With the momentum I just created for myself with the last post, and given two huge issues at play in the Israeli media (and I suspect more broadly), I want to offer up an analysis.
I get my news in a variety of ways:
One of the big stories at the moment is about Stephen Hawking and his decision to boycott Israel and withdraw his participation from a major conference organized by our President, Shimon Peres. In response to the development of this story, a reply of sorts was printed in The Times of Israel from an Israeli man who is also a sufferer of ALS.
The second big story is that of the Western Wall, the Kotel, and the women's role and space at the Kotel. (There are two links to different sources for info if you are not familiar with the Kotel, I make not claims of supporting either source.) Every Jewish month begins with what is a women's holiday - Rosh Chodesh (head of the month, in Hebrew), a celebration to mark the new month. What has been happening for a while now is that a group of women, including Reform rabbis, have been gathering to read the Torah and celebrate at the Western Wall. This group is Women of the Wall (WOW). There have been arrests for wearing tallitot and tefillin and for carrying the Torah. And now there is backlash in the Israeli media from Orthodox and Haredi women. Here is an example, and another one from one of the founders of a different group Women For the Wall. It was a big day for Women of the Wall on Friday - the news is out now (I'm glad I left this post in edit mode for a few days!) that instead of arresting them, the police protected them. And the Haredim acted despicably. By no means is this issue settled, but a major step was taken this past Friday.
In my analysis, what it all boils down to, but doesn't boil down to just this, is the question: Do we try and find ways to collaborate and build each other up with the goal of creating a better, happier, safer, healthier, more just world, or do we spend our time trying to prove the other side wrong and break them down while breaking their will so that they will submit to our ways? Both of these situations call for an effort of coming together, of finding a common ground from which we can go forward. Why doesn't this occur to both sides of both conflicts?
And this is where I find myself stuck - where to go next? How can we get people to understand that we have to dig deeper into ourselves, look critically at the issues at hand, and find that common ground? Frankly, finding the common ground in the above two situations isn't so hard. Maybe it isn't so hard in most situations - we just have to have our eyes open to see it.
I get my news in a variety of ways:
- what I hear and understand on the radio when I happen to hear the 2-5 minute newscast in Hebrew at the top of the hour
- what my friends post to Facebook (which is really quite diverse, I have an amazing array of friends who read all manner of great news sources, thank you!)
- what I read in bits and pieces at The Times of Israel on my own
- what I read in bits and pieces at The New York Times also on my own
One of the big stories at the moment is about Stephen Hawking and his decision to boycott Israel and withdraw his participation from a major conference organized by our President, Shimon Peres. In response to the development of this story, a reply of sorts was printed in The Times of Israel from an Israeli man who is also a sufferer of ALS.
The second big story is that of the Western Wall, the Kotel, and the women's role and space at the Kotel. (There are two links to different sources for info if you are not familiar with the Kotel, I make not claims of supporting either source.) Every Jewish month begins with what is a women's holiday - Rosh Chodesh (head of the month, in Hebrew), a celebration to mark the new month. What has been happening for a while now is that a group of women, including Reform rabbis, have been gathering to read the Torah and celebrate at the Western Wall. This group is Women of the Wall (WOW). There have been arrests for wearing tallitot and tefillin and for carrying the Torah. And now there is backlash in the Israeli media from Orthodox and Haredi women. Here is an example, and another one from one of the founders of a different group Women For the Wall. It was a big day for Women of the Wall on Friday - the news is out now (I'm glad I left this post in edit mode for a few days!) that instead of arresting them, the police protected them. And the Haredim acted despicably. By no means is this issue settled, but a major step was taken this past Friday.
In my analysis, what it all boils down to, but doesn't boil down to just this, is the question: Do we try and find ways to collaborate and build each other up with the goal of creating a better, happier, safer, healthier, more just world, or do we spend our time trying to prove the other side wrong and break them down while breaking their will so that they will submit to our ways? Both of these situations call for an effort of coming together, of finding a common ground from which we can go forward. Why doesn't this occur to both sides of both conflicts?
And this is where I find myself stuck - where to go next? How can we get people to understand that we have to dig deeper into ourselves, look critically at the issues at hand, and find that common ground? Frankly, finding the common ground in the above two situations isn't so hard. Maybe it isn't so hard in most situations - we just have to have our eyes open to see it.
Thoughtful post, Rachel.
ReplyDeleteThe situation with Dr. Hawking is highly unfortunate, but I think it's also hard to categorize. Hawking has traveled to Israel multiple times in the past, and he has acknowledged that Israeli-developed technology helps him to communicate. I don't know what his position is regarding broader attempts to boycott Israel, which I find vile, but he certainly does not seem to be the "Israel-hater" that some reactionaries are now painting him to be. Had he attended the conference, he said he would have used it as an opportunity to criticize Israeli policy in the West Bank, and I wish that he had taken that approach rather than this one. I can only assume that he felt by not attending the conference at all, he could create a greater impact. When certain musicians announce that they will not tour in Israel, it creates a few headlines but little else. When one of the most highly respected minds of our time makes a similar announcement, perhaps he hopes it will lead to real change. I hope it does too, but I wish he could have done it in a different way because he also risks rejection of his opinions on the matter and a shutting down of dialogue rather than respectful communication and consideration.
The events happening now at the Kotel, on the streets, and in the corridors of power give me some renewed hope for a place that I only recently came to pay much attention to, but have quickly grown to feel quite passionately about. I wish I could be there to see some of these events unfold with my own eyes.
In the meantime, here's one of my favorite speeches from last year's President's Conference.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ04-0-bE_g
Thanks Channing. I think that what it all really comes down to - Professor Hawking, musicians, the Kotel situation, is that we have to look at ourselves critically and ask "am I trying to be constructive or destructive?" and I think that all too often the answer is destructive. What I find troubling and have a hard time processing is how we have come to be inherently destructive. How can we make the switch to being constructive?
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