Three months ago, 1500 people marched in Chicago. The march was a women's gay rights march. As it gathered support, it seemed to be a proclamation for acceptance and diversity of all orientations, sexual and otherwise. The Windy City Times wrote, it seemed as if the entire gender, racial and sexual spectrum was represented, walking hand-in-hand and demonstrating a powerful unity.
But this wasn't the case for Eleanor Shoshany Anderson. It was Eleanor's 4th march. Like many other participants, she came to the march with a symbol of her personal identity. She carried a rainbow flag with a star of David.
Eleanor and two others were kicked out of the march on the grounds that the flags were a trigger. An organizer told them that the star of David made some feel uncomfortable, and that it wasn't ok to display anything that could inadvertently or purposefully express Zionism.
In essence they were told, This march is a safe space. No Jews allowed.
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Last Passover, we had over 100 people participate in our 2nd seder. I try to include different readings and activities each year, in order to make the night different.
One of the additions was a creative interpretation of Dayenu. Instead of recounting God's miracles in the past and exclaiming, Dayenu, It would have been enough, this reading focused on some things that we must do, else it not be enough.
This was one part of that reading: If we cherish the State of Israel, but we neglect our responsibility to help create a safe and peaceful Palestinian homeland, it will not be enough.
Judaism constantly teaches us that two things can be true at the same time. We can, and should, fight unabashedly for Israel's right to exist. And, we can, and should, feel sadness and pain for the plight of the Palestinian people.
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Even though Eleanor was told otherwise, the march in Chicago was certainly not a safe space to share ideas of diversity and inclusiveness. And, I'm saddened to see that our Jewish communities are not safe spaces to talk about Israel. A safe space is one where we are given the freedom to proclaim what is most important to us, whether it is to celebrate our identity like Eleonar, or to protest and criticize. I've been thinking about this a lot lately, especially in light of the controversy surrounding NFL players who are protesting racism in our country. In coming to terms with my own thoughts on this, I saw a tweet that resonated with me: There is nothing more patriotic - nothing - then demanding that your country do better, because you know it should, and because you know it can.
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College campuses across our country are dealing with BDS. Taken from their webpage, The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement works to end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and pressure for Israel to comply with international law.
I want to be very clear about something. I am unequivocally against the BDS movement. It lies somewhere on a spectrum between incredibly misguided on one hand and the veiled anti-semitism on the other. Yes, Israel can and should change some of its policies in order to build bridges between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. And, in no way, shape or form is Israel 100% responsible for the plight of the Palestinian people or solely guilty for the the ongoing conflicts. If Israeli children are being targetting by terrorists, if Israeli citizens can't go about their daily lives in coffee shops and restaurants without the threat of bombs, Israel has the right and responsibility to respond and retaliate.
And with regard to the BDS movement, boycotting, divesting and sanctioning an entire country and its citizens is the wrong solution that only leads to more discord, more mis-understanding, and more conflict.
I demand that we do better.
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We no longer have real conversations about Israel. We're too quick to put people into boxes depending on their stance on the settlements, opinions about Netanyahu, the level of their Jewish observance, and so on.
I am a part of the problem. As an American who has lived in Israel and visited Israel, I have some very strong opinions about what Israel should or should not do. But I must strive to remember that although Israel is my homeland, it is not my country. Like most of us, I was not born there, I did not serve in the army, I do not know what it's like to run after hearing a warning siren go off. Remembering this can help us talk to each other.
Some think that AIPAC is a right-wing organization that will blindly support Israel no matter what they do. Some believe that J-Street is anti-Israel and even borders on being anti-semitic. Just as we've done regarding politics in America, we're not willing to listen to each other when it comes to the complex set of issues in Israel.
Regardless of what some think should be the case, it is the case that our younger generation is losing its connection to Israel. Many Jews feel like they've been told that they have to support Israel without critique. And if they don’t respond positively, there’s no more conversation. We should demand better from ourselves.
Israel's security is paramount. But equally as important is the security of its soul. It is not acceptable that a small percentage of ultra orthodox Jews are considered authentic Jews by the government. It's not acceptable that a few months ago, several female rabbinical students, future colleagues of mine, were told to lift their skirts so that security could check that there wasn't a hidden Torah. It's not acceptable that a proposed conversion bill could render even more strife and separation amongst the Jewish people.
Some people say, Yes, those things are true, but we shouldn’t speak out on them until Israel's safety is guaranteed from the threat of its enemies.
Every Shabbat, we sing the Mi Sheberach prayer. we ask God to grant a r'fuah sh'leimah, a full recovery to those we know and love. Full healing includes mind, body and spirit.
Young or old, when thoughtful Jews talk about Israel, we must engage. If we really want to support Israel, if we really want Israel to have a complete healing of her own, we must struggle with its difficulties, all of its difficulties. Israel needs a r'fuah shleimah.
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Too many Jews are label other Jews as "anti-Israel" because of one particular data point that they've chosen to be their litmus test. I have colleagues who have lived in Israel, devoted their lives to the Jewish people, and led numerous trips to Israel, but are labeled anti-Israel by fellow Jews because they support J-Street. And on the other side, Jews who fight forcefully for the rights of Palestinians are quick to label and judge those who back the actions of the Israeli government. Don’t allow yourself to make assumptions about ones love for Israel based on who they voted for for president, or whether they give to AIPAC or J-street, or whether they’ve visited Palestinian refugees in the West Bank. We must be better than that.
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Today we read the Torah portion, nitzavim. We stand here together, all of us. The entire community. No one is excluded. In addition to changing Facebook picture to an Israeli flag, in addition to putting a sticker on your car that says I stand with Israel, do something more powerful ... Stand. With. Israel. All of Israel. Stand with the 25 percent of its citizens who are not Jewish. Stand with its Palestinian neighbors who do struggle to make peace and a better life for themselves. Stand with the majority of liberal and secular Israelis who are told that they are not the right kind of Jewish. And stand with its government in their constant, unwavering, seemingly impossibly pursuit to make Israel a safe place for all of its citizens. We all stand together. Let us stand up and demand better for ourselves - we demand better for America and for Israel, because we know that we should be better. We know that we can be better.
