Time magazine's choice of "Person of the Year" was a startling "You!" This got me thinking about the importance of every individual and the choices they make and how they affect the world at large. Every person's opinion and voice is important in this information age, and in this spirit, I write the following.
Towards the end of November 2006, I went to Israel to participate in the Orthodox Union's convention. I went with an agenda. Since the "disengagement" of the Jews from Gush Katif - Gaza (summer 2005), my conscience gives me no rest. How could such a travesty of justice and disregard of good common sense "go down on our watch"?
The image of Stephen Wise and the Holocaust, and the relative collective silence of American Jewry, has always haunted me. Now, with many parallels in play, less then two years ago, the Gush Katif communities were emptied of Jews together with their self-sustaining and flourishing community life. And it's J'accuse. But this time, it is we who are guilty, for we were silent concerning our brothers in that we saw the distress of their souls when they besought us (see Genesis 42:21, regarding Joseph and his brothers).
My presence at the convention was to join with the many other voices - the vox populi - who are deeply distressed by what we allowed, or at least were silent about, in regard to the Jews of Gush Katif. My plea at the convention was for a public announcement of mea culpa by the OU organization and every other faithful Jewish organization. Our asking for forgiveness should be directed towards the Jews of Gush Katif, who have been dealt with in a very shabby and disrespectful manner by the Israeli government.
I know we should have done more to protect their communities so as to have averted one of the saddest chapters in Jewish history; namely, the self-inflicted Disengagement, which uprooted and literally destroyed the thriving communities in Gush Katif. From that sad day on, it has impacted directly and most negatively the family life of well over ten thousand Jewish residents and many thousands more all over Israel.
As such, I am calling for a greater representative voice for the rank and file of the North American Jewish community. They should influence how our national organizations come to support or oppose policies that impact the lives of their constituents, especially as it refers to Israel.
Our deafening silence on the communal level allowed for the Disengagement to happen. It seems to me that our collective voice and conscience was co-opted by a government whose intent was to make the Gush Katif communities an example for all who would dare oppose the unfair and undemocratic decisions of those who are in power.
The events of the past summer (2006), with rockets from Lebanon hitting as far south as Safed and even Haifa, as well as the continuing attacks on the southern city of S'derot - which is under bombardment even as I write this - are a direct result of the Disengagement in 2005. The Disengagement only emboldened the terrorists to up the stakes of their opposition to the right of the existence of the Jewish people in Israel.
And so, what follows is what I think needs to be done to undo some of the hurt and alienation of so many of the Gush Katif community and their supporters all over the world.
First, it is our collective responsibility and obligation to say we are sorry to the Jews of Gush Katif and to be vigilant that it does not repeat itself ever again.
Second, it is imperative that we organize a relief effort, and swiftly. Let us call for American and Canadian Jewry to work together with our national umbrella organizations, such as the UJC/Federation, the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Jewish National Fund, the OU, NCYI, Agudah, Chabad and the Presidents Conference, to partner with the State of Israel to alleviate the plight of the Gush Katif refugees. If we will do this, and cut through the red-tape of bureaucracy and ambivalence, it will give a new impetus and sense of hope to both Jews in America and Israel that we are indeed one people, who value the inviolate principles of democracy, freedom and justice for all.
The blood of our Gush Katif brethren "cries unto me from the ground." (Genesis 4:10) We can no longer remain silent as the "roiling blood" (see Talmud, Gittin 57, regarding the roiling blood of the prophet Zachariah) of our brethren calls out for justice.
Indeed, we all should act as if we are the person of the year. Especially when it concerns our very own brothers and sisters in Israel. Now is not a time to be silent. Am Yisrael Chai!
Towards the end of November 2006, I went to Israel to participate in the Orthodox Union's convention. I went with an agenda. Since the "disengagement" of the Jews from Gush Katif - Gaza (summer 2005), my conscience gives me no rest. How could such a travesty of justice and disregard of good common sense "go down on our watch"?
The image of Stephen Wise and the Holocaust, and the relative collective silence of American Jewry, has always haunted me. Now, with many parallels in play, less then two years ago, the Gush Katif communities were emptied of Jews together with their self-sustaining and flourishing community life. And it's J'accuse. But this time, it is we who are guilty, for we were silent concerning our brothers in that we saw the distress of their souls when they besought us (see Genesis 42:21, regarding Joseph and his brothers).
My presence at the convention was to join with the many other voices - the vox populi - who are deeply distressed by what we allowed, or at least were silent about, in regard to the Jews of Gush Katif. My plea at the convention was for a public announcement of mea culpa by the OU organization and every other faithful Jewish organization. Our asking for forgiveness should be directed towards the Jews of Gush Katif, who have been dealt with in a very shabby and disrespectful manner by the Israeli government.
I know we should have done more to protect their communities so as to have averted one of the saddest chapters in Jewish history; namely, the self-inflicted Disengagement, which uprooted and literally destroyed the thriving communities in Gush Katif. From that sad day on, it has impacted directly and most negatively the family life of well over ten thousand Jewish residents and many thousands more all over Israel.
As such, I am calling for a greater representative voice for the rank and file of the North American Jewish community. They should influence how our national organizations come to support or oppose policies that impact the lives of their constituents, especially as it refers to Israel.
Our deafening silence on the communal level allowed for the Disengagement to happen. It seems to me that our collective voice and conscience was co-opted by a government whose intent was to make the Gush Katif communities an example for all who would dare oppose the unfair and undemocratic decisions of those who are in power.
The events of the past summer (2006), with rockets from Lebanon hitting as far south as Safed and even Haifa, as well as the continuing attacks on the southern city of S'derot - which is under bombardment even as I write this - are a direct result of the Disengagement in 2005. The Disengagement only emboldened the terrorists to up the stakes of their opposition to the right of the existence of the Jewish people in Israel.
And so, what follows is what I think needs to be done to undo some of the hurt and alienation of so many of the Gush Katif community and their supporters all over the world.
First, it is our collective responsibility and obligation to say we are sorry to the Jews of Gush Katif and to be vigilant that it does not repeat itself ever again.
Second, it is imperative that we organize a relief effort, and swiftly. Let us call for American and Canadian Jewry to work together with our national umbrella organizations, such as the UJC/Federation, the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Jewish National Fund, the OU, NCYI, Agudah, Chabad and the Presidents Conference, to partner with the State of Israel to alleviate the plight of the Gush Katif refugees. If we will do this, and cut through the red-tape of bureaucracy and ambivalence, it will give a new impetus and sense of hope to both Jews in America and Israel that we are indeed one people, who value the inviolate principles of democracy, freedom and justice for all.
The blood of our Gush Katif brethren "cries unto me from the ground." (Genesis 4:10) We can no longer remain silent as the "roiling blood" (see Talmud, Gittin 57, regarding the roiling blood of the prophet Zachariah) of our brethren calls out for justice.
Indeed, we all should act as if we are the person of the year. Especially when it concerns our very own brothers and sisters in Israel. Now is not a time to be silent. Am Yisrael Chai!