Pulpit Perspectives

A Wish for a New Year

2012-01-06T15:54:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year, and Shabbat Shalom!

We Jews live in a multifaceted realm. When the new Jewish year begins, we wish one another a happy New Year. When the new secular year starts out, we also wish one another a good year ahead, even after late nights of partying and days of disappointing football results.

Be that as it may, the transition from one year to the next allows us – again – to re-examine our lives and to seek out new patterns of existence if we believe they are in order.

Along with many who observe life in all its complexity, such as Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, I too believe that "we are not locked in a realm where causality, struggle for existence, the will to exert power, personal urges, and the craving for prestige" are the only motivations that drive us.

We crave relationship, connection, and enrichment with one another in this world.

We desire the human touch, the kind word, the understanding glance, and the optimistic outlook for the future.

The Shabbat allows us to imagine what truly human life can be like, so that we can change our lives for the better.

I wish everyone a Shabbat of peace.

Shabbat and Righteous Giving: A Tzedakah Box for All Times

2011-12-09T14:47:00.000-06:00

“Oh, look, mom,” I heard a young congregant say to her mother. “There’s a beautiful tzedakah box on the wall over there, and it seems very lonely…and very hungry. Can we give tzedakah on Shabbat?”

“Of course, sweetheart. The Rabbi said it was all right.”

And it is. And you should.

Because of the generosity of Roger Brown, one of our congregants, we have a beautifully crafted tzedakah box affixed to the wall outside our sanctuary. Whenever one enters the building – whether for services, religious school, meetings, or social gatherings – now one can donate a little or a lot to the organization or cause that we have selected that month.

One of the concerns raised was whether it was permitted to give money on Shabbat. That is, some might ask, would it be permissible to carry funds to Temple, to bring them into the building, and then to deposit them after sundown on Friday and before sundown on Saturday?

My answer is yes, simply stated. As a liberal movement, we do not disparage the carrying of money – or the giving of tzedakah – on Shabbat, or sneer at those who spend money on Shabbat for the purpose of ‘enjoying the day.’ The opposite is more true!

The giving of tzedakah, or the enjoyment of other activities that elevate the soul and relax the body, is the true aim of Shabbat. If one goes out into the world and finds ways to recreate oneself on this most blessed day of rest, she or he is to be doubly praised. Going to the cinema, eating out at a restaurant with friends or family, riding a bicycle 40 miles there and back, paying an entrance fee at a local amusement park or state campsite for recreational use: All of these are valid and crucial ways to spend the Shabbat day.

The purpose of Shabbat is to bring to the soul a feeling of rest, completeness, and peace. These are the goals that we should affix to the day of the Sabbath. I wish us all success in this important endeavor.

"Shabbat for All Generations" comes also to Saturday morning!

2011-11-23T13:45:00.000-06:00

As you may know, our synagogue has been holding an all-musical service each month, on the third Friday night, for the last four years. We call this special service Shabbat Midor Lador, a “Shabbat for All Generations,” with the hope that we can bring together worshipers young and old, singers and non-singers, for a joyous and rollicking Shabbat that enriches us as individuals and as a community.

Our all-volunteer band, made up of Temple Beth El members and me, leads us in song, story, and learning in a pleasurable worship service. And this coming December 3, our “Shabbat for All Generations” comes to Saturday morning, at 10:30 AM at Temple Beth El. We hope you can be there as well.

“Shabbat services for the community on Saturday morning?” I hear you say. “But we’re accustomed to come to Temple on Friday nights. Is this a change?”

No, it’s not a change, just a one-time experiment to see if perhaps we should have services also on Saturday mornings when we don’t conduct B’nai Mitzvah.

In fact, the Friday evening communal service, usually a late one, is an invention that’s only one hundred and fifty years old, conceived and developed by the founder of Reform Judaism in America, Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise. In those days, Jews stayed away from the synagogue on Saturday morning, but not for the reasons that you may imagine. Here is what I mean.

Many Jews in those days were merchants and retail store workers and owners. Many others were federal and state government employees. Both of these groups had to work on Saturday mornings: Retail workers obviously had to be present when most of the rest of society had free time; government employees worked a six-day week. So Rabbi Wise wanted to find a solution to the empty synagogue pews that he saw on Saturday mornings.

And the late Friday night service was born. It was a service with the traditional Shabbat liturgy, usually not a Torah reading (at first; the Torah would still be read on Saturday morning), but did include a sermon to inspire the members.

But over the last 50 years or so, people’s responsibilities and lifestyles changed, and Saturday mornings have now been freed up from work and given over to leisure time. So we are hoping to fill some of your leisure Shabbat time with good music, fun stories, and worshiping in community.

Please join us for a great Shabbat experience. You’ll be glad you did.

Children in the Sanctuary: What’s Not to Like?!

2011-11-09T16:45:00.000-06:00

Last Friday evening, November 4, we tried an experiment at Temple Beth El. We had our usual First Friday night service (oneg Shabbat at 5:30, service at 6, adjourn with a “Shabbat Shalom” at 7 PM) but with a twist.

We specifically invited families with young children to the service (along with the usual attendees, who are mostly adults), offered a few more child-oriented foods on the oneg Shabbat table, and changed our service only slightly. Our hopes were that we’d attract parents who’d like to offer their children a Shabbat experience that is geared toward them, and yet have a contemplative atmosphere that also addresses the spiritual needs of adults.

This is what happened.

At 6 PM, we began our service where the congregation was, in the Community Court, with songs and table blessings of candles and wine. Then we led everyone into the Sanctuary while singing. Then we began the service with readings and prayers, leading us up to the Sh’ma. After everyone was seated again, I invited the young people, ages 8 and below, up to the bimah steps to listen to a story especially for them.

When the story concluded, teachers and assistants escorted those children out for 45 minutes of a special Shabbat activity: crafts, stories, and fun. In the Sanctuary, the adults had 45 minutes of calm, quiet, and meditative worship, as well as a brief d’var Torah on the weekly portion of Lech Lecha.

At 7 PM we concluded the service, and, behold, there were the kids in the Community Court, finishing up the pre-service oneg Shabbat foods, and waiting quite patiently for their parents. We also had some cookies for them as they exited.

What worked? Most everything worked tremendously well. We allowed our worshipers to have a peaceful experience. We let our children have a fun Shabbat time at Temple. And we had a larger congregation that night than many First Friday nights.

There were a few logistic kinks to be worked out, but the feedback from both parents with kids – and adults who came alone – was quite positive and upbeat. It is definitely something to be replicated at our earliest opportunity.

It is crucial to stress that both adults and children felt comfortable in this worship environment, and that we hope that both of these groups join us in the future.

If you have ideas about this important facet of Jewish life, that is, attracting young kids to positive experiences at Temple, please comment on this event.

On the Nature of What Moves People

2011-10-17T15:57:00.001-05:00

I love my congregants. They’re interested, they’re attentive, and they have passions that I am only beginning to learn about. It is a pleasure to hear them and to work with them.

For example, regarding my High Holy Day sermons: Each one has received reactions, and they’re basically positive ones! Oh, yes, there is some disagreement over my assessment of the Obama administration’s strong support for Israel, but in fact, I have received upbeat reactions to both the messages that I delivered and the services overall.

I have received the majority of comments about my sermon on mental health and mental illness, and my call for an ongoing Temple-based support group for congregants who are mentally ill and their families. I have received offers of help from at least ten members who, for various reasons, expressed the hope to be involved in some way.

Knowing what I know about them, each of them has either a personal or professional connection to the area of mental health and mental illness, and all are willing to be helpful. That says a lot about them, and it also bespeaks a need that we can fulfill. So an agenda is set for the future. And if you’re a member of Temple Beth El, and you are reading these words, please contact me to get involved.

May we all have a wonderful and productive New Year of 5772!

Talmud rabbi has lesson for Wisconsin

2011-05-28T16:53:00.001-05:00

(The following blog is an article that appeared in the July edition of the Milwaukee Jewish Chronicle, and was adapted from a sermon that I gave at Temple Beth El, Madison, Wisconsin, on May 27, 2011.)

One day while [Honi was] walking on the road, he noticed a man planting a carob tree. Said Honi to the man: “You know that it takes 70 years before a carob tree bears fruit. Are you so sure that you will live 70 years and eat from it?” “I found this world filled with carob trees,” the man replied. “As my ancestors planted them for me, so do I plant them for my progeny.”

Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Ta’anit 23a

Honi the Circle-Maker, a rabbi of our tradition who lived in Judea in the first century BCE, had great foresight and was a champion of the people.

He taught us the lesson about the carob tree: One must plant well in one generation so that the next generation will benefit from a good harvest (Talmud Tractate Ta’anit 23a).

I have been thinking lately about the story of Honi and its message in connection to the events in the state of Wisconsin in the last six to eight months. Specifically, I consider the manner in which our state has gone about introducing, processing, debating, and passing new budget legislation.

In the past, citizens and their elected representatives have raised questions and sought answers in an open, transparent, courteous, thoughtful, and — for the most part — civil manner.

So I wonder: Why have things changed? How have our recent confrontational and hurried-through politics affected the dynamic that exists between the people and the three branches of their government?

I also consider the substance of the new laws that our legislators and governor have passed. And I wonder: If we implement these new ideas — ideas that seem to break fundamentally with past traditions of caring about our neighbor — what will the quality of life be like for future generations in Wisconsin? And how long will we have to live with the consequences of these proposals?

On the issue of civility and tone, I observed these examples over the last six months:

• Candidates for elected office concealed many of their true governmental agendas.

• The new administration of Gov. Scott Walker quickly sought to centralize certain rule-making powers in the executive branch.

• Senate and Assembly leaders hurried legislation through, actions recently declared in violation of our state’s open meetings law.

• State legislators used legal but questionable tactics to slow down or subvert the legislative process.

• And in April, when a group of 30 interfaith clergy met with assistants to the governor to voice our concerns (I was among them), it seemed to us that they met us only as a courtesy.

They refused to understand the needs of lower income Wisconsinites and those most vulnerable, that is, those who would be directly affected by the cuts to services.

I look at all of this, and more, and wonder: Is this the paradigm of civic behavior that we really want to transmit to our children? Do we want our descendants to remember — and believe to be the norm — the image of politicians who routinely play political games with the lives of real people?

I believe that we have not acted in the best tradition of the state of Wisconsin. To my friends in the human services field, these budget proposals represent a condescending disregard toward those who are on the margins of society.

And what is more difficult: We have lessened the tax burden on those more able to pay. Those who can pay more — and who are generally willing to do so — now have fewer obligations.

This combination of fewer taxes on the rich, and more taxes on the poor and working poor, represent a reversal of how things ought to be.

From our faith tradition’s point of view, those on the margins of society are precisely the people whom we are to keep at the forefront of our consciousness. The Torah tells us 37 times to care for the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the stranger.

Our tradition also tells us that, as mere sojourners on this planet, we have a special responsibility to serve as God’s stewards of the earth and its creatures, to care for those in need.

That’s why Honi the Circle-Maker reminds us that one must prepare carefully in one generation for those in the next. I hope that we, in this generation of Wisconsinites, will be able to plant well for the next.

These human values are the ones we received from our ancestors who planted them in our tradition many years ago, and which we carry forth today.

And we should do this not only because we are Jews — and this is what Jews do — but also because we are Wisconsinites concerned with passing on to future generations the tradition of civility and care for those in need.

A Faithful Call for Shared Responsibility to Serve People and Balance Budgets

2011-04-19T16:21:00.005-05:00

To people of faith, the phrase ‘our budget should be representative of our values’ means everything, and the fulfillment of real human needs becomes a consideration of the highest importance. This is the reason I am so distressed regarding proposals to eliminate $1.6 billion worth of human service and education funding from our state budget.

Since January of this year, our state leadership has advocated for increased tax breaks for wealthy citizens and for large corporations, as well as decreased expenditures to programs that help people achieve lives of dignity. Low-income seniors would then pay a greater share of their medical care; impoverished citizens would see their social safety net will shrink; primary and secondary school students would experience increased class size and the elimination of special educational and GT programs; and many others.

Adding injury to insult, the U.S. House of Representatives last week offered similar proposals that would yield the same callous results. The House passed legislation to cut the national debt over the next four years by severely reducing Medicaid, Pell grants, food stamps, and low-income housing subsidies. More distressing is the proposal to transform completely our Medicare program into state block grants, producing vouchers for senior adult health care that will likely decrease in value as future health care costs escalate.

As in the Wisconsin legislature, nothing in the House plan suggested raising corporate taxes (especially on those corporations who pay little or no tax on their profits) or personal income taxes on wealthier citizens. The vast majority of debt reduction would come at the expense of programs that support low-income Americans.

If we believe that it is essential to reduce our debt, whether on the state or local level, people of faith must consider truly a righteous pathway. Such an approach would call upon each person and corporation to share equitably in the costs of running this nation that is full of opportunity and promise.

It should be the task of each citizen and corporation – those who, each day, benefit from life in America – to be responsible for the welfare of our great and prosperous nation. This is what shared responsibility is all about. Let each person and business entity contribute their equitable share of revenue, in order to receive – in return – their rightful share of the benefit of being part of this nation.

My support of this notion of ‘shared responsibility’ is based on concepts we find in the Hebrew bible. These are some of the values that can create a climate of shared responsibility for our state, nation, and world:

1. The inherent dignity and value of each human being, based on the notion that humanity was created in the Divine Image (derived from Genesis 1:27).

2. The equality of all people, based upon our common descent from Adam and Eve (derived from Genesis 5:1-2).

3. The need to empathize with people who are oppressed, persecuted, and wronged (derived from the many admonitions to care for the stranger, the poor, the widowed, and the orphan (derived from Exodus 22:21, Leviticus 19:34, Deuteronomy 10:18-19, Deuteronomy 14:29, Deuteronomy 16:11 and Deuteronomy 24:19-21).

4. The belief that we have a responsibility of stewardship over the earth (derived from Genesis 2:15).

5. The inferred “Laws of the Sons of Noah” that are regarded as basic to any civilized society. These include the establishment of fair courts of justice and the prohibition of murder, robbery, blasphemy, idolatry, adultery, and the mistreatment of animals (derived from Genesis 9:8-17).

6. The reassurance that all people, even the highest human rulers, are accountable to the rule of law (derived from Second Samuel 12:11-12).

7. The obligation of individuals and societies to pursue justice, righteousness, and ‘pathways of peace’ (derived from Deuteronomy 16:20 and Psalms 34:15).

I am indebted to Rabbis David Saperstein and Albert Vorspan for their compiling this list of priorities and values. The reader can find it in its entirety in "Jewish Dimensions of Social Justice", URJ Press, 1998.

People of Faith United for Justice

2011-03-15T14:35:00.000-05:00

On March 15, I was privileged to speak before a gathering of people of faith in Madison who were present to lobby their legislators on issues surrounding the proposed biennium budget for Wisconsin. Below are nine values that seemed appropriate to me to impart to them and encourage them to use during both their lobbying visits and their future advocacy work. These are values that emanate from the biblical tradition of doing what is right, the value of tzedek, or righteousness.

Presented before "People of Faith United for Justice"
March 15, 2011

Religious Values that lead to the Perfection of Our World
Adapted from Tough Choices: Jewish Dimensions of Social Justice. URJ Press 1992 and 1998, by Albert Vorspan and David Saperstein

1. The inherent dignity and value of all human beings, derived from the belief that we are all made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27 – “God created humanity in the divine image, in the image of God, God created it; male and female God created them.”)

2. The equality of all people, rooted in the tradition of our common descent from Adam and Eve. (Genesis 5:1-2 – “This is the book of the generations of humanity. On the day when God created humanity, in the likeness of God, God made them, male and female God created them, and blessed them, and called their name humanity, on the day when they were created.”)

3. The need to empathize with the plight of the Israelites in Egyptian slavery, and, then, to channel our powers of empathy to help people who are oppressed, persecuted, and wronged. (Thirty-six times throughout the Torah we are taught that we should love, as we love ourselves, the stranger who resides with us, for we were strangers in the land of Egypt; see Leviticus 19:34 for example.)

4. The concept of wealth as lent by God in a trust relationship (for example, Psalm 24:1, “The earth and all its fullness belongs to Adonai...”), that requires sharing with the less fortunate. Hence, the special concern that God demands for “the poor, the widowed, the hungry, the orphan, and the stranger,” as the Bible tells us in many places. (Exodus 22:21 – “You shall not afflict any widow, or orphaned child.” Deuteronomy 10:18-19 – “God executes the judgment of the orphan and widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and garment. Love you therefore the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Deuteronomy 14:29b – “The stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are inside your gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied, that the Eternal your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.” Deuteronomy 16:11 – “You shall rejoice before the Eternal your God, you, . . . and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are among you, in the place which the Eternal your God has chosen to place his name there.” Deuteronomy 24:19-21 – “When you cut down the harvest of your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go again to fetch it. Let it be for the stranger, for the orphan, and for the widow, that the Eternal your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive tree, you shall not go over the boughs again. Let it be for the stranger, for the orphan, and for the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward. The gleanings shall be for the stranger, for the orphan, and for the widow.

5. The belief that we have a responsibility of “stewardship” over the earth and that we must protect it. (Genesis 2:15 – “The Eternal God took the human, and put him into the Garden of Eden, to serve it and to protect it.”)

6. The inference of certain laws (the seven laws of the Sons of Noah) that are regarded as basic to any civilized society. These include six prohibitions: murder, robbery, blasphemy, idolatry, incest and adultery, and the eating of living flesh; as well as the positive command that every community establish fair courts of justice. (Midrash Genesis Rabbah 34:8)

7. The rule of law to which even the highest human ruler is accountable. (Second Samuel 12:11-12 – “Thus said the Eternal God [to David when he committed adultery with Batsheva and had her husband placed at the most violent battle front], ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of the sun. For although you sinned secretly, I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.”)

8. Freedom of choice, and the responsibility of each person for his or her own actions. (Genesis 2:7 – “The Eternal God formed. . . . [The Hebrew word for formed is ייצר, yeitzeir. The Rabbis understood the presence of two yud’s (the first letter of that word) – when only one would be expected – to mean that humanity has two inclinations as part of its basic personalities, the good and the bad. Throughout our life as humans we are always choosing between the two.]. . . .the man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.”)

9. The paramount obligation of individuals and societies to pursue justice, righteousness, and ‘pathways of peace’) that is, to be involved in the work of social justice. (Deuteronomy 16:20 – “Justice, only justice shall you pursue, that you may live, and inherit the land which the Eternal your God gives you.” Psalms 34:15 – “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”)

A Night of Justice and Song

2011-03-13T21:09:00.000-05:00

"A Night of Justice and Song" led by the Rabbis of Madison will take place at 7 PM on Monday, March 14 - and every Monday at 7 PM from now on - at the State Capitol in Madison, King Street Entrance. Join Madison's Rabbis as they stand vigil and pray for sanity and peace, and for the benefit of the workers of Wisconsin. On March 14, join Rabbis Bonnie Margulis and Jonathan Biatch as they hold a candlelight vigil, and invite the Jewish community to stand with them, to sing and be heard, and bear witness to the right and proper way to support the working people of Wisconsin, and the United States.

Madison Rabbis Speak Out Against Governor Walker’s Proposed Budget Repair Bill

2011-02-26T19:31:00.000-06:00

All of the rabbis of Madison, Wisconsin’s liberal Jewish movements (Reform, Reconstructionist, Conservative) signed on to the letter below.

Dear Rabbinic Colleagues and Friends,

Many of you have been watching what is going on in our beloved city of Madison, Wisconsin. As rabbis who live and work in Madison, we wanted to share with you some reflections on recent events.

This is an extraordinary time in Madison. We have never seen anything like it. The sheer number of people who have come to protest, testify, or attend vigils at the State Capitol is unbelievable. Through sunshine and freezing rain, we have been shocked at how long people have sustained this engagement. The overwhelming number of protesters has been respectful, peaceful, and well, downright friendly (this is the Midwest, after all!). The energy inside the Capitol rotunda is astounding. It has brought tears to our eyes to watch young people become so passionate about these issues, even sleeping there throughout the night. We have heard some grumbling about the school closures, but there could be no better civics lesson than watching strangers – young and old, workers and professors, from small towns and big cities, all holding hands all around the perimeter of the Capitol and chanting, “This is what democracy looks like.”

We have been very focused on the local level, but we understand that this is a national issue. The stakes are very high. They are so high because our very communities are at risk. Contrary to many news reports, this is not about greedy labor unions. If Governor Walker’s bill passes, it will destroy local economies throughout the state – and drastically reduce the quality of our public schools, universities, nursing homes, child care centers, and hospitals. Through its devastating changes to Medicaid it will jeopardize the health and well-being of the mentally ill, disabled, elderly, and poor. This will affect each of us personally and professionally, and it will spread to other states as well. Sadly, our children’s future is on the line, and Governor Walker has tried to prevent any public discussion or debate on these issues.

As rabbis we find this an affront to our values – the Jewish mandate to protect workers, as well as the poor and needy among us. It is an affront to our deep value for education, for supporting women’s rights, and for creating sustainable communities. And it is an affront to our belief that these issues should be debated openly and fairly under public scrutiny.

We humbly share the attached resources that we have compiled in the hopes that we can renew our commitment to social justice for all members of our society. What is happening in Wisconsin will likely spread to other states, and we hope that you will discuss these issues in your communities.

The organization that has been coordinating the interfaith religious response in Madison is the Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice of South Central Wisconsin. Their members are a combination of grassroots activists, clergy, laity, congregations, community organizations, and labor unions. If you would like to support their work, please visit http://www.workerjustice.org. The issue of cuts to health care coverage for low income Wisconsin residents is also at stake. To read more about this or to support these efforts, please visit Save Badger Care, http://www.savebadgercare.org.

As Rabbi Hillel once said, "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?"

B’shalom,

Rabbi Renee Bauer
Rabbi Joshua Ben-Gideon
Rabbi Rebecca Ben-Gideon
Rabbi Jonathan Biatch
Rabbi Kenneth Katz
Rabbi Bonnie Margulis
Rabbi Andrea Steinberger
Rabbi Laurie Zimmerman

The Jewish Connection to Labor Issues

2011-02-16T05:47:00.003-06:00

The controversy regarding Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s proposal to eliminate most of the collective bargaining agreements of public sector employees is, at the time of the publication of this blog, only a few days old. Yet this controversy has engendered heated debate, discussion, and disagreement on the issues.

For this Rabbi, it is difficult to understand the severity of Governor Walker’s proposal, as it runs completely counter to the history and direction of organized labor, and the benefits that organized labor has brought to our economy. The century-and-a-half stream of collective bargaining agreements in our country is a tide that has raised all boats: bringing the working class into the middle class; increasing the productivity and the profitability of the companies and public agencies that hire union workers; and providing lives of dignity for all participants.

The system of union representation has granted real human dignity to each person in our land, those who are union workers and others who have benefited – at some time in their lives – from a union agreement.

What is our connection?

Here is a brief synopsis of the Jewish position on labor and related issues, and perhaps hints as to why Jews can proudly support the stance of the labor union members who will be drastically affected by the proposed loss of the power of collective bargaining.

We Jews are heirs of a prophetic tradition that has ever sought to perfect the world that God gave to us. As the book of Genesis reminds us, we are all made in the divine image, and no one person is inherently better than another. That is why we honor the dignity of each person, for their being a member of the human family, and for their chosen work in the world.

The books of Leviticus [19:13] and Deuteronomy [24:14-15] demand that employers should be fair and honest in their relationships with their employees. From these Scriptures we specifically learn “You shall not defraud your fellow. You shall not commit robbery. Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.” And “Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy…Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it.”

And the book of Exodus [23:12] brought forth the ancient but sublime innovation of a day of rest. Specifically in connection with the laborer, it commands, “Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household, and the foreigner as well, may be refreshed”.

The Talmud not only deals with working conditions and appropriate wages, but provides justification for the establishment of workers' unions and guilds. Later Jewish rabbinic tradition continues this trend, referring both to the need for people to work seriously and long, and the sanction for organizers to organize for their benefit and safety. Please contact me at rabbi@templebethelmadison.org if you would like information about specifics.

Textual references are important, but remember this: We in the liberal community follow the words of certain scripture passages not because God commanded them and/or out of a fear of punishment, but rather because they represent wisdom in building – together with God – a just world.

The American Jewish tradition of support for union organizing and collective bargaining began more than 100 years ago, beginning in earnest with the tragedy that we know of as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. One hundred forty-six women lost their lives that March day, whose centenary anniversary we will observe next month. From that event we strove to correct the unsafe and unjust conditions at factories and sweatshops all across the country. We moved forward and continued to honor the dignity of all workers who daily toil for themselves and for their family.

What does all this mean?

Our Jewish religious and civil tradition demands that employers treat workers fairly, from providing adequate wages and benefits, to ensuring safe and appropriate working conditions. And the ability of workers to bargain collectively has allowed us to achieve a higher standard of living for workers, such as a fair and safe workplace; to raise the profits and benefits of employers due to the hard work of dedicated employees such as you; and to receive many other benefits for working people in our country.

We therefore move onward with work and workers' right as sacred , because, our tradition states, “Great is labor for it gives honor to the laborer” [Babylonian Talmud Nedarim 49b].

There is Still Far to Go

2010-10-08T21:48:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the media we have a sharper focus on gay and lesbian teen suicide. What's needed is eliminating the prejudice that preceded it.

The following is an editorial that appeared in a newspaper called the New Jersey Jewish Standard this past Monday [October 4]:

“We set off a firestorm last week by publishing a same-sex couple’s announcement of their intent to marry. Given the tenor of the times, we did not expect the volume of comments we have received, many of them against our decision to run the announcement, but many supportive as well.

“A group of rabbis has reached out to us and conveyed the deep sensitivities within the traditional/Orthodox community to this issue. Our subsequent discussions with representatives from that community have made us aware that publication of the announcement caused pain and consternation, and we apologize for any pain we may have caused.

“The Jewish Standard has always striven to draw the community together, rather than drive its many segments apart. We have decided, therefore, since this is such a divisive issue, not to run such announcements in the future.”

In the words of our Yom Kippur confessional liturgy: “Ashamnu – bagadnu – gazalnu. We are guilty; we have betrayed; we have stolen”.

And for me, questions remain. “Who is guilty?” and “Of what are they guilty?”

I wonder whether this newspaper took confession to a completely new level!

And here is one of the – literally – hundreds of responses to this editorial that appeared online, which the paper posted and for which I give them some credit.

This reaction sums up all the negative comments – and most if not all of the 421 comments posted online – as of October 7 – were negative:

“How on earth can someone else’s simcha cause anyone pain and consternation? If it does, that person needs therapy, not to throw his or her weight around and bully a newspaper into bigotry.”

Or this reaction, which is also typical: “While I am happy to learn that you want to be sensitive to those in your community who are bigoted and exclusionist, I wonder whether you even care about the rest of us, the majority, who welcome the announcement of love and commitment between two members of the Jewish community?”

This newspaper, its so-called “editorial”, the Orthodox impetus for its printing, and the reaction to it, represents – sadly – a microcosm of the American society in which we live.

Even in an era when gay teen suicide is a prevalent issue in our national dialogue and a problem to be addressed – and even within a theoretically enlightened Jewish community – we are in need of education.

This demonstrates the old adage that Jews are just like everyone else, but even more so.

We are in an entirely new epoch when it comes to our relationships with gay and lesbian members of our society. It has taken us years to move our nation and individuals within it, toward a time when a person’s sexual orientation is irrelevant to his or her place in society.

But there is still far to go.

There comes a time when acceptance must give way to activism. People of moral conscience need to work to create a community where gays and lesbians are accorded the same rights and privileges as everyone else.

This week’s Torah portion reviews the sins of the early humans that, in the eyes of our Israelite ancestors, were the precipitating factors of the flood of the era of Noah and the downfall of the Tower of Babel.

The story of Noah and the ark, similar to the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, has often been portrayed – in certain biblical fundamentalist circles – as a tale relating to so-called “sexual perversions” of humanity.

In addition to these narratives in the early Torah text, one can read the laws of Leviticus and infer that homosexual acts were something abhorred by the ancient Israelite community; these strictures are often used by fundamentalists to demonstrate that the Bible is against homosexuality.

But modern scholars now believe that these texts were more against homosexuality as a method of worship. Besides, sexual orientation was something that was not understood by our ancestors.

Still, because of fear, and following the pattern of many societies that were concerned with these kinds of issues, they condemned the practice without understanding its origin.

Today we know different.

Today we know that somewhere between 3% and 5% of the human family are homosexual. We also believe that God does not frown upon the expression of human sexuality, and that whether gay, lesbian, or straight, God’s divinity and image reside within each of God’s children.

But I am affected by a particular teaching in this week’s Torah portion, the section that deals with the destruction of the earth at the time of Noah.

The text says this: “Va-tishachet ha’aretz lifnei ha’elohim, va-timalei ha’aretz hamas.” “The earth was corrupted before God’s very presence, and the world was filled with violence.” And in these heated days of extreme national debate and angst, I think this may be true – in a way – about our nation.

But not in the way that biblical literalists think.

As a society, we have corrupted our land and committed violence against people. It’s just that today we have incited violence against yet another minority group whom we find easy to disparage.

Today, we legitimize old prejudices and encourage new discrimination by displaying examples of both in a Jewish newspaper.

Today, we can bully someone through the World Wide Web, showing video footage that is assured to bring embarrassment and humiliation.

Today, we can spread rumor and innuendo about anyone through the viral spread of Internet email and web images.

The media have put a well-deserved emphasis on the heart-wrenching suicides of gay and lesbian youth in recent weeks. But what really needs to brighten is the spotlight on the overt prejudice that has led to these needless deaths.

And in this election year, when self-aggrandizing politicians use anti-gay bias as a wedge issue, something is very wrong with the way we conduct our national business.

When homophobic interpreters of scripture mis-characterize the sins of the generation of Noah as being sexually based, they pervert the very validity of using the Bible as a book of moral instruction.

When we neglect to sincerely empathize with the families of Raymond Chase, Seth Walsh, Billy Lucas, Asher Brown and Tyler Clementi, five gay teenagers who recently committed suicide, we have permitted others to set the societal agenda. We have abdicated our role of leading a society by example.

Here is a set of statistics regarding gay and lesbian suicides that I found terribly distressing. I suspect you, too, will find them unsettling:

* Of all American teens who die by their own hand, 30 percent are lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, or queer.

* According to the 2007 Massachusetts Youth Risk Survey, lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers.

* According to researchers in the journal Pediatrics, lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth who come from families that reject them when they come out of the closet, are more than eight times as likely to have attempted suicide than lesbian, gay, and bisexual peers who reported no or low levels of family rejection.

* According to a 2009 survey by GLSEN, a national organization that seeks to create healthier atmospheres on school campuses for all people, almost 85 percent of LGBTQ teenagers are harassed in high school because of their sexual orientation, with 61 percent of gay youth reporting that they felt unsafe in school and 30 percent staying home to avoid bullying.

We need to rid ourselves of prejudice and purposeful mistranslating of scripture. We need a certain kind of religious understanding that seeks not violence but rather tolerance and full acceptance, based upon the values of the text rather than ancient words that reflect fear and suspicion.

What is needed are more days similar to this Sunday’s “National Coming Out Day.” This is an annual event when gay and lesbian youth are encouraged to stop concealing their sexual orientation, and to disclose their orientation to those who know them and would be most supportive of this reality of their lives.

What is needed is more encouragement similar to that of the local cast of “Wicked”. Last Friday they placed on the YouTube website a two minute video reminding gay and lesbian youth that, ‘yes, it is difficult to reveal one’s homosexual orientation, but that the more one is honest and open about it, the easier it gets to do it.’

What is needed is our changing our attitudes. It actually helps society when our fellow citizens are able to be honest with themselves and with us regarding their sexual orientation. Suppressing one’s identity is unhealthy for the individual and for society.

What is needed is education and patience, but an always forward-moving set of attitudes.

What is needed is the expression of sincere remorse, and dedication to correcting past wrongs.

What is needed is for the religious community to take its place beside our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, and to stand firmly on the side of equal rights in all areas of life.

It is time for us to reach out to other religious communities and encourage them to say “enough” to bullying, to suicides, and to harassment due to a person’s sexual orientation.

I invite you to begin this process locally with me, along with clergy and members of other religious congregations.

We must bear in mind the words he who stood in the breach between Nazi atrocities and humanity, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He said, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil; God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

Finally, what is needed are more follow-up editorials like this one that appeared in the online version of the New Jersey Jewish Standard after the so-called “firestorm” that erupted because of that paper’s initial editorial stand:

“We ran the wedding announcement because we felt, as a community newspaper, that it was our job to serve the entire community — something we have been doing for 80 years.

“We did not expect the heated response we got, and — in truth — we believe now that we may have acted too quickly in issuing the follow-up statement, responding only to one segment of the community.

“We are now having meetings with local rabbis and community leaders. We will also be printing, in the paper and online, many of the letters that have been pouring in since our statement was published.

“We urge everyone to take a step back and reflect on what this series of events has taught us about the community we care so much about, and about the steps we must take to move forward together.”

Would that be the approach of all citizens in our nation!

Religious Bigotry: Unacceptable by Any Standard

2010-09-09T21:04:00.000-05:00

(The following is the text of a press release composed by the signatories listed below about their grave concern over incidents of religious persecution in the weeks and months gone by. This was released on Tuesday September 7, 2010, at a press conference run by Ingrid Matson, president of the Islamic Society of North America. You can view the press conference through C-SPAN's coverage of the press conference by clicking here.)

As religious leaders in this great country, we have come together in our nation’s capital to denounce categorically the derision, misinformation and outright bigotry being directed against America’s Muslim community. We bear a sacred responsibility to honor America’s varied faith traditions and to promote a culture of mutual respect and the assurance of religious freedom for all. In advance of the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, we announce a new era of interfaith cooperation.

As Jews, Christians, and Muslims, we are grateful to live in this democracy whose Constitution guarantees religious liberty for all. Our freedom to worship in congregations of our own choosing, to give witness to our moral convictions in the public square, and to maintain institutions that carry out our respective missions—all of these are bedrock American freedoms that must be vigorously guarded and defended lest they be placed at peril. The United States of America has been a beacon to the world in defending the rights of religious minorities, yet it is also sadly true that at times in our history particular groups have been singled out for unjust discrimination and have been made the object of scorn and animosity by those who have either misconstrued or intentionally distorted the vision of our founders.

In recent weeks, we have become alarmed by the anti-Muslim frenzy that has been generated over the plans to build an Islamic community center and mosque at the Park 51 site near Ground Zero in New York City. We recognize that the vicinity around the former World Trade Center, where 2,752 innocent lives were cruelly murdered on 9/11, remains an open wound in our country, especially for those who lost loved ones. Persons of conscience have taken different positions on the wisdom of the location of this project, even if the legal right to build on the site appears to be unassailable. Our concern here is not to debate the Park 51 project anew, but rather to respond to the atmosphere of fear and contempt for fellow Americans of the Muslim faith that the controversy has generated.

We are profoundly distressed and deeply saddened by the incidents of violence committed against Muslims in our community, and by the desecration of Islamic houses of worship. We stand by the principle that to attack any religion in the United States is to do violence to the religious freedom of all Americans. The threatened burning of copies of the Holy Qu’ran this Saturday is a particularly egregious offense that demands the strongest possible condemnation by all who value civility in public life and seek to honor the sacred memory of those who lost their lives on September 11. As religious leaders, we are appalled by such disrespect for a sacred text that for centuries has shaped many of the great cultures of our world, and that continues to give spiritual comfort to more than a billion Muslims today.

We are committed to building a future in which religious differences no longer lead to hostility or division between communities. Rather, we believe that such diversity can serve to enrich our public discourse about the great moral challenges that face our nation and our planet. On the basis of our shared reflection, we insist that no religion should be judged on the words or actions of those who seek to pervert it through acts of violence; that politicians and members of the media are never justified in exploiting religious differences as a wedge to advance political agendas or ideologies; that bearing false witness against the neighbor—something condemned by all three of our religious traditions—is inflicting particular harm on the followers of Islam, a world religion that has lately been mischaracterized by some as a “cult.”

We call for a new day in America when speaking the truth about one another will embrace a renewed commitment to mutual learning among religions. Leaders of local congregations have a special responsibility to teach with accuracy, fairness and respect about other faith traditions. The partnerships that have developed in recent years between synagogues and churches, mosques and synagogues, and churches and mosques should provide a foundation for new forms of collaboration in interfaith education, inter-congregational visitations, and service programs that redress social ills like homelessness and drug abuse. What we can accomplish together is, in very many instances, far more than we can achieve working in isolation from one another. The good results of a more extensive collaboration between religious congregations and national agencies will undoubtedly help to heal our culture, which continues to suffer from the open wound of 9/11.

We work together on the basis of deeply held and widely shared values, each supported by the sacred texts of our respective traditions. We acknowledge with gratitude the dialogues between our scholars and religious authorities that have helped us to identify a common understanding of the divine command to love one’s neighbor. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all see an intimate link between faithfulness to God and love of neighbor; a neighbor who in many instances is the stranger in our midst. We are united in our conviction that by witnessing together in celebration of human dignity and religious freedom; by working together for interfaith understanding across communities and generations; and by cooperating with each other in works of justice and mercy for the benefit of society, all of us will demonstrate our faithfulness to our deepest spiritual commitments.

We are convinced that spiritual leaders representing the various faiths in the United States have a moral responsibility to stand together and to denounce categorically derision, misinformation or outright bigotry directed against any religious group in this country. Silence is not an option. Only by taking this stand, can spiritual leaders fulfill the highest calling of our respective faiths, and thereby help to create a safer and stronger America for all of our people.

ATTENDEES

Rev. Father Mark Arey
Director, Inter-Orthodox Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Galen Carey
Executive Director of the Office of Governmental Affairs, National Association of Evangelicals

Rev. Richard Cizik
President, New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good

Dr. Gerald L. Durley
Pastor, Providence Missionary Baptist Church

Dr. Mohmaed Elsanousi
Director of Community Outreach, Islamic Society of North America

Prof. Rabbi Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer
Chair, Department of Multifaith Studies and Initiatives, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College

Dr. Welton Gaddy
President, Interfaith Alliance

Rabbi Steve Gutow
Executive Director, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Rev. Donald Heckman
Director for External Relations, Religions for Peace

Bishop Neil L. Irons
Executive Secretary, Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church

Mr. Rizwan Jaka
Board Member, Islamic Society of North America

Rev. Rich Killmer
Executive Director, National Religious Campaign Against Torture

Dr. Michael Kinnamon
General Secretary, National Council of Churches (NCC)

Imam Mohamed Hag Magid
Vice President, Islamic Society of North America

Rev. Steven D. Martin
Executive Director, New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good

Father James Massa
Executive Director, Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

Rabbi Jose Rolando Matalon
Rabbi, Congregation B’nai Jeshurun

Dr. Ingrid Mattson
President, Islamic Society of North America

Cardinal Theodore McCarrick
Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, Archdiocese of Washington

Bishop Donald J. McCoid
Executive for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Dr. Roy Medley
General Secretary, American Baptist Churches

Rabbi Jack Moline
Director of Public Policy, Rabbinical Assembly

Mr. Nicholas Richardson
Communications Director, Archdiocese of New York

Pastor Bob Roberts
Pastor, Northwood Church in Keller, Texas

Mr. Walter Ruby
Muslim-Jewish Relations Program Officer, Foundation of Ethnic Understanding

Rabbi David Saperstein
Executive Director, The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ)

Rabbi Marc Schneier
President, Foundation of Ethnic Understanding

Rabbi Julie Schonfeld
Executive Vice President, The Rabbinical Assembly, the Association of Conservatives Rabbis

Dr. Parvez Shah
Secretary General, Universal Muslim Association of America

Bishop Mark Sisk
Bishop of New York City, The Episcopal Church

Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed
National Director, Islamic Society of North America

Rabbi Steve Wernick
Executive Director, United Synagogue

Mr. Jim Winkler
General Secretary for Church and Society, United Methodist Church

Mr. Safaa Zarzour
Secretary General, Islamic Society of North America

Dr. James Zogby
President, Arab American Institute

A Jewish Response in Support of American Muslims

2010-09-05T07:02:00.001-05:00

(NOTE: This is an opinion piece that originally appeared in the Wisconsin State Journal on Sunday, September 5, 2010, and was written by myself and Charles Cohen, Professor of History/Religious Studies; Director, Lubar Institute for the Study of the Abrahamic Religions, University of Wisconsin, Madison)

This week we observe a unique confluence of days sacred to Jews, Muslims, and all Americans. The convergence of the beginning of the Jewish New Year, the conclusion of the month of Ramadan fasts, and the ninth anniversary of the terror attacks of September 11 compel us to reflect on the current controversies ignited by those who wish to divide Americans on the basis of religion.

We are disgusted by recent attempts in various US cities to intimidate Muslim Americans, people who wish simply to exercise their constitutional rights. Anti-Islam activities in New York City, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Sacramento, California, and elsewhere soberly remind us that hatred can fester in any locale. We categorically reject these fear-infused acts to stand with our Muslim cousins – and all Americans of good will – against hate. These actions are utter anathema to us as people of faith and as citizens.

Most disturbing of late have been the threats by a Florida church to burn copies of the Holy Qur’an on September 11. Two generations ago, our parents and grandparents fought the Nazis, who also incinerated books that offended them. It is shameful that a few Americans wish to emulate Hitler.

We believe that the current attacks on Islam go deeper than a fear of terrorism; they put forward the canard that Islam is fundamentally at odds with American values, a viewpoint that we categorically reject. These assaults recall others on religious (and non-religious) minorities: Catholics were thought minions of a foreign potentate; Mormons were hounded because Joseph Smith was (like Muhammad) regarded as a false prophet; Jews were charged with deicide; and atheists were deemed unfit to hold public office. That all of these groups now participate fully in American life is self-evident and cause for national self-congratulation.

Those Muslims who hijacked four planes on September 11 surely caused America grievous harm. Islam itself, however, is not the enemy. The adversary is religious extremism and intolerance for differences. America's better angels have always upheld religious freedom. We hope that the majority of Americans, and surely the majority of Madisonians, will drown out the voices of hatred, bigotry, and ignorance that have rung forth so discordantly this past year.

Observances of both the Jewish New Year and the month of Ramadan encourage their faithful to examine the self, reject sin, and choose better ways of living. We urge Americans of all backgrounds, whether religious or not, likewise to examine themselves and affirm the values that make us a people: freedom of conscience, and respect for different religious heritages.

Madison's Gay Pride Day

2010-08-19T10:19:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, August 22, 2010, Madison's Wisconsin Capitol Pride Parade takes place at 1 pm, beginning right in the city's political and social heart, Capital Square, and I hope that you can come. The procession loops around the square and proceeds west along State Street to the Liberty Mall/Fountain area, on to the campus of the University of Wisconsin.

In this era, I believe there is increasing need to support members of the lesbian and gay community, and it would be a true sign of support and comfort to have as many members of the Jewish community as possible come out to call for civil and legal rights for our LGBT brothers and sisters.

The parade is followed by a Madison Gay Pride rally from 2 pm until 5 pm. Please come to support our lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgendered Madison community, as well as our LGBT Jews living in Madison. Join up with other members of the Jewish community of Madison as we gather at the Sha’arei Shamayim banner and march. For more information, you can access the Wisconsin Capital Pride website by clicking here.

Marriage Equality: One Step Further, One Step Closer

2010-08-05T10:56:00.000-05:00

After the stunning decision on August 4 by a San Francisco Federal court judge, no issue will be as volatile on the American political scene before the November elections as the issue of whether states have the power to restrict legal marriages to heterosexual couples.

I just know there’s going to be a deluge of television and radio spots, fliers mailed to our homes, email in our in boxes, and all other means of mass communications. This issue will enter our homes and consciousnesses in many ways.

And here is one from me!

When I think of what my Jewish rabbinic response would be to those who advocate denying marriage equality to our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, I consider three important values that emanate from our tradition:

First: “Praised are You, Eternal our God, sovereign of the world, who has made me in the Divine Image.” We offer these words of worship every morning, reminding us of the supreme human value, emanating from our tradition, that each human being, regardless of sexual orientation, skin color, nationality, or belief system, was created through divine power and authority.

But they say more than that. They also confirm that each of us possesses – within – part of the substance of God.

It is only right and just, therefore, that we accord each member of the human family the privileges of marriage and family love. For so we humans have been made to give and receive love, and to perpetuate our species through life affirming parenthood.

Further, we read in the Torah a passage that is brief, but that contains the strength of our human bonds with one another. The words “love your neighbor as yourself” from the book of Leviticus confirm the demand that we must treat each person equally. These words form the basis of what we call “The Holiness Code”, and, accordingly, the call to love our neighbors and not hate them shows us the way in which we – ourselves – become holy people.

Finally, the Torah demands no less than thirty-six times that we care for the widow, the orphan, the deprived, and the stranger, and the books of the Prophets of Israel preach essentially this important value.

We Jews know the heart of those who have been persecuted, having ourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt. Through our history, we know how it feels to be enslaved, and to have equality only as a dream and not a reality. And since we understand the heart of the stranger, it is up to us to empathize with the victims of bigotry and prejudice, and strive to eliminate persecution.

The verdict in Perry v Schwarzenegger, the official name of the case whose verdict was announced on August 4, was also a shining example of the upholding of a simple, American value. That is the concept that the majority of voters may not tyrannize and discriminate against any minority when it comes to the area of human rights. As Jews we know intimately the feeling of discrimination based purely on being part of a minority, and it is, therefore, our responsibility to be part of the solution of this problem. Ours is the duty to struggle on behalf of those who are subject each day to social and legal disabilities.

Yes, before us we have both Jewish and American calls to create and maintain a society that is just and fair, and prejudices based on sexual orientation have no place in that society. And I invite you to continue to be part of this struggle, this movement.

In this week’s Torah portion (Re’ei, Deuteronomy 14:29), we read about our responsibility to allocate part of our bounty with the Levite (to whom no land was apportioned), the orphan, the widow, and the stranger among us. None of these can earn the benefits of life for themselves, and so we share with them. And not only must they eat but they must be satisfied. Then God shall bless us.

And in Hertz’s commentary on the Torah, he notes this: “The purpose for the poor tithe was to teach the salutary doctrine that man’s possessions are only truly blessed when he permits others to join with him in their enjoyment.”

So we infer that it is up to us to share the benefits of God’s world with all those who have been persecuted in their lives, and then our lives will have meaning.

It takes an act of courage to confront and challenge those who would oppose equality. But I believe that each one of us has the strength to make a stand on behalf of all those who have created families, or who wish to create families, where love and generosity should be rewarded with the rights and privileges of marriage.

Where Are We on Christmas Day?

2010-07-01T14:04:00.000-05:00

“Where are you on Christmas Day?”

So asked Senator Lindsey Graham to Solicitor General Elana Kagan, candidate for associate justice of the United States Supreme Court this past week.

Graham was about to launch into a “Q and A” about the extent to which the US Constitution and established law enables the United States to deal with suspects of terror, referring to the averted disaster on a Northwest airlines flight that safely landed in Detroit last Christmas Day. His opening question could have been a bit more coherent.

So with a deft use of aplomb and grace, Kagan launched into a statement trying address the various issues surrounding terrorism and the “law of war,” but it was clear that she was answering a question that Senator Graham did not ask. So he stopped her in mid sentence and, in his inimitable style, asked, “I was just trying to ask you where you were on Christmas.”

I think that her second response was more Kagan-esque that before. After apparently having found the right response and offering a few moments of self-deprecating laughter, she said, “You know, like all Jews, I was probably at a Chinese restaurant.”

“Great answer,” responded Senator Graham. And the room erupted in laughter.
And Senator Shumer chimed in to remind everyone, “Well, those are the only restaurants that are open on that day.”

And more laughter came.

And Senator Graham continued, “You were with your family on Christmas Day in a Chinese restaurant, is that right? That’s great. That’s what Hanukkah and Christmas are all about.”

Well that last statement may not be exactly clear, but to me, this was an extraordinary exchange to take place in the United States Senate. In the midst of these important and serious hearings, everyone is looking for some release of nervous energy, so the humor is understandable.

And to have the Jewishness of a Supreme Court nominee become a safe focal point – instead of an embarrassing and uncomfortable one, as it has been hinted at in the weeks preceding these hearings – is, to me, a sign of having made some kind of progress as a notable religious minority.

“Shah-shtil!” “Quiet! Don't call attention to yourself.” These used to be the watchwords of the American Jewish community toward their Judaism as they attempted to assimilate into American society.

But now, the stereotype of our eating out at Chinese restaurants – because they are, by and large, the only places open on Christmas day – is as welcomed and accepted as the Yiddish expressions that pervade the screens of television and movies.

But more than that:

The level of tolerance of a Jewish presence in America is clear and wide-spread, even among some southern good ole’ boys in the Senate, and perhaps this is something to be thankful for on this Independence Day weekend.

In the weeks prior to these Senate confirmation hearings, the rumblings and dissatisfaction that we heard regarding the fact that, if Kagan were to be confirmed, there would be six Catholics, three Jews, and no Protestants on the court, were quite troubling. To me it meant that there are those who are still watching, and still worrying in their dark world, and still keeping score of such things.

But there are brighter spots, and this moment in these Senate hearings represents one of them.

2010-06-14T12:24:00.001-05:00

The recent successes of immigrant populations suggest that a different approach needs to be considered for comprehensive immigration reform.

You may remember these recent headlines:

The New York Times proclaimed: "In Miss USA Contest, a Novel Twist," because pageant organizers had crowned a 24-year-old Lebanese immigrant as Miss USA 2010."

From the Detroit Free Press: "Metro Detroit celebrates Miss USA's Arab-American winner."

And in what was to me a clear reach for ratings and in reference to a controversy spun by the political Right, CNN had this headline: "Miss USA: Muslim Trailblazer or Hezbollah Spy?"

Then there was a hate-filled website that read "Zionists Install Rima Fakih as Miss USA 2010." And there are even more which I would not repeat in this forum.

There were similar events that also made headlines. Thaindian News announced "Anamika Veeramani Wins Bee Championship," when it beamed with pride that Veeramani was the third consecutive Indian-American to win the Bee Championship. I wonder what the hate websites said about that!

We Jews should understand this manifestation of hatred. We, too, once ascended into mainstream society accompanied by derision and contempt. And so it is with today's new immigrants, who have become the targets of racists.

Whether through the anti-immigrant sniping of radio and television talk-show hosts, or the ranting of nativist groups on the World Wide Web, or the anti-Semitic attitudes recently expressed by former White House correspondent Helen Thomas, many in our society have felt emboldened to assert expressions of white superiority or, as some might call it, "American exceptionalism." (You know, I really dislike that term.)

Yes, the cries of white supremacists have again been heard in our land.

And overall, our society has grown coarser. Hate speech has become more widespread. And why our society has not come out more fervently against these new and emboldened expressions of hatred - I just don't understand.

Psychologists will tell us that expressing our feelings makes us generally feel better. But the prejudicial emotions that are aired so freely in the media these days - from many places along the political spectrum - do nothing but degrade the humanity of which we really should be rightly proud.

Remembering 'the plight of the stranger in our midst' is a command spoken by the Torah no less than 36 times. This represents a sacred obligation which should permeate every moment of our lives. And all of this begins with our speech. How we put our thoughts and emotions into words truly declares our intent and our direction.

The racially triumphalist speech to which we are subject makes me view, in a much more positive light, Korach's words of dissent in the Torah portion of Korach, beginning in Numbers 16. When contrasted with the nativist language that we hear from people like Glenn Beck, various states such as Arizona, TEA and other sectarian parties, and the vast array of hate websites, Korach's cry rings in our ears, for it can be heard as a declaration and desire for equality.

At the beginning of our parashah Korach bellows out at Aaron and Moses, "You have gone too far. The whole community is holy - every one of them - and the Eternal God is among all of them. Why then do you raise yourselves above this assembly of God?"

Now: It is clear, in the context of the Torah, that Korach protests the elite status of the Cohanim - the priestly class - of which he is not a member. He criticizes those who have, in his eyes, unduly elevated themselves within the Israelite hierarchy. So on behalf of the entirety of the community of Israel, he demands equality and justice.

As the narrative of the Torah unfolds, we see that God actually finds his protest objectionable, and punishes him, his followers, and their families. The purpose - and plain message - of the narrative is that the community of Israel needs a stable hierarchy of civic and religious leadership to survive the rigors of desert life. The preservation of Israel requires the keen oversight of the priests to ensure that each sacrifice and each ritual is observed in scrupulous fashion. Citizen participation is not required.

But understood in a different context, we today might read Korach's words as a plea to whomever is listening that, in his view, each citizen of Israel - and, by extension, each person on the planet - is graced with an equal amount of God's divinity; each person is made in God's image. And if that is the understanding, then no difference should stand between one person and another.

It is ironic that, both from the biblical and the scientific/evolutionary points of view, the generations of humanity are understood to have descended from a single ancestor. Whether we're talking about Adam and Eve, who in the book of Genesis originated in the Garden of Eden, or about homo habilis, one of our first ancestors who walked upright, who seems to have his/her origins in the south and east parts of the African continent, our commonality should make us grow closer to one another rather than act as a barrier keeping us apart.

And, at least from the standpoint of the rabbinic commentators of Torah, this common ancestry that we read about in Genesis 5:1 is the most important 'take-away' that we articulate through Jewish tradition. This unique and unified human pedigree, according to our Torah authorities, should permeate every action we take during our lives.

It is in this context that I share with you my profound disgust of that infamous new Arizona state law about identifying and dealing with immigrants. It is, as we know, a statute that enables law enforcement personnel or agencies to "determine the immigration status of the person" whenever any "lawful contact" is "made by a law enforcement official or a law enforcement agency."

This new law invites racial profiling at its most nefarious level, that is, when it's sanctioned by the state. And given the vast numbers of Latino Americans in Arizona, not to mention any other minority of some color, the law could subject massive numbers of Americans to violation of their freedoms.

All that is needed by any officer or agency is "reasonable suspicion" to ask someone for "zheir papers." And unlike most laws that I have read, certain terms, especially the ambiguous phrase "reasonable suspicion," are not defined. This murkiness will surely lead to abuse, particularly in a 'wild west' state.

If simple physical appearance, or arbitrary officer discretion, are determining factors, any non-white person living in Arizona is really, as they might say in Spanish, "auf tzuris."

As an update: On June 4th, 2010, a coalition of civil rights groups petitioned the federal courts to block the implementation of the law until its constitutionality can be determined. The coalition includes the American Civil Liberties Union, the Mexican American Legal Defense & Education League, the National Immigration Law Center, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, the ACLU of Arizona, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

And a month ago, 13 Reform Rabbis in Arizona notified the governor of their opposition of the law. They stated their abhorrence of an "inhumane and retrogressive bill" that "threatens the rights of all Arizona residents by making the failure to carry identification into a crime and leaving the entire population vulnerable to police questioning." They rightly complained that the permissions given to local law enforcement was "an affront to American values of justice and our historic status as a nation of immigrants."

All of this brings me back to the Torah's unique appreciation of the plight of the stranger that I mentioned earlier. For centuries of history, and more centuries of our story as described in the bible, we have been intimately familiar with the plight of the stranger.

From our past days enslaved at the hands of Egypt's leaders, to our wanderings from land to land while in exile, we know - in our kishkes - the hardships, the degradation, and the disabilities of being foreigners in a strange land. We understand deep inside how it feels to be chased, enslaved, imprisoned simply for our existence, and then expelled for the same reason.

We also know the hard work that it takes to survive in a foreign land. Many of our ancestors were itinerant peddlers on foot - perhaps with a horse - making their way across the landscape, in Europe or America. And we persevered, despite the employment and social disabilities that we suffered at the hands of the Christians and the Muslims. When arriving in great numbers on these shores, we banded together, helping one another even with social barriers erected.

So we also remember the joy we felt when we had realized that we had 'made it' in America. We recall the elation when Louis D. Brandeis was nominated, then confirmed, as the first Jewish Supreme Court justice. We enjoyed an immense sense of satisfaction when, in the face of quotas in secular or other sectarian institutions, we created our own medical schools and hospitals which, even today, have continued to achieve the highest levels of quality and patient care.

And Jews have 'made it' in many fields, from politics to education, from science to entertainment, from law to medicine, from retail successes to volunteer excellence. So we can really only be happy for another immigrant community who also desires to succeed in our country of possibilities.

So I return to the words of Korach in our parashah: "The whole community is holy - every one of them - and the Eternal God is among all of them. Why then does anyone raise himself or herself above this assembly of God?"

So when an Arab American wins a Miss USA beauty pageant, or when a Hindi American wins, for the third straight year, the national Spelling Bee, we see that, even with the hatred and the prevalent name calling; even with the steepness of the climb: other minorities, too, are beginning to make it in our country.

And this should make us proud. Perhaps even hopeful. But certainly very proud!

Does Elie Wiesel Deserve the Benefit of the Doubt? One Nobel Laureate Speaks to Another

2010-04-23T04:35:00.004-05:00

Elie Wiesel is an optimist, and an optimist who survived the Holocaust is someone to whom we must attend. And so it is with sensitivity and care that we must read his recent plea (his full page ad in major newspapers in April 2010) to defer discussions on the future status of Jerusalem.

The ad that appeared in the New York Times is not addressed to any particular party, though many have (correctly, I think!) inferred that it is directed against the Obama administration, and that it refers to its current diplomatic dispute with Israel.

But what if his message was addressed to Israel and its leaders?

This is what Wiesel writes:

“What is the solution? Pressure will not produce a solution. Is there a solution? There must be, there will be. Why tackle the most complex and sensitive problem prematurely? Why not first take steps that will allow the Israeli and Palestinian communities to find ways to live together in an atmosphere of security. Why not leave the most difficult, the most sensitive issue, for such a time?”

Readers should presume that Mr. Wiesel’s reference to “pressure” connects to the insistence of President Obama that Israel halt construction in disputed areas of the West Bank, including parts of east Jerusalem.

But what if Mr. Wiesel’s message was intended not for Mr. Obama but rather for Mr. Netanyahu and his government?! What if we read Mr. Wiesel’s words as a call to Israel to halt their planning, declaring, permitting and constructing, because those are actions that do not “allow the Israeli and Palestinian communities to find ways to live together in an atmosphere of security”? What if Elie Wiesel here criticizes the entirety of Israel’s settlement expansion in Jerusalem as detrimental to an “atmosphere of security?”

We do not know what Mr. Wiesel intends. We must presume, of course, that the totality of his comments were, indeed, aimed at the Obama administration, and that they assert the ancient prejudices, biases, and fears of an Israelite nation relying on the Hebrew bible for their validity and force. But I am a dreamer, and I would hope that a Nobel peace laureate would search for truly peaceful solutions even when it is most difficult. I would hope that one Nobel peace laureate would make the same assumptions about another.

Mr. Wiesel asserts earlier that “Jerusalem is above politics,” and concludes his ad with the hope that Jerusalem “remain the world’s Jewish spiritual capital.” This is certainly my hope as well. But I wonder whether we can ever learn to share this spiritual treasure with those who similarly view Jerusalem with the same love and passion as Mr. Wiesel.

For Jerusalem's Sake We Should Not Keep Still

2010-04-11T08:50:00.004-05:00

This post is a sermon authored by Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, delivered at Temple Beth El, San Antonio, Texas, March 19, 2010; and Rabbi Jonathan Biatch, delivered at Temple Beth El, Madison, Wisconsin, March 26, 2010.

The American Jewish community today confronts a question of true significance, and that is about the nature of the relationship between the Israeli and Diaspora Jewish communities.

This question arises perennially, and no one ever seems able to solve it. Yet today, the disagreement over the answer to this question has recently engendered vehement and violent reaction from Jews in both the US and in Israel. We disagree about whether there can or should be diverse voices presented to Washington legislators on matters concerning Israel and the Middle East. They have differing opinions about the stake that Diaspora Jews have in affairs in Israel.

But in most cases, I believe all these voices are realistically concerned for Israel as a nation and as a force for good in the world.

(True, there is the voice of the self-hating Jew or the Jew almost exclusively focused on Palestinian issues to the exclusion of Israeli security. I believe that many of these voices set themselves outside of the community, and this piece is not about them.)

The proliferation of American Jewish voices on this topic, heard through the Internet and through a vast array of membership organizations, has caused us great angst. And angst can lead to frustration, and frustration can lead to violence, either overt or, more likely, recriminations and violent invective hurled back and forth in the media.

What should be our stance with regard to speaking out about Israel if we live in the Diaspora?

Many of us are sometimes unsure even if we have a right to react at all. We seriously question whether it is our place to express our opinions to the government in Israel. And as Jews living in the United States, we also question the wisdom of speaking out publicly if we disagree with some of Israel’s actions. We don’t want to be seen airing our dirty laundry in public, nor do we want to do anything to undermine Israel’s relationship with the US or to upset the support most non-Jewish Americans feel toward Israel.

Further, within the American Jewish community, dissent is often fraught with difficulties. It can be frightening to express aloud any criticism or disagreement with anything the Israeli government does. To do so risks being labeled anti-Israel, anti-Zionist, or even a self-hating Jew. Rabbis I know have been publicly vilified or, worse, have had their jobs threatened.

Even though as Americans we understand it is both our privilege and our duty to express any disagreements we might have with our own government – and we celebrate our right as citizens to express our opinions to our elected officials – when it comes to Israel, any dissent is often portrayed as disloyalty.

Is it possible, therefore, to disagree with the policies and actions of the Israeli government, while still loving and supporting the State of Israel?

I believe the answer to all of these questions is “Yes!” There is a saying in Hebrew – kol yisrael mitarev zeh b’zeh – “all of Israel is intertwined, one with the other”. What this means is that each Jew is connected to every other Jew in the world; our destinies are tied to one another. We American Jews may not live in Israel, but we are affected by what happens there, and while we cannot dictate to our Israeli brothers and sisters what they should do, we are and should feel entirely within our rights to express our opinions and offer our advice.

One may ask then, “Is it wise for there to be a multiplicity of voices of American Jews addressing our legislators on these questions?”

Let’s look at one particular new voice in the mix.

The arrival of J Street has been particularly difficult for some AIPAC members to accept. J Street’s founders believed that the previous structure of Jewish organizations that lobbied Congress and the Administration on Israel-related matters did not adequately represent the majority of American Jews. They felt that they were being either disregarded or, worse, misrepresented in the discussions regarding peace in the Middle East.

And since many of them believed that, because of their love for the state of Israel that their voices needed to be heard, they felt it was appropriate to find the funding – and the backing of American Jewish leaders – who would spearhead their efforts.

What about the fear some of us feel about expressing any disagreement with Israel? Is it disloyal, anti-Israel, or self-hating, if there are times when we disagree with some action or policy of the Israeli government?

Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, had this to say on the subject:

“Israel needs our help … and this means hearing our criticisms. Unconditional support is not the same as uncritical support. We love the Jewish state, but we must hold firm to our vision of a Jewish, democratic, and pluralistic Israel. We cannot accept settlement in the heart of the West Bank, where a Palestinian state must one day arise … We will always reach for the highest ideals of the Zionist dream, seeking justice for all of Israel’s citizens and for her neighbors as well.”

And it is important to express these viewpoints, simultaneously, if necessary: support for Israel’s very real need for security and the right to defend herself when she is attacked; and disagreement when her actions seem to threaten that security or when she fails to live up to the ideals we all hold dear.

So, to a specific issue:

“Hasn’t the current diplomatic flap about the construction of 1,600 housing units in East Jerusalem been exacerbated by the support of progressive Jewish organizations for the position and actions of the Obama administration?”

Each one of us may speculate as to the answer to this question, and we may never have an answer that is completely free from ambiguity.

According to Tom Friedman of the New York Times, the announcement to build those units came from the Israeli Interior Minister who, disregarding the international consequences of his actions, fulfilled – if you will forgive me – a ‘pork barrel’ promise made to ultra-Orthodox Jews in that neighborhood. And instead of clamping down on an uncooperative cabinet minister, the Prime Minister used the occasion to assert the sovereignty of Israel over Jerusalem.

Was Prime Minister Netanyahu legally justified in his pronouncement? Yes. There is no requirement in international law that any nation that has won territory in combat be required to return that territory to a previous owner.

But I think a more subtle question needs to be addressed: Was it wise, given the then-current state of negotiations between Israel, the United States, and the Palestinian Authority on their proximity talks, was it wise for Prime Minister Netanyahu to react in the way he did?

That is a question that we can debate – and we should.

And finally a question particularly germane to those who love Israel and yet have differing views as to the way in which Diaspora Jews should be engaged in these matters: “Is a multiplicity of Jewish voices in Washington, especially when they differ so widely regarding the Middle East peace process, good or bad for the Jews?”

An article I read recently asserts that the activities of J Street have not only confused lawmakers and administration officials. The author, a rabbinic colleague who works in Iowa, asserts that “The J Street perspective on Israel is now driving the Obama Administration's policy toward Israel.”

I believe that this overstates J Street’s, or any organization’s, real influence on these matters. J Street is simply too young and inexperienced to have that kind of power. If J Street’s perspective is the same as the current administration, this is simply because that organization and the administration just happen to understand those issues in similar ways.

In Internet appearances and in written columns, Alan Dershowitz makes impassioned pleas for our American Jewish community to speak with one voice when it comes to lobbying Congress or when speaking to the media. He believes it’s confusing if law- and policy-makers hear diverse views from their Jewish constituents.

But every congressperson knows, if they take the time to read polling data, that the American Jewish community holds varying opinions on these issues. This is a secret to no one. It was not a secret to previous administrations that staunch supporters of Israel supported with dollars and votes; it is not a secret to President Obama and his advisors; it is not a secret to the majority of American Jews. There is no reason to pretend that the American Jewish community is less diverse than it is.

There is a way to bring our opinions about Israel and the situation in the Middle East into the public arena, even when we hear diversity in those views: Our language of criticism needs to be accompanied by unqualified support for the Jewish state even though her actions at any given time may upset us. We need to be unequivocal about our support even when voicing concern.

Also remember this: American support for Israel runs very deep, and is based on many geo-political and religious realities. I believe that stories of the influence of the Jewish lobby are exaggerated and mythic, and any expression of disagreement with Israel’s policies would in no way threaten America’s alliance with Israel.

I believe that discussion is good; transparent debate is healthy; and resolving disagreements help us to struggle with the issues and diverse ideas, and then to hone in on what we ourselves truly believe.

The more we accept and welcome a variety of views, and permit different voices to enter the discussion, the stronger and healthier our community becomes. From the synthesis of ideas there may even come a clearer – and practical – solution.

We have just concluded our observance of Passover, a time when we ended our Seders with the words, “Next year in Jerusalem, next year may all be free!” For next year, let us add, “May all be at peace, in Israel and in all the world."

Passover in Our Times: Jews and Christians Must Be Jews and Christians Even When It's Tough!

2010-03-16T12:21:00.002-05:00

I used to think that Glenn Beck was simply one of those right wing fanatics with whom I simply disagree.

Then he offered crocodile tears on his television and radio programs regarding what he viewed as the 'downfall' of America due to the progressive agenda of our president and his administration. I became very, very skeptical.

But now that he has attacked the whole panoply of Judeo-Christian teachings regarding helping the poor, the sick, the widow, the orphan, and the stranger, I agree with Reverend Jim Wallis that people of religion should simply leave him.

The New York Times Blog site contains this article that reviews the brouhaha that erupted last week, so I don't have to go into that. However, as we approach the holiday of Passover, it is good to remind ourselves of our purpose in celebrating this holiday in the way we do.

Our Seder teaches us through sound, sight, taste, and experience that we must empathize with the plight of the stranger. But that is not its end. The purpose is to motivate us to act, to alleviate suffering, and to look toward the day when there will be no poverty and no injustice.

Judaism sometimes seems somewhat schizophrenic on this and many topics. In the Torah we read about the rewards for caring for the poor and, in almost the same breath, we note that there will never cease to be needy in our land (Deuteronomy 15:11). Perhaps this is not so much schizophrenic as it is reality. There are so many poor and persecuted people among us that we can't help but realize that we have a life-long task ahead of us. We have to strive relentlessly for finding justice and ending oppression and feeding people, even though we know we'll never cease having the need.

The Torah states one sacred obligation, perhaps two, about belief in God. (They are the Sh'ma, and the Fist Commandment that Moses received on Mt. Sinai.) However, the Torah states at least 37 times the sacred obligation to help the poor, the orphan, the widow, and the stranger. And why? Because we know the heart of the strangers, having been strangers ourselves in the land of Egypt. The priority of the Torah is very plain. What better lesson could we possibly derive from our Passover celebration?!

It seems a difficult row to hoe, but my father always said that it was hard to be a Jew. In many ways that is right. But it is also a privilege that we should never give up and never defer.

I hope you have a wonderful Passover.

God Sends Us

2010-01-27T17:54:00.000-06:00

In a recent edition of Forward, Rabbi Ilana Grinblat wrote this about whether and how God intervenes in the life of earth’s creatures: “Does Judaism believe that God sends natural disasters in punishment for sin?

"This question was examined by the rabbis. The Talmud posits, “If a man stole a bag of seeds and planted them in his garden, it would be right if the seeds didn’t grow. However the rabbis concluded that nature follows its own rules and the seeds grow.

“The text likewise explains that if a man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, it would be right if she did not get pregnant. But nature follows its own rules and she conceives. Through these and other scenarios, the rabbis articulated that God does not intervene in nature based on moral calculus.

“The devastation of the earthquake is horrible enough without giving the victims the added burden of feeling guilt that somehow they are responsible. This atrocious discourse only adds insult to injury.

"If God doesn’t intervene in nature, then where is God in disaster? A story is told of a man who goes up to heaven at the end of his life and stands before God, his heart breaking from the pain and injustice of the world. He cries out, “God, look at all the suffering in your world. Why don’t you do something to fix it?” God replies gently, “I did do something. I sent you.

"In the aftermath of disaster, God is with the injured and the bereaved, giving them strength to endure and heal. God is with the rescuers, giving them courage and perseverance. God is with all of us, encouraging us to give generously to the victims. God surely did not send the earthquake in Haiti last week. But God has sent each one of us to help."

The question for me, this Rabbi in Madison, Wisconsin, is whether we can see ourselves sent by God. For many of us, our eyes are blinded to this possibility because we are 'rationalists' who cannot fathom a God who intervenes in the world. I do not suggest that God does this, of course, but rather that this is the mission and goal of every individual on the planet. In other words, God set this up from the start, that the job of being human is precisely that, to intervene and help in the life of our world, and especially when our fellow humans need help.

Haiti: Why Politicize Tragedy?

2010-01-16T19:46:00.000-06:00

At a time when our nation should be rallying together to help Haiti's citizens at this critical time, conservative broadcast pundits and preachers have found it imperative to both politicize the tragedy of Haiti and offer nonsensical theological blather about the cause of the catastrophe.

Syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh politicized the calamity by saying that President Obama would use the Haitian tragedy to boost his standing with the "light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country." Limbaugh also seemed to want to scuttle the fundraising for relief efforts when he protested, "We've already donated to Haiti. It's called the U.S. income tax."

On Glenn Beck's January 14, 2010 radio show, he implied that he has a problem with the Obama Administration's pledge of $100 million to Haitian aid. Beck believes that the military should be providing security only and allow private charitable organizations and NGOs to do the rest. IN short, he wanted to create Katrina 2.0.

At least one-third of that island nation has been brought to its knees by tragedy, and the best the Beck can offer is criticism of the Obama Administration's desire to spend $100 million there. This amount in comparison to our total government outlay is a drop in the proverbial bucket.

And television evangelist Pat Robertson was apparently criticizing the indigenous citizens' adherence to various forms of Haitian voodoo religion as a cause of the earthquake, though he did not do so directly. On the January 13, 2010 edition of the Christian Broadcasting Network's The 700 Club, Pat Robertson bizarrely claimed that Haiti was hit by the crushing earthquake because it "swore a pact to the devil" to get "free from the French" hundreds of years ago.

This insensitive comment was only the latest in a long line of remarks made by Robertson regarding other disasters. For example, in 2005 he linked the tragic aftereffects of Hurricane Katrina to the legality of abortion and the presence of homosexuals in New Orleans. And he earlier agreed with the late Jerry Falwell about the cause of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Falwell commented on the September 13, 2010 edition of The 700 Club Falwell said then that the attacks could be attributed in part to "the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way - all of them who have tried to secularize America - I point the finger in their face and say "you helped this happen."

It is unfortunate that there is little we can do against ignorant, insensitive, and anti-humanitarian remarks such as these, except to be aware of them and, as many progressive organizations are doing, to shine a light on these buffoons. This might go far to begin the cleansing process. It is only by educating ourselves and exposing these bigoted, politicized, and mean-spirited attitudes that we may be able to put this kind of prejudice in its proper place.

Can We Be Only for Ourselves?

2010-01-01T08:30:00.003-06:00

A very happy New Year to you! May it be a year of health, happiness, and peace!

Much controversy has erupted over the recent resolution passed at the recent biennial convention of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) regarding support for programs intended to raise the standard of living of Israeli Arabs.

In reality, the Reform movement’s action is not new nor is it unprecedented.

Over the past six to eight years, the URJ, the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, the United Jewish Communities, and, in fact, over 80 other American Jewish organizations, have addressed ways to fill the social and educational gaps between Jewish and non-Jewish communities in Israel. (see below my commentary on the controversy)

These organizations and others have begun to address the ideals stated in Israel’s Declaration of Independence. That document asserts that there would be “freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel” and that there should be “complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex…”

Today the social gaps in Israel are glaring, and most poignantly among the Israeli Arab citizens who make up 20% of Israel’s population. A 2008 report by the Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality in Israel, 50% of Israeli Arabs (and 65.7% of Arab children) live below the poverty line, compared to 15.7% among Jews (and to 31.4% for Jewish children). Other social indicators reveal similar gaps in health care, education, welfare funding, life expectancy, and employment.

Raising all Israelis’ social and educational standards would help to strengthen Israel’s society. Offering and providing assistance in appropriate ways would fortify relationships and increase the level of coexistence that the Zionist founders of Israel sought in their time.

Much of this advocacy work is being conducted by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli-Arab Issues. I invite you to learn more about this organization that aspires to “make civic equality in Israel a priority for the Jewish people” (from its mission statement).

This is truly an embodiment of the value of Hillel, to concern ourselves about the lives of others as well as our own.

REGARDING THE CONTROVERSY:

I can only imagine that some donors to these and the other organizations that make up the Inter-Agency Task Force are unhappy with the decision, made eight years ago, to act on this issue. Following the passing of the URJ resolution, the presidents of the Zionist Organization of America and the national Young Israel movement condemned the resolution.

The comments of the Young Israel leader were particularly hurtful, stating that 'Jewish priorities' would dictate serving and supporting Jews and NOT non-Jews.

I think this is a misreading of tradition, which teaches us to help others in addition to ourselves, and at least 37 times in the Torah to help the stranger because 'you were strangers in the land of Egypt.'

I am, as always, interested in hearing your views. Please sign in and share your thoughts.

The Labors of our Hands

2009-07-25T09:51:00.001-05:00

“May the delight of the Eternal our God be upon us, and, indeed, may the work of our hands prosper!”
These words conclude Psalm 90, a biblical call for a life of wisdom and contentment. And this passage refers to the concept of m’lachah, or the labor in which we engage to support ourselves and our families, and which provides us personal dignity and strength.
Sometimes our work defines us. As a Rabbi, I certainly become associated not only with my wonderful synagogue, but also the Jewish tradition that is centuries old.
My task to make this ancient tradition live for all our members.
Sometimes we define our work. People of creativity and flexibility who employ a set of skills or run their own businesses need to make split-second decisions about accomplishing their work.
They may be known for the consistent quality of their work, yet their “product” may be quite different with each and every contract or assignment.
And sometimes we have no creative influence over the work we do: Factory workers, administrative personnel, stay-at-home parents or those who serve others for hourly wages have rigid work assignments that seem to change little or require few creative flourishes.
Yet they feel no less proud of their labor, nor do they refrain from adding originality and quality to their work.
Each of us contributes mightily to the collective labor of the world, something that we declare on Labor Day each year. But as many holidays have become, this annual observance has devolved into a flurry of retail sales and a rush to get in ‘just a bit more summer.’
As we approach Labor Day this coming September 7, let us recall that each one of us contributes significantly to the health of our society through the labors of our hands, and also that God delights in the work we do. Outside the home, or in it; on behalf of many or few: Whatever we do adds to the quality of the world, and we should be content with work well done.
May God, indeed, prosper the work of our hands!

A Debate About Pro-Israel Christians

2009-06-13T16:00:00.004-05:00

Greetings to you, dear reader. I have been absent from this blog for a while, with busy winter and spring seasons. But I return here to update you on an ongoing interest of mine, the subject of whether we Reform Jews should be engaging with pro-Israel evangelical and fundamentalists, of the ilk of Christians United for Israel.

In the recent edition (Summer 2009) of Reform Judaism Magazine, my friend and colleague Norman Cohen and I undertake to present, in 300 words or less, a spirited dialogue on this question, with Rabbi Cohen saying “yes” and my saying “no.” Below are the two columns, which I commend to you. And what follows are some responses that I have received as a result of Reform Jews – and others – reading these columns and being moved one way or another to answer back to me.

But first, the two columns, pro and con:

Debatable: Should Reform Jews Engage with Pro-Israel Fundamentalists? (Copyright 2009, Reform Judaism Magazine, www.reformjudaismmag.org)

YES by Norman Cohen

There are many good reasons to have a relationship with fundamentalist Christians who consistently advocate pro-Israel positions in the political sphere.

Our Jewish tradition teaches us to say “thank you” and reciprocate with a positive gesture of our own—certainly not to turn our backs on those who extend a hand in friendship.

When our youngsters are bombarded on college campuses with anti-Israel rhetoric and demonstrations, who comes to their defense? Christians who share their love for the State of Israel. And when Israelis are killed and wounded in terrorist attacks, which organizations raise thousands of dollars to provide needed assistance and relief for the victims? Organizations such as Christians United for Israel.

Keep in mind, too, that not all fundamentalist pro-Israel Christian groups try to convert Jews or claim that Jews have been replaced by Christians as God’s chosen people. Christian United for Israel, for example, has denounced such proselytizing philosophies as inappropriately triumphalist.

In maintaining a relationship with Christian fundamentalists, we also have the opportunity for dialogue and influence—to persuade them of Israel’s need to compromise for peace, to make them aware that the Jewish community is not monolithic about politics or social issues, and to offer them new Jewish connections with us.

Reform Jews need to face head-on the bigotry and prejudice many of us have against conservative Christians. We need to publicly acknowledge that they have been among the strongest supporters of Israel at a time when some of our liberal Christian allies on social justice issues have led the charge against Israel through their divestment resolutions and repeatedly fail to condemn Arab terrorism. It is time we give thanks to Christians United for Israel and similar groups who help preserve the safety and the future of the Jewish state.

Rabbi Norman M. Cohen is spiritual leader at Bet Shalom Congregation in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

NO by Jonathan Biatch

Before we engage in alliances with pro-Israel Christian fundamentalists, we must ask: Do their actions help Israel?

Regrettably, the dominant Christian-Zionist organizations advocate policies that undermine Israel’s security and the chances for a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

For example, Christian Friends of Israeli Communities (CFOIC) actively supports Jewish settlements in the occupied territories as part of “God’s plan for the Jewish nation.” Such encouragement provokes conflict among settlers and Palestinians, impeding progress toward a two-state solution, a policy goal explicitly advocated by the Union for Reform Judaism.

A second such group, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), also opposes territorial compromise. At its 2007 conference, CUFI board member Gary Bauer disparaged the notion of a two-state solution, stating, “We are praying that they [the settlers] never give up…even one centimeter of territory.” Further, CUFI founder and chairman Pastor John Hagee has called for pre-emptive military strikes against Iran that “would trigger nuclear conflict and devastating war and destruction between the Jewish people, God’s chosen people, and the Islamic world.” Such an “end of days” bloodbath is hardly in the interest of Israel or any nation.

Moreover, how can we overlook Hagee’s vehement attacks on the dignity of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, his derision of American Muslims as unpatriotic, and his explicit condemnation of liberal Jews as “poisoned” and “spiritually blind” (see www.jewsonfirst.org)?

Common interests and goals, such as support for Israel, can certainly unify people with otherwise divergent views. But when the values of potential political bedfellows clash so fundamentally with our own, we must reject their advances. CFOIC and CUFI are two such unwelcome suitors.

Rabbi Jonathan Biatch is spiritual leader of Temple Beth El in Madison, Wisconsin.
(Copyright 2009, Reform Judaism Magazine, www.reformjudaismmag.org)

Now here is a sample of some comments that I have received. By the way, overall, seven of them have been positive, and three have been negative.

From a former congregant:
I wanted to thank you for your letter in the Reform Judaism magazine. I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian home, escaped and was a strong atheist when I met Joanne. I agreed to raise the girls in Judaism and have, over the years, come to the point where I value my connection to Judaism as one of the most positive aspects of my life.

I know firsthand the anti-Jewish attacks of Christian fundamentalists and their total lack of respect for Jews (and many other groups, but I won't try to list them all - I don't have all day). They may say in public that Jews are the chosen people, but in private, my mother told my daughter (her own granddaughter) that she was going to hell. While I have become less cynical over the years, I remain 100% suspicious of love from a hate group. Your comments were completely on target.

In case you get responses that are not positive, I wanted you to know how much I appreciate your comments.

From a current congregant:
I read your recent News/views article in the recent Reform Judaism and cannot agree with you more. After our visit in March to Israel many of the Israeli Jews that we talked with agree as well. I have great difficulty understanding the other side of this argument which in my prejudice feel 'money talks' and because they give to Israel they should be looked at differently. Thank you for representing us so well and sharing your views with other Reform Jews.

From a current congregant:
I just read your column in the Summer issue of Reform Judaism. I agree with you 100%. As you say, many of Israel's most vocal Christian Fundamentalist defenders undermine the ideals and the culture that make Israel a shining promise for humanity. In the Middle East and elsewhere, short-sighted political alliances of convenience often cause grave long-term problems. I fear that Israel is confronting that exact reality, as is the United States.

Thank you for your considered words, your courageous statement, and your wise leadership on this issue. I hope you will continue to speak out about controversial matters. I believe that is the appropriate and necessary role for a valued community leader.

From a total stranger who seems to like to throw stones from a distance:
Your argument against an alliance with pro-Israel fundamentalist Christian is flawed. You state that their political values clash with ours. They don't, they clash with yours. You may not meet many conservative Jews in Madison, but you are insulated from the real world if you think we don't exist. You denigrate the idea of a preemptive strike against. Iran. It would not cause anywhere near the blood bath that a nuclear armed Iran would. You assume a two state solution is the only way to go, when even the so called "moderate" Abbas refuses to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. You accuse the fundamentalists of being bigots, when you are bigoted against them. But I forget, among secular progressives it is acceptable to be biased against fundamentalists, Catholics, and Zionists. Your friends on the left are at the forefront of the anti Zionist movement, yet you refuse to consider any alliance with our natural allies because you disagree with them politically. How astoundingly short sighted.

From the Israel-based director of the Christian Friends of Israeli Communities (read: settlements), who makes plenty of assumptions from my article:
...While you clearly have no tolerance for the settlement movement and the ideology that we represent, I wonder how you have the chutzpah to denigrate an organization that builds such wonderful relationships between Christians and Jews just because it supports a political or religious position that you disagree with. Is your support of Israel conditioned upon who is the prime minister? Will you withdraw your support of Israel if our country refuses to adopt the "two-state solution?" Perhaps you are not aware of the fact that the recent national elections in Israel sent a very clear message that the people of Israel no longer have confidence in the various peace processes that have been experimented with over the years. The recent campaign of the IDF in Gaza received overwhelming support among Israeli citizens. And perhaps you are not aware of the fact that it is young men who have grown up in the so-called settlements who, today, make up a significant percentage of the officers and soldiers of the IDF. Will you withdraw your support of Israel because the values of these soldiers and officers so clearly clash with your own?...

Back to Rabbi Jonathan:
Although one can say that it’s self-serving to offer the positive comments, I will let them speak for themselves.

The comments of the last writer, the director of the Christian Friends of Israeli Communities, make a great many assumptions. But the statement that I find most surprising is this: “I wonder how you have the chutzpah to denigrate an organization that builds such wonderful relationships between Christians and Jews just because it supports a political or religious position that you disagree with.”

My response:
I think that if one were to read my article again, one would find solid rationale for wanting to distance myself from this organization: Not that I disagree with their political position (though I do) but rather because they act in a political realm and hope for US governmental policy to change according to their view. When this organization, or the Christians United for Israel, expresses its belief, that is their right and privilege. But when they seek to influence United States or Israeli government policy because of their beliefs, I must stand up and forcefully disagree.

This debate will not soon disappear, and I look forward to further discussions on this issue.

Be well.

'Women of the Wall' and Other Miracles

2009-03-04T23:16:00.010-06:00

Twenty years ago last week, a unique Israeli revolution began. This was a revolt against a stubborn Jewish religious establishment that had denied basic religious rights to women. And last week, on the first day of the Jewish month of Adar, Israeli women celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the beginning of this uprising: in prayer, song, and disobedience to religious authority.

Last Wednesday, February 25, was the twentieth anniversary of the founding of “Women of the Wall”, an Israeli group dedicated to securing the rights of women to pray in loud and joyous voices at the Western Wall, the remnant of the Jerusalem Temple that Rome destroyed in 70 CE.

The Western Wall, prior to 1967, was a place of yearning and desire. Beginning from the time of Rome’s destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in the year 70 CE, many Jews had viewed this ground as truly sacred. Even though this wall had been merely the retaining wall that surrounded the precinct of the Holy Jerusalem Temple at the time of Herod (circa 5 BCE), because it remained standing after the destruction, it fired the imagination of Jews who dreamed for two millennia of a return to being able to fulfill the sacrificial rites as dictated by God in Torah. Here is a photo of the Western Wall and its sacred plaza:

In the years since the 1967 reunification of Jerusalem, the Western Wall has become a place venerated by Jews of all kinds. However, early on in the Wall’s liberated history the Chief Rabbinate of Israel created a men’s and women’s side, which has led to the following dilemmas:

The Orthodox Rabbinate directed that men and women pray separately if they wish to approach the Wall; for Progressive Jews, this in itself was a painful situation. But a further consequence was to silence the voice of women in worship: To our Orthodox cousins, hearing women’s voices during a time of worship is understood as obscene or vulgar. Consequently, women are prohibited from praying aloud, singing, publicly reading from a Torah scroll, or otherwise engaging in public acts of worship in the Western Wall plaza.

Twenty years ago, Israeli women of different movements decided that enough had been enough, and they began to deal with this issue by worshiping together, and in loud voices. Over the years, women and men in this struggle have been detained or arrested for disturbing the peace; women have organized for regaining their civil rights; the “Women of the Wall” filed suit after suit in the High Court of Justice; and a special Tallit was designed and marketed for fundraising purposes. (I own one, as does my wife. Let me know if you wish to examine it.)

At this point in time, the Rabbinate has been the winner in the many court cases brought by the Women of the Wall, the last one declaring that the women should respect the decisions of the Orthodox Rabbinate. But their determination to wade through the court system and to wait out more positive results is strong, and they anticipate an eventual success.

I don’t believe that I, as a male, had ever experienced life on the ‘disallowed’ side of the mehitzah, the divider that institutions of Orthodox Jewry use to separate men from women during worship. Last week, however, the roles of male and female worshipers were reversed, as the men in our group stood behind a separation fence to witness the Women of the Wall engaged in disobedient prayer. Here is a photo of what my view was like on that day while trying to worship with the women at the Western Wall:

If you could look clearly through this divider and peer into the midst of serious worship, it would look like this:

This male worshiper was quite loud in his objections to the women singing. He tried to prevent the singing and stop the “atrocities” against God:

Here he is engaged with one of the males in our group who insisted that he lower his voice so that the women could worship:

The struggles for religious equality, as well as those struggles for Israeli societal equalities of minorities of all kinds, are at the heart of Israeli society today. As the nation strives toward a peaceful resolution with its Arab neighbors, it begins to turn inward and address its internal problems. The religious inequality of males and females, Orthodox and Progressive Jews, Israeli Jews and Arabs, will be those efforts that will occupy our people over the next fifty years. And I invite you to come to Temple Beth El next Friday, March 13, as I report on my recent trip to Israel and to describe some of the struggles that I witnessed during my visit.

‘It’s Hard to Be the Pope’

2009-02-04T21:03:00.001-06:00

About the recent scandal regarding the reinstatement of a bishop who has denied the Holocaust, the Pope asked that his clergy and his faithful “support the very delicate and weighty mission of the successor of the Apostle Peter, who is custodian of the unity of the church.”

I guess it’s hard to be the Pope।

“There were certainly management errors on the part of the curia, I want to be clear about that,” said Cardinal Walter Kasper, director of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and liaison for Vatican-Jewish relations. He underscored that he was not consulted before the pope’s decision was announced.

Fifteen months ago, at a meeting at the Vatican, I met Cardinal Kasper along with other Catholics and Jews who toil at strengthening Catholic-Jewish relationships.

At that time, Pope Benedict XVI had ascended to his position, and the influential United States bishops who appreciate and take part in Catholic-Jewish dialogue were able to convince Kasper to arrange for us to visit the Vatican, explore the thorny issues that have an impact on Catholic-Jewish relationships, and sit on the ‘bimah’ when the Pope held his weekly audience. We were all on a very optimistic trajectory.

In the last few weeks, however, the rich potential for broadening Catholic-Jewish relationships was almost destroyed by Benedict’s action to repair a breech within the Catholic church. The unintended consequences of rehabilitating Bishop Richard Williamson brought embarrassment to an institution already beset with many other problems.

The Pope had not anticipated affecting the sensibilities of the world-wide Jewish community. Yet he learned that the ‘private’ opinions of a bishop, even an excommunicated one, matter. And the fact that Benedict has instructed Bishop Williamson to recant his Holocaust denial is already going a long way to maintain the integrity of his office and his Holy Self.

It may be difficult to be the Pope, but even more difficult may be admitting to and moving beyond mistakes that we make as human beings. And in that, Pope Benedict XVI succeeded.

Israel and Palestine: Where To Go From Here

2009-01-29T08:25:00.001-06:00

In the New York Times on Wednesday, January 28, Thomas Friedman places an intriguing op-ed piece about possible ways to rebuild trust and confidence among Israel and those nations that surround our Jewish homeland. Click here to read it.

In the article, written as an imagined letter from Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz to President Obama, he suggests that the Saudis push forward with the so-called “Abdullah Peace Plan” that the Saudis suggested six years ago. The King volunteers sufficient funds to pay for physical reconstruction and security needs to maintain order and build trust as borders are decided and weak governments strengthen.

Friedman suggests that the Saudis put their money where their mouth is. He also wants them to develop the chutzpah to use their diplomatic might – if any – for good purposes.

Despite his tongue-in-cheek suggestions, Friedman also underscores a truly possible scenario that envisions nations of the Middle East taking responsibility to govern regional affairs wisely, to accept the nation of Israel into their midst, and to suppress the hegemonic desires of Iran.

What’s missing from Friedman’s analysis? The role of Syria in a regional peace plan, and the role of Israel in helping to create and maintain trust between them and their Palestinian neighbors.

Syria’s name is not even mentioned in Friedman’s piece, yet they will undoubtedly be deeply involved in a future plan. Israel and Syria have to establish their modus vivendi as they apportion the Golan Heights between them and decide upon water rights. Those will be difficult negotiations, to be certain.

It would also be a boon to relations between Israelis and Palestinians if Israel were somehow involved in the physical reconstruction of areas in Gaza that suffered in the recent fighting. Short of supplying funding for Hamas’ blundering, illegal and immoral warfare from within civilian areas (according to Friedman’s proposal, Saudi Arabia would fork over 25 billion dollars – petro dollars, clearly! – to pay for the rebuilding), Israel has construction and other expertise that, if employed with the right security measures, could go far to engender good will on the Palestinian street.

Not only would there be partnerships formed among Israeli and Palestinian builders, but as electronic, commercial and other kinds of infrastructure are laid down, business ties would surely increase, establishing a pattern of cooperation and collaboration that could be a model for the future.

As the economy of Gaza enlarges, so, too, could human alliances of many kinds. This is what truly is needed in that region of the world so tormented by violence and mistrust.

Will Wisdom Also Be Our Legacy?

2009-01-15T06:53:00.000-06:00

It was about time.

It was about time for the people of the western Negev to unburden themselves from the relentless terror of tense daytime hours, and constant, sleepless nights.

It was about time to react to the terror of running to the bomb shelters while counting down those fifteen seconds from the first alert to the probable time of a missile’s impact.

And it was about time to stop living each day with its nerve-shattering present, and uncertain future.

And yet:

At the same time that Israel asserted her obligation – and her right – to defend her people – actions, by the way, that had earned the support of more than 80% of the Jewish population in Israel – I have to hope that each Israeli had in mind the exhortation of Hillel that we find in Pirkei Avot [1:12]: “Be disciples of Aaron: loving peace and pursuing it; loving your fellow creatures, and bringing them close to the Torah.”

Last Wednesday morning I ran into an Israeli friend and I asked him about the mood of the people of Israel this week. His answer sadly, did not surprise me: “Militaristic,” he said. “Very militaristic!”

Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, noted that even his admittedly left-of-center friends in Israel whom he called “haters of war and ferocious opponents of the West Bank settlement movement” support the Israeli government actions in Gaza. He quotes their statements about members of the American Jewish left: “What did they think, that we would just sit there forever, while Hamas fired rockets into our cities?”[1]

This is completely reasonable. Whether from the standpoint of employing the Jewish value of “din rodef,” or the ‘self-defense’ argument; or from the standpoint of international law and the United Nations charter, a country may act to protect itself and its citizens from danger.

And yet –

At this point, almost three weeks into the “Cast Lead” operation in Israel, we must have many doubts as to the wisdom of continuing the operation.

When the number of civilian casualties comes close to overtaking the Hamas combatants; when significant numbers of civilians are wounded and killed by the bombing of United Nations and humanitarian facilities even when they are shown to contain Hamas weapons caches; when press freedoms are curtailed in the name of “keeping the journalists safe;”

At the conclusion of it all, what will be our legacy as the children of Jacob, the people of Israel? What are going to be the values that we carry forward from these precarious times?

I bring this question forward in light of the Torah portion Vayechi, which we read last week. In this parashah, the Joseph saga comes full circle:

Joseph and a full entourage of Egyptian servants and counselors travel to the Promised Land to bury his father Jacob;
Joseph resolves his difficult relationship with his brothers;
And the descendants of Jacob establish their place in Egyptian society, setting the stage for the eventual exodus of Moses.

One particular vignette from this portion stands out tonight: the private gathering to which Jacob calls his sons prior to his death. At this solemn reunion, Jacob offers to all his children predictions as to their eventual fates.

And it is Jacob’s prophecy regarding Shimon and Levi that I think about on this night. In the context of the Torah portion, Jacob’s prophecy offers an insight that relates to the evil of Shimon and Levi’s past:

“Shimon and Levi are brothers, and their weapons are tools of lawlessness. May my soul not come to be counted among theirs; let my presence not be connected with them! In their anger they slew men; whenever it pleased them they maimed oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it is overpowering, and their wrath, because it is so relentless. I will divide them among the people of Jacob; I will scatter them throughout Israel.”

What earned them such a dire prediction? It was Shimon and Levi’s vengeful reaction to the rape of their sister Dinah, the only daughter of Jacob. Jacob recalled for his sons how the people of Shechem, after the son of the ruler of Shechem raped Dinah, sought a bride-price “of any value” for Dinah. The perpetrator of the rape says, “Do me this favor, and I will pay whatever you tell me. Ask of me a bride-price ever so high, as well as gifts, and I will pay whatever you tell me. Only give me the girl for a wife.” He was motivated by based instincts, and he apparently felt that this bride-price was a reasonable compensation for the crime of rape.

Jacob’s sons suggested at the time that the people of Shechem become one with the people of Israel, and every male in Shechem be circumcised. And the people of Shechem agreed.

However, Shimon and Levi were totally infuriated by this “compromise” solution reached by their brothers. And to exact true vengeance against Shechem and his people, Shimon and Levi snuck into the city of Shechem and slew all the males.

Jacob never forgot this act of senseless revenge, and fourteen chapters later we read in this week’s parashah that Jacob predicted – wished, perhaps – that his sons would suffer a fate of isolation and utter destruction.

In our day, and in relation to the situation in the Gaza Strip, the situation is very different from a biblical case of rape and revenge. Shimon and Levi were unable to consider the ethical dimensions of their situation; they simply acted, and dealt with the consequences later.

We Jews, on the other hand, have the capacity and the responsibility to consider a complex set of questions that go beyond legal rights and international standards:

When it comes to the specific actions that Israel has taken in Gaza, when should appropriate and legitimate assertions of self-defense give way to acts of wisdom and discretion and judgment?

When does the criterion for any course of action advance from a legal right to actions that are more wise, prudent and just?

The serious predicament in which Israel finds herself should compel every Jew to search for the answers to these questions.

For many of us, it is difficult to imagine the horrors of unexpected missile attacks; they are simply not part of our day-to-day experience. Even for those who have spent time in Israel, rarely do they feel the force of a concussive explosion, or a terrorist bombing.

Similarly, few if any of us can put ourselves in the place of the Palestinians of Gaza, where Hamas uses schools, universities, apartment blocks, gas stations, and other public places to carry out their operations of terror.

It was once the case that the Palestinians trusted Hamas, as Hamas delivered an array of social services. Social welfare, food, fuel, education, and many other public accommodations were once all distributed by Hamas, and the residents of Gaza were lulled into a false sense of protection and caring. Now, Hamas uses its resources to conscript the people of Gaza, against their will, and subject them to the same fates as those who pull the trigger on the missile launchers.

Hamas, of course, will not ponder its ethical considerations, neither now or at a time of calm. The Hamas Charter unequivocally calls for the destruction of Israel, and participants in the so-called “Islamic Resistance movement” have their marching orders: In their view, each Muslim is obligated to fulfill their prime directive at any cost, even their own lives.

I believe it is time to abide by the many calls for a cease-fire. This is the answer to the question of what is just and prudent and wise.

I do not know of a suitable Muslim equivalent, but when I think of peacemaking among the Jews, as I mentioned earlier, I think of Aaron, who is a direct descendant of Levi, the son of Jacob whose “weapons are tools of lawlessness.” Throughout the history of Israel and Judaism, the image of Jacob’s lawless son Levi was able, somehow, to morph into his descendant Aaron, viewed as a pursuer of peace. And we who have inherited this legacy of peacemaking need once again to think about what is wiser in this situation, and to work toward emulating a model of searching, and discovering the formula for peace.

[1] “On Gaza, Sense, and Centrism” The Forward, December 31, 2008.

A First Blog: Security for Israel, States for Two Peoples

2009-01-01T08:04:00.000-06:00

Greetings to you, dear reader, on this secular New Year’s Day! May the events in our lives, and those of all our friends and relatives, lead us to better understandings and to peace!

This new secular year finds the Middle East in turmoil. It would not have been my desire to make my first entry on this new rabbinic blog a response to the current situation, but I must certainly address what is happening in Israel, Gaza, and the Middle East.

First, don’t take my word for it. At a minimum, dear reader, please stay abreast of the news. Know what’s going on. Read newspapers, websites, magazines and other resources: Look at www.haaretz.com, www.nytimes.com, www.ynetnews.com, and others of your choosing. And support Israel with your love, your tzedakah contributions, and your concern.

The opinions below reflect only my own in consideration of Jewish teachings and tradition, as well as current thinking and analysis. But my voice is one amid the 14 million Jews around the world who have a very real stake in the future of the state of Israel.

In my mind there is no question that Israel has the right and responsibility to defend and protect her population, especially the 800,000 Israelis who now live within the apparent range of Hamas missiles, which can now reach Beer Sheva and Ashdod, 30 miles from Gaza. No nation in the world would or should surrender its duty to ensure its citizens’ safety. The fact that, over the last eight years, 8,000 missiles have landed on the Israeli cities and towns that surround the Gaza Strip is justification enough that Israel has an obligation to firmly establish a defensive shield. Operation Cast Lead says that “enough is enough.”

I must also mourn the loss of innocent life. There is no place for their families to turn for solace and comfort, except to those who placed them in harms’ way: Hamas and its agents.

There is the problem of what some call “proportionality,” that is, some would say that Israel’s response is out of proportion to the pain it received. But I think I agree with Alan M. Dershowitz of Harvard University, who said this early in 2008, in response to earlier rocket attacks on the population of southwestern Israel: “Proportion must be defined by reference to the threat posed by the enemy and not by the harm it has produced. No nation need allow its enemies to play Russian Roulette with its children.” In other words, the 8,000 rockets that landed on Israeli soil since 2000 could have each killed and maimed a score or more individuals. And every time a rocket hurdles its way toward some target, such is the assumption of the intention that must be made.

Israel is not looking to find a balance of wounded and killed. She simply wants to protect her citizens.

That Hamas would compel Israel to defend its land and citizens in this way has again proven the observation made famous by Abba Eban a generation ago. When asked about Yasser Arafat’s tendency to disregard openings of diplomacy, Eban is believed to have said that Arafat “never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.”

In relationship to the current predicament in Gaza, Hamas has tried to seize the opportunity to make their case to the international community about the impoverished conditions in the Gaza Strip.

However, they miss the opportunity – yet again! – truly to help their people achieve better days in the near term, and a potential for a better future. Not only do they miss these opportunities, they bear the complete responsibility for the bloodshed and the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza.

By turning the civilians of Gaza into human shields, and by storing weapons in mosques and forcing Israel to target houses of worship, Hamas reveals itself again as an inhumane, manipulative and blasphemous gang of thugs.

And by unilaterally canceling the six-month old cease-fire with Israel and returning to lob barrages of rockets that have terrorized southern Israel for eight years, they forfeit their sanction – if they truly ever had it – to govern their people in their best interests. The introduction of needed humanitarian supplies is further delayed, and Palestinians suffer at the hands of those whom they chose to lead them.

It is my hope that the daily lobbing of missiles and the retaliatory air strikes will soon end, and that the parties will engage diplomatically instead of militarily. Each people connected to the conflict – Israeli and Palestinian – deserve to live in their own states in peace, security, and health, and with the knowledge that their leaders are acting in the peoples’ best interests. Let us pray for cooler heads to prevail.

2008-11-26T05:46:00.000-06:00