blogs/brentspodek

At one point when the ancient Israelites were at war, two of the tribes told Moshe that they were going to sit this one out.

“Your brothers are at war, and you are sitting here in comfort?!?” Moshe asks incredulously.

At this moment, thousands of Israelis – many of them the children of my cousins, friends and colleagues – are going to war, and I am looking at the beauty of the Hudson River, the sunlight illuminating the fall foliage in all its glory.  

“Your brothers are at war, and you are sitting here in comfort?!?” I hear Moshe in my ear.

This coming Saturday night, I plan to fly to Israel as part of a mission with the Hartman Institute, to connect with people I love and to serve and support them as best I can. (scroll to the bottom for ways to be involved.)

I am not going with any enthusiasm for war, I am not going because I think the Jewish narrative and claim on the land is the only one, and I am not going with the thought that after 100 years of battle this will somehow be the time when lethal force will resolve this conflict “once and for all.”

This conflict will not end until we Jews learn to take Palestinian suffering – at our hands and the hands of others - seriously and the Palestinians learn to take Jewish suffering – at their hands and the hands of others – seriously. A commitment to one story and one story only is a commitment to death. 

I am not going because I think my visit will end the conflict, or even meaningfully contribute to its end. I’m aware of the limits of my utility – I’m not a physician or engineer or diplomat. I’m not getting on that plane in order to make a material difference.

I’m going because in the darkest moments of my adult life, when my wife was in the hospital and her death was a real possibility, hundreds of friends and relatives visited her, visited me and prayed for us. My theology is not such that I think that those prayers made any difference to my wife’s body, but together, those prayers and visits made a huge difference to our souls.

I am going because I want people I know and love – Leila and Maoz and Gilly and Rani and Meesh and Yoni and Eli and Taly and Chen and Ran and Dana and Miguel, students at Pardes and many, many more – to know that my heart - our hearts - are with them in this moment of terror.

I am going as a shaliach tzibor, a messenger of our community. If you would like to be part of this journey with me, there are three things you can do:

• Contribute: We’re collecting donations to support the cost of the mission, which is being supported by the Schusterman Foundation. Contributions will go towards gifts to BHA members who now live in Israel, to rabbinic colleagues who are serving the army and to soldiers in need of personal gear. 

• Follow: To the extent that I can, I’ll be posting updates and videos on my rabbinic facebook page; links will also be available in the newsletter.

• Learn: I’ll be sharing reflections on my experiences during services and lunch on Saturday, December 16, 2023.

I don’t imagine this will be an easy or a fun trip, but I intend to go with an open heart, compassion for those who suffer in Israel and in Palestine and an unyielding connection to my Jewish people and the only country we have.