Steven Tzvi Gleiberman, a blend of his legal name (Steven) with his religious name (Tzvi), grew up in Brooklyn, NY. Wishing to add meaning and purpose into his life, he moved to Jerusalem in 2020, where he met his wife and currently works in the Tel-Aviv high-tech scene. His first book, "From Scroll to Soul", is available on Amazon.
When videos of Arabs celebrating the 9/11 attacks first circulated online, the world recoiled in disgust. The images were a shocking reminder of the depths of hatred to which humanity can sink.
Yet fast forward to today: UnitedHealthcare Group announces the murder of their CEO Brian Thompson and of the 62,000 reactions to their Facebook post, over 57,000 are laughing emojis.
How did America get here? Has the West normalized the celebration of death?
Some argue that there’s no comparison between the innocent lives lost on 9/11 and the death of a corporate healthcare executive, stemming from a belief that one’s life is “less worthy” because of the corporate decisions they have made.
But when we start ranking CEO’s lives based on professions or actions, we abandon our humanity. It’s the same twisted logic used to dehumanize the almost 3,000 deaths on 9/11 because of the actions of a few. I’m sure that some of those who died on 9/11 from New York City’s financial sector also prioritized corporate profits over the value of life.
Far too many Americans have real issues with the healthcare industry but does mocking someone’s death lead to institutional change? The answer is no (and if it does, what does that say about us). Tasteless memes and contests, like the UHC shooter look-alike competition in Central Park, no less than 2 hours after the shooting, which garnered over 150,000 likes on a video I saw, makes America further lose the moral high ground.
This idea hits close to home for Israelis, who live the harsh realities of war daily. In Gaza, Israel is forced to confront an enemy that proudly filmed themselves committing a horrendously barbaric massacre of hundreds, glorifies death, uses civilians as human shields, and celebrates the murder of innocents. Golda Meir’s words still resonate: “Peace will come when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us.”
Yet, even as they defend themselves, Israelis mourn every innocent life lost. No Israeli soldier relishes taking a life, not even in the worst circumstances. Celebrating death - even of those who oppress, exploit, or attack us - strips us of our dignity. Israelis are sad when children in Gaza are killed, and risk their own lives to prevent it, even as they understand the grim necessity of defending ourselves, but never losing sight of the tragedy that surrounds us.
As Jews, as Israelis, and as human beings with a moral compass, Israel is the light unto the world's people. That light isn’t just about morality in times of peace - it’s about holding onto one's humanity in the darkest times. With Hanukkah approaching, we are reminded of the power of a single flame to illuminate an entire room and how one small act of decency can pierce the overwhelming darkness.
We must all rise above the mob mentality that glorifies destruction. A decent human being's role isn’t to mirror the hatred and cruelty around them but to transcend it. Because in the end, what kind of world are we building if we let laughter at someone’s death drown out the compassion that defines humanity?