By Keith Dvorchik, Special to the Jewish Sound
I read with horror this week about the attack in a synagogue in Israel that left five dead, many injured, and millions of Jews around the world demoralized and shaken. How did we arrive at such a place when the vicious murders we have seen in the past few weeks are not only occurring, but are accepted by the world as normal? To see terrorists and people filled with hate celebrate the death of innocent people is simply horrific. And yet here we are.
I have struggled over the past several months in regards to how our community in Seattle has been addressing the challenges that Israel presents. Israel must deal with real problems and real struggles, some like those most countries face, some unique to Israel: How to treat people with dignity and respect, even when some of them want you dead; how to provide a living wage for all people; how to ensure Gaza can be rebuilt without the reconstruction of tunnels and restocking of rockets; and the overarching, existential concern, a nuclear Iran with the means and the twisted motivation among its leaders to destroy Israel.
And yet here in Seattle, Israel’s struggles have been used to mount polarizing attacks on people within our own community. It’s frustrating and aggravating. And on a day like Tuesday, when terrorists filled with hate attack Jews praying in shul, it simply makes me sad.
The Jewish community is such a wonderful thing to be a part of. It’s mishpacha, family. It’s a community that looks out for those in need and warmly welcomes all members of the community to join us. It’s Shabbat dinners together, unplugging and connecting to the wonders of family and friends. It’s being together to celebrate the joys of life — births, B’nai Mitzvah, weddings — and the sadness of life, when we lose those we love.
And yet we have allowed and encouraged the challenges faced by the State of Israel to divide us. We have chosen to attack people in our own community because everybody doesn’t see eye to eye on the solution. In a community based on debate, discussion and disagreement, we have allowed ourselves to become divisive. Instead of following the teachings of the Talmud, which rabbis and scholars have debated publicly for centuries, always for the betterment of the community, we have chosen to publicly attack, humiliate, castigate, and attempt to cast out individuals and organizations whose positions don’t precisely match our own. Instead of following the example of Hillel and Shammai, who had differing views on almost every issue yet still are used as models of how to disagree, we aggressively attack our own people.
So as I sit in shock, saddened for the loss of life in Israel caused by hate, I call upon our entire community to rise up and avoid the temptation to attack our own. While we may differ on the approach to a lasting peace for an Israel that we love, the key focus is that it is an Israel that we love. We can’t allow our different views on how to show our love for Israel turn us to hate and anger against people in our own community. For once we go down that destructive path, those who hate the Jewish people and seek the elimination of Israel have truly won.
Keith Dvorchik is president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. This article first appeared on his blog.