Love and Yearning for Zion in the 1800s
By Rabbi Shlomo Pereira
Love and Yearning for Zion in the 1800s
By Rabbi Shlomo Pereira
I. The love for Zion
The love for Zion, the Land of Israel, has been an essential aspect of Jewish identity since the dawn of the Jewish people. Throughout history, this attachment to the Land of Israel has shaped the spiritual, religious, and cultural consciousness of the Jewish people.
The Bible not only names the Land of Israel as a holy place, but identifies it as the “Promised Land,” a sacred gift to the Jewish people. Its significance is deeply woven into Jewish law, where living in the Land of Israel carries specific religious obligations. Additionally, the land is central to the Jewish concept of the Final Redemption, as Jewish prayers and rituals are filled with references to Israel. The Passover Seder and the concluding prayer of Yom Kippur, two pivotal moments in the Jewish calendar, both end with the aspirational words, “Next Year in Jerusalem.”
Not surprisingly, even throughout the second millennium of the Common Era, when traveling to and living in the Land of Israel involved significant difficulties and dangers, immigration flow from the Jewish diaspora never ceased. Many of the greatest rabbis settled with their families and students in the Land of Israel throughout this period. Regardless of the comforts of the diaspora, the Land of Israel was never far from the minds and hearts of the Jewish people.
One may evoke the words of the great poet of the Jewish Golden Age in the Iberian Peninsula, R. Yehuda HaLevi (c. 1075–1141). In one of his many poems, often called Odes to Zion, he writes: “My heart is in the east, and I am in the furthest away point in the west. How can I find savor in food? How shall it be sweet to me? … How easy would it be to me to leave all the good things of Spain, knowing how precious it would be in my eyes to see the dust of the desolate sanctuary.” And he did leave Spain for the Land of Israel. He passed away in Jerusalem in 1141 shortly after his arrival.
II. The coining of the term Zionism
Though the sentiments of Zionism date back to ancient times, the term Zionism was used for the first time in 1890 by Nathan Birnbaum (1864-1937), an Austrian Jewish publicist. Birnbaum first used the term in his newspaper Self-Emancipation in referring to Jewish national identity and a return to the historical homeland. The coining of the term appeared in the context of a movement aptly named Chochvei Tzion (Lovers of Zion) that appeared in the second half of the 19th century in Central and Eastern Europe and championed a national revival, resettlement of Jews in their homeland, and revitalization of the Hebrew language.
The term itself originated from the Hebrew Bible. In the strict sense, Zion refers to a hill in Jerusalem. Over time, however, the word Zion gained a broader symbolic significance, representing the Jewish people’s connection to the Land of Israel. One can find references to Zion in this broader sense in Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Yoel, Zachariah, and other Jewish scriptures.
III. Forerunners of modern Zionism
The formation of modern Zionism at the end of the 19th century culminated in a century of intellectual and practical endeavors. Several influential figures were instrumental in laying the groundwork for the movement. They were:
• Rabbi Yehuda Bibas (c. 1789–1852): A Sephardic rabbi from Gibraltar, he was an early advocate of Jewish immigration to Israel. In 1839, he traveled across Europe promoting mass resettlement in Israel and the establishment of a Jewish society.
• Rabbi Yehuda Alkalai (1798–1878): Another Sephardic leader, he advocated for Jewish political independence and settlement in Israel. In his 1834 work Shema Yisrael (Hear Oh Israel), he proposed the setting up agricultural colonies and the reviving of Hebrew as precursors to the Final Redemption.
• Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Kalischer (1795–1874): He regarded the return to Israel as part of the divine redemption process. His 1862 work Derishat Zion (Seeking Zion) called for Jews to take practical steps to prepare for national revival and hasten the Messiah’s rival.
His ideas linked traditional beliefs with nationalist aspirations.
• Moses Hess (1812–1875): A German philosopher and socialist, Hess argued in his book Rome and Jerusalem, published in 1862, that Jews constituted a distinct nation and needed a homeland in Israel for cultural renewal. His views resonated with secular Jews seeking a national response to antisemitism.
• Sir Moses Montefiore (1784–1885): A British philanthropist, he invested in improving conditions for Jewish communities in Israel, and in setting up agricultural colonies to support Jewish autonomy and self-sufficiency.
• Leon Pinsker (1821–1891): A physician from Odessa, he initially advocated for assimilation. Later, after violent pogroms in Russia, in his book Auto-Emancipation, published in 1882, he argued that Jews could only find safety through a national homeland.
• Judah Leib Gordon (1830–1892): A poet of the Jewish Enlightenment in Russia, he saw Jewish sovereignty in Israel as a solution to persecution and promoted Hebrew and Jewish cultural revival.
IV. The factors behind these early contributions
A range of historical, social, political, and cultural factors influenced the emergence of these early contributions.
• Historical and religious: The Jewish connection to Israel was deeply rooted in religious and historical traditions, and despite centuries of diaspora, the spiritual bond with the land was always present.
• Nationalism: In the 1800s, Europe saw a rise in nationalist movements emphasizing self-determination for ethnic and cultural groups, an environment that fueled Jewish aspirations for a homeland.
• Antisemitism and poverty: For Eastern European Jews, rising antisemitism and living in poverty reinforced the desire for a safe and autonomous Jewish nation where they could build a better future.
• Emancipation and the Enlightenment: Western European Jews experienced increased rights and sense of cultural identity. Yet discrimination remained, which led to questioning assimilation as a viable solution and supporting the notion of a separate Jewish nation.
V. Ideological currents in early Zionism
Reflecting the broad spectrum of views in these early contributions, Zionism, though unified by the aspiration for a Jewish homeland, encompassed various currents:
• Political Zionism: Advocated by Theodor Herzl (1860-1904), it aimed to secure international support for a Jewish state. This vision led to the First Zionist Congress in 1897 and created a framework for the Zionist movement.
• Labor Zionism: A socialist-inspired movement, it emphasized building the Jewish state through agricultural labor and communal settlements aiming for a just society rooted in collective work.
• Cultural Zionism: Led by Asher Ginsburg (1856-1927), it focused on the revival of Hebrew and of Jewish cultural life and identity, envisioning Israel as a spiritual center for Jews worldwide.
• Revisionist Zionism: Founded by Ze’ev Jabotinsky (1880-1940), it promoted a militant, nationalist vision, a robust military presence and the expansion of the borders to both sides of the Jordan River.
• Religious Zionism: Figures like Rabbi Abraham Kook (1865-1935) viewed Zionism as a sacred duty to restore Jewish life in Israel in preparation for spiritual redemption.
VI. Conclusion
The 1800s marked a transformation of Jewish ancestral yearning for Zion into a structured movement that balanced ancient devotion with modern political aspirations.
A fusion of spiritual yearning, cultural revival, and response to antisemitism, it laid the foundation for the establishment of the State of Israel in the 20th century.
Rabbi Shlomo Pereira is the director of adult education at the Chabad of Virginia, Richmond. He can be reached at shlomo@chabadofva.org.
SYSTEMIC ISSUES AT CUNY
By Gideon Askowitz
SYSTEMIC ISSUES AT CUNY
By Gideon Askowitz
During the past year, college campuses across the country have been beset with protests, violence, threats of violence, and discrimination against Jews.
After Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization, attacked Israel on October 7 2023, New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) empowered Judge Jonathan Lippman, former Chief Judge of New York and Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, to review antisemitism and discrimination more broadly inside the City University of New York school system (CUNY). His report, released on September 24, 2024, has raised many eyebrows.
The New York Times coverage of the report focused on Judge Lippman’s recommendation for a complete overhaul of the discrimination reporting system at CUNY, but implied that the problem of antisemitism was not - in fact - widespread. That claim is heavily misleading, and ignores the main takeaway of his report.
While Judge Lippman did say that there are “few incidents of physical violence,” he very clearly emphasized the seriousness of the pervasive nature of antisemitism at CUNY. For example, Lippman observed that “Some of the schools … had a significant number of reported incidents of antisemitism,” adding later that “schools with backlogs of complaints are more likely to become safe havens for perpetrators of antisemitism and discrimination.”
Moreover, his research revealed that the collection methods of the schools studied were so confusing that he and his attorneys had difficulty navigating the discrimination report portal. According to the report, “[i]t is unreasonable to think that the average student, faculty member, or employee can navigate the investigative process on their own.” Lippman concluded that given the difficulty in navigating the system, it is more than likely that reports of antisemitic conduct are underrepresented in the antisemitic databases. Thus, the problem of antisemitism is likely more pervasive than originally thought.
The Times’ assessment of the report failed to recognize this central takeaway. Moreover, Lippman clearly implicated the major failings of CUNY at the hands of the Chief Diversity Officers (CDO) at each campus, whose responsibility is to investigate antisemitic incidents.
At the same time, the judge reported that many of these CDOs were either unaware of relevant civil rights laws pertaining to Jews, or disagreed with established laws defending Jews. As the report notes, “chief diversity officers must be trained on the requirements of the law and cannot gauge the propriety of conduct based on their personal views of what constitutes antisemitism. They must be guided by what the law applicable to CUNY dictates - even if that involves applications or interpretations of a definition of antisemitism with which they disagree.”
This is a shocking takeaway - that the very people whose job it is to know discrimination law are unaware of the law, and disagree with the ways in which it applies to Jews. Lippman further said that “CUNY would be well-advised to consider whether future investigations of hate in any form should continue to reside within individual school diversity offices.”
Considering that this June, the US Department of Justice found that CUNY has a history of improperly investigating similar discrimination cases, the judge’s observations and advice in this regard are spot on.
Hochul’s directive to implement Lippman’s suggestions is welcome, but what people think that some formal training on antisemitism will suddenly cause these CDOs to care about our complaints? As the report has shown, many have willfully ignored us and will likely continue to do so regardless of the mandatory training they receive. Chief Diversity Officers are part of the problem, not part of the solution.
Jewish students need help, and with increasing certainty, we know it will not come from our schools. We must now look either to more forceful action from federal, state and local leaders.
Gideon Askowitz is a CAMERA Fellow and an alumnus of the Hertog Political and Constitutional Studies Programs. He also regularly appears on Fox News to discuss politics and antisemitism. This article was originally published in the Algemeiner Journal.
Global Warming Is My Fault, And I'm Sorry
By Isha Yiras Hashem
Global Warming Is My Fault, And I'm Sorry
By Isha Yiras Hashem
It’s late November, and my kids are complaining that there hasn’t been a single snowfall. To them, snow transforms the world into a magical wonderland of sledding, snowmen, and forts. To me, it means icy roads and white-knuckled drives.
I only started driving after our second child was born. Now, as the children search the sky for even a hint of snow, I find myself whispering a counter-prayer: please G-d, not today. Not when I have to drive. Perhaps these prayers are why it hasn't snowed, which would make it my fault. Sorry!
Is there really a change? It’s not just their imagination; there’s been a real shift. Boston has lost more than 30 days of winter snow cover since 2000. Long winters are long gone.
But not everyone sees this as a net negative. David Friedman, an economist and physicist, suggests that global warming could make some areas more habitable for humans, giving us new spaces to live in. Northern permafrost might melt into fertile farmland, and new regions could become livable. This might be comforting for people anxious about global warming.
Personally, I look for comfort in the Torah’s words. After the Flood, G-d promised Noah, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease.” It’s a reassurance that while climates shift, the fundamental rhythms of the world remain under Divine care. Through changing climate, we can trust that the cycles of this world are still intact.
And what a world it is!
Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking once marveled at how the laws of the universe seem perfectly fine-tuned to allow life to exist. For example, Earth sits perfectly in the “Goldilocks Zone.” Everything is just right. If Earth were a bit closer to the Sun, we’d overheat like Venus; a bit farther, and we’d freeze like Mars. It’s as if an All-Powerful Being carefully positioned Earth exactly where it needed to be.
Our atmosphere is another marvel. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explains that without it, Earth would be as inhospitable as the Moon - baking in heat during the day, freezing at night, and exposed to cosmic rays. The atmosphere does more than sustain life; it protects us from the universe’s harsh realities.
And what about the Moon? Without the Moon’s steadying influence, Earth would wobble like a spinning top, causing chaotic and unpredictable shifts in its axis. This would lead to extreme climate changes, making it nearly impossible for complex life to survive. The Moon’s gravitational pull keeps Earth’s tilt stable, ensuring consistent seasons and a climate balanced enough to support life. It’s not just a beautiful fixture in the night sky - it’s a critical stabilizing force.
Beneath our feet, Earth’s molten core spins, creating a magnetic field that shields us from harmful cosmic radiation. Without it, Earth’s atmosphere could be stripped away, turning us into another Mars. This magnetic shield is a quiet protection, but it’s absolutely essential for life to exist.
Water, too, is uniquely designed for life. Most substances get denser as they freeze, but water expands, causing ice to float. This floating ice forms an insulating layer, allowing life to survive beneath it during winter. If ice sank, our oceans would freeze solid from the bottom up, and life as we know it might never have emerged. It’s one of those little quirks of the universe that makes life possible.
And these aren’t just coincidences. They’re part of a delicate system, each piece woven into the fabric of our world to sustain life. While it’s important to take care of our planet, we can also marvel at the design behind it all. These patterns remind us that this world wasn’t an accident.
Snow or no snow, our existence rests on a chain of Divine miracles. And that is the real comfort: the same intelligence that crafted these systems with such precision hasn’t stopped watching over them - or us.
Isha Yiras Hashem is the pseudonym of Tzipora Zuckerman, a wife and mother in Boston. Subscribe to https://ishayirashashem.substack.com/ to read more warm and humorous articles about Judaism, family, and spirituality.
Why We Rallied For the Ceasefire Resolution
By Arnaud Amzallag
Why We Rallied For the Ceasefire Resolution
By Arnaud Amzallag
My wife and I are parents of four in Brookline, Jewish and Israeli. We both personally knew people living in the Gaza envelope who were killed on October 7. We also discovered in horror that our teachers, who we hoped were held captive, had in fact been killed that day. But we have known from the beginning that there is no military solution. Indeed, the only procedure that freed a significant number of hostages was a ceasefire and a negotiated hostage exchange.
Also, the scale of destruction in Gaza (unprecedented, especially the number of children killed or amputated, which multiple news outlets and humanitarian organizations have claimed is higher than any in modern history), continues unabated. This is done with American support, with a real influence on the military operations.
That is why we support a ceasefire resolution. It is a humanitarian emergency to stop the massacre in Gaza led by leaders wanted for crimes against humanity by the ICC, who are also destroying our independent judiciary branch in Israel.
The resolution simply calls for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid and the release of the hostages. And so last week, we gathered with The Brookline Peace Coalition around a table of baklava to distribute a flyer explaining our support for the resolution.
We have been called names for this, accused of being terror supporters, or paid by a foreign entity to promote an antisemitic agenda, or useful idiots of antisemites. It has opened our eyes to the Islamophobia and the anti-Palestinian racism around us.
It may be more difficult for our Muslim neighbors to fend off the baseless accusations of antisemitism that we, as Jews, can brush off as ridiculous and due to a bigoted ideology that we are fundamentally different from our Muslim neighbors, not part of the same (American) people.
The argument that a debate at Town Meeting would be divisive is playing into this bigotry over discussing the trauma and distress of some of our constituents – as if we can only think in a tribal way, in Brookline, Massachusetts, based on our background or religion.
The BPC is proof that we are better than this, capable of compassion and complex thoughts. And therefore, we should not remain indifferent to the astonishing scale of suffering inflicted on innocent civilians, and call on our elected officials to act within their powers to stop the ongoing war.
“As a Jew whose mother grew up witnessing her father desperately try to get relatives out of Europe to escape the growing horrors the world would soon know as Nazi death camps, I could not remain silent about the horror unfolding in Gaza.”
Shoshanna Ehrlich of Brookline
the gift of freedom
By Rabbi David Starr
The Gift of Freedom
By Rabbi David Starr
A few scattered thoughts as I wait for the pumpkin pie to be served.
Ironically, or not, oftentimes the people with the least possess the greatest capacity for giving thanks. Precisely because they recognize how precious life is. The fact that there is something rather than nothing, the fact that we woke up today, the fact that we have health and that we live in a time when medical science does so much to preserve our quality of life, the list goes on and on of the blessings we receive.
Judaism recognizes that by gently reminding us that the first thing we pray when we get up in the morning is to say thankful am I for the gift of life G-d gives to us.
Personally, I am thankful not just for the blessings of life or health of family and friends, but also the blessing of being Jewish. Recently my congregation celebrated my rabbinate. My own journey to the Jewish people began at a dark time in my life, following the death of my father and the illness of my mother.
Out of that loss and hardship and trauma emerged opportunity. I found community, which did not replace my parents, but it added something of infinite worth to my life professionally and personally. I became a rabbi because I realized that I loved the Jewish people and that I wanted to spend my life working with and for them. That gift enriches my life. I always feel that the Jewish people have given me much more than I have given it.
I’m also thankful for and mindful of the gift of freedom. Not everyone on this planet is free, but I am in terms of social class and also in terms of the country in which I live.
This month of Kislev contains the beautiful holiday of Hanukkah, which commemorates a specific moment in Jewish history, the struggle of the Maccabees to resist extreme assimilation and anti-Judaism at the hands of the Syrian Greeks. More generally, it celebrates the centrality of freedom in life.
Freedom sounds good, but like most good things it takes a lot of work to understand and to live. My freedom means that I must acknowledge the freedom (or lack of it) of others. We’ve just been through a painful election in America that shows on one level the enduring power of freedom, but it also shows how difficult it remains for many of us to acknowledge the legitimacy of other people with other points of view.
Judaism, like any vibrant civilization, struggles with notions of unity and diversity. Some of us believe that the Jewish people in the state of Israel matter the most in Jewish life. Others of us believe that the Torah and Judaism matter the most. It’s not easy to love and embrace fellow Jews, as brothers and sisters, even as we passionately disagree with them. Loving and fighting: we need to do both at the same time.
Since I’m a historian I’ll end on a historical note. We can all work harder to become more grateful. History promises us nothing. If we look back a century to 1924 we see that we have gained so much by way of medicine, science, technology and politics. We should also remember the remarkable creation and success of the state of Israel in 1948.
Here in America, remember that a country that still observed Jim Crow segregation in 1924 not so long ago elected its first president of color, and that our country in general is much more diverse today than it was prior to World War II.
On the other hand, our challenges feel deeper and more dangerous and resistant to solutions. Our planet is warmer and sicker than it was a century ago. Our children spend more time with technology than they may with one another. Democracy and freedom remain fragile and hard to sustain.
All of which reminds us that we will have to continue to work hard to take best advantage of our freedom. The struggle to build a better world fit for the G-d who gave us life continues.
Happy Hanukkah.
Rabbi David B. Starr, Ph.D. is the rabbi at Congregation Mishkan Tefila, Brookline.
Hanukkah: A Story of Light, Resilience, and Service
By Lino Covarrubias
Hanukkah: A Story of Light, Resilience, and Service
By Lino Covarrubias
The story of Hanukkah resonates deeply with me as a veteran of 22 years in the U.S. Navy. And it is a story that not only reverberates within the Jewish community but also as a universal tale of resilience, faith, and the triumph of light over darkness.
This eight-day celebration commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Maccabee warriors – an extraordinary group of individuals who, against all odds, stood up for their beliefs, reclaimed their sacred space, and reasserted their right to live as Jews. Their victory over the vastly superior Seleucid army is a testament to the enduring spirit of those who dare to fight for their values, faith, and freedom.
Drawing inspiration from my recent Veterans Day message (read the reflection at JFSMW.org) and trip to Normandy, France, I see profound parallels between the story of the Maccabees and the service and sacrifices of military veterans, both ancient and modern.
Standing on the shores of Omaha Beach, where 770 Allied soldiers gave their lives on the first day of the D-Day landings, I was struck by how acts of extraordinary courage ripple through history, creating opportunities for peace and renewal. Just as the victory of the Maccabees ensured the survival of Jewish traditions, the sacrifices made at Normandy laid the foundation for a world striving toward freedom and justice.
Hanukkah’s themes of light, faith, and resilience carry a timeless message of hope. At Jewish Family Service of Metrowest (JFS), we draw upon these values to guide our mission of service. Jewish tradition calls us to remember the experience of being strangers in a foreign land - a history that binds us to the plight of immigrants, refugees, and marginalized communities. Like the Maccabees, who sought not only to reclaim a physical temple but also to protect their spiritual identity, JFS works tirelessly to empower vulnerable populations, helping them find safety, dignity, and a renewed sense of belonging.
The menorah’s light, rekindled through the miraculous eight-day burn of a single day’s worth of oil, symbolizes the persistence of hope even when resources seem scarce. Today, JFS strives to be a beacon of light for those facing hardship, from immigrants and asylum seekers to veterans adjusting to civilian life to older adults needing care and to Jewish families needing assistance. Just as the Maccabees demonstrated courage and faith, JFS stands committed to advocating for those whose struggles echo the historical search for safety and freedom.
Hanukkah reminds us that every act of service, sacrifice, and compassion contributes to building a world illuminated by hope and peace. As we light the menorah, we honor the bravery of the Maccabees, the sacrifices of those who fought on the beaches of Normandy, the continued conflicts to bring peace to Ukraine and Israel and the ongoing work of creating a community where all can thrive. Let us carry forward the light of Hanukkah, embracing our shared duty to bring hope and resilience to those in need.
To a Hanukkah of light, hope, and peace.
Lino Covarrubias is CEO of the Jewish Family Service of Metrowest.
History or Memory
By Rabbi Jessica Lowenthal
History or Memory
By Rabbi Jessica Lowenthal
Throughout my life I have often heard the phrase “Jews don’t have history – we have memory.” It is our intense memory of events that occurred thousands of years ago that has allowed us to maintain our culture, even as we have continuously been scattered around the world.
There is a Napoleonic legend about our long memory. The version most often told is that Napoleon was passing by a synagogue on Tisha B’av and heard such intense wailing that he sent his aide to see what was going on. His aide returned and explained that the Jews were mourning the destruction of their Temple.
Napoleon was outraged and asked when and where this took place. The aide said that they lost their Temple in Jerusalem on this day 1700 years ago. Napoleon was quiet for a moment and then responded, “certainly a people which has mourned the loss of the loss of their Temple for so long will live to see it rebuilt!”
While this probably never happened, it reflects the importance we have long placed on embodying our history. Our entire Passover Seder is an experiential education program, where we use our senses to come as close to the story as possible. Sukkot asks us to remember our years of wandering by living within a hut, even sleeping in it if possible. All of these are tried and true methods to keep our stories alive within us and pass it from generation to generation.
Hanukkah, however, is different.
While we all know the basic story of Hanukkah – a small group of Jews rose up against their oppressors and, against all odds, won back their independence – our tradition does not attempt to enhance that story. We do not re-enact the battles, we do not read about the martyrs. The books of the Maccabees were purposefully excluded from the Jewish Bible, and the Talmud barely mentions the fighting. We created a new story, one where the miracle did not necessarily take place on the battlefield but within the Temple.
Our discomfort with this piece of history seems confusing at first glance. We have other holidays that commemorate rebellion where we do not shy away from the messy reality of war. So why is Hanukkah so different?
The Rabbis who decided the Canon of the Hebrew Bible and those who began the Talmudic process were all still living under Roman rule. Promoting a rebellion against an existing empire who still holds your community's fate in its hands is a very bad idea. In fact, many Rabbis of this generation tried their hardest to get their communities to ignore the holiday. But much like today, Hanukkah had taken root in people’s memories and refused to let go. Perhaps even more so because of their continued occupation by Rome.
The failure of the Rabbis to erase Hanukkah led them to compromise, to minimize the war as much as possible and promote a G-dly miracle that was safer. Thus the story of the oil was promoted to the main stage with the rebellion on the side.
Even when it was dangerous, the Jewish memory held firm against diminishment and erasure. Our community's determination to celebrate shows in almost every generation. The dreidel itself was invented as a distraction for the illegal study of Torah. Whenever the soldiers would come to make sure no studying was going on, the students would hide the Torah under their dreidel game, pretending they were just gambling.
We hear tales of converso families who had forgotten their roots but still had the tradition of lighting their heirloom candlesticks on Friday night. I study with students who have only one Jewish grandparent, were raised without any religious connection, but who immediately connect with Judaism once they are exposed. It is as if their soul wakes up from a deep sleep, yearning for something they didn’t know was missing.
I truly do believe in the Jewish soul, that somewhere in our core are the memories of our ancestors. That the reason we so often feel a deeper connection to our history is because we are carrying those memories down through the generations. Our Jewish pride, and pain, feel fresh no matter how many centuries have passed.
This Hanukkah, let us embrace the holiday not because it is “Jewish Christmas"” (which it absolutely is not) but because it is Hanukkah, a holiday that has enlivened our communities since the very moment the battle was won. Light the candles, fry everything you can think of, and embrace the tradition of rebellion, especially when we probably shouldn’t.
Rabbi Jessica Lowenthal was ordained in June 2019 from Hebrew College. She now serves as the Rabbi at Temple Beth Shalom in Melrose.
Daily Rollercoaster
By Julie B. Mendelsohn
Daily Rollercoaster
By Julie B. Mendelsohn
Rakevet Harim. This is how you say rollercoaster in Hebrew. It describes the feeling of daily life in wartime, getting good news followed by horrible news, seeing tragedies and then miracles. In the days of insta everything, 420 days may be too long to hold the attention of people who aren’t actually living it. But we are still in the middle of a full-fledged war, and unimaginably, our 101 hostages are still in captivity, so let me give you a sense of life in Israel today.
The day begins as you check the news, praying there won’t be any announcements from the IDF spokesman that begin “Allowed for Publication” and end with the names and pictures of beautiful young (and not so young) soldiers who were killed the day before in Gaza and Lebanon. Sometimes there are civilian casualties on the home front, from all religions and ideologies, Israelis, foreign workers, and tourists. Each one is an entire world. Sometimes you know them personally, or you receive an email from your son who says the soldier was a friend. On Erev Rosh Hashanah, my son lost three fellow soldiers. Three families who had already set the table for the holiday received the worst news of all. Some days we have great achievements on the battlefield and other days unbearable losses – often both in one day. We have lost so many good people. Their sacrifice must inspire us to be a better and stronger nation.
In many places, the daily routine involves taking cover from a barrage of incoming rockets several times a day. The firing zone has expanded since I last wrote, and we are now in it. The first time I heard a siren, it was a shock. Of course, I knew about the sound, but when you actually hear it, it sends your body into fight or flight mode, trying to remember what to do, and how quickly. The genius of the Home Front Command app is that it is very precise. If you are in an area that might be hit by a drone or a missile or shrapnel from our interceptor, your phone starts lighting up and shaking and a siren sounds. You have between 15 to 90 seconds to get to shelter. The first time, the dog didn’t come in, but stood outside the blast door barking for ten minutes. Now, he hears the siren and runs straight into the safe room – imagine – a dog who knows how to follow the Homefront Command’s instructions.
A siren during the shofar blowing at Rosh Hashanah sent us running for the exits – the small safe room in the synagogue was enough for the elderly and the moms with little kids. The rest of us sprinted to the public shelter, while looking up at the booms and smoke in the sky. The next few sirens happened as we were waking up –a rude alarm clock. When the Iranians attacked with 300 ballistic missiles (twice already) the entire country sat in shelters for an hour. Miraculously, no one was harmed.
In our area (unlike the pummeled and evacuated far North), people try to get on with life. Children walk to school, laughing, eating popsicles, talking on their phones or discussing the Talmud. Haredi kids, secular kids, everyone together. There is no place in the country that the rockets can’t reach, but we keep going.
The other day, I was cooking for soldiers (still) when my phone starting blinking and buzzing. In the safe room, my husband and I talked about our crazy reality. We agreed that America would tolerate this for about 10 minutes before blowing up whatever country the rockets were launched from. We too pray that we can defeat our enemies completely, preferably with the help of the civilized world. It’s a lot for one tiny nation to handle the world’s evil alone.
Exiting the safe room, it was time for tennis carpool. I hoped there wouldn’t be a siren while I was driving. Then you have to pull over carefully and get out, run 10 meters away and lie flat with your hands on your head for 10 minutes. People do this on the highway – every day, with little babies. My soldier son tells me projectiles hit the ground and shoot up at a 45 degree angle so lying on the ground is very safe. Good to know.
I have a roller coaster of emotions. I can rightfully be angry at everyone who made decisions in the last 15 years – the intelligence services, army leaders, prime ministers past and present. Their decision to ignore emerging threats means that my children and their friends must now fight this fight. I’m so proud of our kids. Their generation has spent the last 400 days on duty, with little rest and difficult conditions. And if I get angry then what about G-d? I know that nothing happens without a reason. G-d has a plan and I might not understand it. This is an integral part of my faith.
I get in my car. I feel steady. I will do my best in every situation to react calmly for myself and others. There is no other option. I have to rely on my emunah, my sense of humor and infinite bits of wisdom I’ve collected throughout my life from ancestors ancient and modern, from the words of the holy Torah to that little rock on my grandmother’s desk that said “G-d give me serenity to accept the things I cannot change.” Somehow, even with all the challenges, we feel safe and secure because unlike a thief who has to sneak around, we Israelis are 100% confident in our right to be here, from Biblical times through today. This is our land. We walk proudly, sporting Jewish symbols, laughing in Hebrew, celebrating holidays and performing mitzvot.
I hope that soon I’ll be writing about peace with Saudi Arabia or Lebanon, or the end of the axis of evil. In this season of miracles, anything is possible.
Julie B. Mendelsohn lives in Israel and Vermont. She has degrees from the University of Michigan, Harvard Law School, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Haifa. In addition to raising a family, spinning and weaving, she also works as a lawyer for Holocaust survivors, and studies the Daf Yomi (daily Talmud page). She made Aliyah in 2009.
A Surprisingly Crucial Advocate for Public Menorah Displays
By Susie Davidson
A Surprisingly Crucial Advocate for Public Menorah Displays
By Susie Davidson
As we enter the season of latkes, jelly donuts and menorahs both small and giant, accompanied by outdoor nightly candle lighting ceremonies, guess who we just might have to thank for that last one. Hmm...some group of rabbis that lobbied lawmakers to allow them to be publicly displayed? No. A Jewish organization that pushed for the same cause? Nope.
Would you believe, Bernie Sanders?
Indeed, it was. A Chabad.org blog post entitled Some More Info on Bernie Sanders and Judaism details how Sanders, while mayor of Burlington, Vermont from 1981-89, allowed and defended Chabad’s menorah to be displayed. Very nice, but was that the end of it? Nope. The matter wound up going all the way to the Supreme Court.
“Sanders’ involvement in a Vermont case may have had a significant role in the 1989 US Supreme Court decision to allow Chanukah menorahs to be displayed on public property across the US, research conducted recently by Chabad-Lubavitch reveals,” a 2016 Jerusalem Post article recounted during Sanders’ presidential run.
“In the 1980s and early 1990s, Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries introducing public menorah displays faced opponents claiming that the Jewish displays violated the US Constitution’s separation of church and state clause,” the article explains. That happened in Burlington in December, 1983, after Chabad emissaries to Vermont Rabbis Yitzchak and Zeesy Raskin went to Sanders’s office to request permission to light an 8-foot-high menorah on the steps of City Hall. Raskin also invited Sanders to light the menorah, and he accepted.
“The Sanders administration welcomed these requests, and granted full permission, but was immediately confronted by the American Civil Liberties Union, which complained that the menorah in a public space violated the Establishment Clause of the US Constitution, which prohibits placing religious symbols on public property if it results in promoting religion,” the Post continues.
The executive director of the ACLU’s Vermont chapter then threatened to sue the city, stating that “such religious symbols should not be displayed in front of public buildings, because they give the impression of government endorsement of religion.” City Hall received calls that suggested that since Sanders, as well as then-governor Madeleine Kunin were Jews, they were likely more in favor of a menorah than a creche. McNeil denied that charge.
The ACLU suit went through in June of 1988, and Sanders and his administration defended their position in court.
And a miracle happened there. Just days before Chanukah 1988, US District Judge Franklin S. Billings Jr. ruled in favor of the Burlington menorah.
“Sanders and his administration’s involvement in the case contributed to opening the path for the US Supreme Court decision in the Allegheny v. American Civil Liberties Union case, in which the court considered the constitutionality of two recurring holiday displays located on public property,” the article continues, as it then adds another angle to Sanders’ somewhat surprisingly robust backing of the Chabad cause.
“The Chabad-Lubavitch research showed Sanders had expressed, back in the 1980s, strong admiration for Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the last Lubavitcher Rebbe, who died in 1994,” the Post article reveals. “Sanders joined the national Education Day held annually on Schneerson’s Hebrew birthday, and proclaimed the Education Day in Burlington in honor of the rabbi’s 81st birthday in 1983, and 83rd birthday in 1985.”
And Schneerson wrote a letter thanking Sanders for that decision, which Chabad.org retrieved. “In the letter, addressed to ‘The Honorable Bernard Sanders,’ the rabbi wrote: ‘I sincerely appreciate your thoughtfulness in designating this Education Day in honor of my birthday. I trust that your action will stimulate greater awareness of the vital importance of education, not only among all your worthy citizens, but also in the State of Vermont.’”
“The research sheds new light on Bernie Sanders’ role, as mayor of Burlington from 1981-1989, in defending Chabad’s menorah, which in turn garnered an extraordinary amount of media and advocacy attention to the menorah cause, helping to catapult the public menorah and the Chanukah holiday to great prominence in the U.S.A. and even abroad,” the Chabad blog post states.
“Sanders recited the blessings and lit the Menorah’s candles at Burlington’s first-ever public Chanukah Menorah lighting. Defying significant pressure from political peers, Sanders strongly supported the Chabad-Lubavitch Public Menorah and directed his administration to defend it in court. The early and strong support from the Sanders administration played a significant role in the now widespread phenomenon of public Chanukah Menorah celebrations countrywide.”
Susie Davidson, a longtime contributor to various news outlets, is the copy editor of Shalom Magazine.
‘Tis the Season, or Not?
By Lew Finfer
‘Tis the Season, or Not?
By Lew Finfer
December is always a good month for family and holiday events like Chanukah. But it’s also been grim on so many other fronts – the election, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Ukraine, Sudan, to unfortunately name just a few.
We know our country is very divided, but hopefully it will not be hopelessly so forever. Many fear what President-elect Trump will do, after his narrow victory, to deport immigrants, pass untold benefits for the rich, cut programs for the poor, persecute the media, his opponents, LGBTQ and trans people, and others among his targets.
Yes, we must talk to Trump supporters and hear why they support him and how they are hurting. And see if we can have them consider all the things he promised to do, and ask if they believe those are all the right things to do.
Regarding the situation in Israel, Hamas killed 1200 on October 7, mostly Jews, but also some Palestinians, Muslims and Christians. 728 Israeli soldiers have died since then, and there are 97 remaining hostages. Some 200,000 Israelis have been displaced from their homes in the north and south because of Hezbollah’s attacks and continuing Hamas attacks. All of this suffering will reverberate for generations.
However, 44,000 Palestinians have been killed and 104,268 wounded of which two thirds are civilians, including women and children. Most buildings in Gaza have been demolished or battered, and thus, Israel has created over 1 million homeless Palestinian refugees in their own home areas. Food and humanitarian aid have also been scarce.
And there have been countless attacks by West Bank settlers upon West Bank civilians (according to the Nov. 16, 2024 Times of Israel, settler violence has killed over 716 West Bank Palestinians since Oct. 7, 2023), and yes, some Palestinian attacks on West Bank settlers as well. As of this writing 3500, including 271 children, have died in Israel’s war in Lebanon; some are Hezbollah fighters, but a lot are not. This is all shameful.
Because of these statistics, Israel is now seen as a pariah state by many citizens and countries around the world. The damage resulting from how so many view Israel and Jews will last for generations. Antisemitism is never, ever justified. But, let's face it, Israel's conduct in these wars has created an increase in antisemitism, which ultimately victimizes Jews.
Meanwhile, half of Sudan’s people, some 25 million, have experienced severe food shortages. Over 11 million have been displaced by their civil war. We can't forget the 2003-2005 genocide in Darfur in Sudan which, according to the online Holocaust Encyclopedia, resulted in an estimated 200,000 civilian deaths. Terrible times have risen again there, and in other parts of Sudan.
Reuters reports that as of Aug. 31, 2024, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has documented at least 11,743 Ukrainian civilians killed and 24,614 wounded since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, although these numbers are likely far higher. Despite Putin’s relentless war crimes, Russia now seem headed toward a hard peace, with Putin getting what he wants. President Trump will not give Ukraine the support President Biden has.
Out of its population of 41 million, only about 150,000 Jews live in Ukraine at present (prior to World War II, there were 2.7 million Jews in Ukraine). We know what happened in World War II, and that’s why there are so few there now. A grandfather and three uncles of Ukraine’s valiant President Zelensky fought against the Nazis in World War II.
To me, the war in Ukraine bears some similarities to the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. With the backing of Hitler and Mussolini, General Franco’s army coup against the elected democratic Spanish government won, while Britain, France, and the US sat it out.
Delegations of people from many countries volunteered as soldiers to defend the Spanish government and people. They included the Abraham Lincoln Brigades from America, and almost one-third of them were Jews. The US Army called those Americans who fought in the Spanish Civil War “premature anti-fascists” – but it is never premature to fight fascism.
In his preface to L’Espagne Libre (1946), the French novelist and French Resistance member Albert Camus said, “It was in Spain that [my generation] learned that one can be right and yet be beaten, that force can vanquish spirit, that there are times when courage is not its own recompense. It is this, doubtless, which explains why so many, the world over, feel the Spanish drama as a personal tragedy.”
Of course, even amid the current global situation and especially in this season, many can still find happiness and friendship, and countless acts of caring and heroism.
Lew Finfer, a Harvard University affiliate and former leader of the Massachusetts Community Action Network, is a Dorchester resident and current Director of the Massachusetts Action for Justice.
the Walnut Street synagogue
By Tom Barth
Explore Unique American Jewish Communities With the Walnut Street Synagogue
By Tom Barth
Following the High Holidays, the historic Walnut Street Synagogue of Chelsea launched a four-part online series, Four Lesser Known American Jewish Communities. The first session, held in November, was a visit to New Mexico to learn about the Crypto Jews who have lived there for centuries. Three programs remain.
The series continues on Wednesday, December 18 at 7 p.m. with a virtual trip north to Alaska. Alaska was purchased from the Russian Empire only 154 years ago, but the Jewish contribution to the development of Anchorage and Alaska in general is remarkable. In fact, the first mayor of Anchorage was Jewish , and also, the decision to purchase Alaska was a Jewish idea.
The local guide will be Rabbi Levi Glitsenstein, who nine years ago joined the team of the Alaska Jewish Campus and Museum in Anchorage, a home for Jewish life, history and culture in Alaska that serves the growing Jewish community.
Next will be an online trip to a warmer climate on Wednesday, January 15 at 7 p.m. with a visit to Hawaii. Jews are first mentioned in Hawaii in 1798, with notable early sugar plantations and commercial activity and King Kalakaua’s German-Jewish Attorney-General. Larry Seth Steinberg, who oversees historic records and artifacts at Temple Emanu-El in Honolulu, will be the guide.
The series concludes on Wednesday, February 19 at 7 p.m. with a virtual visit to Puerto Rico. Ernesto Rivera Pardo will speak about how a few families who connected by shared customs and a profound spiritual bond to Torah, came together to reclaim their Jewish identity. Ernesto was born and raised in Puerto Rico and is a leader of Abraham Shalom Synagogue in Ceiba.
This series is made possible by a grant from the Congregation Ahabat Shalom Religious Fund and other generous donors.
The Walnut Street Synagogue was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. All are welcome at no charge, but advance registration is required. For more information and to register, please visit walnutstreetsynagogue.com/u-s-travel-series. Contact the synagogue by email at info@walnutstreetsynagogue.com with any questions.