Posted on May 2, 2025 by Rabbi David Katz
On Sunday voting for the 39th World Zionist Congress ends. If you haven’t cast your ballot yet, you should. It only takes a few minutes to vote #3, the Reform slate, and it costs only $5.
A week ago Wednesday the Jewish world observed Yom HaShoah: Holocaust Day. This past Tuesday night was Yom HaZikaron: Israel’s Memorial Day. Yesterday Jews held celebratory events around the world for Yom Ha’atzma’ut: Israeli Independence Day.
It’s what happened on Monday that should give us concern. Right wing extremists stormed Beit Samueli, a Reform synagogue in Ra’anana, a town of between Tel Aviv and Netanya. The perpetrators injured 3 participants and 4 police officers. The program that evening was a joint effort by Jews and Palestinians to peacefully observe Yom HaZikaron.
An article in “The Times of Israel” described the chaos in this way: “Demonstrators threw objects and firecrackers at the building, forced their way inside, and assaulted participants. After backup officers arrived, event attendees were evacuated in small groups, surrounded by police, who pushed through the crowds of some 200 protestors. Some said demonstrators attacked their vehicles as they left, damaging the cars and causing injuries.”
This is an outrage. If you care about Israel – if you care about the very soul of Israel, and want to make a difference, and you haven’t already voted in the WZO election, do it now.
Reform Jews must be protected from right wing religious fanatics. Innocent West Bank Palestinians must be protected against murderous settlers. The hostages must be brought home and Hamas must be destroyed but every strategy towards these ends must be according to the highest Jewish ethical values.
What was the moral failure that caused the destruction of the Second Temple? Said the Sages, it was “Sinat Chinam,” a “free-will hatred” that filled the air.
Today the Jewish people must live up to its own high standards.
L’shalom,
Rabbi David Katz
