November 20, 2012

Dear JCHS School Community,

At the time of this writing, the conflict in Gaza and Israel continues. I spoke with the students at Hakhel on Monday about the situation and promised to distribute some materials that might inform how each of us comes to a personal response to recent events.

Here are some materials that set a context with the weekly Torah, provide some background information, urge you to stand with Israel, give sources for prayers, invite you to give, and provide a range of diverse Jewish perspectives about the situation.

Into the Woods and the Weekly Torah Portion

I began my words to the students by celebrating the remarkable student production of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, which closed its run in our theater with a sold-out Sunday matinee on November 18. Into the Woods embodies many enduring themes including our human need to be bound to others by stories and narratives and the power of community to transform our lives. As Ms. Russell wrote in her Director's Notes for the show community is bound together through moral responsibility for each other and the support we give "each other in times of darkness and light."

In terms of darkness and light, this week's Torah portion, Vayetzei, is a true into the woods type of story. The biblical Jacob leaves Beer Sheva in fear for his brother, Esau's retribution for the taking of the family birthright. Jacob enters a barren wilderness and camps-out with only rocks to use for resting his head in sleep. Then Jacob dreams of a magnificent ladder that bridges earth and heaven -- a ladder populated with angels and even God at the top. Through the experience of that dream Jacob realizes he is not alone, he draws strength from this spiritual community and is lifted by its caring regard.

It is a time of darkness now for our family and friends in Israel and the innocents on both sides of the border who are victims of violence they did not choose. And we so much want for them and those who love them the light of protection and support and, in time, we pray, the wholeness of peace.

As in both of these stories, the real world can be a dark, mysterious, and frightening place at times. But in learning about our surroundings, in standing with others, and in seeking to bring light to places of darkness, we can transform the world.

Which brings us to the "woods" - dark, mysterious, frightening -- of current events in Israel and Gaza this week.

There is a community in Israel that needs us - we are bound to them because we share common story through Torah, because we share a common destiny through community.

Context on Hamas and Gaza

It is important to educate oneself about the broad context. Israel's announced goals are to stop the barrage of rocket attacks coming from Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, and to enable Israelis to live freely in their own land without being terrorized or needing to take shelter. The announced goals of Hamas are quite different, as expressed in the 1988 Hamas [calling itself the "Islamic Resistance Movement"] Covenant: "Israel will exist, and will continue to exist, until Islam abolishes it, as it abolished that which was before it." [More on Hamas Covenant] Know that although residents of Gaza elected Hamas to govern there -- not all Gazans are Hamas and not all Gazans support Hamas.

Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Hamas was elected to leadership over Gaza by the residents there in 2006. Not all Gazans are Hamas and not all Gazans support Hamas. Still, according to the European Union, the United States, Canada, Japan, and Israel, Hamas is a terrorist organization. Hamas and other Gaza-based terror organizations have been firing rockets at civilians - nearly 1,000 rockets in 2006 and 1,200 rockets in 2008. Then Israel had a military action at the end of 2008 and the number of rockets in 2009 dropped to fewer than 200. Last year Hamas increased the number to nearly 400 and more than 1,000 rockets were fired toward Israel from Gaza during November 2012.

As the former Assistant Head of JCHS, Rabbi Andy Shapiro Katz wrote recently: "Was the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza [in 2005] meaningless? Do Hamas' stated intentions not matter - that when they say "occupation" they mean ALL of Israel? Is there really no difference between civilians as targets vs. civilians as collateral damage? What would Israelis have to do that you'd FINALLY stand with Israel and hold the other side accountable? When does a narrative veer far enough from something we might call truth that you would be willing to call it lies and propaganda? On some level, I think that I made aliyah so that when I was critical of Israeli policy, Israelis would know that I was still with them."

Stand With Israel

The world is sometimes a dark and cold place. And there are glimmers of light. Again, turning to the words of Rabbi Katz who relocated his family from Beer Sheva to Jerusalem late last week: "We are all OK, in a way, and not OK in others. We are more or less out of the reach of rockets. And we are no longer contending with sirens and shelters and scared children. We read the news like tea leaves, wondering whether the situation will drag on or be resolved in a few days. I think the smart money says it will drag on. Nobody is sleeping like they should, so everyone is more irritable than they'd like. I could have written this a few days ago, and I could probably write the same thing again in a week. it is good to hear from friends, and even better to see them. And the Jerusalem area weather warms our spirits when it is warm and sunny, and chills our souls when it turns dark and rainy."

It is for us to stand with our family and friends in Israel, to let them know they are not alone, to bring some light and warmth through our reaching out to places that can be dark and cold.

Inform Yourself

Seek multiple sources of information and gather information from different perspectives. As with anything, be careful about unsubstantiated information.

For an annotated listing of Israeli news sources click here: [Annotated List of Israeli News Sources]
For background on the recent conflict search "Pillar of Defense" at: [Jewish Virtual Library]
For basic background information about the situation (as of November 16) go to the David Project (a group involved in Israel advocacy) updated briefing: [David Project Updated Briefing November 16]
For primary sources and statements by officials on both sides of the conflict go to:
- [Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
- [MEMRI - Middle East Media Research Institute]
If you want to follow-up on information that seems inaccurate click here: [HonestReporting.com]

Develop Your Own Personal Response

Each of us is reacting to events in Israel and Gaza in unique ways. Let the responses of others -- a sampling of Jewish respoonses follows -- inspire or move or frustrate (because that is a very, real response too) you. Use the information you gather and the friends and family with whom you connect inform your personal response.

Pray:

Give:

While we pray for the day when our family and friends in Israel can live in a whole peace -- without fear of rockets landing on their homes and schools -- we acknowledge, sadly, that today is not that day.

Please join with Jews across North America in supporting the Israel Terror Relief Fund - an effort being coordinated by the Jewish Federations of North America (including the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, and the Jewish Federation of the East Bay). All donations will go to direct aid in Israel through organizations such as The Jewish Agency for Israel and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, as they work to provide respite and support to the many thousands of children and families in Israel living within rocket distance of Gaza, food and emergency kits to the elderly and disabled, and other relief and emergency services.

DONATE to Israel Terror Relief Fund

May we be wise enough to develop our own perspectives and strong enough to bring light to places of darkness.

L'Shalom -- Toward Wholeness,

Rabbi Howard Ruben

"If the Rockets Succeeded" by Arno Rosenfeld [JCHS Class of 2012] (November 19, 2012): But imagine if every Hamas rocket succeeded in killing Israeli civillians. Imagine if the hundreds of rockets fired at Israel over the past few days all hit occupied buildings, with thousands injured and hundreds dead, while Hamas boasted about their great achievement. The wheat would be separated from the chaff of Palestinian solidarity. There will always be a core that supports targeting of Israeli civillians as legitimate resistance to Israel's "occupation of Palestine." But much more common are those who stand with the victim, seeing only Israel's aggression. Imagine if the streets of the modern metropolis of Tel Aviv were strewn with debris from rocket damage to skyscrapers and Israelis were running around carrying the injured to ambulances. There is much talk of how the world does not understand the enemy Israel is facing. Talk of how what is described above is what Hamas is trying to achieve, while all the world sees are Israel's attacks on Gaza. Let me assure you: If Hamas was, in fact, succeeding in their goal, the narrative in the media would be vastly different. Everyone would understand why when Hamas kills Israelis it's terrorism and that Israeli retaliation is abundantly reasonable. [Read More]

"When Balance Becomes Betrayal" by Daniel Gordis (November 18, 2012):Of course Israel is far from perfect, and yes, much of life in Gaza is miserable. Yet why can we not actually say what we know to be true? Why cannot a leader of the American Jewish community say that the only reason that Israel and Hamas are at war is that Hamas wants to destroy Israel? Does anyone really imagine that even a return to the 1967 borders would mollify Hamas? How do I know that it would not? Because they say so. They say that they will never end the "armed resistance" until the "Zionist entity" is utterly eradicated. Why don't we believe them? Why this paternalistic, virtually racist, "oh they couldn't possible mean that - it must be a cultural difference in how we express ourselves"? The "we're all entrenched in our narratives of good and evil" worldview leaves no space for calling evil what it is. Why can we not simply say that at this moment, Israel's enemies are evil? That they're wrong? [Read More]

"Why I Won't Budge" by Daniella Ashkenazy (November 20, 2012): I've lived in Israel for over 46 years and have gone through half a dozen wars. (It comes with the territory, doesn't it?) What the writer [who suggested that those who did not need to remain in the south of Israel should remove themselves to a safe distance] failed to grasp was that we Israelis share the burden at every turn and 'defense' takes some strange forms in this country, including a obdurate 'won't budge' mentality that runs the length and the breadth of the Zionist experience. . . . We Israelis even have an only-in-Israel phrase for this kind of behavior - shigrat chirum (following a daily routine in an emergency situation). Defense takes a myriad of forms and many of my fellow Israeli citizens have defended their homes for years - not days, not weeks, armed only with their courage and wherewithal. So sometimes it is residents of the south's turn to bear the brunt of Arab attempts to dislodge us with mortars and Kassam and Grad rockets. And now my 6 and 9 year-old grandchildren who live in Tel-Aviv have gotten their first introduction to Fajr rockets (probably not their last) - some sort of weird 'rite of passage' into "Israelity" I suppose - and they aren't budging either. In fact, the 1st grader told me on the phone that he "knows what to do when the sirens go off to stay safe" with the same pride with which he told me days earlier that he could almost read. [Read More]

"End the War While You're Ahead" by Ari Shavit (November 19, 2012): The first day of Operation Pillar of Defense was quite successful. The Hamas military chief was assassinated and Hamas' long-range rocket capability was impaired, sending the radical Palestinian group into shock. The second day went pretty well too: Iron Dome proved its worth, Israeli civilians proved their steadfastness and Israel showed that it still enjoys a fair amount of international legitimacy and domestic cohesion. Israeli unity, American support, European understanding, Turkish silence and Egyptian cooperation: All put Israel in quite a good strategic position on Friday. . . . Israel restored its deterrent capability without causing mass Palestinian casualties or destabilizing the region. If the operation had ended four days ago, the message that would have been received in Gaza, Beirut, Damascus and Tehran would have been clear and sharp: Israel has excellent intelligence, decisive aerial capabilities, resolute leaders, brave citizens and surprising international support. It's not worth messing with Israel. You'd be better off letting it live its life without provoking the country or awakening it again from its slumber. But just as in 2006 and again in 2008, Israel did not stop in time. Israel did not quit while it was ahead. [Read More]

"A Call to U.S. Progressive Jews: Support Israel's 'Get Tough' Policy in Gaza" by Eric Yoffie (November 15, 2012): The government of Israel has launched a military operation in Gaza. It is an operation that is justified, and in fact overdue. American Jews across the political spectrum should be offering their support. Progressives, of course, want the use of force to be a last resort. But it would be hard to imagine a case where Israel was more patient than Gaza. Sderot and the surrounding communities have been subjected to missile fire from Gaza for 11 years. With sickening regularity, rockets fall on civilian centers and hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens flee to shelters. Israel responds, usually with modest force aimed at lower level operatives, the violence stops for a while, and then the cycle begins again. [Read More]

"Why I'm Rejecting Rabbi Yoffie's Call for Progressive Jews to Support Israel's Bombing of Gaza" by David Harris-Gershon (November 15, 2012): The tragic irony, an irony Yoffie even recognizes is his post? It's this: Jewish families are huddled right now, being terrorized by a barrage of Hamas rockets, precisely because of "tough" Israeli response for which Yoffie advocates.And it's a position he advocates not out of wisdom, but out of those psychological demons that still haunt us from the Holocaust - demons which magnify Jewish victimhood such that brutalizing another people becomes a justifiable, even necessary position.

It is neither. [Read More]

"Another Superfluous Israeli War on Gaza" by Uri Avnery (November 19, 2012 published on "Al-Jazeerah: Cross-Cultural Understanding" website): The Israeli aim, it was stated, is to cause maximum damage to Hamas with minimum civilian victims. It was hoped that this could be achieved almost entirely by the use of air power. In the first phase of the operation, this seems to have succeeded. The question is whether this can be kept up as the war goes on. HOW WILL it end? It would be foolhardy to guess. Wars have their own logic. Stuff happens, as the man said. Binyamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak, the two men in overall command, hope the war will wind down once the main aims are achieved. So there will be no reason to employ the army on the ground, enter the Gaza Strip, kill people, lose soldiers. Deterrence will be restored. Another truce will come into force. The Israeli population surrounding the Strip will be able to sleep soundly at night for several months. Hamas will be cut down to size. But will this whole exercise change the basic situation? Not likely. [Read More]