Today, on Shabbos, the front door to the shul was locked. It was an unusual occurrence at this particular shul (another shul for some mysterious reason, never unlocks the front door) and I was bewildered by it. After much investigation, I found that the doors were locked in precaution for reprisals from the incursion of Israel into Gaza, it was done, I was told, for my own protection.
For my protection? Do I live in Gaza? Am I in middle of a war zone? Can there be any less Jewish message than a shul locking their doors on a Shabbos?
Last week, on this blog, I asked the question as to why pro-Israel Montreal Jews don't demonstrate on the street. I went into a huge diatribe as to the message Montreal Jews are sending to Israel and the world by huddling in their ghetto and meeting in their synagogue to support Israel. This week I will not do that.
Jew hating, pro-Palestinian thugs took to the streets a week ago calling for Jihad, Murder and the elimination of Jews (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=6UWPeK-uydk) why did they feel they could march through the streets of peaceful Montreal and scream these hateful, inciteful and offensive slogans, because they knew that the Jews in great numbers would shy away from counter-protest, would shy away from criticizing them and would basically stay away.
This was proven over and over again by the Jewish community. When Hillel brought in Bibi Netanyahu, former Prime Minister of the State of Israel to speak at Concordia, a small riot by the same Arab protesters seen in that youtube video stopped the speech. Even though hundreds of Israel supporters were sitting in the hall waiting for Netanyahu to start speaking, even though Netanyahu himself was ready to show up and deliver his message, the organized Jewish community (who later blamed Concordia) decided it was a security risk. So the peaceful participants at a university were deprived of their program by a few hundred thugs.
Jews are scared. They are scared because the community preaches fear. Jews are scared because in the last decade, the community has invested millions of dollars to build forts and fortresses around our schools, our synagogues and our community centers. The community is scared because the organized Jewish community has consistently refused to speak tough when it comes to Jew hatred. The community is scared because our leadership is scared.
The definition of a leader is one who stand in the forefront and leads. Not one who cowers in their highly protected ghetto and squeaks from behind a podium.
Yassir Arafat, although I hate everything the man stood for, was a leader. He didn't shy away from the Israelis, he didn't shy away from his message that the Palestinians must be a free people living in their own state. As terroristic and repulsive the mass murdering man was, he exemplified everything a leader should be and his people are stronger for it.
In all evil there is a lesson. Yassir Arafat taught us that if you believe you are fighting for is right, then put your body and soul in front of it and fight til the death.
Too many times in Jewish history, Jews hid away in their ghettos. Too many times in Jewish history did Jews cower and hide. Today, we have a strong homeland. Today we are a proud people who should be holding our heads up high and declaring our Jewishness, declaring very publicly our support of Israel, but most importantly declaring that we are not afraid.
I find myself quoting Rabbi Meir Kahane a lot these days. Although some consider him a radical, he did have quite a few things to say about Jewish activism that applies greatly today. At a speech at Brandeis University shortly before his assassination in 1990, Kahane was accosted by Jewish protests calling him a racist and Israel a genocidal state. His response could teach us all a lesson:
"...If G-d forbid we listened to these crazy Jews here, there would be no Jewish state. They suffer from an advanced specific form of Jewish ail, it's called guilt. There are certain kind of Jews who hone guilt to a fine art. They feel guilty about everything, whether we did it, we didn't do it, we are guilty. Remember in Lebanon, in Beirut, Christian Arabs massacred Muslim Arabs, who was guilty? The Jews. Don't feel guilty, they had their opportunities over and over and over again for a state called Palestine and they refused because they believe they could have everything.
So they speak today of moderate Arabs, a more sophisticated version of moderate terrorists, who presumably murder Jews moderately...There is not one Arab speaker who if he came to Brandeis would ever be picketed by an Arab. And know that. They are not riddled with guilt as these people are..."(http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=rrFhiuV-NI0)
19 years later Jews are still racked with this guilt. This is why Federation did not hold their solidarity rally on the streets of Montreal. This is why a small rag-tag group of people who have been standing in solidarity with Israel on a weekly basis for years have beeh marginalized and ignored. This is why Jew haters feel free to march in downtown Montreal unabatted and unapposed screaming Itbach al Yehud (slaughter the Jew). They all know what the Jewish community has yet to figure out..When the rhetoric gets tough, the Jews hide in their synagogues and lock the doors.
When asked on Radio Shalom Montreal why the solidarity rally was being held indoors, deep in the Jewish ghetto, Federation CJA President Marc Gold replied "..It's easier to control the message." Unfortunately, the message that was sent by that rally and the inaction of the Jewish community, is that the Jewish community is weak, scared and in hiding. We are once again lambs waiting for slaughter.
'Itbach al Yehud' (slaughter the Jews) yelled the protesters last Sunday. The Jewish community's collective response...a loud click as they locked their synagogue doors on Shabbos.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Rallies and Gatherings
Yesterday, thirty Palestinian supporters stormed the Israeli Consulate in downtown Montreal demanding the end to the Israeli war against Hamas. They were loud, rambunctious and defiant. The police were forced to physically remove them from the building, where they remained outside causing a media spectacle that was broadcast across the country.
Just a few days before, thousands of Palestinian supporters showed up to a noisy rally downtown. What was supposed to be a one hour gathering, turned into a loud, angry three hour march through downtown streets.
I have to say I'm quite impressed with the fervent vigor of the pro-Palestinian group and their energetic methods to get their message across. I may hate what they say, but I admire their moxie.
In contrast, the Montreal Jewish Community's reaction has been what one can only describe as bizarringly limp. The enemic weekly pro-Israel demonstrations in downtown Montreal has not grown an iota since the current war began. Jews in Montreal, which contrasts with the rest of Canada and the world, have not bothered to take to the streets to support Israel and counter the fervent almost daily anti-Israel debacles. The only scheduled unofficial outdoor response is ironically on Shabbos.
Last night the organized Jewish Community of Montreal held their official response. They organized a strange, drone like indoor rally in a synagogue deep in the heart of the Jewish Community. The event was so bizarre, even the counter demonstrators decided it wasn't worth the effort to show up in any great numbers.
Sponsored by many different organizations, all connected to the local Federation, hundreds of Montreal Jews gathered under heavy security, in the sanctuary of the Beth Israel Beth Aaron synagogue to hear mostly unemotional, well rehearsed speeches from Federation leaders and to take part in what could only be described as a strange "live" webcast from Israel.
When one attends these events, one thinks they are attending an event that will spark some emotion, that will open eyes and that will ignite the passion to support Israel at all costs. The event last night, complete with a table accepting donations in the lobby, was merely a masked fundrasing drive for a new fund Federation set up to help Jews in southern Israel. The speeches, especially the monologues from the "live" webcam address were written by people who apparently took fundraising 101 courses (but missed the lecture on how emotional from the heart addresses tend to raise more money than scripted ones).
The shining moment of the night was a from the heart speech by Rabbi Reuven Poupko who mysteriously addressed the mostly non-existent counter protestors with some advice, basically, if you are going to ignore human rights violations of the world, you have no right to pick on Israel's human rights violations. Somewhat contrived, but quite uplifting within the mundane program of the evening.
In an interview on Radio Shalom Montreal the night before, Federation President Mark Gold said that by holding the event indoors, the Jewish community was not hiding from the counter-demonstrators and the world, he said it "just helps us control the message".
Apparently the message Federation and the Jewish Community were conveying was that when times get rough and Jews are attacked, we'll make speeches of a podium in a synagogue. The message they coveyed last night was that Jews have given up taking to the street, Jews have given up self-defense and self preservation, Jews have given up organizing smart loud demonstrations. Jews are once again lambs who will run to their stables whenever trouble emerges.
Quite sad if you ask me. I remember when Montreal was the hotbed of Jewish activism. I remember attending, along with thousands of other Jews, rallies in support of the release of Jewish Russian dissidents, in support of Israel and for the release of Jonathan Pollard. Apparently the days of Jewish activism in Montreal have come to a sad and wimpering end...
That is the true tragedy.
Just a few days before, thousands of Palestinian supporters showed up to a noisy rally downtown. What was supposed to be a one hour gathering, turned into a loud, angry three hour march through downtown streets.
I have to say I'm quite impressed with the fervent vigor of the pro-Palestinian group and their energetic methods to get their message across. I may hate what they say, but I admire their moxie.
In contrast, the Montreal Jewish Community's reaction has been what one can only describe as bizarringly limp. The enemic weekly pro-Israel demonstrations in downtown Montreal has not grown an iota since the current war began. Jews in Montreal, which contrasts with the rest of Canada and the world, have not bothered to take to the streets to support Israel and counter the fervent almost daily anti-Israel debacles. The only scheduled unofficial outdoor response is ironically on Shabbos.
Last night the organized Jewish Community of Montreal held their official response. They organized a strange, drone like indoor rally in a synagogue deep in the heart of the Jewish Community. The event was so bizarre, even the counter demonstrators decided it wasn't worth the effort to show up in any great numbers.
Sponsored by many different organizations, all connected to the local Federation, hundreds of Montreal Jews gathered under heavy security, in the sanctuary of the Beth Israel Beth Aaron synagogue to hear mostly unemotional, well rehearsed speeches from Federation leaders and to take part in what could only be described as a strange "live" webcast from Israel.
When one attends these events, one thinks they are attending an event that will spark some emotion, that will open eyes and that will ignite the passion to support Israel at all costs. The event last night, complete with a table accepting donations in the lobby, was merely a masked fundrasing drive for a new fund Federation set up to help Jews in southern Israel. The speeches, especially the monologues from the "live" webcam address were written by people who apparently took fundraising 101 courses (but missed the lecture on how emotional from the heart addresses tend to raise more money than scripted ones).
The shining moment of the night was a from the heart speech by Rabbi Reuven Poupko who mysteriously addressed the mostly non-existent counter protestors with some advice, basically, if you are going to ignore human rights violations of the world, you have no right to pick on Israel's human rights violations. Somewhat contrived, but quite uplifting within the mundane program of the evening.
In an interview on Radio Shalom Montreal the night before, Federation President Mark Gold said that by holding the event indoors, the Jewish community was not hiding from the counter-demonstrators and the world, he said it "just helps us control the message".
Apparently the message Federation and the Jewish Community were conveying was that when times get rough and Jews are attacked, we'll make speeches of a podium in a synagogue. The message they coveyed last night was that Jews have given up taking to the street, Jews have given up self-defense and self preservation, Jews have given up organizing smart loud demonstrations. Jews are once again lambs who will run to their stables whenever trouble emerges.
Quite sad if you ask me. I remember when Montreal was the hotbed of Jewish activism. I remember attending, along with thousands of other Jews, rallies in support of the release of Jewish Russian dissidents, in support of Israel and for the release of Jonathan Pollard. Apparently the days of Jewish activism in Montreal have come to a sad and wimpering end...
That is the true tragedy.
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