Category: Peace

Canary in the Coal Mine

Jews are using the phrase “we are the canary in the coal mine” as a warning that anti-Semitism signals growing hatred of all groups in our nation. This idea is profoundly flawed, ironically counterproductive, and requires immediate redress.

The phrase is a desperate appeal to others that they must fight anti-Semitism as it inevitably will lead to hatred against them—that tactic won’t work. People will stand against anti-Semitism because it is wrong. And if they can rationalize anti-Semitism, they won’t care about Jews, canaries, or anyone else. Besides, there is another group that already experiences an institutional brand of hatred: black people and others of color.

People of color have been experiencing hatred and systemic racism for as long as any of us have come to these shores. When we think of Jews as the ones on the front line, we negate the experience of the black community. That is egotistical and shameful and ironically belies the idea embodied in the Canary Phrase. We should be aware of this hatred and align with those others who experience it.

I am not a canary, and I am not in a coal mine. Despite the alarming sharp increase in public displays of anti-Semitism, we live well, thoroughly enjoying so many blessings of this place. We have the power and the means to defend ourselves. And we are. Others do not, and we must help them.

Let us stand against hatred in all its forms besides every one of goodwill.   We denounce hatred of any group and work together to fight it on the streets, in the courts, and our hearts. So our country may live up to its aspirations.

We are not birds; we are American Jews standing tall for the values we believe in, and together, we will prevail.

A prayer for Memorial Day

Our God and God of our ancestors,
as we [prepare to] observe another Memorial Day in America,
bless us with the gifts of memory and understanding,
that we may appreciate the true meaning of this [that] day,
an annual occasion to honor the brave men and women
who gave their lives for our country
and for their fellow citizens.

God of compassion,
let those who made the ultimate sacrifice,
so that we may live in freedom,
rest in peace,
honored by a grateful nation.
Remember their parents,
partners,
children
and all the loved ones they left behind.
Protect and comfort them;
bring them peace.

 
God of justice,
remind us of the debt we owe
to those who lost their lives in the defense of our nation,
and to the families that go on without them.
Fill the heart of every American
with pride in those who served,
and caring concern for their survivors.

 
May it be Your will
that every American be re-dedicated
to the task of building a nation
worthy of the sacrifices made by our honored dead.
And may it be Your will, also,
that all of us pursue a just peace throughout the world,
so that no more lives are lost in armed conflict
anywhere in Your creation.

by David Abernethy

David Abernethy practices law in the Philadelphia area and is a member of the Beth Am Israel community in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania.
And let us say Amen.

Shabbat Shalom – May Peace be upon us

 

We welcome Shabbat with the song Shalom Aleichem, May Peace be upon you.  When greeted this way, our response is Aleichem Shalom, And May Peace be upon you.  The wish for peace unites all people of goodwill, and May it become our reality soon.   This rendition by the Ma’ayan Band is a beautiful and pensive way to experience this song and feeling.

Shabbat Shalom

What do you want? Clarity is critical.

What do you want? Clarity is critical.

There are many messages in the Campus protests; which is yours?  Divestiture, Ceasefire, rebuilding Gaza, developing a Palestinian State, or something else? What about peace?

The message of peace and the coexistence of two peoples will carry the day.

Without articulating what you stand for and what you do not, you are lumped into the “everything” category, which includes antisemitism and the elimination of Israel.

Israel is here to stay.  That is an indisputable fact.  If you refuse to accept this reality, you essentially oppose a peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestine issue. The region’s people must find a way to live together, for neither is going away.

Building trust and a willingness to accept the other’s presence and narrative must occur on both sides for Palestinians and Israelis. This will take time and effort- lots of each.

This pragmatic politics is problematic for idealogues to embrace. But if peace is the end goal, the ability to live in relative safety and security, this realpolitik must dominate the day. Otherwise, the people will continue to suffer and die.  And our tradition says, choose life.

Don’t Squander the moment.  The campuses have our attention.  They can be places where truth is spoken to power, not merely a place to advocate reductionist ideologies, where critical moral issues are advanced, recognizing the dignity of all people in the region.   Seize the moment.