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Post by louise on Nov 30, 2023 0:23:41 GMT -5
What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.
Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:
Frieda (hopefully)?
Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy
And for those of you that stop by to read this thread without posting — you are welcome to, but you are also welcome to chime in. Don’t be shy!
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Post by louise on Nov 30, 2023 0:27:28 GMT -5
Chuck Schumer had a piece in the NYT this week called What American Jews Fear Most.
“The solidarity that Jewish Americans initially received from our fellow citizens in the aftermath of Oct. 7 has since waned, drowned out by other, more disturbing voices, even from some we considered allies, while hate crimes against Jews have skyrocketed. Today, too many Americans are exploiting arguments against Israel and leaping toward a virulent antisemitism. The normalization and intensifying of this rise in hate is the danger many Jewish people fear most.”
We know about antisemitism and we know it has been on the rise. He tells about his own family history and some of the incidents that have been reported of late, including a teacher in Queens having to hide in her locked office because students were demanding she be fired in response to her going to the rally in DC. Jewish students on campuses have been harassed, businesses vandalized and harassed. He goes on to say:
“But when criticism against Israel is allowed to cross over into something different — into a denial of a Jewish state in any form, into open calls for the very destruction of Israel, while at the same time the self-determination of other peoples is exalted — that is an example of the discriminatory double standard Jewish people have always found so hurtful. And we worry about what could come next.”
There’s more but that's the main thrust of it. It’s not just the antisemitism but the call for Israel’s decimation. What he hopes for for Jews he hopes for for Palestinians as well. To quote him again:
“Americans are stewards of the flames of liberty, tolerance and equality that warm our melting pot and make it possible for Jewish Americans to prosper alongside Palestinian Americans as well as every other immigrant group.”
I hope he is correct that Americans can still be the stewards of these healing flames. We are living in a scary and confusing time for sure. He ends with a resounding “yes” that America can do this.
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lee058
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Post by lee058 on Nov 30, 2023 8:25:23 GMT -5
Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well and SAFE! Please pray for Israel.
Re today's topic: I was moved by what Chuck Schumer had to say, here and elsewhere (the Washington Post and MSN quote him a lot). Every day I feel more sickened and upset at the stories about how Jews and Israelis in particular have been treated. Recently, I've read stories about how Israeli women in captivity have been treated, and it has made me ill. I don't know what else to say; just that it is horrible.
I am grateful that my family decided to come to the USA, but desperately sorry for those who couldn't or didn't.
Try to have a peaceful day despite all this going on, Lee
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brgmsn
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Post by brgmsn on Nov 30, 2023 9:04:25 GMT -5
Every one of us can write our representatives on a daily basis to let them know we expect their unwavering support for Israel and getting the hostages home. We can donate to causes that help innocent victims of the violence.
Text ISRAEL to 24722.
We can do something.
We can support Jewish businesses, here and in Israel
We can attend Jewish functions (Chabad always has local large Hanukkah candle lighting ceremonies)
We can get the truth out about the lies the other side is saying about Israel and colonization.
We can join groups that support college kids on campus (Mothers Against College Antisemitism)
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Post by hollygail on Nov 30, 2023 11:51:11 GMT -5
As you know, I attend weekday morning minyan. On "Torah-reading" days when we don't have 10, we substitute a brief Torah study for the Torah service. Today I spoke about the extreme violence Dinah's brothers waged against the men of Shechem because of the actions of one of those men. I followed it up with my deep conviction that Israel absolutely positively MUST wipe out Hamas. And my "P.S." was that it still bothers me when civilians are killed.
I never bought the idea of collateral damage. I understand what it is, and I suppose there are times and places where it's inevitable, but that doesn't mean I have to support it.
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Post by hollygail on Nov 30, 2023 13:34:56 GMT -5
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