Me too. I'm secular/ agnostic almost atheist. I feel a draw to go too and find myself cutting ties here or ppl are with me. I only worry about getting my dogs on El Al. π
Iβm a Christian, and believe it is supernatural and coming from G-d. Isaiah 11:12 βHe will raise a signal for the nations and assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.β May you be blessed!
The first few months of the war I fought with myself daily about going back. I have a home and obligations here in America, yet I only wanted to return. They are our people, our family. Thatβs our tribe.
I agree! Islamistβs are the wolf in sheepβs clothing. Stupid Countries like Britain have welcomed them in. The useless Labour government is utterly desperate for the Muslim votes. They are totally despicable!
Yes, and the leaders of Britain may have a civil war on their hands. When a citizen can not say the words "I love bacon" loudly in public or raise their nation's flag, there's a serious problem.
I agree! I am living through it! Itβs a war zone. Our Prime Minister is evil beyond belief! I have NEVER seen such hate for a government in my life. We are on the brink!
Oooooh!!! I didn't know you are there! Wow. First hand account. I do hope the Patriots make headway. I don't know what recourse you guys have? It's so eerie. As if China owns your gov't or do the Islamists?
Most of Western Europe thanks to open borders have Islamic no go zones which are centers of anti Semitism and are unsafe for their Jewish residents and potential Jewish and Israeli tourists and residents
Human Nature was always Dark. Laws and strong societies keep the Dark-side in check. Periodically the murderous and deceitful side of humanity breaks out. This will be true forever, sadly. The result is War and Mayhem. Jews and The Jewish People are certainly Not alone and certainly not uniquely the target of this violence, though it might seem like this is so. I have successfully sought Solidarity across the World, against Nazism, and we have had major success! We won against both Nazis and The State. So take heed and take heart. I do not fret about antisemitism, because although War, and Human Nature is not pretty, in fact we have won. For we are now strong.
In the western world, Jews are known to be humanitarian. The hypocrisy of those of the western cultural persuasion to hold Jews to significantly higher standards than the rest of the world. This makes it obviously that, deep down, they KNOW that Jews are on a higher plain than the others.
But this is not the most nefarious part:
Among Muslim clerics of the fanatical, semi-fanatical, and even semi-semi-fanatical stripe, KNOWING that Islam REQUIRES Muslims to destroy anyone who is not Muslim, or even of the same sect of Islam as they, and establish a Muslim caliphate. These are the faithful Muslims, doing what their Allah told them to do.
So, they have repeatedly attacked Israel, being told each time that Allah would give them victory. So far he has failed them.
Now, they are going to take the matter into their own hands through "soft jihad." If they can become the majority of the population, they will be able to take over semi-non-violently (though of course, it is still their law to kill infidels).
And to do this? The instructions given them by the clerics tell each man (and, supposedly, woman) to produce as many children as possible.
But there's a problem with this: When they have more children than they can possibly afford to feed, they expect hand-outs from the rest of the world. As we, in our beliefs in LOVE an LIFE, do. Because we feel too guilty not to (tikkun olam).
And the "guiltification" they force on Jews through their rhetoric, Ms. Emanuel said it correctly in this article: Only Israel is held to the higher standard by which they have to feed their attackers.
The Russians do not have to feed th Ukrainians (though, if you know the history of the Holodomor, you know that they are expecting Ukraine to serve as their breadbasket again while Ukrainians starve.
Pakistan feels no urge to feed Indian Kashmiris. Of course, the Pakistanis are Muslim and the diverse Indian populace is (generally) not.
I am forcibly reminded of a time 8ish years ago when Trump was claiming that we would build the southern border wall, and we would get the country/countries to the south to foot the bill (presumably through tariffs).
Islam wishes to rule the world, and get the infidels to foot the bill and feed their legions of Muslims.
Iβm a diaspora Jew who stays in Israel twice a year because am Israel chai and half of my family live there. I agree with all you say and have experienced the same feelings. You are not alone in your strengths and confusions
It's true. I know young people who had a bar mitzvah at a Reform synagogue and know next to nothing about Judaism, neither its stories nor its history. However, some of them have turned against Israel.
On the other hand, regarding your reference to idolatry, I almost always feel uncomfortable in a synagogue service because of the unexamined references to destroying idols and to all other Gods being false. We Hindus have paid a high price for this view of things. Jews did not destroy our images and temples, but Muslims, drawing the idea from the Jewish Bible, did, and Christians did in other countries. I think Jews should explicitly change their views on this matter when referring to actual icons and the Gods and Goddesses of other religions.
Ruth, the Jews being against other Gods--that is for JEWS. Jews have, from the very beginning, respected and left other religions alone and never sought or forced any converts. The only time they waged war on another religion was in the beginning of Israel, thousands of years ago, when the Jews went into the land and found pagans committing human sacrifice of babies and people-- and they put an end to that. Also, in Judaism, you DO NOT have to be Jewish to be "holy." Anybody of any religion is "holy" if they ACT holy (do not murder, treat other people well, etcetera). So no worries--Jews do not want to destroy your beliefs or Gods/idols. Indeed, in Israel, Christian AND Muslim holy sites are protected, and Israel values good relationships with all religions. The rules you hear in synagogues are rules for the Jews: Don't worship other Gods and idols or make any, and believe in Judaism.
Thanks. Maybe Muslims and Christians misunderstood it by universalising it. βIdolβ is such a negative word in English that I feel uncomfortable hearing it, thatβs all.
Yes, Muslims and Christians are totally different. Christians in the past forced conversions everywhere they went, and even slaughtered themselves over differences in which version of Christianity should be practiced. And when Jews would not convert--well, it was the start of antisemitism. Christians have over the centuries, reformed, and though they seek converts, they do not slaughter people who do not believe. Muslims--same type of history, and they hate the Jews the most because the Jews were approached by Muhammad directly and when the Jews would not accept him as their god, he ordered them slaughtered and in the Quran, there are plenty of mentions of the need to STILL slaughter the Jews--as well as any other "infidel" they find along the way. THE PROBLEM IS--most of the world's Muslims STILL are stuck in the barbaric medieval beliefs that they must slaughter all non-Muslims (and millions of other Muslims who they disagree with as well). And this is why we have the spread of Muslim terror in the world, their constant chants of more death, etc. There is a huge effort underway, led by Muslims in the United Arab Emirates and in the Middle East and around the world, to "reform" Islam and force the religion to modernize and co-exist with other religions. It is a big job and will take time, but this is exactly what is happening in the world right now.
Let us start the process of Tikkun Olam right here at home in Israel, then the Jews of the diaspora before we try to influence other nations. Many of us seem to forget our miserable history at the hands of our enemies.
Excellent article. Hard to read, the insanity of it all. The "Israel" that didn't exist ere 1947 couldn't save Jews from the Shoah.
Now we are a country, albeit unacceptable to those who judge us far more severely than countries which deserve way more "attention". We can't help who we are, how we came to be, and what we aspire to. We were formed by our experiences, and despite our internal political differences, we will fight back and more.
Everything is spot on. The world is going crazy bc thereβs a mass of cowardice which invariably means a chunk of people are going to get dragged into the conformity of the times. Cancel culture is the root because thereβs an undercurrent that the in groupβs views are acceptable and everything else isnβt. Yes thereβs some pushback but not enough if you can rationalize jailing a woman with kids for over a year for an angry burn it down tweet when from the river to the sea globalize the intifada is a constant refrain. Then some guy who threatens to slit the throats of perceived right wing protestors is not guilty. The two tier justice that makes no consistent sense is inflated in the case of Israel. The Gaza war is not the worst event transpiring by any metric but not only is it held up as an unjust war but narratives are weaved into it that if true would not require outright lies. If you have to use photos of kids from Yemen and sick kids whatβs the reality? The deranged part is they WANT famine. The un wants to use Hamas food delivery police and why? Bc they trust them? Or bc the un itself has been full of Hamas aligned employees and the ones who arenβt just like Hamas would sacrifice Gazans for the cause. Itβs been said a zillion times Jews are the canaries in the coal mine. They get the first finger pointed at them but never the last. Itβs always worth mentioning that Roma and intellectual dissidents and β unfit β people were executed along with Jews and as norm McDonald put it it was Hitler versus THE WORLD.
Also circulating is jabotinskys famous essay. Donβt pull out your pockets for people whoβve accused you of thievery bc they think all Jews are thieves. Save it for a rational open minded audience.
Free Palestine is a cheap version of heil Hitler for Hamas and itβs a cheap version of F the patriarchy which is ironic given the wonderful female equality in this environment, itβs a cheap version of down with the west by spoiled ignorant buffoons bathing in the freedoms and bounty of the west.
Palestine couldβve been freed so many times itβs easy to lose count. Gaza is unfree and not bc of Israel. Freedom is not the goal and is the wrong word. But from the river to the sea and globalize the intifada are too harsh for most western sensibilities. Free Palestine has to go with it. There has to be some sense of good. You want me to excuse this pathetic mob from comprehending the meaning of the word FREE. I donβt. Bc Israel even with its checkpoints and intrusions and limits has never been half the threat to freedom for Gazans and Palestinians as their own governments and peers.
In the United States "Tikun Olam" is an obsession of Reform Judaism. They think it means pursuing "social justice" as defined by Democratic Party doctrine. Whether this helps anyone or makes things worse doesn't enter into their thinking. In modern times it means promoting ideas and movements that are not only antithetical to Jewish ideas but dangerous to Jews.
It seems that there are 2 definitions of morality, The biblical definition of the Sanctity of Life is the moral foundation of western (Judaic/Christianity) and democratic entities, birthing Tikkun Olam. The biological inheritance of Striving to be Superior is the foundation of all the wars, ending up with Kings, Queens, Emperors, Caliphs etc. To this group it's their definition of Morality and Honor to be Superior. Being Inferior is inherently and automatically supreme Shame and Humiliation. Here it is better to die with Honor than live in shame. Being Superior is often more motivating than hate and jealousy that are also motivators.
This text represents the widely spread reflection of the misconception that these few years of prosperity and peace great parts of the world - by far not all - have experienced were the "normality". Creatures and apparitions like Putin, Hamas, Trump, Hitler, Mussolini etc. have always been the "normality", the favourite of the "majority".
Any progress had to be enforced and fought for the hardest way against these "majorities", their lies, their complete incapacity for any rational insight.
People like "the jews" and their culture were and are a rarity: THAT IS "why" they always have been fought, persecuted and killed, because they withstood the "normality" and "majority".
One of the greatest misfortunes of "modernity" is that, incredibly, the "opinions" of this pack of "majority" and "normality" are perceived as "democratic"/the result of "democracy": a dramatically disastrous misjudgment
Only very slowly, vaguely here and there, is there a realization that this tyranny of "majorities" is among the most totalitarian and anti-democratic imaginable.
Perceiving that the world has always been broken and that this is "normality", is "confronting evil at its roots".
NO, we donΒ΄t need even MORE "unity", we need to accept and enforce controversy and dispute with the "normal" dullness of the "Crown of Creation".
Iβm almost completely secular and from where I sit it looks like all Jews are being drawn back to the holy land. It seems super natural.
Me too. I'm secular/ agnostic almost atheist. I feel a draw to go too and find myself cutting ties here or ppl are with me. I only worry about getting my dogs on El Al. π
Iβm a Christian, and believe it is supernatural and coming from G-d. Isaiah 11:12 βHe will raise a signal for the nations and assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.β May you be blessed!
Ty! π₯°
I visited Israel for the first time in the spring of 2022, I was 61 years old.
The pull that I feel today is very real and very strong.
Iβve been told that Judaism is made up of three things, a religious belief, Peoplehood and living in the land of Israel.
Iβm not very religious, though grew up conservative.
While in Israel I felt the importance of Peoplehood while watching people sing songs and dance in the streets.
The connection was incredible.
I felt the importance of the land as I looked down on the Temple Mount from the Mount of the Olives.
I understood the importance of the walls surrounding Old City Jerusalem.
Like I said, the pull is very real and very strong.
The first few months of the war I fought with myself daily about going back. I have a home and obligations here in America, yet I only wanted to return. They are our people, our family. Thatβs our tribe.
I agree! I simply canβt understand why Christian Countries are no longer supporting you. π’
I agree! Islamistβs are the wolf in sheepβs clothing. Stupid Countries like Britain have welcomed them in. The useless Labour government is utterly desperate for the Muslim votes. They are totally despicable!
Yes, and the leaders of Britain may have a civil war on their hands. When a citizen can not say the words "I love bacon" loudly in public or raise their nation's flag, there's a serious problem.
It is shocking! Motorists were arrested today for honking their horns in support of protesters. We are desperate!
I agree! I am living through it! Itβs a war zone. Our Prime Minister is evil beyond belief! I have NEVER seen such hate for a government in my life. We are on the brink!
Oooooh!!! I didn't know you are there! Wow. First hand account. I do hope the Patriots make headway. I don't know what recourse you guys have? It's so eerie. As if China owns your gov't or do the Islamists?
We are building it! The atmosphere is like a tinderbox
π€― God be with youππ π»π¬ (I say this as an agnostic but I still hold hope lol
Too many Islamist immigrants stirring it up, running for office, or those in office who prostitute themselves for Muslim votes.
Most of Western Europe thanks to open borders have Islamic no go zones which are centers of anti Semitism and are unsafe for their Jewish residents and potential Jewish and Israeli tourists and residents
Criminal activity must cease and criminals imprisoned or deported!
They are unconsciously driven by Jew-hatred, of which they have a history almost as long as Christianity itself
Christian countries have had a good relationship with Israel. Itβs the disgraceful leaders that occupy these posts now. Itβs disgusting!
Unconsciously, and most times--quite consciously.
The United States does.
Iβm mortified by the vitriolic antisemitism reaction of some who call themselves Christians.
Human Nature was always Dark. Laws and strong societies keep the Dark-side in check. Periodically the murderous and deceitful side of humanity breaks out. This will be true forever, sadly. The result is War and Mayhem. Jews and The Jewish People are certainly Not alone and certainly not uniquely the target of this violence, though it might seem like this is so. I have successfully sought Solidarity across the World, against Nazism, and we have had major success! We won against both Nazis and The State. So take heed and take heart. I do not fret about antisemitism, because although War, and Human Nature is not pretty, in fact we have won. For we are now strong.
In the western world, Jews are known to be humanitarian. The hypocrisy of those of the western cultural persuasion to hold Jews to significantly higher standards than the rest of the world. This makes it obviously that, deep down, they KNOW that Jews are on a higher plain than the others.
But this is not the most nefarious part:
Among Muslim clerics of the fanatical, semi-fanatical, and even semi-semi-fanatical stripe, KNOWING that Islam REQUIRES Muslims to destroy anyone who is not Muslim, or even of the same sect of Islam as they, and establish a Muslim caliphate. These are the faithful Muslims, doing what their Allah told them to do.
So, they have repeatedly attacked Israel, being told each time that Allah would give them victory. So far he has failed them.
Now, they are going to take the matter into their own hands through "soft jihad." If they can become the majority of the population, they will be able to take over semi-non-violently (though of course, it is still their law to kill infidels).
And to do this? The instructions given them by the clerics tell each man (and, supposedly, woman) to produce as many children as possible.
But there's a problem with this: When they have more children than they can possibly afford to feed, they expect hand-outs from the rest of the world. As we, in our beliefs in LOVE an LIFE, do. Because we feel too guilty not to (tikkun olam).
And the "guiltification" they force on Jews through their rhetoric, Ms. Emanuel said it correctly in this article: Only Israel is held to the higher standard by which they have to feed their attackers.
The Russians do not have to feed th Ukrainians (though, if you know the history of the Holodomor, you know that they are expecting Ukraine to serve as their breadbasket again while Ukrainians starve.
Pakistan feels no urge to feed Indian Kashmiris. Of course, the Pakistanis are Muslim and the diverse Indian populace is (generally) not.
I am forcibly reminded of a time 8ish years ago when Trump was claiming that we would build the southern border wall, and we would get the country/countries to the south to foot the bill (presumably through tariffs).
Islam wishes to rule the world, and get the infidels to foot the bill and feed their legions of Muslims.
Tikun Olam today outside of the Tefilah of Aleinu means the woke agenda which is virulently anti Israel and anti Semitic
It means getting to do the "cool" stuff and skipping the work of Judaism. Work not woke.
Sweating the details is what HaShem wants and what counts on every thing we do not grandiose dreams with no connection to reality
Thank you for sharing words of truth . We know our story and need to stand proudly against hate and lies
Iβm a diaspora Jew who stays in Israel twice a year because am Israel chai and half of my family live there. I agree with all you say and have experienced the same feelings. You are not alone in your strengths and confusions
It's true. I know young people who had a bar mitzvah at a Reform synagogue and know next to nothing about Judaism, neither its stories nor its history. However, some of them have turned against Israel.
On the other hand, regarding your reference to idolatry, I almost always feel uncomfortable in a synagogue service because of the unexamined references to destroying idols and to all other Gods being false. We Hindus have paid a high price for this view of things. Jews did not destroy our images and temples, but Muslims, drawing the idea from the Jewish Bible, did, and Christians did in other countries. I think Jews should explicitly change their views on this matter when referring to actual icons and the Gods and Goddesses of other religions.
Ruth, the Jews being against other Gods--that is for JEWS. Jews have, from the very beginning, respected and left other religions alone and never sought or forced any converts. The only time they waged war on another religion was in the beginning of Israel, thousands of years ago, when the Jews went into the land and found pagans committing human sacrifice of babies and people-- and they put an end to that. Also, in Judaism, you DO NOT have to be Jewish to be "holy." Anybody of any religion is "holy" if they ACT holy (do not murder, treat other people well, etcetera). So no worries--Jews do not want to destroy your beliefs or Gods/idols. Indeed, in Israel, Christian AND Muslim holy sites are protected, and Israel values good relationships with all religions. The rules you hear in synagogues are rules for the Jews: Don't worship other Gods and idols or make any, and believe in Judaism.
Thanks. Maybe Muslims and Christians misunderstood it by universalising it. βIdolβ is such a negative word in English that I feel uncomfortable hearing it, thatβs all.
Yes, Muslims and Christians are totally different. Christians in the past forced conversions everywhere they went, and even slaughtered themselves over differences in which version of Christianity should be practiced. And when Jews would not convert--well, it was the start of antisemitism. Christians have over the centuries, reformed, and though they seek converts, they do not slaughter people who do not believe. Muslims--same type of history, and they hate the Jews the most because the Jews were approached by Muhammad directly and when the Jews would not accept him as their god, he ordered them slaughtered and in the Quran, there are plenty of mentions of the need to STILL slaughter the Jews--as well as any other "infidel" they find along the way. THE PROBLEM IS--most of the world's Muslims STILL are stuck in the barbaric medieval beliefs that they must slaughter all non-Muslims (and millions of other Muslims who they disagree with as well). And this is why we have the spread of Muslim terror in the world, their constant chants of more death, etc. There is a huge effort underway, led by Muslims in the United Arab Emirates and in the Middle East and around the world, to "reform" Islam and force the religion to modernize and co-exist with other religions. It is a big job and will take time, but this is exactly what is happening in the world right now.
Excellent essay. Thank you π
Let us start the process of Tikkun Olam right here at home in Israel, then the Jews of the diaspora before we try to influence other nations. Many of us seem to forget our miserable history at the hands of our enemies.
Ella you end on a universal note which dilutes your powerful text. We moral clarity as you state without "buts" inserted into the discourse. No "buts". Only truth and moral clarity. Tikkun Olam has been corrupted and now has become a false idol. Χ’Χ ΧΧ©Χ¨ΧΧ ΧΧ
Excellent article. Hard to read, the insanity of it all. The "Israel" that didn't exist ere 1947 couldn't save Jews from the Shoah.
Now we are a country, albeit unacceptable to those who judge us far more severely than countries which deserve way more "attention". We can't help who we are, how we came to be, and what we aspire to. We were formed by our experiences, and despite our internal political differences, we will fight back and more.
Everything is spot on. The world is going crazy bc thereβs a mass of cowardice which invariably means a chunk of people are going to get dragged into the conformity of the times. Cancel culture is the root because thereβs an undercurrent that the in groupβs views are acceptable and everything else isnβt. Yes thereβs some pushback but not enough if you can rationalize jailing a woman with kids for over a year for an angry burn it down tweet when from the river to the sea globalize the intifada is a constant refrain. Then some guy who threatens to slit the throats of perceived right wing protestors is not guilty. The two tier justice that makes no consistent sense is inflated in the case of Israel. The Gaza war is not the worst event transpiring by any metric but not only is it held up as an unjust war but narratives are weaved into it that if true would not require outright lies. If you have to use photos of kids from Yemen and sick kids whatβs the reality? The deranged part is they WANT famine. The un wants to use Hamas food delivery police and why? Bc they trust them? Or bc the un itself has been full of Hamas aligned employees and the ones who arenβt just like Hamas would sacrifice Gazans for the cause. Itβs been said a zillion times Jews are the canaries in the coal mine. They get the first finger pointed at them but never the last. Itβs always worth mentioning that Roma and intellectual dissidents and β unfit β people were executed along with Jews and as norm McDonald put it it was Hitler versus THE WORLD.
Also circulating is jabotinskys famous essay. Donβt pull out your pockets for people whoβve accused you of thievery bc they think all Jews are thieves. Save it for a rational open minded audience.
Free Palestine is a cheap version of heil Hitler for Hamas and itβs a cheap version of F the patriarchy which is ironic given the wonderful female equality in this environment, itβs a cheap version of down with the west by spoiled ignorant buffoons bathing in the freedoms and bounty of the west.
Palestine couldβve been freed so many times itβs easy to lose count. Gaza is unfree and not bc of Israel. Freedom is not the goal and is the wrong word. But from the river to the sea and globalize the intifada are too harsh for most western sensibilities. Free Palestine has to go with it. There has to be some sense of good. You want me to excuse this pathetic mob from comprehending the meaning of the word FREE. I donβt. Bc Israel even with its checkpoints and intrusions and limits has never been half the threat to freedom for Gazans and Palestinians as their own governments and peers.
When G-dβs created/chosen people decided G-d doesnβt exist, itβs not the world that needs Tikkun Olam! Shalom
In the United States "Tikun Olam" is an obsession of Reform Judaism. They think it means pursuing "social justice" as defined by Democratic Party doctrine. Whether this helps anyone or makes things worse doesn't enter into their thinking. In modern times it means promoting ideas and movements that are not only antithetical to Jewish ideas but dangerous to Jews.
Absolutely! The virtue signaling by the useful idiots among the pro-Palestinian protesters does nothing to help Palestinians.
It seems that there are 2 definitions of morality, The biblical definition of the Sanctity of Life is the moral foundation of western (Judaic/Christianity) and democratic entities, birthing Tikkun Olam. The biological inheritance of Striving to be Superior is the foundation of all the wars, ending up with Kings, Queens, Emperors, Caliphs etc. To this group it's their definition of Morality and Honor to be Superior. Being Inferior is inherently and automatically supreme Shame and Humiliation. Here it is better to die with Honor than live in shame. Being Superior is often more motivating than hate and jealousy that are also motivators.
This text represents the widely spread reflection of the misconception that these few years of prosperity and peace great parts of the world - by far not all - have experienced were the "normality". Creatures and apparitions like Putin, Hamas, Trump, Hitler, Mussolini etc. have always been the "normality", the favourite of the "majority".
Any progress had to be enforced and fought for the hardest way against these "majorities", their lies, their complete incapacity for any rational insight.
People like "the jews" and their culture were and are a rarity: THAT IS "why" they always have been fought, persecuted and killed, because they withstood the "normality" and "majority".
One of the greatest misfortunes of "modernity" is that, incredibly, the "opinions" of this pack of "majority" and "normality" are perceived as "democratic"/the result of "democracy": a dramatically disastrous misjudgment
Only very slowly, vaguely here and there, is there a realization that this tyranny of "majorities" is among the most totalitarian and anti-democratic imaginable.
Perceiving that the world has always been broken and that this is "normality", is "confronting evil at its roots".
NO, we donΒ΄t need even MORE "unity", we need to accept and enforce controversy and dispute with the "normal" dullness of the "Crown of Creation".