Rabbis Message From Israel

Shabbat Shalom from Yerushalayim It is an Erev Shabbat like any other Erev Shabbat during the summer in Jerusalem. The very warm day gave way to cool afternoon breezes which in turn transformed the day into a chilly evening. Strangers greet each other with Shabbat Shalom. The feral cats are feasting on dumpster residues of sumptuous meals of Ashkenazi, Sefardi, and Ethiopian cuisine. You would not know from the serenity of this evening that the world has changed this week. Even as this week I and 130 other rabbis delved into the meaning of Tikkun Olam, of relationships between diverse peoples, and returning the world to its state of primordial harmony, all our assumptions of the nature of the terror threats changed. We assumed that terrorists were the have nots of the Islamic world– poor individuals without hope who were duped by manipulative leaders. We reel in disbelief as we see doctors, sworn by their oath to heal, plan and then implement attacks designed to kill hundreds. Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised How many Nazi leaders had doctoral degrees? Who was the worst of all identified perpetrators of atrocity? It was none other than Dr. Josef Mengele, a doctor turned torturer. The world does not seem to operate by our logical conventions. But I know that the strength of my tradition and the serenity of Shabbat in Jerusalem will not allow me to lose my ideals. I hope you agree.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Ned Soltz