Category Archives: Israel

Rabbi Susan E. Lippe writes about Israel – including politics and tzedakah (righteous giving.)

I don’t like talking politics on Facebook.

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But I do want to share my support for BOTH Israelis and Palestinians.

From May 14, 2021:

I am a Zionist.

I also know that the Israeli government and the Jerusalem police are NOT perfect.

I also believe that all of the Israeli people AND all of the Palestinian people deserve safety, freedom, independence, etc.

For me, Zionism means I believe Israel is a legal, vital, contributing part of the global community.

4a. I don’t believe Israel is perfect, but I love her anyway, which is similar to how I feel about the imperfect, racist, sexist, classist USA – the country who took in my two of my grandparents when they escaped from Poland/Russia – and yet still pisses me off almost every day.

4b. I don’t agree with most of the Israeli government and the Jerusalem police, BUT I LOVE my Israeli friends/family. I love Israeli art, food, technology, reproductive freedom, and socialized medicine. I am grateful that there has been a tiny, welcoming place on earth for Jewish refugees from the FSU, Iraq, Ethiopia, and more.

4c. For Jews, loyalty to ANY country is complicated since most countries have one or two events in their history where they treated Jews like garbage and/or tried to kill us. So, nationalism and patriotism are complicated for us.

If you want to unfollow/unfriend me because of any of these above points, please go ahead. I can take it.If you want to discuss Zionism more, that’s cool, but it has to wait until Sunday because I’m going to try to observe shabbat a bit.Shabbat Shalom, Jummah Mubarak, and all the prayers for peace, health, safety, and justice for ALL.

From May 18, 2021;

While a lot of American self-proclaimed human rights activists are busy telling me how to feel about Israelis and Palestinians, the country where we vote is busy dismantling reproductive freedoms, deeming trans rights/health care “child abuse,” and buttressing voter suppression.

I’d prefer that we all be allowed to continue to express our own opinions and feel our own feelings while we 1) respect each other and 2) fight for justice for all in the country where our votes and voices are supposed to matter……….

A discussion is a respectful exchange of ideas. Trying to make someone change their opinion to yours is not an invitation to a discussion. It is an invitation to a conversion.

Side Note – the next FB “friend” who comes to this page to tell me my opinion is wrong or “not liberal” will be treated just like anyone else who tries to silence me. If you want to judge me, that’s fine – but not in the guise of “discussion.”

Feel free to unfriend/unfollow. I promise you – I can take it.

Peace Already. Please.

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This post isn’t about loving Israel, though I do.
This post isn’t about a specific cease fire I’m praying for, though I do.
This post isn’t about picking sides.

Today, I read this sad article, which describes the Israeli citizen response to an arson attack on a school in Jerusalem. The school is the Max Rayne Hand in Hand Bilingual School. Here is their website.

I guess I should be happy that the first thing on the school’s website is a thank you note from the school staff. They thank everyone for the support since the attack and describe how they are progressing in their response and recovery.

A few weeks ago I posted a request on my FB page. I asked for people to post their favorite organizations that brought Jewish Israelis and Arab Israelis together. No one responded. I can think of a few projects, but I wanted to know where other people find hope and inspiration. But there was no response, no hope, no inspiration.

This school is one of the most exciting projects out there.

A few summers ago, a camp friend of mine told me about the Hand in Hand school. She is a teacher at the school. (I’m not mentioning her name here because I don’t want to expose her to arson or any stupid internet hate.) The school is so cool. Here are the first words of their mission: “Building shared society. One school, one community at a time. Our Mission at Hand in Hand is to create a strong, inclusive, shared society in Israel through a network of Jewish-Arab integrated bilingual schools and organized communities.” (Read the rest of their mission here.) This school works with students and families of different backgrounds, different religions, languages, ethnicities, etc. Through meaningful education, this school brings people closer together, closer to peace.

And THAT is why stupid racists lit their classrooms on fire.

Now I’m mad. Usually, I try not to get too mad. Anger erodes my ability to think before I speak. But I’m mad now.

What will I do with this anger? I’m not sure yet, but I wanted to make sure that I told all y’all about it. Mostly, I want you all to know about this amazing school. There are awesome people out there working hard to bring Jews and Arabs together in Israel.

About the arson, I’m not sure what I want to do yet. I’m going to find something productive to do about this. I’m sick of racism. It’s dangerous, in America, in Israel, everywhere. We have to do something big, something different, something soon.