I have spent much of the last couple of days wondering what to write as a Shabbat message from the UK, where I am for another Shabbat as the world feels so painfully hard and complex. This Shabbat is Rosh Hodesh Av, the first of the month of Av that begins the nine days ending with Tisha b’Av where we commemorate the destruction of the two Temples in Jerusalem and endless tragedy and persecution throughout Jewish history. There are reminders every day of the sinister, frightening rise of global antisemitism and, clearly, much chilling evidence of it here in the UK with alarming incidents and rhetoric every day. It is agonizing that there are still 50 hostages in tunnels in Gaza and that this horrible war is still going on causing untold suffering and anguish. Next Saturday night, on Tisha b’Av, we read the Book of Lamentations, Eicha in Hebrew. Eicha is an impossible question without an answer. How can it be? How can it be that...?
As I wrote two weeks ago, the rabbis of the Talmud attribute the destruction of the Temple to sinat hinam, causeless hatred between Jew and Jew; a kind of energetic self-destruction that causes great harm to communities. I witness something similar here in London to what is happening in Jewish communities across the world; an inability to tolerate and hear opinions different to our own. My wonderful, very traditional, London shul, New North London Synagogue, is so split on many issues, but mostly, of course, Israel Palestine, where there are incredibly strong and passionate feelings on both sides. Every rabbi I know across the world and across denominations gets strong and angry voices from all directions, passionate about their version of the truth. October 7th 2023 was undoubtedly the most horrific, genocidal attack of Jews since the Holocaust and the fact that Hamas is still holding 50 hostages, alive and dead, is horrendous. The suffering and death of Palestinians in Gaza is horrifying and, whoever we believe is to blame, we cannot ignore this humanitarian crisis with compelling evidence of starvation. I have read many statements from Jewish and Israeli sources, as well as international media, and it is impossible to know with clarity the absolute truth of the awful situation there. I have no doubt that Hamas continues to be deeply responsible for much of it, but we have to be willing to look honestly at Israel’s role in the continuing war with daily casualties and grim reports of aid not getting through to those who most need it. Israeli media is starting to challenge the official Israeli statements and none of us can know for sure what is actually happening. What I do know is that there are people who are very sure of their narrative; either that the IDF is doing everything it can to save civilian lives and that there is plenty of food, but Hamas is stealing it for themselves and selling it, on the one hand; or that Israel is using starvation as a tactic of war and that dozens of people are being shot by the IDF while waiting to receive food, on the other hand. Both of these voices are loud in the Jewish world and probably neither tells the full story. We can also not ignore the shocking increase in Jewish Settler violence in the West Bank and the rhetoric of far right extremists in the government. The challenge, which seems impossible right now, is how can we co-exist in community together with these different voices and perspectives, building through listening rather than canceling.
I do not claim to have access to an absolute truth. As I said in my last post, I am a Zionist and deeply believe in the right of Israel to exist and thrive as a homeland for the Jewish people. I am also very alarmed by growing antisemitism and all the new kinds of blood libels that come with it, claiming that anti Zionism is not antisemitism, and the outrageous allegations and insinuations about world Jewry. Of course in Boulder, we are still in deep grief over the appalling attack on the Run for Their Lives walk on June 1st that murdered Karen Diamond and injured many others. And I am also very disturbed by the suffering and death in Gaza, knowing profoundly that our sacred tradition values every human life as created in the Divine image. I want this war to end immediately, for the hostages to be returned and for rebuilding and healing to begin for the Gazans. As we enter this month of Av, sometimes referred to as Menachem Av, anticipating the comfort that we need and seek in the face of destruction, I want more than anything for us to be able to hear each other, hold each other, grieve together for all that has been lost and redeem our collective soul. Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov Rabbi Marc
Congregation Bonai Shalom 1527 Cherryvale Rd Boulder, CO 80303
