(Times of Israel) Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch - Judaism teaches: All were created by God, and therefore, all have equal dignity and equal standing in the sight of God. But my strongest affections are for my own people, nation and community. That you feel this special attachment to those closest to you does not imply that you feel nothing towards others. Rather, our tradition insists that the universal begins with the particular. Everything Jewish begins with Jewish peoplehood. All Jews are responsible one for the other, the Sages taught. If you do not feel this special bond with other Jews, you are emotionally damaged, Jewishly. The weakening of these bonds is my central concern regarding the future of the American Jewish community. I worry about our young people. We did not intend for some in your generation to turn your backs on our people. We wanted you to be Zionists. We did not intend that our emphasis on tikkun olam - social repair - would lead some Jews to join anti-Israel demonstrations. The supreme leader of Iran sent messages of support and thanks to student protesters. That tells you everything you need to know. We did not intend for criticism of Israeli policy to lead to detached indifference and a vacuous lack of compassion for the murdered, brutalized, sexually assaulted and kidnapped of our own people. We did not intend that some in your generation give not even a passing thought to the many tens of thousands of our people who have become refugees from their homes. We did not intend to strip Jewish solidarity, empathy, responsibility and mutuality from your Jewish identity - not only towards Israeli civilians, but soldiers your age who exhibit astonishing courage and remarkable self-sacrifice, many of whom laid down their lives protecting our people in feats of enormous heroism. The writer, senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City, served as executive director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America.
2024-10-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive