|
B"H
The Tragedy in Poway
Thank God there were heroes who stopped the tragedy from being far more tragic. But sadly the heroic efforts couldn't save the life of Lori Gilbert-Kaye nor could it stop the terrorist from injuring innocent civilians at Chabad of Poway. Collectively our hearts share the pain of the victims and their families, but in our hearts there is anger, trepidation, and fear. Just six months after Pittsburgh and a week after the tragic events in Sri Lanka, we can’t help but wonder where and when tragedy will strike next. It seems that people of faith are now soft targets for those seeking to wreak havoc among the innocent.
The tragedy occurred on the last day of Pesach, commemorating our ancestors’ redemption from oppression and newfound freedom. However, it now seems counterintuitive to even celebrate that freedom. We live with an ever present fear of who or what may be lurking around the corner. Our houses of worship have become protected fortresses with armed guards controlling the perimeter, yet how much more is needed to really feel protected? On the week commemorating the evils of the Holocaust, Jews imprisoned behind barbed wires seems hauntingly deja vu.
I hear from those who want to ignore the threat and claim these are only isolated incidents, but we know from experience that things can get much worse. As much as we all want to look at life through rose colored glasses, the ramifications of doing so are dire. It would be unconscionable to place our community in jeopardy because we want to believe in a utopian society. I, too, hope and pray that I live to see a day of global tranquility, but for now that seems like a dream in which I’m starring next to Dorothy and Toto in my own version of The Wizard of Oz.
The question remains, is it possible to be overzealous in our pursuit of security? Imagine if the State of Israel ceased to function every time a terror threat was recorded. It would have long ago ceased to function. In proposing security plans to avoid unnecessary risk there has to be an approach that assures synagogue attendance is both comforting as well as spiritually enhancing. We can’t turn a shul into a maximum security facility. We can’t intimidate visitors and make them second guess the value of even trying to attend. We must protect our hard fought freedoms.
On July 11, 2011, Leiby Kletzky, a Hasidic Jewish boy, was kidnapped as he walked home from his day camp in the mainly Hasidic neighborhood of Boro Park, Brooklyn in New York City, New York. The incident was so heinous that parents were petrified and forbade their children to walk alone even during daylight. Hysteria set in and challenged the innocence of a generation of children. Slowly the community came to the realization that they were doing more harm than good. By being overly protective children were losing out on their formative years of childhood. The overzealous protections were doing more harm than good. Parents eventually realized they had to allow their children the space to be children while still sheltering them in a moderately protective cocoon.
I just listened to the impassioned words of Rabbi Goldstein, the rabbi of Chabad of Poway. He spoke from his hospital room and said: “Let everyone go to their shul on Shabbos and let the terrorists know that what they do is not going to scare us, it’s not going to deter us.” Of course we have to be cognizant of the evil that exists and be vigilant in protecting our houses of worship, but we must never allow the terrorists to win by scaring us away from our houses of worship. Rabbi Goldstein continuously said “am Yisrael Chai,” the people of Israel will persevere and remain strong. We wish him a refuah shleimah and speedy recovery. I was impressed by his fortitude and strength in the face of terror and I hope that all shuls, regardless of denomination, will be filled to capacity this Shabbos.
Perhaps now is the time for healing and not finger pointing, but if we never point fingers we will also never stop this vicious cycle of violence. How did the N.Y. Times have the brazenness and chutzpah to print a cartoon that would be more fitting in a Nazi propaganda periodical or an Iranian tabloid? They depicted Benjamin Netanyahu as a dog leading a blind Donald Trump. I could only imagine if the New York Times depicted a Muslim leader instead of the prime minister of Israel. Imagine the outrage if they printed a derogatory picture of any other western leader and not President Trump. Imagine a news media printing a caricature of a president highlighting his African American features?
Sadly, Jews are now permitted to be scapegoated. The propaganda in Germany in the 1930’s is being salvaged and reused. The Jew no longer is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect. Organizations are being established for the sole purpose of tarnishing the reputation and denigrating Israel and its supporters. BDS is only one of a plethora of ‘highly respected’ international groups who present anti-Semitic ideals into the mainstream society. And it is far worse for those with political or religious conviction and strength; they are subjected to a daily barrage by the global media featuring them as evil incarnate. Even the Red Nose Day fundraiser supports organizations whose agendas are virulently anti-Israel. It’s a platform that is not only tolerated but promoted. In my estimation, after hearing all the negative stereotyping of a particular religious sect, it becomes so much easier to justify entering their sacred house of worship and opening fire.
Even in our own country we have our own need for soul searching. Our president may be beloved in Israel as one of their heroes but domestically he has much to answer. His failure to adequately address the radical white supremacist movement while publicly lambasting those he disagrees with, is like fodder for the uncultured. They find in his actions, whether intended or not, their justification to act out violently against they disagree with. While on the other side of the partisan divide, potential candidates eyeing for their party’s nomination for president of the United States unashamedly denigrate the current prime minister of Israel. On one hand politicians tweet their strong condemnation of what happened in Poway, yet their words and actions may be a catalyst for an increase in anti-Semitism. I believe both sides have a role to play in fomenting a renewed hatred of Jews and Israel. Of course, disagreeing with Likud’s philosophy and policies are fine, but there is no excuse for personal diatribes and animus towards the duly elected leader of a democratic country. All it serves to accomplish is what we experienced this past Shabbat.
On Yom Hashoah we remember the souls of six million Jews who had no voice. Six million who were tortured and killed and nobody cared. The world stood still and didn’t make a sound. Well it’s time the world stopped standing still. It’s time we realize that “never again” is happening again. It’s time to realize that we Jews will no longer acquiesce and be silenced into submission. We will no longer go “like lambs to slaughter.” We will no longer stay quiet and hope that someone else takes up the “Jewish problem.” You know the world might dislike Prime Minister Netanyahu but the Jew voted him back into power. The Israeli Jew realizes that there is no one else who will protect us if we fail to protect ourselves. They may not think highly of him as a human being and may have serious questions about his integrity, but they know there is no one better who will fight for our freedom.
So this Shabbat I urge all Jews to come together and let the world know we will no longer be divided or silenced. We will say with a renewed conviction that Am Yisrael Chai, the people of Israel will continue to live and breathe by addressing our fears but not letting those fears rule over us. Each year we celebrate Pesach and highlight that we are free. However, today we understand that to commemorate freedom also requires us to control our destiny.
Am Yisrael Chai and this Shabbat when we wish each other a ‘Shabbat Shalom’, let us pray that a lasting shalom will grace our sanctuaries and abodes with harmony, peace and tranquillity.
Rabbi Jack Engel
|
