Beyond the Headlines; This is personal for me

 

I am having a hard time putting my thoughts into words about the events of this past week. It is hard to watch the polarizing comments blasted across social media, especially when this feels so very personal to me. 

 

Let’s start with some context. When I was young I fell in love with reading and somehow that love led me to an interest in the Holocaust. Books like Ann Frank’s famous diary and others gave me an awareness of one of the worst events in human history and the concept of human’s capacity to hate and mistreat other people.  I felt so moved by the stories I read, even more so with the realization that in all likelihood members of my own extended family were included in the tortured and murdered souls of the Nazi atrocities, but even that felt somewhat removed from my life.   Nazis were defeated. I lived in the United States, far removed from all of that so it was even more shocking when I came home one day and had a conversation with my Mom about a book I was reading. I told my Mom about the story of Alan and Naomi and how sad this book made me feel. Naomi had fled the Nazis and was staying with relatives in New York City, but the terrors she had witness had affected her greatly and Alan was tasked with befriending her. The characters in the book were subjected to abuse and ridicule for being Jewish, and this wasn’t in Germany – it was here in this country. As I shared about the story that had such an impact on me, my mother opened up and shared with me about the many times she had been called names and even physically assaulted simply because she was Jewish.  I felt so many emotions; I felt shocked and sad that this had happened to my mother, I felt angry that people would do this, I felt scared with the knowledge that antisemitism wasn’t just something in a history textbook, but rather it was something very much here and now, and strangely I felt a bond with all my relatives who had come before me, everyone who had survived pogroms in Russia, who had endured in the Holocaust and who continued to face struggles. Somehow, I knew that my heritage came with a unique set of baggage.  

 

Although my mother and grandmother were not religious, I became interested in learning more about Judaism. More than just an appreciation for good Jewish food, I wanted to understand the customs and beliefs. 

 

Last year I fulfilled a lifelong wish to finally visit Israel. It was an amazing trip that I will cherish.  I was overwhelmed with the beauty and the incredible history of that land.  What I saw there was not the headlines from the media, but people living their lives.  

 

The events this week have left me with a profound sadness.  Once again Jewish people being tortured and slaughtered simply for being Jewish.  The scenes from the music festival were especially chilling for me because I could picture my own daughter, who has worked at many large music festivals. I cannot even fathom the depravity of people who could kill toddlers and babies.  The images are simply too graphic and too horrendous to even process, yet even before the bodies have been buried there are groups of people not only justifying this atrocity, but actually cheering about it.  THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION for the brutal rape, torture and murder of innocent people. 

 

Let me be clear – I don’t agree with the current Israeli government. I think the expanding settlements in the West bank are wrong. I wish I had the wisdom of Solomon and I could solve the troubles in the Middle East.  The British Empire created this colossal mess and this entire area has been struggling for over a century, but that does not and will not justify what happened on October 7^th.  My heart breaks for the Palestinian people, especially the children who are suffering so greatly.  

All of this is awful.  In our polarized country today it seems as if everyone must immediately pick sides, but two things can be true at the same time. I can feel profound sadness and grief for the senseless loss of life in Israel and I can hold a desire for safety of the Palestinian people and a peaceful solution, but I cannot and will not ever be able to justify horrific acts of terrorism.   Hamas is evil and as long as they continue to spew their hatred of Jews and their desire to wipe Israel off the map there cannot be peace.  

 

I am concerned about the rising level of antisemitism in our world today.  I know the events of this week have given rise to even more antisemitism.  In the past I have been in conversations where people have made antisemitic comments.  Apparently, I don’t “look Jewish” so people are shocked when I tell them that I am offended by what they said.  My husband wore his Israel T-shirt to work the other day. I got him the shirt on my trip last year. While wearing his shirt he was flipped off by someone. The news has shown large rallies where the crowd was chanting “F*@K Jews”.  It is frightening. 

 

I am sharing all of this to simply ask everyone to please hold room in your hearts for all of humanity. Please speak up and call out any form of bigotry or prejudice when you see it. Please allow someone to grieve without saying they somehow got what they deserved, whether they are Israeli or Palestinian. Please understand the history and nuance of this region is vast and complex, talking points will never adequately describe the ‘truth’.  Most of all please be kind and support your friends and family, your neighbors and your community because that is truly the only way we will ever be able to work toward peace.