For a day or two after the horrific attack by Hamas against Israel and Israelis, including 1400 murders, plus rapes, torture, and taking of captives of all ages, the world seemed to almost care. Even social media folks were shocked. Of course. Because, as writer Dara Horn pointed out, but it ways she might not even have imagined “people love dead Jews.” Until Israel actually responded, as any country would, to a terrorist attack, Israel and the Jewish people were popular. Briefly. Because who doesn’t feel better about themselves when they’ve expressed sympathy for someone who’s been beaten down?

Fast forward to a few days later as Israel, Jewish state, with an army that also includes Muslims, Druze, Christians, Bedouins, and other citizens, acted to neutralize the terror threat and to rescue over 230 captives. And the world quickly forgot how the current conflict began. And then, the appearance of the usual drivel on social media, complete with catchphrases tossed about by people who have never visited Israel, Gaza or the Palestinian territories, and have never actually read history books about all of the above. Catchphrases that they couldn’t define or explain: apartheid, colonialism, occupation, Zionism. And of course the best one “from the river to the sea”, without being able to name either the river or the sea, and failing (or not caring) to understand that if the river to the sea was the Palestinian state, that it would mean the complete destruction of the country called Israel and the ethnic cleansing of Jews (as has been the case in many Middle Eastern countries that once had vibrant Jewish communities).

What I’d really like to focus on is one of these words: Zionism. It’s an interesting concept. As Arthur Hertzberg and Gil Troy both pointed out in their famous works on the topic: there is not one Zionism. There are many. It’s a philosophical construct with dozens of different ways in which it can be viewed. If you pick a Zionism you oppose, I can connect you with other Zionisms that you would love. I personally like a lot of them, and find some others to be anathema to what I believe. And when all is said and done, a discussion of Zionism is totally irrelevant to the current discourse. It’s a concept. Period. And the arguments within the Jewish people as to whether modern political Zionism is a good thing or a bad thing? That argument, which was a big deal in Europe and to some extent in America, ended for the vast majority of Jews by the 1930’s and certainly with the Shoah. Oh, and just to be even-handed about it, the theological affirmations of God giving the land to the Jewish people and what the borders of the land were supposed to be according to the Bible…also not relevant to today’s discourse.

Here’s what’s relevant: the lands from the river to the sea were ruled, settled, and/or occupied by all sorts of groups over the centuries: the Canaanite nations, the Israelites, the Babylonians, the Greeks and Seleucids, the Assyrians, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Arabs, the Crusaders, the Mamelukes, the Ottoman / Turks, and the British. Oh, and many of those featured forced transfers of large populations (remember the lost tribes of Israel?). And of course most of the Israelites were forced into the exile that became known as the Diaspora, while other groups expropriated their lands. Yeah, that’s how I “came from” Ukraine and probably Romania and my wife “came from” Germany and Poland.

So, if you were going to try to rewind the clock and figure out what nation the land belonged to, where does one start (by the way, try that exercise with the United States and Canada. To what tribes will you return New York, Chicago, Miami, Seattle? Well, you get the idea)? Suggesting that the land should be returned to Greece or Turkey or the Mamelukes doesn’t work. Nor does a Jewish state based on biblical boundaries. History requires that, at some point, we just have to reset the clock and move forward.

By international vote, the reset button was pushed on November 29, 1947 in the town of Lake Success, NY on Long Island, when the countries of the United Nations voted for a plan through which a Jewish state – which became Israel – would be created. And an Arab state – which some proposed calling Palestine – would be created. Oh, and that Arab state wasn’t really created. Jordan occupied that area. Until 1967, but that’s a whole other story.

So, in my humble opinion, here’s what’s on the table for civilized discussion and here’s what isn’t:

First the list of what isn’t on the table:

1. Return to Biblical borders, governance, or even religious expressions. I’m over sacrifices, kings, and to me, prophecy is in the eyes of the beholder.
2. Trying to identify who lived in the land first. Genealogy tests don’t look for Hivvite or any other Canaanite DNA, as far as I know.
3. Terrorism – bad. No discussion needed. [Don’t bother me with the Stern Gang and such…mainstream Israelis opposed them and even fought against them].
4. The right of a sovereign country to defend itself when attacked and to pursue, by military means if necessary, the freedom of hostages
5. No discussion about apartheid and Israel. Not when every Israeli citizen gets a vote and can be in the military and in Knesset. We can discuss whether there is discrimination on some level. But not apartheid.
6. Israel has a right to live in peace and in security as a Jewish and democratic country. That is a given. Otherwise, don’t bother trying to engage me in a discussion.

I’m happy to have a discussion (just not on social media) about any of these:

1. Should Arabs living in the West Bank and Gaza have self-determination as a political entity? If Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak, Golda Meir, Ehud Olmert, Yair Lapid, and even Ariel Sharon at some points, were able to discuss or even negotiate for a Palestinian state, who am I to not be able to have the conversation?
2. A two-state vs. one-state solution. Sure, let’s talk. I don’t know how either would work. But something is going to have to give in the future. It will be hard for everyone. And one of those things must happen. Status quo is unacceptable.
3. Is it time for new leadership in Israel? Let’s assume yes to this one. Whether one loves or hates Bibi, this has run its course. Time for new thinking and ideas. (and not just for Israel, by the way 😉 )
4. Is it time for new leadership in the Palestinian Authority? Let’s assume yes to this. Sadly, recent years have resulted in dysfunction, and many of the new leaders are likely to be even more radical. It is what it is, and Israel will have to deal with this.

So, let us reason together. The goal should be peace and security for all who live in Israel, for all living in areas under the Palestinian Authority, for those in Gaza and for areas that are currently under Israel’s control. My immediate prayer: a release of all captives, disarmament of all terrorists, and a return to a dialogue of those who actually seek peace and coexistence.

Can we talk about rejection for a bit?  Everyone’s experienced rejection. From a boyfriend, girlfriend, maybe even a spouse. From a job you really wanted, or one you already had. Maybe we’ve been rejected as a blood donor or organ donor. And for sure our insurance companies rejected us for coverage of procedures or medications.

And by a certain point in our lives, we’ve been at both the receiving and the giving end of rejection.

This afternoon, the entire book of Jonah is going to be chanted. You probably know the story in a general way: Jonah decides not to take God’s message to the city of Nineveh, flees on a ship, get swallowed by some type of fish, utters one of the most moving prayers ever, gets saved, and grudgingly goes to Nineveh. The people of Nineveh do the teshuva / repentance thing. And Jonah is angry. God gives Jonah a plant to protect him from the sun, and then takes it away, to teach Jonah a lesson: Compassion has to be given to all living things.

But now I’d like to reframe the story. The entire book is a chain of rejections:

• Jonah, an experienced navi, prophet, rejects God’s call, and actually rejects his prophetic calling.
• The sailors on the boat that Jonah has fled on reject him, as they realize that only by casting him overboard can they save themselves
• After Jonah’s prayer, the fish spits Jonah onto dry land, actually rejecting Jonah as part of a Godly plan
• And Jonah, once he has completed his mission to Nineveh, is angry that he was successful, a passive aggressive rejection of his prophetic career

Rejection can lead us in a few directions. It can most certainly lead to depression and to surrendering all hope. We’ve all seen it, and probably many if not most of us have experienced it. But it can also open us to new possibilities.

Personal story:  Early in my career, I was rejected for membership in a national rabbinic organization. The reason given was the somewhat liberal practice in the synagogue that I was serving at the time. I briefly thought: Oh, fine, when I move to another position, I’ll reapply. But then I realized that the rejection was truly a gift. It allowed me to more fully explore a wide range of options in how to do Jewish, and ultimately totally changed my career and my personal approach to Judaism. I became totally pluralistic in my approach, and have served in positions ever since that were not part of a specific movement in Judaism.

And now back to Jonah. His rejection of prophecy, and God’s rejection of his rejection cause Jonah to finally travel and bring the word to Nineveh. He has the opportunity to reinvent himself and to better understand God and Jonah’s own mission. The rejections of the book can be a curse. But they can also be a gift.

Now for the interesting part:  The Book of Jonah ends with a question. The immediate question is: Why would Jonah care about the gourd that he had no role in creating, while expecting God to not have compassion on living beings?  And the larger question is: Hey, Jonah. What have we learned here? How will you grow as a result of this series of rejections?

And like many novels and stories, it ends without the answer. When we’ve finished reading the book, we don’t know whether Jonah has learned a lesson. We’re not told whether he turned around his life, whether he became a more compassionate person.

And that’s where we are in the middle of Yom Kippur. Over the course of the holiday, we’ve uttered words and engaged in self-reflection to reject behaviors in which we’ve engaged and that we would like to change. We’ve raised all the right questions, and begun to suggest answers.

But, like Jonah, it’s still a question:  Have we learned and do we really want to change. [Old joke from my days in social work grad school:  How many social workers does it take to change a light bulb?  Only one, but the light bulb has to want to change].

In the middle of Yom Kippur the lingering question of the Jonah story is our question: Did we learn from that past year? Are we ready to reject our poor choices?

It is my prayer for everyone that we do learn from what worked and what didn’t in the year past. And that we find the strength to reject that which we need to leave behind, and come into the new year with all of life’s blessings.

Rosh Hashana Day 2 – 5782 – 2021

Shana tova, Good Yom Tov. This d’var Torah continues my High Holiday theme: Where Are We, How Did We Get Here, and What Do We Do Now.

Over the past several years, we have seen a frightening growth in antisemitism in the United States and in Europe. Never have we witnessed the mass attacks that occurred in synagogues in Pittsburgh, in Poway, California, and at a Chanuka gathering in Monsey, not all that far from here. These have been wakeup calls that remind us that so much has not changed when it comes to antisemitism and to hatred and bigotry of all types.

Oddly enough, at the same time, there has been a disturbing uptick in anti-Israel sentiment. It’s bad enough when it comes from some elected political leaders here and abroad. But what’s even more concerning is the sentiment that is coming from fellow Jews, particularly of the younger generation. 

For the record, the love of the land and people of Israel, and indeed the roots of what became known as Zionism in the late 19th century didn’t begin then. It began with the central figure of the Rosh Hashanah day 2 Torah reading, Abraham. In the aftermath of the akeda, the binding of Isaac, Abraham is told that his people, who will in the future become known as the people Israel, will become “numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands on the seashore”. 

Throughout Abraham’s career and life, and repeated to his descendants, is the promise of the Land of Israel. Lech Lecha, Abraham is told, go forth for yourself to the land I will show you.  And this Torah portion occurs on Moriah, traditionally understood as what later became the Temple Mount, and today is part of the Al Aqsa complex in Jerusalem. And it ends in the Negev, the southern part of Israel, in the ancient city of Beer Sheva. 

In that land of Israel, the biblical chieftains led, followed by kings such as David and Solomon. It was in that land that the Hasmoneans and the later followers of Bar Kochba revolted against foreign domination. And it was a return to the land and to self-governance that was prayed for in prayers written as early as a few hundred years BCE, and recited over 2000 years. 

So when modern political Zionism emerged in the late 1800’s, it wasn’t out of a vacuum. It was out of a commitment for an indigenous people to enlarge its presence there once again, and to work toward taking Jewish values and mitzvot, many of them specific to how a Jewish state should work, and begin operationalizing a Jewish government for the first time in millennia. 

Over the past few years, to use the phrase I used in the first day of the holiday, we became stupid again. There is a deeply troubling tendency for Jewish people, and particularly some in the younger generation, to want to rewind the clock to 1880, and live Jewish lives that are untouched by modern Zionism or the State of Israel. These primarily young folks, are idealistic. They see an Israel that has been deadlocked in a process that, 20 years ago, seemed so promising, a process that was to have led to a lasting and just peace between peoples that share the land – Israel’s Jews, Israel’s Arabs, and the Palestinians. And they’re right, it has been frustrating.  In 1968, Professor Yishayahu Leibowitz of Hebrew University wrote that the capture of the West Bank a year earlier, if it would not lead to some sort of territorial solution, would change the very nature of the State of Israel. He was not wrong. Our brothers and sisters in Israel are locked in a bad situation. 

But the mistake of our idealists is that they look at the wrongs and the difficulties that have been locked in place and believe that by becoming 1880 Jews, all problems will be resolved. What they miss is that fact that the situation of the Jews in 1880 and their situation from that time until 1947 was untenable. And they miss the rise in antisemitism that is as frightening now as it was 140 years ago. 

We have a few battles that we must all fight together. I’ll lay them out for you:

1. Love of Israel and Zionism, if you will, are part of the package that is contemporary Judaism. Period. The opposition that many in the Reform and Orthodox camps had to political Zionism in the late 19th and early 20th century is gone. And yes, the Holocaust was the last straw, but Israel likely would have become a reality even had that not occurred. And the rise in antisemitism across the globe is a reminder that, in addition to being a remarkable country and the only Jewish state in the world, it continues to be an insurance policy for all Jews living everywhere. An assurance that, whatever happens, we have a home to go to. 
2. There is an obligation of hocheach tocheach, a mitzvah that says: when you see something being done that is just plain wrong, we are obligated to confront it vocally. But, as many rabbis point out, that mitzva, of confronting others who are going down a bad path, is predicated on a loving relationship with the person being criticized. We confront them out of love of a fellow human being, not as a disinterested outsider.  My friend and colleague, Rabbi Judy Cohen-Rosenberg once taught me a lesson that I remember many years later. She told me that she would sometimes get up in her congregation and criticize Israel for some of its policies. Then she realized:  When I criticize Israel, it’s a conversation within the family. But for so many of my community, there is not a loving relationship to Israel to base it on.  So yes, within the family of the Jewish people, there must be plenty of space to criticize violence that has occurred against Arabs and Palestinians, attacks against women wishing to pray according to their own practice at the Western Wall, and lack of equality between men and women in divorce laws. Israel is a young country, just over 70 years old. It still has a lot to work out.  But we begin from a place of love for the state and the people of Israel.
3. Education, for ourselves, and for our children and grandchildren, is essential. Everyone should know the basic history of the Jewish people and of the state of Israel. I’m talking about videos that exist online through groups such as Open Dor Media, that take a factual and even-handed approach to where Israel came from and why it matters. I’m talking about reading Noa Tishby’s recent book on Israel, in which she describes, in a light and entertaining way, her family’s Israel journey and a deep knowledge of history and of international affairs. 

As I stated on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the year we begin, 5782 holds great opportunities and great threats. We need to get our house in order. The promise to Abraham is still valid today. May we all take action to assure the peace and security of the land and people of Israel, take the steps to educate those around us as to why Israel exists and must exist, and find constructive ways to encourage Israel towards becoming the beacon of light unto the nations that it was founded to be.

Shana Tova