sbrobert
It is difficult to convey the horror felt by members of the Jewish community when we heard the news about the attack by Hamas on Israel on Saturday. The Jewish community came together for the occasion Saturday evening. Here are my photos.
I usually consider myself to be a secular Humanist. But under such circumstances of existential attack, I very much become Jewish.
The community felt at a loss for how to respond. The default was simply to come together and to be together. About 150 of us showed up in person, with a similar number attending on Zoom. Because of the very real fear, I was asked not to show the attendees or reveal where we met. But I wanted to share some photos and videos of the ceremony.
Daniel Brenner is the new rabbi in training for Congregation B’nai B’rith. He called the group to order with the blowing of the ram’s horn shofar.
He prepared to sing along with Cantor (singer) Mark Childs, noting that he found it difficult to imagine that singing is going to help much. As my parents would say, “It couldn’t hurt.”
Here they sang the peace song Al Kol Ele.
Rabbi Stephen Cohen explained the situation. A military attack with rockets and invading soldiers that immediately killed hundreds of people in Israel and in Gaza. The kidnapping of children and senior citizens from Israel and forcibly bringing them into Gaza. Presumably to be used as human shields. The attackers dragged bodies of innocent victims through the streets and showed this off to the world.
Rabbi Cohen expressed the feelings we all shared: Horror, fear and, yes, even anger and hatred. He also expressed sadness for the innocent people of Gaza who are caught in the middle and are just trying to live their lives.
What was this all about? There was no specific provocation. The attackers were rehearsing the attack out in the open in advance of the attack. Israeli military intelligence assumed this was just Hamas messing with them and not an actual preparation for attack.
One theory: Saudi Arabia and Israel were on the verge of a mutual peace agreement. Saudi Arabia is Sunni Muslim. Iran is Shia. Iran may have created this attack to sabotage this agreement. Unfortunately, that may have worked.
The timing also coincided with an unprecedented breakdown of Israeli society due to right wing Prime Minister Netanyahu trying to seize dictatorial power over the Supreme Court. The streets have been filled with massive demonstrations and counter-demonstrations. Members of the Israeli military reserve were threatening to abstain from serving under these circumstances.
Modern Israel was founded after World War II by liberal Europeans who wanted the kind of democratic socialism we now see in many northern European countries. At the founding there was a tiny minority of Haredim. The group often called “Ultra-Orthodox” in the news. They were granted special privileges. They don’t have to serve in the military. They don’t even have to work for a living.
That was OK when there were just a few of them. But they made lots of babies and they are now a dominant political force in Israel. They hate liberal Jews as much as they hate non-Jews. They helped create this divisive situation.
Another dimension of the timing: While the US is preoccupied with supporting Ukraine, there are limited resources to help both Israel and Ukraine with military supplies. The extreme right wing in the US has crippled our government and stopped all such funding for Ukraine. Putin is publicly predicting victory as soon as US support ends.
What happens in Gaza and in Israel has repercussions around the world to Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, Ukraine and perhaps even to China and Taiwan.
Hamas has run Gaza as a dictatorship with little concern for its people. Qatar has given them a billion dollars since 2012. Supposedly to build infrastructure for the people. Schools, hospitals, roads. Instead, Hamas has used it to build a network of tunnels under Gaza and to amass rockets and other weapons to attack Israel.
They are counting on Israel to retaliate and play the victim. But this time could be different. It might be a chance finally to get rid of Hamas and liberate Gaza from their horrific rule.
Jewish people have been on the run for thousands of years. Israel is supposed to be the one homeland and sanctuary. Even for us secular Jews, we become very defensive of this homeland.
Here Merlie and I stood overlooking Tel Aviv in 2015.
Here we were on a tour in nearby Jaffa, the Old City of Tel Aviv. Our guide showed us photos of rockets landing near where we were standing just a few years earlier. It was hard to imagine then and painful to realize that this is where rockets are again landing now.
The time we were there was a time of relative peace and hope. These bakers proudly proclaimed their greatest hopes on their shirts.
“Jews and Arabs Refuse to Be Enemies”. I always try to hold that thought and remember that there is a minority who have their interest in making us enemies.
I was delighted then to stand in the Bahai Garden in Haifi, near the Lebanon border. Haifa is proud to be a place where people of all religions get along.
On the train back from Haifa to Tel Aviv, I had a wonderful experience talking to these young people who live on a kibbutz (community farm). The young woman had such words of wisdom: “This country would work a lot better if everyone would accept that no one is going away.”
Back to the present and our local gathering.
The attack happened on the Sabbath. By some accounts, every Sabbath is considered the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. This gathering was held on the closing of the Sabbath, after sundown on Saturday. It is traditional to close the Sabbath with the Havdalah ceremony.
Rabbi Arthur Gross Schaefer lit the ceremonial Havdalah candle.
From ourhappytribe.net :
The braided Havdalah candle is truly special. It has at least three wicks and produces more light than three single candles. The three wicks symbolize the diversity of the Jewish people – woven together in unity, strength and love. Here they sang “Hatikva” with the candle.
– Robert Bernstein
Truly horrific what is happening there. Check in on your jewish friends everyone, it’s a scary time.
Thanks, Robert. Well done presentation. I will add one comment:
You don’t have to be Jewish. To understand that occupation, apartheid, fear, intimidation, and forced abject poverty do not work to create a peaceful coexistence. Robert related the breakdown of Israeli society as an increasing number of citizens grasp that Netanyahu’s plan to remain in power, to subjugate the Palestinians, to try to diminish the voice of the progressive left ends up hurting everyone. This “conflict” won’t end well. Yet another human tragedy. When will we ever learn?
And friends with ANY ties/family in the region. The civilians in Gaza are suffering airstrikes and now a siege. The worst part about this ongoing conflict is how much it impacts civilians on both sides. The fighting is in the streets, from the air and many times, indiscriminate. It’s so sad.
Good point sac. There are hundreds of Palestinians who are being killed too. And they’ve suffered great losses in recent decades at the hands of Israel that have largely be unreported in western media. All of it is awful and horrible and should not happen.
Wonderful photos and stories, Robert! Thanks for sharing! So tragic what is happening now. Civilians on both sides are suffering and it sounds like it will only get worse.
Thanks for sharing Robert. I am in solidarity with you. A commentator I heard basically said that not since the Holocaust have as many Jews been killed in a single day as were on Saturday. We are/were hoping to go to Israel in May next year. My daughter recently returned from a three week archeological dig there, and the events weigh heavily on her.
Great summary and analysis, Robert! I’ve read most of the traditional media’s analysis of the situation, and this is the clearest, most balanced I’ve seen, an excellent explanation of Israel’s roots, current tensions, how the religious right has hijacked the country. Thank you. I am sure that most Israelis and most Palestinians would prefer to live in peace. Too bad they aren’t the ones determining policies.
75 years? The Jews have been oppressed for thousands of years. Palestine is surround by other Arab countries who mistreat them as well, won’t let them into their countries, Egypt’s large border with them has been fully closed while the boarder with Israel has been open, yet Hamas isn’t killing women, children and babies in any of those countries.
What nonsense from anonymous. This is not blood carried behavior. Each generation decides what is appropriate and ethical and humane. The “what about” crap is just excuse for doing bad things. The pointing of fingers at others who don’t help is the same. Each person is responsible for their ethical and moral behavior and they can never be allowed to justify evil in the name of religion. That is what is happening here and that is why the fault is in “religion” and the naive fools who use it in lieu of their own rationality or as a cover for their own avarice.
ANON – If you’ve studied the history of the region, you’d know Israel is not without fault. The barbaric treatment of the indigenous population can’t be ignored when analyzing conflict. Yes, most Israelis and Palestinians want peace, but their respective leaders unfortunately keep sabotaging that. You have terrorists claiming to be fighting for the cause of the Palestinians as “freedom fighters” and then a heavy handed Israeli response which always affects innocent civilians. Add to that the 75 years of oppression and segregation of the indigenous people. It is never a “one-sided” thing there. To ignore the reasons for the fury on the Palestinian side, is to ignore history.
You’re right though, Hamas is a terrorist group that wants an Arab only region. That can’t be allowed. There needs to be some legitimacy granted to Palestine and some nation building to install a proper governing body to represent their interests and to give them a state once again. Until we remove the terrorists, that will (as it has been) be difficult, if not impossible.
Now, before I get railed on, I’m not saying Israel is to blame here, but you just can’t ignore the past, as it is critical to understanding the present.
Nope. If your attitude is a flippant “the chickens are coming home to roost” then I don’t buy your crocodile tears at all.
If you want a revenge or eye for an eye mindset then factor in the history of Arab murdering and displacing of Jews throughout the Middle East for centuries and guess what you end up with–a justification for literally burning Gaza to the ground.
Is that where you really want to go with all of this?
“There was no specific provocation.” ??? What blindness or what prevarication. Israel has suppressed, occupied and abused Palestinians for decades. Israel is taking more land from the ancient occupiers and owners and expelling them from the area. Israel claims that this is a “God given” space for them alone. Long before the Jewish people settled in this land there were others already there. Long before Moses there were religions speaking to these and other peoples. The arrogance of the present Israeli government in saying that they are supreme is the specific cause and provocation.