Shalom Lab/Shul,
Today is the official first day of spring and it’s exciting to think ahead to warmer weather, Passover (Save your Seat for Freedom’s Feast!) and all the ways in which we can raise up liberation and justice for all.
Including in Israel. The current crisis is not only about the future of this fragile democracy but also about the essence of what it means to be Jewish in the 21st Century – everywhere. This is a historical moment and the next 40 days are critical. Why? Please read on to find out – to get better informed, more helpful, and more hopeful.
Rabbi Amichai at the Knesset, 3/15/23, with a protest T-shirt “Saving Israeli Democracy”
This past Friday morning I got back from an intense and short 4-day Rabbinic mission in Israel, organized generously and wisely by UJA-Federation of New York. One of my highlights was smuggling a ‘Saving Israeli Democracy’ protest t-shirt into the Knesset and revealing it in defiance, Superman style, right at the heart of the house where it happens, before meeting with MK Simcha Rothman, the Chairman of the Judicial Reform Committee.
There were several more profound moments with important insights about what is Israel’s most dramatic moment of democracy in the making – dividing the 75 year old nation in potentially dangerous ways.
Our group included rabbis from the NY metro area, of all denominations. We went to listen, learn, lean-in and observe, to better understand how we got here and what’s at stake. We each came back home with our own set of realizations, questions, thoughts and talking points to share with our communities.
Want to learn more about my experiences and the ongoing situation? You can check out my sermon, “Faith in the Fog,” from this past Friday’s Sabbath Queen or watch a few highlights here. You can also watch my speech, “Fearless Narrow Bridge,” (and the song I led!) from Sunday’s local protest organized by unxeptable.org. Finally, you can watch the Israel Trip Debrief Zoom conversation with rabbis and UJA-Federation leaders who went on this mission together.
Want to get involved? You can join me in protest this Sunday, March 26th at 12pm in Washington Square Park. Stay tuned for more information about upcoming events, protests, ways to get involved, and ways to help.
This week we welcome spring and the new moon of Nisan, starting the Passover season. This new moon is also the beginning of Ramadan, the holiest month in Islam. We wish our friends and families Ramdan Mubarak – a season of meaningful and blessed fasts and feasts, spiritual and communal connections.
Together with our friends at the Muslim Community Network, and with other faith-based organizations and partners, we look forward to marking this sacred season at our upcoming Freedom Feast. I invite you to help our friends in Israel and Palestine lift up this Ramadan as a time of reconciliation and trust, forgiveness and friendship.
Please watch this brief video from the Sulha Peace Project – an organization I am engaged with and honored to support. As in previous years, we are invited to assist Palestinian families in need, offering not just much needed physical substance but also the gift of bridge building and hope.
As we spring ahead, whatever political storms and unpredictable weather, breaking news and seasonal sensations come our way – I hope we face them all with patience and optimism. And I’m glad we get to do this – together.
Spring it on.
Rabbi Amichai
