Dear
Readers,
These columns began on my area of America Online, called: Judaism
Today: Where Do I Fit? People anonymously
sent me E-Mail, and I began to choose one for a public response
in my Jewish E-Mail of the Week column. The column has become
quite popular and is now syndicated internationally in many
Jewish papers and websites. I hope you find they help you
as you think about the Ethics, Spirituality and Peoplehood
components of the Jewish way of Life. I welcome your
comments... see the end of the column.
Gil
PS
Teachers and others, feel free to copy my columns and forward
them or use them as you see fit. Please see the friendly
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God,
Israel & the World Trade Towers
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Dear
Gil:
As
I sit here at my computer writing this
e-mail after leaving Temple early on
this first day of Rosh Hashanah, I
feel an unbelievable sense of anger. I
am not a religious person. I basically
go to temple on three days each year.
After the recent events at the WTC I
really felt the need to go to shul
today.
Before
coming to our congregation, our Rabbi,
who was born in the USA, moved to
Israel to marry and have a family. He
is very pro Israel, and constantly
reminds us of the need to help Israel.
At
our service we sang America, followed
by Hatikvah. When the time came for
the Rabbi's speech he spoke about the
tragedy last week and also about what
Israel has been going through during
the past year. In our congregation, we
have 2 members who each just lost a
close relative to terror..one in
Israel and the other in NY. They were
both recognized during the service.
What
I remember most about the Rosh
Hashanah service is the constant
praising of God. Why don't we ever get
angry with God for what he has allowed
to happen? I cannot reconcile these
reactions that I am feeling. The Rabbi
made an impassioned plea for members
to buy Israel Bonds, and then we sang
Hatikvah once again.
What
about the United States of America? We
live here, and we love this Country.
After mentioning that the greatest
number of people killed in the WTC
attack last week were Jewish, he did
not ask member to donate anything
toward the relief fund. I find this to
be reprehensible. This man ought to go
back to Israel, because he shows no
love for this country.
I
feel much better that I have gotten
this off my chest. I don't know if
this letter is printable, but I am
certain that many other people feel
the same way.
P
Dear
P:
The
horror of the attacks on the US is
beyond words. One of the few things we
have been able to articulate is our
anger. Personally, since the attacks,
I am finding that in general I am
angrier than normal. I am ashamed to
say, I have even been short tempered
with my kids...though they do not
deserve it.
And
so, may I suggest that I am not sure
your anger directed toward your rabbi
is fair. I would guess he feels
devastated by what happened to our
country and cares deeply about
America. From what you described,
America's suffering was clearly a part
of your service and his thoughts. I
could not tell you why he did not say
anything about fund raising for
American's victims, but I know many
Jewish organization are doing just
that.
Perhaps
your rabbi feels as I do, that the
visciousness, cruelty and aims of the
terrorist attacks in America and
Israel have much in common. I have
been distressed for 11 months about
terror inflicted on Israel's citizens
and how this terror has destroyed
hopes for peace. And now, these
attacks on the US only accentuate my
thoughts and emotions about the
inhumanity of terrorists and their
disregard for life and peace.
These
attacks for me (and probably your
rabbi) have felt similar as I have a
strong love for both the US and
Israel. We are in the same boat in so
many respects. Former Prime Minister
Bibi Netanyahu pointed this out in a
recent TV interview when he said:
"These
militant Islamics don't hate America
because of Israel. It's the other way
around. They hate Israel because of
America. They see [Israel]- by the
way, correctly -- as an outpost of
common values, our common values of
freedom. They hate that freedom. They
hate our way of life. They hate our
respect for individual rights, our
ideas of free choice, our free
society, our free press. They think
all of that is Satanic. It has to be
disposed of. They call [America] the
big Satan. [Israel] is only the little
Satan...They want to destroy America
in their mad fantasies, or at the very
least, to bring it to its knees."
I
agree with Netanyahu and suggest that
Americans, Jewish and gentile take his
words to heart. America and all other
civilized countries are in this battle
together....at least we should be.
President Bush in his address to the
country noted that terrorists and
despots loathe America for our
freedoms, because freedom is a threat
to their attempts to control and
dominate others. He is correct.
As
for anger with God. You are not the
only one. People of all religions are
now hungering for answers and
guidance. I take comfort in our Jewish
tradition giving us permission to be
angry with God, to question God to
argue with God. What role does praise
play? A good question, that I don't
have room for here but suggest you
broach with your rabbi.
In
fact, I recommend you ask your rabbi
to have coffee or lunch with you to
discuss all that you have shared with
me. I'm guessing that if you only go
to shul three times a year, you don't
know each other well. Both of you
could learn a lot by honestly
listening to each other. We can never
afford for Jews to be angry with other
Jews ...but especially now we must be
united.
FYI,
you may find my recent column helpful
as it speaks further to some of the
issues you have raised. It is called:
The Day America Was Awoken, (article47.html).
Thank
you for writing and Shana Tovah!
Gil
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© Copyright Gil Mann
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