Tomorrow the National Socialist Movement will hold a closed-door business attire meeting at a downtown hotel. Somewhere between 50 and 150 people will be coming. The purpose of this National Socialist Movement meeting, as I understand it, is to increase their activities and their recruitment efforts in some twelve states in this part of the country.
I went on the National Socialist Movement website and there I found 25 core beliefs. Some of them are:
“We demand the union of all Whites into a greater America on the basis of the right of national self-determination.”
“Only members of the nation may be citizens of the state. Only those of pure White blood, whatever their creed, may be members of the nation. Non-citizens may live in America only as guests and must be subject to laws for aliens. Accordingly, no Jew or homosexual may be a member of the nation.”
“The right to vote on the State government and legislation shall be enjoyed by citizens of the state alone.”
In short, the National Socialist Movement is nothing more than a reconstituted Nazi Party here in America, and it is this movement that is meeting tomorrow here in Greensboro.
On Monday, I was asked to attend a meeting of 35 community leaders from Greensboro. At that meeting, we decided on a course of action. The main thing that we decided upon was that there would be no direct confrontation of the Nazis. We were concerned that people would get hurt in the course of a direct confrontation. We were concerned, as well, that direct confrontation would lead to greater publicity for the Nazis – which then could lead to increased interest by recruits to the Nazi effort. In other words, our thoughts were that we did not want to do anything which would provide them with even more publicity than they were already getting.
So what did we decide?
We decided to get the word out and make a petition for the community. The statement is entitled “No Hate In Our Town,” and is available by visiting the Temple Emanuel website at www.tegreensboro.org and clicking the link to sign the petition. The statement reads "In response to the National Socialist Movement (neo-Nazi) conference in our city, we reaffirm our absolute commitment to continuing our community's efforts to build a Greensboro free of bias, bigotry and racism. We encourage all people to signify their commitment to building bridges of understanding by wearing a multicolored unity ribbon beginning this weekend.
Together, we will build a community that is safe, just, inclusive and respectful of all." If you wish to sign the statement, I urge you to do so this weekend.
We decided, also, to encourage people to wear a multi-color ribbon to express our approval and appreciation of diversity in Greensboro and of America. We are doing our best to encourage churches, particularly, to hand out ribbons at their services on Sunday and have their clergy make statements about condemning the meeting of the Nazis here. To any of you who are not members of our congregation and who regularly attend church services on Sunday, I encourage you to contact your ministers first thing tomorrow morning and encourage them to participate with ribbons. As you can see, it is very simply done, the ribbons are about 5 inches long and all you need is a straight pin and some ushers to hand them out.
Some people have asked, is this enough?
Quite frankly, I have had people call and email me saying that even this is too much, that the more that we do, the more we will help the Nazis spread publicity. On the other hand, I’ve had people tell me that this is not enough. Therefore, because I am being criticized on both sides, I feel that we might be doing the right thing!
I do not know how the students at our local universities will react? I know that tomorrow there is a demonstration at 3:00pm on South Elm Street, and I imagine that many of our young college students will attend that demonstration. I will not be attending because it is Shabbat, and because, despite my reservations, I feel that making a statement, giving interviews, and handing out these ribbons is where I should be at this time.
Why are they coming to Greensboro?
Some people think that it might have to do with the sit-in movement. This year will mark the 50th anniversary of the four young men from North Carolina A&T University who sat-in at Woolworth’s lunch counter. This sit-in led to more than fifty other sit-ins which occurred in the following weeks throughout America. I am delighted to tell you that the International Civil Rights Museum will open the 1st of this coming February. I am hopeful that people from all over the United States, especially young people, will visit the museum and see the four stools where these four young men sat. By the way, one of those four, Dr. Franklin McCain, will be our featured speaker at our Martin Luther King service in January this year. Dr. McCain and his three friends sat down in order that others could stand-up for freedom and justice in our country.
Still other people say that the reason for this event in Greensboro has to do with the Klan-Nazi shootings of 1979. In those shootings, five demonstrators, three African Americans and two Jewish doctors were savagely murdered by the Nazis. Those who perpetrated this murder were never brought to justice. This is a controversial, and extraordinarily sad, part of Greensboro’s history.
The leaders of the National Socialist Movement say, however, that the reason why this is being held in Greensboro is because of the city’s central location.
More important to me is why the National Socialist Movement, the Nazi Party, is making such an effort to organize recruitment. In my opinion, this has to do with several disturbing things that are happening right now in the United States.
I believe that as a white supremacist group, the National Socialist Movement is tapping into a segment of racist America that is very ugly in its tenor and tone. I do believe that there are people in the United States who cannot accept, and will not accept, that our country has elected an African American President. Such people feel that control of the country is slipping out of the hands of white people.
The second thing that I think is important is the debate over healthcare. The outpouring of millions of dollars by insurance companies to lobby against any sort of healthcare reform in Congress has led to the creation of an atmosphere of worry and fear in our country. Earlier this month I spoke and wrote about the usage of Nazi imagery among the anti-healthcare demonstrators. I would like to remind you that when Rabbi Koren and I attended a healthcare briefing in Raleigh at which President Obama spoke, we saw a man at the outside of the center holding a sign which read, “Obamacare = National Socialism.” It is incredibly disturbing that some of our politicians have actually sought to demagogue this issue and to increase the amount of fear and worry in our country. The idea that any sort of healthcare reform would include death panels that would put our grandmothers in danger is absolutely absurd.
It is not the role of Temple Emanuel or this Rabbi to take a specific position on healthcare legislation. I would like point out that there are many different versions of healthcare resolutions in Congress, one in the House and at least three in the Senate. What I think is important to understand is that, from a Jewish perspective, it is absolutely immoral in society for some people to be denied proper healthcare due to lack of financial resources. From our perspective, the current situation of health care in our country is untenable financially and questionable morally.
Therefore, without being specific, we in the Jewish community support all efforts towards health care and insurance reform in the United States. The details need to be worked out, but again the status quo is untenable.
It is disturbing to me there is usage of Nazi propaganda and that the Nazis in the guise of the National Socialist Movement are using the frustration some people feel to increase their recruitment efforts. Theirs is an America that is ugly. Theirs is an America that is only for white people. Homosexuals, Hispanics, Jews and Asians and others are not welcome in their America. The America of the neo-Nazi party is an America which is filled with bias, bigotry and racism. It is an America that is filled with hate.
As Jews we have been the victims of such Nazi hatred in the past. Six million of our brothers and sisters, including one and a half million children, perished because of the Nazi Party. More important than this, the lesson for all of us is that we will not only fight against the Nazis and what they represent, but that we will take a firm stand for what is important to us as Jews.
Tonight, we are not only saying that hatred, bigotry, and racism have no place in our community, but we are also saying that we stand for justice.
As Jews, we believe, as did the biblical prophets, that a society that is not based upon justice is a society that is not secure for anyone – particularly minorities.
We, as Jews, are taking a stand tonight to say that society must be built on compassion, that economic inequity and inequality should have no bearing on whether or not a person receives proper medical attention.
We, as Jews, tonight are taking a stand for tolerance and for diversity. We are wearing these ribbons to say that our vision of America is one where within each ethnic and racial group, each person is a divine manifestation of the image of God and they bring forth that which is best, that which is most godly within their very being. That’s why we’re wearing these ribbons tonight.
We are making a stand for brotherhood, sisterhood and above all peace.
We believe in an America built upon justice, compassion, tolerance and peace where people work together for the common good. We believe that when we work together and create coalitions for goodness we not only bring more peace to our world, we bring more of the presence of God.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
On the Passing of Senator Edward Kennedy
Today, along with many Americans, I mourn the passing of Senator Ted Kennedy. The pursuit to repair the world and social justice is a core value in Jewish tradition. Because of this, the Jewish community found itself allied with Senator Kennedy on several of his legislative initiatives. Despite the fact that Senator Kennedy encountered fierce opposition on many of these initiatives, he, always the “lion,” was undaunted in his pursuit of a more compassionate, equitable and just country.
Specifically, we in the Jewish community allied ourselves with Senator Kennedy on the Voting Rights Act, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Mental Health Parity Act, the State Children’s Health Act (SCHIP) and others. It is difficult to imagine our country today without these critical pieces of legislation initiated by Senator Kennedy.
Senator Kennedy was a staunch supporter of Israel, as well as a very strong voice for freedom for Jews in the former Soviet Union. Many Jews who possess this freedom today and who live outside of the former Soviet Union owe a debt of gratitude to “Teddy” for their freedom.
The Senator was well known as a passionate advocate for health care reform in our country. In our congregation, we do not favor a particular bill or approach. Most of us believe that the status quo is untenable financially and from a moral and religious perspective, highly unethical. Personally, I believe that I am on firm ground in my belief that the biblical prophets, particularly Amos and Isaiah, would be appalled at the status quo and would preach against it.
For so many years in the United States Senate, Senator Kennedy was the embodiment of social justice. While not all Americans agreed with Senator Kennedy all of the time, he will be remembered as a valiant fighter for greater access to health care, more compassion for the poor and the elderly, student loans so that more could afford college tuition, funding for stem cell research, and the rights of minorities and women.
Our country will miss his voice and spirit of justice. May his memory be a blessing!
Specifically, we in the Jewish community allied ourselves with Senator Kennedy on the Voting Rights Act, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Mental Health Parity Act, the State Children’s Health Act (SCHIP) and others. It is difficult to imagine our country today without these critical pieces of legislation initiated by Senator Kennedy.
Senator Kennedy was a staunch supporter of Israel, as well as a very strong voice for freedom for Jews in the former Soviet Union. Many Jews who possess this freedom today and who live outside of the former Soviet Union owe a debt of gratitude to “Teddy” for their freedom.
The Senator was well known as a passionate advocate for health care reform in our country. In our congregation, we do not favor a particular bill or approach. Most of us believe that the status quo is untenable financially and from a moral and religious perspective, highly unethical. Personally, I believe that I am on firm ground in my belief that the biblical prophets, particularly Amos and Isaiah, would be appalled at the status quo and would preach against it.
For so many years in the United States Senate, Senator Kennedy was the embodiment of social justice. While not all Americans agreed with Senator Kennedy all of the time, he will be remembered as a valiant fighter for greater access to health care, more compassion for the poor and the elderly, student loans so that more could afford college tuition, funding for stem cell research, and the rights of minorities and women.
Our country will miss his voice and spirit of justice. May his memory be a blessing!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Gun Violence Against children
I do not know if you saw the program on gun violence in Chicago recently on CNN.
So many children have been murdered in Chicago due to random gun violence. I cannot imagine the depth of grief that these parents have.
I have become aware of the following letter which has been drafted by Father Michael Pfleger of Chicago. I subsequently signed the letter. The letter calls for
1) Re-instate the Federal Assault Weapon Ban as a permanent law.
2) Call a National Summit to address the national gun violence epidemic, highlighting problems and possible solutions to the problems.
3) Call for a Federal Agency to collect, track and disseminate national data on firearm violence to youth.
Below is the letter. To sign the letter, contact Pastor Pfleger at
pastorpfleger@ameritech.net
FUTURES NOT FUNERALS
A coalition of people of faith dedicated to demanding peace and ending violence
Dear Mr. President,
During your historic run to the White House, you challenged us to act within the urgency of the moment and urged us to be the change that we wished to see in the world. As you most certainly know, we live in a very urgent time in our country. The loss of jobs, the loss of homes, and the instability of the stock market have made times troubling for all Americans. But there is a problem that most people have overlooked. Our children are dying at highly alarming rates, but not due to swine flu or due to other diseases like pneumonia. Our children are being killed by another epidemic-scale disease known as gun violence.
This is a preventable illness, but we are doing all that we can as parents, as community activists, and as faith leaders. We are being the change that you asked us to be. But, Mr. President, we need you to act in the urgency of the moment. There is not a minute to waste. We are now faced with the fact that our children are no longer being killed solely by bullets, but by the unwillingness of others to act on their behalf. It is not enough for us to rely upon the personal responsibility of our citizens. It is also the legislative and executive responsibility of our Government. With that being said, our coalition is asking for three main initiatives from your Administration:
1) Re-instate the Federal Assault Weapon Ban as a permanent law.
2) Call a National Summit to address the national gun violence epidemic, highlighting problems and possible solutions to the problems.
3) Call for a Federal Agency to collect, track and disseminate national data on firearm violence to youth.
We do not have any time to waste. Every three hours in the US, a child is killed by gunfire. We need Federal intervention. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that the ultimate measure of a human being is not where that person stands in times of comfort and convenience, but where that person stands in times of great challenge and controversy. Thank you for your consideration. We need your vision, we need your support, but we also need your action.
So many children have been murdered in Chicago due to random gun violence. I cannot imagine the depth of grief that these parents have.
I have become aware of the following letter which has been drafted by Father Michael Pfleger of Chicago. I subsequently signed the letter. The letter calls for
1) Re-instate the Federal Assault Weapon Ban as a permanent law.
2) Call a National Summit to address the national gun violence epidemic, highlighting problems and possible solutions to the problems.
3) Call for a Federal Agency to collect, track and disseminate national data on firearm violence to youth.
Below is the letter. To sign the letter, contact Pastor Pfleger at
pastorpfleger@ameritech.net
FUTURES NOT FUNERALS
A coalition of people of faith dedicated to demanding peace and ending violence
Dear Mr. President,
During your historic run to the White House, you challenged us to act within the urgency of the moment and urged us to be the change that we wished to see in the world. As you most certainly know, we live in a very urgent time in our country. The loss of jobs, the loss of homes, and the instability of the stock market have made times troubling for all Americans. But there is a problem that most people have overlooked. Our children are dying at highly alarming rates, but not due to swine flu or due to other diseases like pneumonia. Our children are being killed by another epidemic-scale disease known as gun violence.
This is a preventable illness, but we are doing all that we can as parents, as community activists, and as faith leaders. We are being the change that you asked us to be. But, Mr. President, we need you to act in the urgency of the moment. There is not a minute to waste. We are now faced with the fact that our children are no longer being killed solely by bullets, but by the unwillingness of others to act on their behalf. It is not enough for us to rely upon the personal responsibility of our citizens. It is also the legislative and executive responsibility of our Government. With that being said, our coalition is asking for three main initiatives from your Administration:
1) Re-instate the Federal Assault Weapon Ban as a permanent law.
2) Call a National Summit to address the national gun violence epidemic, highlighting problems and possible solutions to the problems.
3) Call for a Federal Agency to collect, track and disseminate national data on firearm violence to youth.
We do not have any time to waste. Every three hours in the US, a child is killed by gunfire. We need Federal intervention. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that the ultimate measure of a human being is not where that person stands in times of comfort and convenience, but where that person stands in times of great challenge and controversy. Thank you for your consideration. We need your vision, we need your support, but we also need your action.
Friday, August 14, 2009
God as a Role Model
One of the most central teachings of Judaism is that we are to try to emulate what God does. Imitating God is one of the highest acts of holiness. The basis of this belief is to be found in Deuteronomy chapter 11, verse 22 wherein the Torah commands us “to walk in Gods ways.”
The rabbis then asked, "What is it that God does that we should imitate?" Several examples are given.
In Genesis, God makes clothing for Adam and Eve. Thus according to the sages, we too should clothe the naked. But even this is open to interpretation. On one level, it means that we should put clothing on our children. It could also mean that we should give clothing to the needy. Giving old but usable clothing to Goodwill comes to mind here. Yet there is even a higher level. It is only humans who wear clothing. Therefore clothing the naked could mean that we are to do anything that will make people more human. This means anything that we can do to educate people to become more civil and more educated, especially in Torah and in ethical and human values. This lesson is one that really needs to be learned by those who are currently attending healthcare forums for the expressed purpose of shouting their anger and preventing legitimate discourse.
What else does God do?
Well God visits the sick. After Abraham’s circumcision, the Torah states that "And God appeared to him by the Oaks of Mamre." Therefore, we too should visit sick people. Often, there are many other things that come into our lives which seem to give us an excuse why we do not have enough time to visit the sick. This I call the tyranny of the calendar or lately in my case, the tyranny of the blackberry.
Nevertheless, we are to make the time to go and visit the sick. We are to go and listen to them, cheer them up, pray and meditate with them and simply to “be there” to let them know that they are loved. The rabbis even tell us that one who visits the sick relieves some of the pain of the illness.
God also comforts mourners. The Torah states: "And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that G-d blessed Isaac his son" (Genesis 25:11). Therefore we too should comfort mourners. We should go and visit their home after the funeral. There too we should be good listeners and we should pray with them that God out of the “valley of the shadow of death,” they should find the light of healing.
God also buries the dead. At the end of Deuteronomy, the Torah states that God buries Moses in a valley. (Deuteronomy 34:6). If God buries Moses, even the more so, we are to participate in the actual burial of our dead. This is the basis for the Jewish belief that at the end of a funeral, each individual actually shovels three spades of earth into the open grave. This is actually called a “Hesed shel Emet,” an act of loving kindness. This is such a holy act because of the fact that it is something for which the person from whom it is done can never repay us. Giving a loved one or a member of the community and honorable burial is as it were a great favor, and honorable deed, a favor which the diseased cannot return.
I have always loved this ritual. It provides a sense of closure and it seems to give such great honor to the dead. At my father’s funeral, I watched as some one hundred and fifty people participated in this Mitzvah. There were people there that I had not seen in years. It was a though I was watching my father’s history and the history of my childhood pass by in front of my eyes. I felt a sense of gratitude towards those who had come to his funeral and who were participating in his actual burial.
For this reason, I have also found it rather strange to attend a funeral when the community leaves before the casket is lowered and there is no opportunity to shovel dirt into the grave. I often find myself asking, “When are we going to finish what needs to be done?” I also think that it is a little strange that we allow grave diggers who did not know the person to complete this task. I imagine that one hundred years ago in North Carolina, everyone helped bury the person who had died. In modern times for some reason, we find this to be too distasteful. In so doing, we have lost an opportunity to imitate God, to do what God did when God burying Moses more than three thousand years ago!
One of the strangest passages in the entire Talmud seems to imply that God even prays! This is really problematic. To whom does God pray?
We Jews are absolute monotheists. Earlier in the service we recited Shema Yisrael Adonai Elohaynu Adonai Echad. Listen Jews! There is only one God. Listen people the God who created the universe is also the same God who is found within each one of us.
The passage in question begins with Rabbi Yochanan saying that he once heard Rabbi Yosi once ask the question “How do we know that the Holy One, blessed be He, says prayers?” A verse is quoted from the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 56:7) the verse states "I, meaning God, will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in the house of My prayer". However, the words My house of prayer could also be translated as the house of My prayer.” If so Rabbi Yosi asks, what is God’s prayer?
Rabbi Zutra answers that the prayer of God is “May it be My will that My mercy may suppress My anger, and that My mercy may prevail over My other attributes, so that I may deal with My children in the attribute of mercy and, on their behalf, stop short of the limit of strict justice.”
Why would God need to say such a prayer? The answer is not so simple.
Elsewhere in the Talmud (B. Rosh Hashana 17b), there is a passage wherein God actually teaches Moses how to put on a prayer shawl or a tallit in order to pray for the forgiveness of the people. The passage in question occurs after the sin of the Golden Calf and God is showing Moses by example how to ask for forgiveness on their behalf.
So now if we go back to the original passage of God’s prayer – Following that passage, there is a scene is described wherein Rabbi Ishmael ben Elisha once entered the innermost part of the sanctuary and saw God. God asked the Rabbi Ishmael to bless whereupon Rabbi Ishmael said, “May it be Your will that Your mercy may suppress Your anger and Your mercy may prevail over Your other attributes, so that You may deal with Your children according to the attribute of mercy and may, on their behalf, stop short of the limit of strict justice!”
What had Rabbi Ishmael done here? He had repeated the original prayer of God!
The great medieval commentator Rashi says that the verse, “To walk in all His ways (Deut 11:22),” means that just as God is merciful, so too should we be merciful. Just as God does acts of kindness, so too should we do acts of kindness.
So the importance of this is that God is the ultimate role model. God clothes the naked, visits the sick, comforts the bereaved, buries the dead, teaches us how to pray and how to put on a talit and, most importantly, deals with the world through kindness, compassion and love.
For those of us who are parents, let us realize that for our children, we too are the ultimate role models. If they see us being angry, they will be angry. On the other hand, if we are compassionate, they will be compassionate. If they see us taking care of our elderly parents, then they will take care of us when we are elderly and in need of care and love. If they see us praying, they will take prayer seriously.
The list could go on and on.
Rabbi Levi Cooper of the Pardes institute in Jerusalem writes: “Education is not just about telling someone else what to do, how to act or when to speak. Education is more about modeling worthy conduct. In truth, the educator teaches the self. The passion of the educator breeds enthusiasm in the student; conversely the student can "smell" an educator who lacks fervor or who has lost eagerness. Our sages paint the image of God as an educator teaching by example, passionately praying. God does not just command: "Pray!" The pedagogic lesson that the sages suggest is more refined; God encourages us: "Pray as I do." If God teaches by modeling desired behavior, surely when we educate - as parents, as community leaders, or in any setting - our first order must be to teach by example.”
Friends. On this holy Shabbat, may it be God’s will that we will become imitators of God that we will do what the Torah says that God does. Above all, may we, especially those of us who are parents, accept the challenge of being good role models for our children.
The rabbis then asked, "What is it that God does that we should imitate?" Several examples are given.
In Genesis, God makes clothing for Adam and Eve. Thus according to the sages, we too should clothe the naked. But even this is open to interpretation. On one level, it means that we should put clothing on our children. It could also mean that we should give clothing to the needy. Giving old but usable clothing to Goodwill comes to mind here. Yet there is even a higher level. It is only humans who wear clothing. Therefore clothing the naked could mean that we are to do anything that will make people more human. This means anything that we can do to educate people to become more civil and more educated, especially in Torah and in ethical and human values. This lesson is one that really needs to be learned by those who are currently attending healthcare forums for the expressed purpose of shouting their anger and preventing legitimate discourse.
What else does God do?
Well God visits the sick. After Abraham’s circumcision, the Torah states that "And God appeared to him by the Oaks of Mamre." Therefore, we too should visit sick people. Often, there are many other things that come into our lives which seem to give us an excuse why we do not have enough time to visit the sick. This I call the tyranny of the calendar or lately in my case, the tyranny of the blackberry.
Nevertheless, we are to make the time to go and visit the sick. We are to go and listen to them, cheer them up, pray and meditate with them and simply to “be there” to let them know that they are loved. The rabbis even tell us that one who visits the sick relieves some of the pain of the illness.
God also comforts mourners. The Torah states: "And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that G-d blessed Isaac his son" (Genesis 25:11). Therefore we too should comfort mourners. We should go and visit their home after the funeral. There too we should be good listeners and we should pray with them that God out of the “valley of the shadow of death,” they should find the light of healing.
God also buries the dead. At the end of Deuteronomy, the Torah states that God buries Moses in a valley. (Deuteronomy 34:6). If God buries Moses, even the more so, we are to participate in the actual burial of our dead. This is the basis for the Jewish belief that at the end of a funeral, each individual actually shovels three spades of earth into the open grave. This is actually called a “Hesed shel Emet,” an act of loving kindness. This is such a holy act because of the fact that it is something for which the person from whom it is done can never repay us. Giving a loved one or a member of the community and honorable burial is as it were a great favor, and honorable deed, a favor which the diseased cannot return.
I have always loved this ritual. It provides a sense of closure and it seems to give such great honor to the dead. At my father’s funeral, I watched as some one hundred and fifty people participated in this Mitzvah. There were people there that I had not seen in years. It was a though I was watching my father’s history and the history of my childhood pass by in front of my eyes. I felt a sense of gratitude towards those who had come to his funeral and who were participating in his actual burial.
For this reason, I have also found it rather strange to attend a funeral when the community leaves before the casket is lowered and there is no opportunity to shovel dirt into the grave. I often find myself asking, “When are we going to finish what needs to be done?” I also think that it is a little strange that we allow grave diggers who did not know the person to complete this task. I imagine that one hundred years ago in North Carolina, everyone helped bury the person who had died. In modern times for some reason, we find this to be too distasteful. In so doing, we have lost an opportunity to imitate God, to do what God did when God burying Moses more than three thousand years ago!
One of the strangest passages in the entire Talmud seems to imply that God even prays! This is really problematic. To whom does God pray?
We Jews are absolute monotheists. Earlier in the service we recited Shema Yisrael Adonai Elohaynu Adonai Echad. Listen Jews! There is only one God. Listen people the God who created the universe is also the same God who is found within each one of us.
The passage in question begins with Rabbi Yochanan saying that he once heard Rabbi Yosi once ask the question “How do we know that the Holy One, blessed be He, says prayers?” A verse is quoted from the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 56:7) the verse states "I, meaning God, will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in the house of My prayer". However, the words My house of prayer could also be translated as the house of My prayer.” If so Rabbi Yosi asks, what is God’s prayer?
Rabbi Zutra answers that the prayer of God is “May it be My will that My mercy may suppress My anger, and that My mercy may prevail over My other attributes, so that I may deal with My children in the attribute of mercy and, on their behalf, stop short of the limit of strict justice.”
Why would God need to say such a prayer? The answer is not so simple.
Elsewhere in the Talmud (B. Rosh Hashana 17b), there is a passage wherein God actually teaches Moses how to put on a prayer shawl or a tallit in order to pray for the forgiveness of the people. The passage in question occurs after the sin of the Golden Calf and God is showing Moses by example how to ask for forgiveness on their behalf.
So now if we go back to the original passage of God’s prayer – Following that passage, there is a scene is described wherein Rabbi Ishmael ben Elisha once entered the innermost part of the sanctuary and saw God. God asked the Rabbi Ishmael to bless whereupon Rabbi Ishmael said, “May it be Your will that Your mercy may suppress Your anger and Your mercy may prevail over Your other attributes, so that You may deal with Your children according to the attribute of mercy and may, on their behalf, stop short of the limit of strict justice!”
What had Rabbi Ishmael done here? He had repeated the original prayer of God!
The great medieval commentator Rashi says that the verse, “To walk in all His ways (Deut 11:22),” means that just as God is merciful, so too should we be merciful. Just as God does acts of kindness, so too should we do acts of kindness.
So the importance of this is that God is the ultimate role model. God clothes the naked, visits the sick, comforts the bereaved, buries the dead, teaches us how to pray and how to put on a talit and, most importantly, deals with the world through kindness, compassion and love.
For those of us who are parents, let us realize that for our children, we too are the ultimate role models. If they see us being angry, they will be angry. On the other hand, if we are compassionate, they will be compassionate. If they see us taking care of our elderly parents, then they will take care of us when we are elderly and in need of care and love. If they see us praying, they will take prayer seriously.
The list could go on and on.
Rabbi Levi Cooper of the Pardes institute in Jerusalem writes: “Education is not just about telling someone else what to do, how to act or when to speak. Education is more about modeling worthy conduct. In truth, the educator teaches the self. The passion of the educator breeds enthusiasm in the student; conversely the student can "smell" an educator who lacks fervor or who has lost eagerness. Our sages paint the image of God as an educator teaching by example, passionately praying. God does not just command: "Pray!" The pedagogic lesson that the sages suggest is more refined; God encourages us: "Pray as I do." If God teaches by modeling desired behavior, surely when we educate - as parents, as community leaders, or in any setting - our first order must be to teach by example.”
Friends. On this holy Shabbat, may it be God’s will that we will become imitators of God that we will do what the Torah says that God does. Above all, may we, especially those of us who are parents, accept the challenge of being good role models for our children.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
The Health Care Debate and the Usage of Nazi Imagery and Propaganda
About twelve days ago, I received a call from the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. The RAC had been contacted by the White House about President Obama’s upcoming trip to Raleigh to speak about heath care, and they requested a few rabbis attend. They had three tickets and wanted to know if I was interested.
I, of course, said yes and had the incredible chutzpah to ask if they could get another ticket for me. Two hours later, I received an email from the White House itself to inform me there would be an extra ticket which I promptly gave to our Associate Rabbi, Rabbi Andy Koren!
Sometimes, it just does not hurt to have the audacity to ask!
We enjoyed our time there. The discussion was thoughtful.
However, on the way out, we passed a demonstrator who was holding a sign which said, “ObamaCare = National Socialism”. The other rabbis stood by in amazement as I confronted the person holding this sign. I told them that, as a rabbi and as a Jew, I found this sign to be particularly offensive.
If you are not aware, National Socialism is a code word for Nazism and the holder of the sign understood this very well. The word “Nazi” is actually an acronym for the words “National Socialist Workers Party.”
I mentioned to the demonstrator that I accepted his right to disagree with the President and to express such disagreement. However, comparing Obama’s health care plan to the rule of the Nazi party in Germany was terribly hurtful to Jews who had lost one third of their population, six million souls - of whom one and a half million were children – to the Nazi death machine. As a matter of fact, as far as Jews are concerned, the Nazi party is about as far away from healthcare as one could get. Using this imagery seemed to me to be quite hurtful.
But more is involved here.
When I lived in Israel, I had to opportunity to meet on several occasions with a woman named Ruth Eliaz. Ruth was a survivor of Auschwitz. Ruth’s story is extraordinary.
Ruth was pregnant in Auschwitz. Most of the time pregnant woman and women with young children were sent directly to the gas chambers as soon as the cattle car transports arrived. Ruth was chosen in the selection to be a worker. As her pregnancy continued, she tried her best to cover her stomach knowing full well that if she were to be discovered, she would be sent directly to the gas chamber. Eventually the pregnancy could not be hidden any longer. Ruth was taken to the infamous Nazi doctor, Doctor Josef Mengele.
In Auschwitz, Mengele conducted horrific experiments on Jews, especially on Jewish twins. Mengele told Ruth that he had something special in mind for her and that he would allow her to continue the pregnancy to term. After Ruth gave birth to a baby boy, she began to breast feed the child. Mengele had her brought to him whereupon he strapped her to a gurney and injected her breasts with poison so that she would not be able to feed her baby. The purpose of this “experiment” in his mind was to see how long a new born baby could live without being fed. Of course, in the women’s section of Auschwitz, there were no other women who could breast feed Ruth’s baby. Eventually, after several days of seeing her child suffer, Ruth could stand it no longer and she smothered her own child.
This terrible story actually has somewhat of a decent ending in that Ruth did survive Auschwitz and after the War made it to Israel where she married, and they had two children of their own. Both of the children served in the Israeli army, one of them was a pilot in the Israeli Air force.
After the war, the infamous Dr. Mengele escaped to South America and was never brought to trial as a war criminal.
I tell this story to your tonight because we need to truly understand what “health care” meant for Jews who had the misfortune of living under the rule of National Socialism.
Two days ago, Rush Limbaugh compared grassroots supporters of President Obama as "the real brownshirts" and on his website an Obama healthcare logo is put side-by-side with a Nazi symbol.Representative Steve Israel (D-NY) wrote the following in response to Limbaugh:
“As a Democrat who founded the Institute On The Holocaust and The Law, I have a lesson for Rush Limbaugh. Today, there are survivors of the Holocaust with tattoos stenciled on their arms who are registered Democrats. And he's treated them with vile contempt. Limbaugh has the right to be the buffoon that he is. He has no right to compare Americans to Nazis who exterminated 6 million Jews. I know he won't apologize. I do expect my Republican colleagues to denounce his comments. The Holocaust taught us that silence in the face of evil expression becomes acquiescence to evil. And what Limbaugh said is pure evil.”
Again, while it is perfectly legitimate to agree or disagree with the proposals on the table, comparing a proposal to Nazi policies is really beyond the bounds of proper political discourse.
In 1996, I met Leah Rabin, the wife of Prime Minister Rabin who a year earlier had been assassinated by a lone Jewish gunman. Prior to his assassination, Rabin’s opponents had held demonstrations wherein signs were held up of his face pasted on a picture of a Nazi SS uniform. Ms. Rabin blamed her political opponents for not forcefully condemning such hysterical propaganda and she felt that this propaganda had created the atmosphere necessary for the crazed assassin to be cultivated.
This demonization of political opponents is currently taking place in our country, and it is a disturbing phenomenon. By the way, in the 1930 and 1932 elections, Nazi Brown Shirts would often go to the rallies and meetings of their political opponents with the expressed purpose of making enough noise to totally disrupt the meeting.
Folks, we as Americans are dealing with fire here. I have heard a rumor that the Secret Service was processing three times the amount of threats against President Obama when compared to recent presidents. If true, some of this may be accounted to the positions for which he advocates, but some of it could also be attributed to overt racism. Regardless, the demonization of the president and his positions by the extreme right is, in my opinion, a contributing factor to threats against his personal safety.
You might remember that last summer, then candidate Obama went to Israel and placed a prayer in the Western Wall, the holiest site in all of Judaism. When asked what the contents of the prayer were, he answered that he asked God to protect him and his family. In the current atmosphere, this prayer has even greater meaning, and it should not only be his prayer but ours as well!
The health care debate in our country is at a critical crossroad. A lot is at stake for our future, but the way in which we need to find a solution to this problem needs to be civil and respectful.
I would like to suggest a few additional assumptions upon which the current discussion needs to be based. These are:
1. Scare tactics based upon false information have no place in this discussion. The Nazi’s called this the “Big Lie” technique. What this meant is that if one continued to tell the same lie over and over, no matter how outrageous it was, the gullible public would eventually begin to believe it. In this case, the extreme right accuses proposed policies of giving the government power to kill the elderly by requiring living will documents. However, encouraging doctors to speak with their patients about a living will makes good sense. It is the ethical thing to do and, economically, it is a prudent thing to do if it prevents people who do not wish to be kept alive in vegetative states from being sustained for months or even years connected to sophisticated and expensive machines. It is a gross statement to say that this policy will lead to the government deciding to kill elderly people. This is not a "slippery slope" argument, but an example of grotesque propaganda in the tradition of the “Big Lie” Technique.
2. Our current system of health care is not as good as we think it is. According to the World Health Organization, while the United States spends more money on health care than any other nation, our overall rank is thirty-seventh in terms of the quality of healthcare for the entire population. People in other countries do live longer than we do and our ranking in infant mortality is thirty seventh.
3. Doing nothing is not an option. Currently 18% of the GNP is siphoned toward health care – the highest rate in the developed world. By doing nothing to curb this growth, figures may climb 30% or more. Health care premiums and deductibles will continue to rise and fewer small businesses will be able provide health care as a benefit to their employees.
4. Finally, the figures for the cost of health care from the Congressional Budget Office need to be taken seriously. Current plans in the House which could add a trillion to the deficit are not acceptable. Cost-cutting measures are a critical component of any heath care reform or expansion of coverage. By the way, the president himself has stated that he will not sign a health care bill which is not revenue neutral.
Almost one thousand years ago, the great Jewish scholar, Moses Maimonides, listed health care as the number one item on his list of services which a community must provide for its people. Emphasis on the community and its needs, as opposed emphasis fulfillment of self gratification and greed, is a fundamental Jewish value.
We are living during a very difficult time as far as health care costs are concerned. It is important for us as a nation to find a solution to this problem if we want our nation not only to have better health care, but to be economically competitive in the coming decades. Finding this solution will necessitate not only a lot of creative thinking, but will also require a lot of civility and respectful debate. Perhaps most important, it will require a lot of prayer, for we will need God’s help as a nation to take us from where health care is today to the place where it ought to be, a place wherein all of us, as holy manifestations of the Divine, will have access to high quality and affordable health care.
The Govt is going to kill your Granny!!!!
1. Text of hysterical rumor:
On Page 425 of Obama's health care bill, the Federal Government will require EVERYONE who is on Social Security to undergo a counseling session every 5 years with the objective being that they will explain to them just how to end their own life earlier. Yes... They are going to push SUICIDE to cut Medicare spending!!! And no, I am NOT KIDDING YOU! So those of you who voted for Obama have now put yourself and your own parents in dire straights... Congratulations!
2. Text of pp. 425-430 (Section 1233) of the actual bill, which, as far as I can tell after wading through several pages of legalese, merely amends Title 18 of the Social Security Act to stipulate that Medicare will pay for — not mandate — "advance care planning consultations" between individuals and physicians every five years, during which a spectrum of end-of-life options can be explained and discussed so said individuals can knowledgeably choose their own treatment preferences in advance.
http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/2009/07/27/health-care-bill-page-425-the-truth.htm
Three Goals for the New Year
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. The word “rosh” means “head,” and “shanah” means “year.” Many rabbis throughout the centuries have pointed out that Rosh Hashanah could also be read as “rosh hashinui,” which means the “beginning of change.” And so, as kind of a exercise in self-examination, or what the rabbis’ called heshbon hanefesh, I am beginning to think about what three changes I would like to see – either in myself or in the world – in the coming year. Please think about joining me on this journey.
Iranian Nuclearization
There is no greater problem facing Israel and the free world than this problem. The mad-men in Iran have already shown their lack of respect for democracy by their actions during the recent election and are responsible for the oppression and the murder of many of their political opponents.
The Iranian leader, Mahmud Ahmadinejad, is the world’s foremost supporter of terrorism. Thousands of dollars in weapons are sent by Iran monthly to Hezbollah and Hamas. Ahmadinejad has publicly stated his desire to wipe Israel from the map.
There are now more than 7,500 centrifuges in Iran making low-grade uranium. German intelligence recently stated that Iran could go nuclear within the next six months, and the American Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, said this summer that, “Iran’s nuclear ambitions are the greatest current threat to global security.” The prospect of a nuclear arms race among the Arab nations in response to Iran is indeed scary. Behind the scenes, we know that countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt are very concerned, as are Sunni Muslims, about the prospect of a nuclear Iran.
Even scarier is the religious dimension, suggesting that the 12th Imam could very well come if Israel were to be defeated. Because of this religious dimension, there is word that the Mullahs in Iran might be willing to sacrifice an Iranian city or two if it meant that Israel ceased to exist.
Therefore my first hope and prayer is that, somehow or another, the free world will wake-up to this incredible threat to world peace. The United States, together with other countries, must tighten the economic sanctions on Iran – this could be done immediately. If the Iranians refuse to give up their nuclear designs, and refuse to enter negotiations with the rest of the free world, then the option of force must be considered. In short, this is the greatest change that we need to pray for and work toward in the coming year.
Being Judgmental
At a recent seminar I attended, the following question was asked by the leader: “What would be your number one priority for making a change in your relationship with the most significant person in your life?” The answer that was given by more than two-thirds of the people was, “I would like to be less judgmental and less critical.”
This, my friends, is not solely a problem for our intimate relationships. It is a problem that we have in almost all our relationships. While there is certainly a time when criticism is justified, the rabbis tell us that compassion and love should be at least in equal measure to our judgmental tendencies. The Baal Shem Tov taught that love of one’s fellow Jew – or, I might add, love of one’s fellow human beings – is the primary commandment.
So, my own personal goal, and one that I would wish for all of us, is that the next time we are prone to criticize; we step back and try to think, “Why is this person doing what he or she is doing? Can I understand this person better? And, can I respond to him or her with compassion and love instead of with judgment and criticism?”
Our Precious Heritage
Judaism is indeed a precious heritage. It has been given to us, le dor va dor, from generation to generation, for more than 3,000 years. If we go back several generations we find that our family members lived and breathed their Jewish faith as well as their commitment to God and the Jewish people. Judaism also has so much to say about our current situation. Whether it is environmental problems, corporate greed and financial malfeasance, or the quest for peace – Jewish tradition provides many sign-posts that could be extraordinarily useful in improving our world.
Sadly, there are all too few of us who recognize this. All too often, we are controlled by the tyranny of our calendars. On our list of priorities, the study of Torah, being involved in a Jewish organization, prayer, and working for social justice often are too far down the list. These activities are often neglected.
And yet, we in the Jewish community need one another. Judaism says that how we behave does not affect us alone, it influences others – this is why we need a minyan, ten people, for worship. This is why people in Judaism are not to just “do their own thing.” Judaism tells us that, like instruments in a symphony, each of us has our own particular contribution and notes to play – and if we do not play them, the overall music of the Jewish people is diminished.
So, my final prayer for this year is that we will recognize the beauty of our heritage in greater ways and, to a greater extent, find ways to manifest that beauty through our study, prayer, and action.
May the year 5770 be a good and a sweet year for all of us – but more than that, may it also be a year of change and repair!
Iranian Nuclearization
There is no greater problem facing Israel and the free world than this problem. The mad-men in Iran have already shown their lack of respect for democracy by their actions during the recent election and are responsible for the oppression and the murder of many of their political opponents.
The Iranian leader, Mahmud Ahmadinejad, is the world’s foremost supporter of terrorism. Thousands of dollars in weapons are sent by Iran monthly to Hezbollah and Hamas. Ahmadinejad has publicly stated his desire to wipe Israel from the map.
There are now more than 7,500 centrifuges in Iran making low-grade uranium. German intelligence recently stated that Iran could go nuclear within the next six months, and the American Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, said this summer that, “Iran’s nuclear ambitions are the greatest current threat to global security.” The prospect of a nuclear arms race among the Arab nations in response to Iran is indeed scary. Behind the scenes, we know that countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt are very concerned, as are Sunni Muslims, about the prospect of a nuclear Iran.
Even scarier is the religious dimension, suggesting that the 12th Imam could very well come if Israel were to be defeated. Because of this religious dimension, there is word that the Mullahs in Iran might be willing to sacrifice an Iranian city or two if it meant that Israel ceased to exist.
Therefore my first hope and prayer is that, somehow or another, the free world will wake-up to this incredible threat to world peace. The United States, together with other countries, must tighten the economic sanctions on Iran – this could be done immediately. If the Iranians refuse to give up their nuclear designs, and refuse to enter negotiations with the rest of the free world, then the option of force must be considered. In short, this is the greatest change that we need to pray for and work toward in the coming year.
Being Judgmental
At a recent seminar I attended, the following question was asked by the leader: “What would be your number one priority for making a change in your relationship with the most significant person in your life?” The answer that was given by more than two-thirds of the people was, “I would like to be less judgmental and less critical.”
This, my friends, is not solely a problem for our intimate relationships. It is a problem that we have in almost all our relationships. While there is certainly a time when criticism is justified, the rabbis tell us that compassion and love should be at least in equal measure to our judgmental tendencies. The Baal Shem Tov taught that love of one’s fellow Jew – or, I might add, love of one’s fellow human beings – is the primary commandment.
So, my own personal goal, and one that I would wish for all of us, is that the next time we are prone to criticize; we step back and try to think, “Why is this person doing what he or she is doing? Can I understand this person better? And, can I respond to him or her with compassion and love instead of with judgment and criticism?”
Our Precious Heritage
Judaism is indeed a precious heritage. It has been given to us, le dor va dor, from generation to generation, for more than 3,000 years. If we go back several generations we find that our family members lived and breathed their Jewish faith as well as their commitment to God and the Jewish people. Judaism also has so much to say about our current situation. Whether it is environmental problems, corporate greed and financial malfeasance, or the quest for peace – Jewish tradition provides many sign-posts that could be extraordinarily useful in improving our world.
Sadly, there are all too few of us who recognize this. All too often, we are controlled by the tyranny of our calendars. On our list of priorities, the study of Torah, being involved in a Jewish organization, prayer, and working for social justice often are too far down the list. These activities are often neglected.
And yet, we in the Jewish community need one another. Judaism says that how we behave does not affect us alone, it influences others – this is why we need a minyan, ten people, for worship. This is why people in Judaism are not to just “do their own thing.” Judaism tells us that, like instruments in a symphony, each of us has our own particular contribution and notes to play – and if we do not play them, the overall music of the Jewish people is diminished.
So, my final prayer for this year is that we will recognize the beauty of our heritage in greater ways and, to a greater extent, find ways to manifest that beauty through our study, prayer, and action.
May the year 5770 be a good and a sweet year for all of us – but more than that, may it also be a year of change and repair!
A Perspective on Gaza
A Perspective on Gaza
In August 2005, Israel took a bold risk for peace by unilaterally withdrawing from the Gaza Strip. In a dramatic move that caused great trauma among the Israeli public, Israel dismantled all 21 Gaza settlements, many of which had been firmly established for more than 35 years, and relocated approximately 8,500 residents.
Israel had hoped that the people of Gaza would use this opportunity to develop their economy – that a Gaza free of an Israeli presence would lead to stability, security and peace. When the Israeli government withdrew its citizens from Gaza, they left many homes and greenhouses intact as a basis for a Gazan economy. These greenhouses and the collateral agri- business connected to them were worth 14 million dollars, produced sales of over 100 million dollars and employed thousands of Palestinians.
However, rather than utilize these resources or seek to develop an economy of their own, the residents of Gaza destroyed much of the Israeli infrastructure which had been left behind. In January of 2006, the people of Gaza democratically elected Hamas, a group recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. The international community, represented by the “Quartet” of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations set three requirements for recognizing Hamas: acknowledging Israel’s right to exist, renouncing violence and accepting previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements. Hamas said no to all three.
The international community understood that there is no point in attempting to negotiate with a group that does not recognize Israel’s right to exist. As Israel continued to allow aid to flow through border crossings into Gaza, Hamas and other terrorist groups in the Strip increased their attacks. To date, these groups have fired more than 7,000 rockets and mortars into Israel.
It has now been three years since an Israeli soldier named Gilad Shalit was kidnapped from within Israel by Hamas. During that time, in violation of the Geneva Convention, the International Red Cross has not been allowed to visit him and check on his well being. Israel has made significant efforts to exchange hundreds of Hamas combatants for this one soldier. Most Middle Eastern analysts now believe that were a prisoner exchange to take place, the blockade of Gaza would be suspended. This is also why the G8 this summer called for the immediate release of Gilad Shalit.
Israel has been placed in a difficult position. On the one hand, the Jewish State does not want to occupy the Gaza Strip. On the other, Israel has an obligation to protect its citizens. To this end, Israel has sought to alter Hamas’ cost-benefit ratio for firing rockets at Israeli civilians. Since Hamas violently crushed the Fatah opposition within the Gaza Strip in 2007, Israel has reduced the flow of goods into the Hamas controlled area. In times when Hamas fires fewer rockets, more goods are allowed into the Strip. When they fire more rockets, or are successful in their attempts to murder Israeli civilians, the crossings are shut down entirely.
Israel lives in a tough neighborhood. Its neighbor, Hamas, has a charter which calls for Israel’s destruction. Hamas receives massive funding and weapons from the Iranians via 800 tunnels which go between the border of Egypt and Gaza. (One wonders why Egypt is not held responsible for the blockade as well as Israel.) If the humanitarian crises there are really as great as we are led to believe, then why isn’t Hamas relieving the suffering by means of those tunnels? The answer is clear and it is that amidst the standard level of fiscal corruption, there is more interest in importing weapons through these tunnels than there is in bringing in supplies for the people of Gaza.
Let us not be confused about the situation in Gaza. The flow of goods from Israel is restricted, but not shutdown. Egypt operates their border with Gaza independent of Israeli control. Most importantly, Israel and the Quartet have both expressed a desire to allow more goods into Gaza once Hamas accepts the principles laid down by the Quartet.
The responsibility for the situation in Gaza rests with the people of Gaza and the Hamas government which they elected, a government that refuses to recognize Israel’s right to exist, refuses to halt violence and refuses to abide by previous agreements. Put simply, if Hamas wants Israel to allow more goods into Gaza, it must first abandon its dream of destroying the Jewish State.
Finally, I share concern and pain for all people in the area - the poverty of Gazans, and the fear of Israeli parents about their children getting bombed in their bedrooms at night. With all of the above, I am fully supportive of President Obama's initiative to push parties to the negotiating table, and I pray for peace.
Summer Diplomatic Initiatives
The summer has seen several diplomatic initiatives. These include Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to Washington as well as the visit of Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority. President Obama gave a major speech to the Arab world in Cairo. Significant as well were the Lebanese elections in which Hezbollah, as a client of Iran and an inveterate enemy of Israel, was dealt an enormous setback. As I write, the results of the election in Iran are being protested and in a speech, Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about a two-state solution. When you read this, the impact of these events might be known.
Nevertheless, for me there are certain points that are and will be valid this month no matter what occurs in the next few days. These are:
1. I support President Obama’s efforts in peacemaking in the Middle East. As a realist, I am somewhat skeptical as to the chances of success, but as a Jew, I am prayerful that one-day peace will come to Israel and the Palestinians. I think that it is especially wonderful that in his Cairo speech, in the capital of the most heavily populated Arab country, President Obama reaffirmed the strong commitment and ties between the United States and Israel, and that the President spoke of the evil of Holocaust denial. Some think that the narrative of Israel begins with the Holocaust. This has now become a piece of Arab propaganda. As we know, this is not the narrative of Israel. We have had a connection to the land for thousands of years; the Zionist return began in the second half on the nineteenth century.
2. This is not the time for partisan politics so far as Israel is concerned. We need friends of both parties in Congress. We need to insure that the administration will place peace demands on the Palestinians and the Arab states, not just upon Israel. Public criticism and demands of Israel by the administration, which will only increase Arab intransigence, has thankfully been toned down.
3. Here is the most important point. Israel, the United States and the free world can ill afford to lose sight of Iran’s desire to create a nuclear weapon. The Iranians have mastered the process of making Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) but have not yet learned how to make or weaponize High Enriched Uranium. We need to stay focused on prevention. No matter who wins the elections in Iran, now is the time for serious diplomatic engagement. At the same time, Congress should give the President the tools he would need if Iran does not begin to negotiate in good faith. These would include the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2009, which authorizes state and local governments to divest from companies investing in Iran’s petroleum and natural gas sector and protects fund managers who divest from such companies from potential lawsuits, and the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act which would limit Teheran’s ability to import refined petroleum products.
Let us pray that peace will indeed come to that part of the world. In the past, Israel has taken extraordinary steps for peace when the other side has talked the talk, but not walked the walk.
Finally, I urge you to keep informed on these issues. These diplomatic efforts are proceeding at an incredibly brisk pace.
Nevertheless, for me there are certain points that are and will be valid this month no matter what occurs in the next few days. These are:
1. I support President Obama’s efforts in peacemaking in the Middle East. As a realist, I am somewhat skeptical as to the chances of success, but as a Jew, I am prayerful that one-day peace will come to Israel and the Palestinians. I think that it is especially wonderful that in his Cairo speech, in the capital of the most heavily populated Arab country, President Obama reaffirmed the strong commitment and ties between the United States and Israel, and that the President spoke of the evil of Holocaust denial. Some think that the narrative of Israel begins with the Holocaust. This has now become a piece of Arab propaganda. As we know, this is not the narrative of Israel. We have had a connection to the land for thousands of years; the Zionist return began in the second half on the nineteenth century.
2. This is not the time for partisan politics so far as Israel is concerned. We need friends of both parties in Congress. We need to insure that the administration will place peace demands on the Palestinians and the Arab states, not just upon Israel. Public criticism and demands of Israel by the administration, which will only increase Arab intransigence, has thankfully been toned down.
3. Here is the most important point. Israel, the United States and the free world can ill afford to lose sight of Iran’s desire to create a nuclear weapon. The Iranians have mastered the process of making Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) but have not yet learned how to make or weaponize High Enriched Uranium. We need to stay focused on prevention. No matter who wins the elections in Iran, now is the time for serious diplomatic engagement. At the same time, Congress should give the President the tools he would need if Iran does not begin to negotiate in good faith. These would include the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2009, which authorizes state and local governments to divest from companies investing in Iran’s petroleum and natural gas sector and protects fund managers who divest from such companies from potential lawsuits, and the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act which would limit Teheran’s ability to import refined petroleum products.
Let us pray that peace will indeed come to that part of the world. In the past, Israel has taken extraordinary steps for peace when the other side has talked the talk, but not walked the walk.
Finally, I urge you to keep informed on these issues. These diplomatic efforts are proceeding at an incredibly brisk pace.
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