Tag: #BringThemHomeNow

Psalm 27 is added to our prayers during Elul and through the chagim.

We prepare ourselves for this special time with the prayer that we might dwell in the house of the Divine.  May your experience this season be meaningful, filled with reflection, repentance, and renewal.

Thanks to Chava Mirel for this beautiful rendition of Psalm 27:4.

Shabbat Shalom

#BringThemHomeNow

 

Keep your eye on the ball – Focus on the Truth

The truth is hard to find. We often argue over the “what happened” instead of searching for the real truth.

Hunger in Gaza is real. Accusations of false pictures or the number of trucks entering Gaza distract us from the fact that people there are suffering from a lack of food and water.

Yes, horrible famines are occurring in other parts of the world, such as Yemen and Sudan. That we are not assisting the hungry is shameful. However, the starvation there does not diminish the suffering in Gaza.

Who’s responsible?

There is no shortage of blame to go around. Hamas cynically uses civilians as pawns of war. Israel blocked humanitarian aid while trying to bring Gaza to capitulation, and the US has let these tactics continue. Other countries have done little to provide aid or creative solutions. The Palestinian people are also partly responsible for their situation in Gaza. We all share in the tragedy affecting the Palestinian people.

There is no shortage of blame. But we can take control now. The airdrops of food are one part of the solution. Expanding food stations in Gaza from the current four managed by the GHF is also essential. And we can give money to World Central Kitchen and other groups on the ground providing hot meals.  If we “flood the zone” with food and water, we will eliminate the ability to profiteer from food shortages.

We can do this now.  It is our responsibility and duty. We cannot stand by while our neighbor’s children wither.

#BringThemHomeNow

 

 

Difficult and loving conversations about Israel

I had the honor of moderating a conversation for the New Israel Fund (NIF) at Beth Am Israel, located on the Main Line in suburban Philadelphia.

Our speakers, Rabbi Noa Sattath and Libby Linkenski are dedicated to fostering a shared society that upholds our Jewish values. Our values endure, even in challenging times like these, when they are stressed and tested as rarely before in our history. Indeed, our values are more important than ever for maintaining perspective. Libby shared three points to remember as we navigate these difficult times:

  1. People are not their governments. 

Palestinians are not Hamas. Israelis are not Benjamin Netanyahu. Americans are not Donald Trump. We are more than the actions of our extremist leaders and are not directly complicit in their worst acts.

  1. Don’t defend the indefensible. 

The conflict didn’t begin on October 7, and October 7 itself was indefensible. So is the ongoing assault on the people of Gaza. We can’t lose our moral clarity, regardless of politics.

  1. Two peoples, one land. 

Two peoples have always existed between the river and the sea, and both will continue to exist. Any vision that erases one side is a vision of unimaginable violence. The question is not whether we coexist but how. That’s where the conversation begins—and where it must end.

We must continue working to lay the foundation for a future where both people can live with dignity and security.

 

Shabbat Shalom -Jerusalem of Gold

Naomi Shemer penned this anthem, expressing our longing for the sacredness of Jerusalem.  Rabbi Angela Buchdal and Cantor Dan Mutlu share their extraordinary voices to sing Yerushalim Shel Zahav.

May the sacredness and promise of Jerusalem live, peace come to the region, and our hostages are returned home.

Shabbat Shalom