This morning, I woke up and did something I don’t normally do. I watched the news.
I’m more of a morning news “reader” than I am a news “watcher.”
The images of various college campuses moved me to want to watch and to listen to what was happening. The environment was loud. The noises sounded like a war zone.
The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental right in America, but on many campuses, these protests are no longer peaceful. Repeated calls of “Intifada now” and “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” endanger the lives of the Jewish people. These chants are uneducated and call for the end of Israel and Jews.
How quickly the world forgets.
Today is day 209 of the war, a blip in time for some and an eternity for others. We are 210 days from the last ceasefire with Hamas. On October 7th, Hamas broke the ceasefire. Hamas, the terrorist organization and governing body of Gaza, entered the homes of sleeping Israelis and peaceful gatherings of young adults and slaughtered them on the holiday of Simchat Torah.
I’ll never forget.
On October 10th, I heard a soundbite, “The world is taking a few moments to stand with the Israeli people. But everyone needs to remember October 7th in perpetuity, because Israel will respond (referring to invading Gaza), and when we do, no one will be talking about October 7th and everyone will turn on Israel.”
What many of those sitting in tents on college campuses seem to have forgotten or ignore the context of the larger narrative. We must never forget the larger context.
It’s time to bear witness.
Thursday, May 9th, join me, Rabbi Max, and two Temple Emanu-El trauma therapists, to bear witness. At 7:00pm we will watch the documentary “Supernova.” This 1-hour documentary pieces together dramatic eyewitness testimony from survivors and first responders, with real-time footage collated from multiple sources, “Supernova” provides a harrowing and detailed account of the massacre carried out by Hamas that took place at the Nova music festival in Re’im, on the morning of October 7th, 2023. You may invite non-member friends to join you at this event. This event is meant for adults and teens (9th grade and above) who are accompanied by an adult. We will spend the second hour of the session processing, sharing, and being in community.
It's time to bear witness to what too many are quick to forget. I hope you’ll join me next week.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Rachael
