Dear TBZ community:
I have always been proud of TBZ’s capacity to face challenging conversations and complex issues with honesty. We choose to wrestle with what is uncomfortable and upsetting. We don’t turn away from issues that are problematic and we create space and engage with them, and each other, with respect.
This week, a member of our community shared with me their discomfort supporting the Black Lives Movement. This community member fully supports the goals of anti-racism and sees the urgency of this moment. But this member struggles, as I’m sure other folks do, with what appears to be BLM’s support for BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) and it’s history of anti-Semetic and anti-Israel statements.
This beloved TBZ member, who reached out to me to express their discomfort and concern is not alone; many in the Jewish Community struggle with the same concerns.
I respect this member and the concerns they expressed. I, too, have supported the cause of Black Lives Matter, and yet did not want to be associated with any support for BDS. A few years back, I was careful not to use the hashtag #BLM or associate myself in other ways that might imply I was supporting BDS and anti-Semitic or anti-Israel views. But now, I have come to understand more about the
Movement for Black Lives
(M4BL) and
Black Lives Matter
(BLM).
The Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) is a coalition of groups across the United States that represent the interests of black communities. There are complexities in coalitions. Coalitions are messy, and as a rabbi and colleague of mine said “if you agree on everything with all your allies, you don’t have enough allies.”
The controversial statements about Israel are found on the platform of the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL). I have put the links to the specific statements below. Black Lives Matter does not include those statements. You can see how BLM defines itself
HERE.
This is the way I think about this: This movement is about saving the lives of black people and people of color by insisting on systemic changes to the ways we see and implement public safety and policing. This movement is not about Israel and Palestine. Most, if not all the people who are out protesting, who are holding signs and chanting Black Lives Matter, are not thinking about or protesting about or promoting international issues.
I can be an ally to the Black Lives Matter movement because we have the shared goal of ending anti-black racism in all its manifestations. There may be some affiliates within the M4BL network that ally with BDS but this doesn't define the movement and, thus, shouldn't preclude us from vocally supporting Black Lives Matter.
From my perspective, the statement or hashtag "Black Lives Matter" is a statement of fact that seeks to counter our national narrative that devalues and kills black lives. I think it is also a statement that should remind us, white members of our communities, that some members of our community can not take their safety for granted given the color of their skin and our nation's history of racism.
Now, the
moral urgency of the hour
makes this more important than ever.
In
Exodus 23:5
we read the following:
כִּֽי־תִרְאֶ֞ה חֲמ֣וֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ֗ רֹבֵץ֙ תַּ֣חַת מַשָּׂא֔וֹ וְחָדַלְתָּ֖ מֵעֲזֹ֣ב ל֑וֹ עָזֹ֥ב תַּעֲזֹ֖ב עִמּֽוֹ
When you see the ass of your enemy lying under its burden and would refrain from raising it, you must nevertheless raise it with him.
The Aramaic translation of the Torah,
Targum Onkelus
, is an authoritative translation which brings its own interpretation, as every translation does:
אֲרֵי תֶחֱזֵי חֲמָרָא דְסָנְאָךְ רְבִיעַ תְּחוֹת טוֹעֲנֵיהּ וְתִתִּמְנַע מִלְמִשְׁבַּק לֵהּ מִשְׁבַּק תִּשְׁבּוֹק מָא דִבְלִבָּךְ עֲלוֹהִי וּתְפָרֵק עִמֵהּ
Onkelos Exodus 23:5
If you see the donkey of one you hate collapsed under its burden, and think of abstaining from helping them - you should certainly drop what is in your heart and unload with them.
This teaching comes and says, even when you see the one that you hate, the one that you disagree with, the one that you are in conflict with, you drop that, what is in your heart, and you help them, you support them.
מַהוּ אַתָּה כּוֹנַנְתָּ מֵישָׁרִים
אָמַר רַבִּי אֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרִי
שְׁנֵי חַמָּרִים מְהַלְּכִין בַּדֶּרֶךְ שׂוֹנְאִין זֶה לָזֶה
רָבַץ לְאַחַד מֵהֶן חֲמוֹרוֹ. חֲבֵרוֹ עוֹבֵר וְרוֹאֵהוּ שֶׁרָבַץ תַּחַת מַשָּׂאוֹ
אָמַר, לֹא כְּתִיב בַּתּוֹרָה כִּי תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר שׂנַאֲךָ וְגוֹ' עָזֹב תַּעֲזֹב - שמות כג, ה
מֶה עָשָׂה? חָזַר וְטָעַן וּמְלַוֵּהוּ. הִתְחִיל מֵסִיחַ עִמּוֹ, עֲזֹב קִמְעָא מִכָּאן, הַעֲלֵה מִכָּאן, עֲרֹק מִכָּאן, עַד שֶׁיִּטְעֹן עִמּוֹ, נִמְצְאוּ עוֹשִׂין שָׁלוֹם בֵּינֵיהֶם
וַחֲבֵרוֹ אוֹמֵר: לֹא הָיִיתִי סָבוּר שֶׁהוּא שׂוֹנְאִי. רְאֵה הֵיאַךְ רִחֵם עָלַי כְּשֶׁרָאָה אוֹתִי וְאֶת חֲמוֹרִי בְּדֹחַק. מִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ, נִכְנְסוּ לְפֻנְדָּק, אָכְלוּ וְשָׁתוּ בְּיַחַד וְנִתְאָהֲבוּ זֶה לָזֶה. הֱוֵי, אַתָּה כּוֹנַנְתָּ מֵישָׁרִים מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה.
“
What is meant by You who established equity (Psalm 99:4)?
R. Alexandri explained it as follows:
Two mules are being led along a road by men who despise each other. Suddenly, one of the mules falls to the ground. As the one who is leading the second mule passes by, he sees the mule of the other man stretched out beneath his load, and he says to himself: “Is it not written in the law that
When you see the ass of your enemy lying under its burden and would refrain from raising it, you must nevertheless raise it with him.
(Exod. 23:5)?”
What did he do? He turned back to help the other man reload his mule, and then accompanied him on the way.
In fact, while working with him he began to talk to the owner of the mule, saying: “Let us loosen it a little on this side, let us tighten it down on this side,” until he reloaded the animal with him.
It came to pass that they had made peace between themselves.
The driver of the mule (that had fallen) said to himself: “I cannot believe that he hates me; see how concerned he was when he saw that my mule and I were in distress.”
As a result, they went into the inn, and ate and drank together.
Finally they became extremely attached to each other
. Hence, “You who established equity, You have executed justice and righteousness (Psalms 99:4)
This powerful story, perhaps an aspirational one for our lives, challenges us to work on our capacity to be fully there to support those in distress and perhaps, as a result to engender reconciliation, understanding, and compassion.
When I see black members of our beloved TBZ community holding signs that say Black Lives Matter, or MY/OUR life matters, I am also reminded that this is not theoretical, this is about the lives of many people that we know and many that we don’t.
We are blessed to have Rav Tiferet on our educational and spiritual team as the Director of Congregational Learning and Programing. Rav Tiferet is one of the handful Rabbis of Color in the Country. I asked Rav Tiferet to share with me her perspective on this issue and she shared the following:
“Black Lives Matter is a statement, ultimately, that one either believes or does not. Invoking the Israeli/Palestinian narrative put me, and other Jews of Color, in a position where I felt I had to choose between saying “Black Lives Matter” and saying “Yes, but…” or “Yes, and…” I cannot outright reject BLM or The M4BL because אם אין אני לי, מי לי? If I’m not for myself, who will be? I realize that some feel they can only be conditional allies, based on their feelings about Israel. And I invite those feeling conflicted to stand with me in my conflict and discomfort, in the space of “Yes, and…” and be a part of the conversations and learning, leading to connection"
For those worried and troubled by this, I am going to ask you to trust me as the spiritual leader of our community.
As you know I am Israeli and fully support the existence of the State of Israel. I love Israel. Israel is home for me. My activism about Israel issues is based on my commitment to the Israel that I know it can become. I do not support BDS (though I do not support the criminalization of BDS). As TBZ’s rabbi, I will not associate TBZ with BDS. My commitment to Israel as a democratic and Jewish state is at the center of my identity and activism.
I believe that in this world, we must be allies, we must support, and we must sit-in with Black Lives Matter because we can not sit this one out.
As always, I invite you for conversation and disagreement and I look forward to deepening our connections, our activism and our commitment to a Just world, inspired by Torah. Please, do not hesitate to reach out to me if you would like to speak more about this.
This week Haftarah from Zecharia 2:14-4:7 includes the verse:
Zecharia 3:10
בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת תִּקְרְא֖וּ אִ֣ישׁ לְרֵעֵ֑הוּ אֶל־תַּ֥חַת גֶּ֖פֶן וְאֶל־תַּ֥חַת תְּאֵנָֽה
On that day—declares the LORD of Hosts—you will be inviting each other to the shade of vines and fig trees.
Radak
, a twelve century commentary adds to this words:
ביום ההוא, תקראו
. מרוב שלום שיהיה לכם
On that day you will call each other
from abundance (Shalom)
May it be so.
May we live in the days where we can invite each other to sit under vines and fig trees, in true commitment, connection, abundance and peace.
May this Shabbat bring blessings to all of you and your loved ones.
May we find strength, courage, patience and open our heart with generosity.
May all those who are ill find healing.
May we have a joyful Shabbat!
