May/June 2009
VOL. XXXVI No. 3
Liberal Judaism is a constituent of the World Union for Progressive Judaism
ljtoday
FROM ISRAEL The British Friends of Rabbis for Human Rights holds a challenging week-long tour following the WUPJ’s 34th annual convention
We must strive harder Together by Richard Jacobi Photo: Elana Sondel
A child wakes in her hotel room in Eilat crying because the ambulance she has heard makes her believe that the rockets of Sderot, her home, have followed her family there. Perhaps readers who lived through the blitz or other such warfare can empathise with this story told us by her father, a shopkeeper. The rest of us try to imagine what this must be like. We also try to imagine what it is like to have the well on our land polluted by the occupying army jamming an old car into it. We try to imagine how one bustling new town can have running water, electricity and sewerage when the adjacent village has to pay to bring in water tanks and has to generate its own power. We try to imagine what it is like to be unable to get planning permission to build or enlarge your family home on land your family has owned for decades, what it is like to have your house demolished at an hour’s notice. We see an archaeological wonder – the City of David – from a distance; we see the houses collapsing because of careless or perhaps deliberate digging up close. Hebron left me with particularly vivid images. Sterile areas, a bustling market street that has become a silent, derelict, decaying vacuum at the centre of the town. We are used to stories of antisemitic graffiti; for the first time, I was confronted with violent graffiti in Ivrit – ‘Death to the Arabs’ was one message. The phrase Am Yisrael Chai took on a violent aggressive meaning in this context, as did a paint-sprayed Magen David. We walked past the pathway we had seen
Danny Rich with Palestinian pupils at a school in East Barta’a, a community divided by the ‘green line’
earlier on video. Palestinian girls leaving school were attacked by spitting Jewish girls and stone-throwing Jewish boys. Those of us – rabbis (Liberal and Reform), student rabbis, and lay leaders of Liberal Judaism – who returned at the end of March from this fact-finding trip to Israel did so with mixed feelings. I came away without answers and with a furrowed brow. I came away wanting my people’s spiritual home to cause less prejudicial pain and encourage healing, co-existence and goodwill. I came away feeling that we, Liberal Jews, must do more to ensure that we do not inadvertently support illiberal policies, and do more to support those organisations that work to build a State of Israel for which we will have unqualified pride. Yes, this may be an unachievable goal, but it is one worth striving for, isn’t it? LJY-Netzer, page 7 How we nearly entered Gaza, p8
Richard Jacobi is the rabbi for Woodford Liberal Synagogue
from across the globe
by Louise Freedman Thunderous applause accompanied the opening in the YMCA theatre in Jerusalem of Connections 2009, the 34th international convention of the World Union for Progressive Judaism. Rabbi Julia Neuberger, president of Liberal Judaism and the first keynote speaker, received an enthusiastic reception. Her talk, entitled ‘A new inclusivity for Jews and Judaism – stepping out of the kosher closet’, was inspiring. She painted a very positive picture of what was happening in Britain and Europe in terms of inclusiveness, social action and the role of volunteers. Earlier, Nir Barkat, Jerusalem’s mayor, addressed the delegates and expressed the city’s and the country’s appreciation to the World Union for holding its convention in Israel. Steven Bauman, chairman of the World Union, thanked everyone for their sacred work of building and renewing Jewish communities worldwide, and a multimedia presentation displayed the people and spirit of the various congregations and movements. The Friday of the convention was given over to learning about colleagues and activities in other regions. Video and live Continued on page 3
Inside News 2-3; Storytelling for peace 4; Patrons 5; Letters 6 AND PULLOUT SECTION ON MONTAGU CENTRE