Will Not Be Silent" campaign. Perhaps legendary hero Davy Crockett captured our thoughts about these vile racists marching in Charlottesville the best, “May you all go to hell, I'm going to Texas.”

But outrage turned to horror overnight as Hurricane Harvey devastated our neighbors in Houston. The Dallas Jewish Community Foundation was proud to join the other area Jewish Organizations in our community, in immediately responding. The Foundation made an immediate grant to the Federation Hurricane Fund and joined our fundholders with over $100,000 in total grants to organizations providing services to a devastated Houston. The Dallas community opened their hearts and checkbooks with generosity and love. We are proud of our community and thank the Federation for their leadership. We will not stop our efforts to assist our neighbors in Houston.

And perhaps the point counterpoint of these two episodes is what we will remember. In Charlottesville, the haters tried to separate us. Hate the Jews, hate the Blacks, hate the Hispanics, hate the immigrants.  Watching the horrors in Houston showed us how Texans respond in crisis. No religious or color barriers. No "them against me". Just one thought, help whoever needs it. Blacks helping whites, Christians helping Jews; simply Texans helping Texans and Americans helping Americans, strangers helping strangers. Rusty was correct. "The seeds of hatred cannot grow here, there’s no room because the seeds of love, respect, and charity have fully bloomed."