On the surface, life in Jerusalem seems as normal as it was a year ago. People go to work, the cars honk, the buses run, and I continue to explore new shuls (synagogues) and new foods around the city. We haven't had a siren in over a week. Things are quiet; almost as if all is well. Beneath the surface, in the murky waters of our thoughts and prayers, are the tensions we struggle to conceal and to process; the anxiety over the situation, and sadness over the loss of soldiers and innocent bystanders and citizens. Under the surface, parents and family members struggle to understand the lot they have been dealt and to understand the immediate and long term implications for their families, for their lives, for their nations, and for the world.
While sitting doing homework before going to the gym, a friend of mine told me about her experience registering for the US Consulate's Travel Tracker. When she finished the process of notifying them of her travel plans, one travel advisory for Israel popped up. It said all non-essential travel to Israel should be put off until future notice. In light of this situation, she found herself asking herself, "Is it essential that I be here?" It's essential to our education according to HUC, but is being in Israel right now truly essential? She couldn't answer the question. I mulled it over in my head. I came up with a handful of potential answers, none of which were particularly satisfactory.
What I couldn't get out of my head was not a question of whether or not I should be in Israel, but rather how should I express and explain my views on the situation to my American friends and peers of all religions? How should I address the issues over the portrayal of Israel in the media, especially by CNN? How should I explain the polemics being used by Hamas to garner sympathy not necessarily for its cause but for the innocent people of Gaza, who the IDF is trying dilligently to protect and warn as often and as quickly as possible?
Once I've processed and begun to answer the questions that persist about Israel in the media and my general processing of life in Israel right now, how do I address the current backlash against Israel and the continued failed attempts at cease fires and peace treaties proctored by Egypt, Qatar, or America? How do I deal with the cancellations of flights from the US and Europe to Israel (which are thankfully back up and running)? Perhaps even more importantly, what do I say about the extreme rise in antisemitism around the world where groups say "Death to the Jews" "Death to Israel"?
I think this is the first time on a large scale that our generation is seeing mass riots being enacted in the name of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment. This is somehow scarier to me than the threat of bombs. At least bombs can be blown up by the Iron Dome. How can we stop what seems to be an increasing level of antisemitism world wide and prevent a return to the rhetoric and actions that led to pogroms and later the Shoah (the Holocaust)?
Last week and since the start of the situation there have been violent riots and protests in Paris, Germany, and Canada. In Canada, people were shouting "Death to the Jews!" In Germany, they shouted "Gas the Jews!" And in Belgium there was a sign that said "No Jews Allowed." What do I do with these things when a student of mine asks me about this this week or in the future? What am I supposed to say? How do I quell my fears along with the fears of those I lead and support in this time of crisis? What is the Jewish people to do? What am I to do? As many Jews choose to abandon Europe for Israel or the United States amidst statements pertaining to a "Second Holocaust," I find myself digging deeper into what it means to be Jewish in a modern world where we regularly say "Never Again." Although I have faith in the UN and other governments which are trying to limit and deter incidents of antisemitism, my fears remain. What we cannot do is stand idly by and wait for these words and actions to disappear. We must speak up against hatred and bigotry and remind the world of those two words, "Never Again."
I'll leave this post on a high note. As I was scrolling through my Facebook feed last week, I came across an inspiring article/video. The title of the article was "Jews and Arabs Refuse to be Enemies." The picture below the title was of a woman and a man kissing with a piece of paper below them saying that Jews and Arabs can love one another. The video on the website and the message being spread through the internet via the hashtag #JewsandArabsRefusetobeEnemies was inspiring and provided a little light in a dark day of hate. Let this post provide some perspective during these tumultuous times, but more importantly let it be a catalyst for positivity and engaging dialogue about religion and geo-politics, and more importantly about how we are better together.
In the wake of this month, may Israel and Gaza, Jews and Muslims, and peoples of all religions and nations find ways to come together to better the world, to strive for the elimination of hatred and for the love of all mankind.
"And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither
shall they learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4)
Shalom.
(For more reading on the topics discussed in this post see the following articles)
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/israel-supporters-attacked-by-crowd-shouting-kill-jews-in-canada/
http://pamelageller.com/2014/07/german-leftist-muslim-protesters-chant-gas-jews-anti-israel-jew-hatred-rallies.html/
http://www.vox.com/2014/7/21/5923145/gaza-anti-semitism-europe
http://forward.com/articles/202647/belgian-cafe-posts-no-jews-allowed-sign/#.U8_r6scnYrM.facebook
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/07/22/france-jewish-shops-riot_n_5608612.html
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/07/max_steinberg_death_how_birthright_convinces_american_jews_to_embrace_israel.html
http://www.timesofisrael.com/the-terrible-cost-of-thwarting-hamas/
http://mashable.com/2014/07/23/jews-and-arabs-refuse-to-be-enemies/?utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29&utm_cid=Mash-Prod-RSS-Feedburner-All-Partial&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral
No comments:
Post a Comment