MICHTAV M’YERUSHALAYIM
A Letter from Jerusalem, July 2005, Resa and Stanley Davids
Summertime in the States. A time for camps and color wars. Under the guidance of their counselors, youngsters are choosing themes, composing fight songs, decorating their rallying areas with banners and preparing to compete in sports, arts and crafts, cooking as well as in dance and song. Some camps will even have special events focused around davvening and Jewish study. Extra points will be awarded for RUACH (spirit) as well as for creativity. And the judges will somehow always find ways to hand out those ubiquitous bonus points (“the team that cares the most about its team-mates”) so that nobody is really out of the running before the final day of competition.
Summertime in Israel. A time for Disengagement, for rapidly escalating tension among fractious Palestinian groups, for dangerously escalating hostilities between the IDF and both Islamic Jihad and Hamas, a time when the country’s division into dissenting camps is hardening – and a time for color wars as well.
As we write, the number of Israeli vehicles with colorful pieces of cloth flying from radio antennas is increasing daily. The most frequently seen color is orange, the color of choice of those who oppose Disengagement. No one is certain, but the word around town is that the color orange was most recently associated with the highly successful ‘Orange Revolution’ in the Ukraine, that saw a Putin-backed dictatorship replaced by a somewhat more western-oriented government. Perhaps the ultra-orthodox hardliners who claim the Gaza Strip for Greater Israel, perhaps the anti-government right-wingers who oppose any gesture toward the Palestinians that might someday lead to (another) Palestinian State, perhaps those settlers who feel powerful grievances against the Sharon government for having radically changed its position toward Gaza – perhaps all of these see themselves as pro-democracy activists fighting against a repressive dictatorship.
Over against Ukrainian Orange is Israeli Blue (or Blue and White). Those supporting Disengagement also come from differing camps: traditional left peace activists, those who fear the threat to Israeli democracy from the presence of millions of angry Palestinians, those who are deeply pained by the impact on the moral quality of Israeli society created by the need to impose order in utterly unruly and dangerous refugee camps – and those who believe that the Israeli presence in Gaza is simply unjust. In Jerusalem, at least, casual observers seem to feel the stronger presence of orange banners – together with orange t-shirts, orange caps and orange signs. Though the overwhelming majority of Israelis still support Disengagement, opponents are definitely more visible in our neighborhood.
In fact, Disengagement has already started. Some homes are being emptied by their owners voluntarily, encouraged by generous government grants. The Gaza area has been sealed off, with severe restrictions in place as to who may enter and leave. The government is beginning to crack down on the ugliest protests, such as those which recently resulted in oil and nails being poured on the main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. But as temperatures reach into the 90’s, so is the threat of violent resistance escalating. Some rabbis are calling for religiously observant soldiers to refuse orders to carry out the Disengagement, and a dozen or more soldiers have already fled their units. The civil authorities are still fearful of jailing some religious leaders whose call to opposition would, in other countries, be treated as sedition.
These color wars will not be guided by thoughtful counselors, those who just want to make certain that no one gets hurt and that everyone has a good time.
The Sharon government is not being helped by the resurgence of Palestinian violence. Hundreds of Kassem rockets are once again being fired from within Palestinian living areas toward Israeli settlements outside of Gaza. Once again innocent civilians are dying. And, as witnessed in a shopping mall in Netanya, the suicide bomber has reappeared, spreading death in celebration of a vile and corrupt ideology. Abu Mazan’s government does not seem to have either the will or the capacity to bring quiet to a population that paradoxically is now poised to make a major move toward independence and sovereignty. The opponents of Disengagement assure us that the worst is yet to come, when Palestinian radicals will proclaim that they drove Israel out of Gaza with violence – and that violence will drive Israel next out of the West Bank, and then out of Tel Aviv.
Stan’s teacher, David Hartman, broke precedent this past Shabbat morning in his Modern Orthodox synagogue as he publicly called for communal support to suppress the kind of zealotry that could lead to violent confrontation. It was a wonderful moment – but one that is far too rare.
Israel is crowded with tourists. The streets are packed, the hotels are full, and the restaurants are overflowing. Stan even overheard some serious grumbling at his health club from those who apparently liked those quieter times when Jerusalem was close to being a ghost town. At least one didn’t have to wait to use a treadmill! The Maccabiah Games are going on under tight security, with only minor changes in venues. We had great joy in reading about the gold medal won by the American baseball team – led by Greg Kellert, star pitcher from Temple Emanu-El in Atlanta! It has been a good year for the youth of Emanu-El, as Andy Shoenig was just installed as president of the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) – and has thus joined ARZA’s Board.
We both have been incredibly busy, as usual. Representing ARZA, Stan helped lead the battle to block Natan Sharansky from becoming head of the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency. Sharansky, a true Israeli folk hero for his resistance to the Soviet government, does not embrace Reform Judaism’s demands for religious pluralism, for the need for Reform rabbis to be treated on an equal plane with Orthodox rabbis, for Reform conversions and weddings to be recognized. By the time struggle was over, Ze’ev Bielsky – the candidate promoted by ARZA -- came over to Resa, embraced her, and said that without our efforts he could not have won. This is one of the most significant achievements yet for the supporters of ARZA and Reform Zionism.
We spent 8 days in early July in the FSU, participating in a superb international conference sponsored by the World Union for Progressive Judaism. The featured teachers were truly world-class, and we had a wonderful time reconnecting with friends from more than 20 countries. And, yes – we did take time off to tour the incomparable Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and to take a White Nights cruise – to see the sun set at 11:30 PM!
There is no question but that the key focus for us right now is to work through ARZA in promoting registration for the forthcoming World Zionist Congress. The struggle to build a pluralistic, tolerant, democratic Israeli society, with full protection for all minorities, with freedom from majoritarian oppression, requires registration and then voting. (We urge you to go online at www.VoteReformJudaism.com in order to add your voice and vote to our efforts.)
Resa and Shoshana are coordinating final plans for the long anticipated visit to Israel of Jay and Shoshana, together with Olivia, Joshua and Gabriel. They will be here for two weeks in mid-August, and we cannot begin to contain our excitement. Obviously we hope that Aviva and Jason, and Ronn and Nicole, will be able to schedule their visits in the very near future. In the meanwhile, we have already begun developing relationships with the newest HUC class of student rabbis, cantors and educators. The students look to be outstanding in every way – a wonderful sign for the future.
We hope that you’re all well, and we look forward to stating in touch with you. Please note that our email addresses of choice are now resa@davidsfamily.net and ravdavids@davidsfamily.net.
B’shalom from Jerusalem,
Resa and Stan