A Word From Rabbi Frank in Jerusalem Yesterday, as I began my ten days of study at the Shalom Hartman Institute, the bodies of the three kidnapped Israeli teens were found. Today, they were eulogized and buried. Tens of thousands of Israelis made pilgrimage to pay their respects, and all of Israel is in deep mourning. Israel is a small country and, at times like this, it is a family that puts aside its disagreements and differences to come together as one. It is as if these three young boys were everyone’s children, and the loss is sickening. Politics have been put to the side on this day. The Israeli cabinet made no decisions, as the country needs this time to mourn and take stock of its situation – the situation is not good. Rockets are pouring in from Gaza and containment is needed there, while Israel knows that an unmeasured response to the murder of its three boys could lead to the rapid escalation of military conflict with the Palestinians. In short, during this pause, Israelis are contemplating their fate. The summer held promise of warm nights and normalcy, of boys hitchhiking home to be with their families. Instead, it brought the harsh reality of trying to build a democratic home with Western values in the midst of a highly unstable and radicalized neighborhood. But from what I can tell, the dream of a Jewish state has not been weakened one bit by these events. If anything, the resolve is stronger, because the stakes are even higher. 50% of all Jews in the world live in Israel, and it is clear that failure is not an option. The welfare of our people, of our children here, must be safeguarded. Six million Jews perished in the Holocaust; the six million Jews in Israel shall live. So, for now, as Israel prays, I ask that we all pray with her: Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim – let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Rabbi David Frank
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 20:06:30 +0000
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