October 6th: The Day Joy Turns to Rage

Some days, peace in the Middle East seems like a fantasy. We tell ourselves it’s possible, hope for it, pray for it, and yet we look around and don’t see anything that resembles coexistence in harmony.

Living in Israel for a year, I was excited to learn more about the complications of this region, and to learn more about what kinds of peace are possible. Unfortunately, I’m learning more and more about how easy it is for animosity and hatred to fester, and how hard it is to have anything that resembles lasting calm within the walls of the city.

This week, Jewish Israelis continued to enjoy the season of celebration that is this time of year. As Sukkot was wrapping up and preparations for Simchat Torah were coming to an end, horror struck. Two separate stabbings occurred in or near the Old City of Jerusalem, leaving two dead. In both cases, Israelis were killed at the hands of Palestinian extremists, adding to a mountain of tension that has come boiling up in recent weeks, seemingly culminating at a time that is supposed to be reserved for joy and celebration.

To make matters worse, a few days ago, a Jewish couple was killed in front of their four young children by Palestinians. A few hours after the incident, Hamas spokesman Husam Badran tweeted “Congratulations heroic operation carried out by elements in the West Bank, killing two settlers and wounding others…” The anger burns inside me as I read this. A man and woman were murdered in front of their own children, and leaders are praising the action? That is the lowest form of humanity. The fact that Palestinians choose to allow Hamas to represent them in any way is indicative of the willingness to find peace.

I know that Israel is not blameless. I know that there are injustices and oppression going on all over the country, and that hatred is flowing in overwhelming quantities in both directions. But we can’t keep track of the score anymore. We can’t keep trying to figure out who started it, who’s turn it is to be angry, who is the one responsible for breaking the stalemate. Peace is only possible if two different parties are willing to come together and invest just a little bit of trust in one another in the hopes of bringing one another toward a better future together. That trust simply doesn’t exist right now, as much as we may want it to, and any hopes for peace in the future is contingent not on one side but BOTH sides being willing to come to the table.

The saddest part of all this is that the Jews and Palestinians are both faith-based communities. These are people who identify so strongly with their beliefs, who have foundations in God and scripture, who create communities and cultures based on a love and respect for what is in someone’s heart. How can we live in a world where faith brings some together but drives us to hate others? How can our faith be genuine when we use it as an excuse for why we persecute, the way we justify killing one another?

I live in Jerusalem. I learn about my people and my faith in Jerusalem only a few miles away from the Old City. I can feel the tension going on around me, and can see the way the entire city walks around with heavy hearts and heavy minds. How can we allow this to continue? How can we have such little faith in one another, and continuously allow the country we all work so hard to create be consumed by it’s own hatred?

I don’t have answers to these questions. I don’t know what the future holds for these two peoples, struggling so hard to share this space. All I know is that what currently exists is not acceptable. I know that something has to change. I continue to search for the day that we find a way to change it without continuing to kill one another.

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January 13th: Drawing Conclusions

Sometimes, in our attempt to comprehend a tragedy that is utterly inconceivable to most rational, mentally healthy humans, we work ourselves into corners. The world is struggling to understand why 12 members of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were murdered execution style by ISIS sympathizers in France. Along the way, the public can come up with some sad and often frightening comments.

The knee-jerk reaction to a horrible hate-crime like the one that hit Paris last week is a mixture of sadness and confusion. That confusion manifested itself on Wednesday with select few analyzing the reason that the attackers gave for their actions. In this case, the killers were looking for those involved in political cartoons that portrayed the prophet Muhammad, which were offensive and sacrilegious to many Muslims. That led a select few to attempt the argument “It’s absolutely unacceptable that these people were murdered, but what they were drawing was very offensive and wrong.” Or “I don’t support violence at all, but if you insult an entire religion, you are running the risk of backlash.”

To hear these things were, quite possibly, the most unpatriotic thing I’ve ever heard from Americans. Yes, the drawings had the ability to be offensive. Yes, the magazine was known for being, at the very least, insensitive and, at the very most, Islamophobic. But that should mean nothing now. In these moments, these people were killed for their drawings. These people were killed because extremists have been taught their entire lives to kill the traitors. These people were killed because they represented an “other” to a group that refuses to acknowledge their right to exist. There are days to argue about when free speech borders on hate speech. That day was not last week, or at the very least did not belong in the same breath with men and women who were executed for exercising their rights, whether politically correctly or otherwise. Using a qualifier when expressing condolence is simply unacceptable.

The day after the mass murder, the attackers stole the world’s attention again, this time holding hostages in two locations, one of them a Kosher grocery store. The inherently Jewish nature of this location added a level of antisemitism, only further causing strife, especially in my especially Jewish social media circle. Within hours, the proud declaration “Je Suis Charlie,” French for “I am Charlie” in support of Charlie Hebdo, became “Je Suis Juif,” or, “I am Jewish.” The hopes of bringing solidarity to the Jews of France injected just another element of religious fervor to an already complex situation involving Islamic extremism and the complexity of Islamophobia.

It was right about then that I saw the following post:

“Dear Atheists,

Once again, just gotta say, you’re doing a great job of not committing any acts of terrorism. Keep it up!

Love,

God”

Sure, the post is clever. But what really gets me upset is that religion is becoming a bad thing. Because of the actions of these select few, all of a sudden it is wrong to be religious. Religion is now synonymous with extremism, conflict, terror, and hate. Which is the exact antithesis of what religion is supposed to be.

The attacks on Charlie Hebdo attempt to rock the very foundations upon which we, as Americans, have grown comfortable. They attacked our freedom to express ourselves. They attacked our sense of security in public spaces. Most importantly, they have hijacked our ability to use faith as a meaningful part of our lives, for fear that relating to a religious identity will instead cast us as zealots or extremists.

I refuse to give them that power. We cannot let religion become a symbol for hate. Faith could be the one thing that saves us from this kind of destruction. Sometimes the greatest forms of medicine, when taken incorrectly, can make us terribly sick. We must not abandon our values, simply because others choose to use it for their own battle cry.

God didn’t get us into this mess. People did. But people will also be the ones to save us. Maybe then we’ll feel a little closer to God.

August 4th: Long Road to Peace

In the seven weeks since I went to camp, the world seems to have broken. Thousands of rockets have been hurtling back and forth between Israel and the Gaza strip, and everyone wants to know why.

There is a boiling point for everyone. Mine came as I read what must have been the hundredth article about “picking sides.” I finally hit the point where I could no longer sit quietly and take in all of the information and “facts” that have been given out by the media and the public at large.

The first “fact” that I can’t possibly tolerate is the fallacy that this is a conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Is there conflict between these two groups in Israel? Sure. But this isn’t it. This is a conflict between Israel and Hamas, a terrorist organization. While many describe themselves as ‘pro-palestinian,’ no rational people would identify as pro-Hamas. Hamas is single-mindedly looking to destroy, to wreak havoc, and to kill and maim as many innocent people as possible to push their agenda. Let’s not confuse that for a government seeking recognition or a people looking for rights. These people want death and destruction. Nothing more.

This is paramount in understanding the most inappropriate statistic that is being shared on a daily basis by nearly every news outlet in this country: the death tolls of the two sides. The number of Arabs killed during this period of conflict is measured in the thousands. The number of murdered Israelis is in the 50s. Does this mean that Israel is doing more to hurt others? Does this make Israel the less humane participant?

Not in the slightest. The death toll, as a raw statistic, fails to carry the weight of knowing that Israel has done everything possible to protect it’s own citizens (as well as, in most cases, the innocent in Gaza), while Hamas has done everything in it’s power to use the innocents of Gaza as shields, as tools to manipulate the media hailstorm that is raining down on Israel.

Israel has gone so far as to drop leaflets, send “dummy” rockets, and even go out into Gaza to help warn innocent citizens about impending attacks. Israel has done everything reasonable to save innocent lives. The ruling powers of Hamas, however, have prevented these aids from getting through, and thus put people’s lives further at risk.

This, more than ever I’ve ever seen before, is a war being fought in the news just as much as it is in the Middle East. One of the challenges, though, is that we don’t even know what is real. Multiple times, powerful speeches have been “given” by world leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that have been proven to be a hoax. Even comedians like Dennis Miller have been credited with making bold statements that are, for lack of a better term, fan fiction.

With all of this mis-information, Americans have an incredible challenge on their hands. On one side, we have a country that has served as our primary ally for years, a country that both our government and theirs has spoken about as a partnership of good-faith. On another level, we are being fed information that suggests that Israel is oppressing, abusing, and killing innocent people on a daily basis.

Let’s get one thing straight, though. The double standard that the world sets on Israel has to stop. Hamas, as a terrorist organization, does not deserve the same rights that any nation would enjoy, despite the many opportunities for them to be treated better than they deserve. You see, every cease-fire Israel has offered has been greeted by a maelstrom of rockets. No other country in the world would stand for that. No other country would be asked to. If so much as a thrown rock were to land in America, the culprit would have hell to pay. Yet, Israel is asked to demonstrate patience, even to share their technology with Hamas. Israel has been chastised for having a low death rate.

There is so much that makes up this conflict. There is more than any one of us will ever understand. But the biggest tragedy of all is the need to pick sides. This ridiculous notion that it is even possible to decide who is “more right” in a death match is what proves just how far away we are from peace.

When my family went to synagogue this past Friday night, we prayed for peace. We prayed for the safety of all of those involved in the situation. We said the Mi Shebeirach, the prayer for healing, for all of those who have been injured. We said the Kaddish, the prayer of mourning, for all of those who have died. This was not solely for the Israelis or for the Jews. This was for all people. We prayed, at it’s purest form, for peace.

May it be God’s will, that peace not be far from our grasp.

The Recap

After almost 365 days, 42 posts, and a plethora of words, my blogging experiment comes to its final deadline. I, almost one year ago, decided to embark on a journey to blog every Sunday night, one post each week, about different topics that I found pertinent and meaningful.
This adventure was first designed to be an opportunity for me to experience a new form of media communications. My father suggested it to me as a way for me to share some of my ideas and allow my creativity to form an actual learning experience for myself and for others.
Now, after spending countless hours thinking up, writing, and posting these stories, I would have to say the experience was a success. I learned a great deal about how to communicate my thoughts and emotions, and attempting to say my words in a way that will convey my message while refraining from insult or injury to others.
This wasn't always easy. There were times when my posts caused people to get upset, and this was an excellent learning opportunity for myself as well. I had to learn quickly after my first real post that not everyone is going to agree with everything you have to say, but that it is important to say things so as to start conversations, rather than arguments.
I have wanted to be a Rabbi during much of the time that I have been posting these blogs. The opportunity to have this page as a form of pulpit, to practice writing as if it were for a sermon, was an excellent insight into the struggle that not only Rabbis but educators of all kinds undertake in an attempt to inspire others. I allowed the blog to educate me in the same way I hoped to educate others. In fact, I used the experience of blogging as a topic for two different college essays, which I hope will have some positive influence on my acceptance.
My favorite story pertaining to a blog posting was when I received a private message after the publication of one of my ideas. I don't remember what the exact post was about, but a member of my community who had been dealing with a particularly bad situation, who I had not spoken to for quite a while, wrote to me in a private facebook message. This person shared that he/she believed that my post had helped this person to see things from a different perspective, and that they had had a positive shift in thought process after having read one of my posts. Now this was coming from someone who I had believed wished to have nothing more to do with me, or with anyone who I was close with. The fact that they were willing to read my blog at all, let alone be moved by it, was emotional for me on a very meaningful level.
Another story of my blogging came during one of my classes at school. A fellow student of mine, who almost never interacts positively with anyone else, was talking with some friends. He was frequently disruptive, and he and I generally didn't get along well. At one point in his conversation, he brought up some topic (again I forget which, but it isn't important). Then, in passing, he commented on something that I had said in my posting the night before, and brought up the fact that he liked what I was saying and agreed with it. This was very meaningful to me because this meant that people I had no idea were even reading my blog were actually doing so, and learning from it as well.
Throughout this journey, many people have helped me in my posting. From my parents and grandparents who read every post and asked supportive questions, to my best friend who always kept me on schedule and even reposted to his own facebook page, I couldn't have come up with the end result I did without their help.
Even though I had no idea where it would take me, the year long experiment was enough of a success for me to continue. I will continue to post blogs through the coming year, although the format and style of posting will change come January 1. I am excited to learn from my past blogging and continue to grow and develop as a writer, speaker, and human being.
I hope that the Zoot Perspective has somehow impacted you positively. If you have ever enjoyed this blog, please feel free to comment on it either on this page or on facebook. I also encourage you to send me a private message if you would like to share a more personal connection with the postings I have shared.

B'Shalom V'Ahavah (With peace and love)
AZ

The boy who lived again, and again, and again

Harry Potter hysteria went up this past week, with ridiculous numbers of "pot"heads rushing to theaters to see the first part of the final chapter of the epic saga. I too was part of the rush to see the beginning of the end for "the boy who lived," and was not disappointed. Incredible effects, brilliant cinematography and a good plot line made for a great movie.

One thing I noticed while watching however, was the simplicity of the plot. Harry Potter is, at its most basic, a simple story of racism. Instead of the color of one's skin being the symbol for prejudice, the ability to use magic is instead. Voldemort (or rather, he who shall not be named) is simply a glorified white supremacist, a Nazi, a KKK member. All while missing his nose.

Voldemort develops a following of those who do not believe the "other" group is worthy of equal rights. They form an exclusive group to work together to terrorize the non-believers, and to make the lives miserable of all who do not agree with or act like them.

Harry is an exact representation of a freedom fighter. He, the underdog, the one who should have been dead before he even got started, is the only one who can vanquish the evil of prejudice. He, the young man, holds all the power. He is, of course, depicted as bold, brave, fearless, and most of all modest, all while standing up against great danger and fear to defend what he thinks is right.

J.K. Rowling is very talented at crafting a story. She didn't, however, make up the idea. In fact, she wasn't even born when the idea was first used. People have been being killed and tortured for their differences since before anyone can remember, and J.K. Rowling is simply talented enough to write about it and make an excruciating amount of money from it.

Everyone who has bought into the HP phenomenon now has a social obligation. Yeah, that's right. Rowling tricked you. Now that she has you addicted, you have the obligation to be the next Harry Potter. No, race isn't as big of an issue today, although some races are just as abused. This connects much more to the obligation to stand up. Stand up against those who seek to destroy the dreams and hopes of others. Stand up for those who may have no idea that they are oppressed, but simply know that they are suffering. You don't need to wave a wand to create magic. Magic can appear in our daily actions, our weekly behavior, and our yearly commitment to doing what is right to benefit the community as a whole.

It may sound as though this is a giant tangent from the Harry Potter topic that was going on earlier. It really isn't. The story, as creative as it is, boils down simply to even the most famous book of our generation contains the same ideas that have been plaguing us for centuries, and it is our job, as this current movement to fix them.

May we have strength as we do so.

Pushing it around

The topic of bullying has taken the country by storm in the past few months. Almost every school, youth group, club, and social organization has discussed the numerous deaths this year due to bullying related incidents, many because of homosexuality.
This past weekend, I participated in a program through my youth group discussing bullying and what forms it takes, along with many ideas about how it happens, why it happens, and how best to stop it. These experiences inspired me to write down my thoughts from the conversation in a post.

First of all, bullying has evolved as I have gotten older. It used to be a physical thing, making one kid actually feel physically intimidated by another. One kid was bigger, thus better at football, thus the kid who could exert influence over anyone else. Now, bullying isn't even seen through the term "bullying". Instead, teasing, harassment, hazing, and a plethora of other synonyms pepper society. All in all, the terms may change but the feelings are the same: the horrible feeling of not being loved, not being accepted, and not being good enough.

Whether or not it was recent or more in the past, everyone has been on either the giving end or receiving end of bullying at some point in their lives. The fact that it is so common should, in theory, lead to its demise. It is not, however, so easy to buck the trend and to get over the social tendency to make other feel bad in favor of a more positive environment. Unfortunately, all too often people see these types of acts as needing vengeance, and therefore pay it forward in a negative way, rather than doing the right thing and braking the chain.

The easiest type of bullying to do and the hardest to break is the act of doing nothing. When we sit back and let other people get bullied or harassed, we are just as guilty of the pain that that person suffers as the person actually doing the bullying. It isn't easy to stand up to someone who is tormenting someone else. There is a fear sometimes that the person will turn their attack on you, instead of the original target. Despite this, we need to be the bigger person in these situations and take a stand against those who attempt to break down the community that we try so hard to build up.

It is each of our jobs to stop this behavior in its tracks. No longer is it acceptable to stand idly by and watch others be put down, hurt, and emotionally beaten for any reason at all, whether it be because of race, sexual orientation, religious view, or simply who they are and what they enjoy doing. We are the generation that will stop this sort of behavior and instead build communities that encourage everyone to become better, to live together happily and to be truly happy. This might sound idealistic, but if we don't try to make ideal situations realities, the only one who we are beating is ourselves.

Remember what we are fighting for

Memorial day is a day to remember all of those brave men and women who are out on the front lines, defending our country and standing up for what they believe in. I love the holiday, not just because of the bar-b-ques and the relaxing, but because of the symbolism and meaning behind the event.

The day is, however, a sort of catch-22. I am someone who believes a pair of ideas that don't always coincide, most specifically in this situation. On one hand, I am a person who believes that fighting is the result of stubbornness, and that most often it is important to forgive each other and move toward a peaceful agreement on both sides of any argument, no matter how big or how small. On the other hand, though, I believe that it is incredibly important for us as individuals, as well as as a nation, to stand up for ourselves and defend the ideas that we believe are right. Standing up for one's self is vitally important, because without standing forcefully, your enemy will believe that they can reach their objectives more easily using force than peaceful agreement.

So basically, I am a big supporter of our troops. They are defending our land, standing up against those who attempt to plague our country with terror and destruction. But I'm also cautious of war, as I believe that no peace can be found when one fight remains.

Some people believe that to support the troops is to support the war. This is, frankly, rather ridiculous. The troops are doing the work, putting their lives on the line, because their country needs them. They are the human beings that make up this great nation, and as other members of that community, we are obligated to care for a support those who are taking up that important job of defending us. We can never thank them enough, but we have an obligation to try.

Thank you to all of those who have served this great nation against those who seek to destroy us. God bless America.

The power of mass

Today marks the Walk with Israel, coinciding with Lag B'omer, a time to join together and celebrate Israel's independence, as well as the excitement of a free Jewish state. With locations all over, it was easy to find a place to gather with other Jews and celebrate our homeland.

One of the things that I noticed as I walked was the visual effect that we were demonstrating. This was a group of Jews taking up entire blocks of suburban neighborhoods, filling the streets with people walking together. If any one member of the group had walked alone, the mental effect would have been positive, but it would not have held the same outwardly visible effect as it did when hundreds of people took to the streets to make this bold statement.

As we walked, we also saw motorcyclists driving by with Israeli flags attached to the back of their bikes. This too was valuable because it was a display of solidarity, a proclamation of emotion.

This got me thinking though: What would happen if we all joined together for things more often? It is often almost a cliche to make a facebook group "lets see if we can get X amount of people to join this group," but what if we were joining together for something in particular?

My first thought is peace. It seems to me as though the reason we don't have peace on Earth is because of blame. Everyone blames someone else. He did this, so I'm going to hate him. She did that, so I'm not going to agree with her. One person needs to be able to put aside their feelings of pain and their grudges and move on. If one person finds personal peace, as well as the power to forgive, it can spread. Just as our bad actions can often be contagious, so too can our good actions. Allow this acceptance to grow. Soon, if we all are able to accept each other, and not hold grudges, we can move forward without hurting each other. The only thing standing between us and peace is, well, us.

This may seem like a random idea in connection with the Walk with Israel, but they are very much the same. Just as I saw a march of hundreds of people in just my town parading through the streets, it is the same with the opportunity for peace. If we create peace, and foster it, we can walk around with it, demonstrating the excellence of peaceful interaction. Soon, it will spread as quickly as a wildfire. "Seek peace and pursue it" goes hand in hand with the idea of "once you've found it, shout it from the rooftops and spread it" (nothing quite like making up your own quotes)

So go out, and pursue your own peace. When you find it, encourage it in others. This isn't something that will happen quickly, or all at once. But hey, that's why God put us here. We might as well dedicate our lives to it.