Can we have both our values and our survival?
Under the cloud of the recent violent antisemitic attack right here in St. Louis, that seems to be a central question to help us frame a clearer understanding of this moment.
The short answer is – of course we can. The better answer is – we must.
And the true answer is – if we ever hope to come together as a people, either here or in Israel, we must examine this question to its depths, openly and honestly, right now.
The comments I hear most often from community members these days usually begin with “David, the JCRC must...” And they generally end with either, “must stand up for our values” or, “must stand up to the rising antisemitism and the risks Israel faces.”
And as I have said to those who have had the chance to sit down with us - I do not believe they are mutually exclusive propositions.
Those who know me have heard me talk often about the concept of paradox in Jewish tradition. The Kabbalists would say the human brain can actually hold two competing concepts in their minds at the same time. So, I ask, can we both hold true to our values and still be committed to the survival of the Jewish community and the State of Israel? I think we can, but to do so we must dive deeper into what that really means. And this is where it gets tricky.
We have a paradox right here in our community where some feel our values as Jews are not being honored by what is happening in Gaza. Then there are some who believe that whatever is happening in Gaza is for the survival of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. And that is a value as well – keeping the community safe globally and locally. So again, where does that leave us? Whose value wins?
The easy answer is that no one is supposed to win; they are equally important. Right?
If only it really were that easy.
The problem is that if you also believe the other person’s value is CAUSING the violation of yours – that’s when we reach an impasse. And that is where we are right now. Cases in point:
- How can you support the ongoing war in Gaza? It is causing a humanitarian crisis!
- How can you condemn Israel when they are fighting a war of self-defense?
- How can you not see that a genocide is taking place?
- How can you say Israel is committing a genocide?
- When you look at those photos, how can you not agree there is forced starvation?
- How can you claim there is forced starvation when there have been vast amounts of aid brought into Gaza?
- Even if there is aid in Gaza, Israel needs to do more!
- The situation would end tomorrow if Hamas would just release the hostages!
- Israel needs to end the war now so the hostages can be released!
Maybe it is too sensitive of a topic to list these kinds of questions in one place. It is a risk, but until we get into a room to discuss these very issues, we will keep accusing each other of horrible things.
In the JCRC world, we know that you have to dive into the details of the matter. It’s what might get you a little dirty, but it’s also what may actually reap better understandings, clearer realizations, and – deeper truths.
If you think about what is at the heart of the violent attack in Clayton this week for example – we have to call it out for what it is – a completely unjustified act of violence targeting a Jewish family. Someone or some group has taken the arguments above and decided that one side only is responsible for the suffering in Gaza – and anyone they deem to be supporting that one side must be violently attacked. The people who take action like this must be stopped. They are not helping to solve the problem – they are blaming, lashing out, and perpetuating the demonization and dehumanization of a people – something they say they are fighting against.
The Jewish community should be crystal clear about what these activists are calling for – in larger numbers than ever since October 7th – and that is an extension of the violence of October 7th. “Globalize the intifada,” some might say.
In comparison, this is not what your friend in St. Louis who is concerned about the war is calling for. And we need to be just as clear about this difference – both inside and outside of the Jewish community. Criticism of a military operation is neither harassment nor incitement. Yet in some circles, we know that rhetoric has moved on from generalities like “from the River to the Sea” to throw a firebomb at this address, at this time, targeting this person. This is what we need to say cannot happen here.
There are ways to civilly voice our concerns over a war being fought in our name - and then there are the criminal actions of activists seeking to do harm. If we do not draw the distinction between the two, our friends and allies will not know how to express their own legitimate concerns using a language that won’t offend us.
And that language can include contentious issues – and again seemingly contradictory positions. For example:
- How can you look at those photos and not believe there is a genocide or forced starvation?
- How can you rely on photos that have, time after time, proven to be fake or doctored?
Can we put those two challenges together and find something closer to the truth? Like …
- There are routinely false photos or staged photos coming out from Gaza and the West Bank that are provided to national media outlets specifically to pull on the heartstrings of the international community. This is documented.
- And yet, we do know there is malnutrition in Gaza, and that people do not have enough food. And that the longer the war goes on, the worse it will get.
The question is – do we accuse IDF soldiers and Israelis in general of being callous monsters - or do we do what thousands of Israelis do in the streets every week – call on their government to end the latest phase of the war because they don’t believe in it, feel the goals are murky at best, and because they want all suffering to stop. Mothers and fathers in Israel do not want to lose any more sons and daughters - and those who care deeply for suffering in Gaza – whatever you call it – want it to end.
A civil discourse between people who believe there are valid reasons to continue this phase of the war and those who believe there are reasons to end it is the best way to talk about the war within our own community – and with our interfaith and civic partners as well. Showing our full depth of understanding and the wrestling we go through honors both our humanitarian values and the actions a country may need to take in order to survive.
At the end of the day when we talk about holding multiple truths – this is what we mean. There is more beneath the surface of what you think truth is. But you have to look for it. Many think it is easy to find – on the internet, in social media posts, or in every punchline on the late-night talk shows. In actuality, finding truth is supposed to be hard. Some would say it is aspirational rather than literal; it’s about the searching and not the finding.
My hope is that you will join with JCRC in the coming months and years to do the hard work. To ask the hard questions and come up with answers and solutions that help the Jewish community and the wider St. Louis community understand more about the nuances of our Jewish story and the complexities of our Israel story.
Until next time,
Shabbat Shalom!
