Chancellor Schwartz Shares Her Thoughts on Israel

Each morning during our Shaharit morning prayers, we read Psalm 30, which includes the verse:鈥� 

讛指驻址郑讻职转指旨 诪执住职驻职旨讚执讬之 诇职诪指讞症讜止诇 诇执芝肢讬 驻执旨转址旨芝讞职转指旨 砖址讉拽执旨謶讬 讜址纸转职旨讗址讝职旨专值芝谞执讬 砖执讉诪职讞指纸讛變鈥� 

鈥淵ou turned my mourning into dancing, you changed my sackcloth into robes of joy.鈥� 鈥� 

These words kept reverberating in my head as we learned of the unfolding massacre and kidnapping of countless Israelis by Hamas on the holiday of Shemini Atzeret / Simhat Torah. For at that moment, the precise opposite was unfolding in real time 鈥� revelers dancing through the night at a music festival celebrating 鈥渇riends, love and infinite freedom鈥� became the site of terror, death, and unbounded grief; while in other communities, the joy of Simhat Torah evaporated into sackcloth. 鈥� 

And here we were, thousands of miles away, worrying about loved ones, friends, colleagues, and Israel鈥檚 future. I looked at the special pile of items I was joyfully adding to in daily anticipation of my upcoming trip to Israel, excited to represent 91快播 at the official opening of the National Library of Israel (NLI), where I would also be visiting my children and grandchildren who made aliyah a mere seven weeks ago. They were anticipating their first Simhat Torah in Israel, when they were awakened by a siren, then rockets, as they hurried to their safe room. Today, my eight-year-old granddaughter completed a special school assignment: 鈥淒raw how you are feeling.鈥� What did she share? A self-portrait: a tear-faced girl surrounded by a rocket, a tank, and a blaring siren; above her head the word 注爪讜讘&苍产蝉辫;鈥渟补诲.鈥浓赌赌�&苍产蝉辫;

Hamas murdered or captured Jews from across the spectrum: political views, religious views, left or right leaning, gender, age鈥攏one of it mattered. 鈥� 

Horrific moments like these have been all too frequent in the Jewish experience over the millennia. They take on an added layer of tragedy when the Jewish targets are living in the land of Israel. A Midrash from the Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael speaks of God鈥檚 promise of kindness: 诇讗讜讛讘讬 讜诇砖讜诪专讬 诪爪讜转讬 “To those I love and those who keep my mitzvot鈥� (Exodus 20:6). 

Several interpretations are offered of what kind of people merit this special kindness. According to Rabbi Natan, this refers to all who live as Jews in the Land of Israel. Rabbi Natan explains (I am paraphrasing his views in light of the current situation):  

Ask a Jew in the Land of Israel why she may be murdered tomorrow, and she will tell you, 鈥淔or no more than living here as a Jew.鈥濃�疉sk a Jew why he may die in an explosion, and he will tell you, 鈥淔or nothing more than educating my children in our sacred texts.鈥濃�疉sk Jews why they may be kidnapped and taken hostage, and they will tell you, 鈥淔or nothing more than rejoicing on a Jewish festival.鈥� In other words, those who merited this kindness to the thousandth generation, according to Rabbi Natan, were Jews who were otherwise 鈥渦nremarkable,鈥�: and who did 鈥渦nremarkable鈥� things, except for the fact that they chose to do those 鈥渦nremarkable鈥� things鈥�to live as Jews鈥攊n the land of Israel.鈥赌赌�&苍产蝉辫;

As it was in the second century鈥攚hen Emperor Hadrian severely persecuted Jews who sought to live as Jews in the land of Israel鈥攕o it is today. From the Holy One we learn that Jews living in the land of Israel鈥攏ot only our loved ones, friends, teachers, and those who agree with our religious views or politics鈥攏eed a special measure of love and kindness. I also think of the warm embrace I want to share with our 91快播 alumni living in Israel right now.

And now they all need this love more than ever. 

How might we show that love and kindness?鈥�� 

  • Pray for the return of hostages, the safety of the Israel Defense Forces, the healing of those wounded in body and soul, and the comfort of those grieving loved ones.鈥� 
  • Show your support of 91快播 alumni living and working in Israel.
  • Pay special attention to the needs of those closest to us鈥攕tudents, family, alumni, and Masorti communities. 鈥�
  • Express our closeness and concern to those in our orbits, especially 91快播 students studying in Israel this year, so they know they are not alone.
  • Pray for the welfare of Israel and for the nearly superhuman strength and wisdom that this terrible hour necessitates in its leaders.鈥� 鈥�
  • Give tzedakah: and .
  • And above all, resist succumbing to despair; continue to hold fast to the belief that a better future is possible, even if we do not yet see the path. 鈥���

I won鈥檛 be traveling to Israel this week. Understandably, the NLI is postponing its opening events, and I won鈥檛 get to hug my children and grandchildren. May we and the inhabitants of the State of Israel live to see the day when mourning will again turn into dancing, sackcloth into robes of joy.鈥��