Tuesday, January 17, a group of alumni from the Jerusalem Young Adult Forum met with members of the World Union for Progressive Judaism at Beit Shumel in Jerusalem. The visitors, who came from 11 different countries, were in Israel in order to strengthen relations between Jews in Israel and the Diaspora.

Four participants of previous years’ Jerusalem Young Adult Forum spoke about their experiences in the dialogue program. As in previous alumni events, those present talked about the difficulties of participating in such a program, but also how it changed their views and opinions about others. Particularly poignant about this meeting, however, were the questions asked by the visitors. After listening to the alumni discuss their experiences, two interesting questions were raised: first, “With all of your different experiences, backgrounds, and political and religious ideologies, how do you find common ground?” and second, “How do you tell your personal narrative to others?”

The answers emphasized an acceptance of diversity and an understanding of the personal element of each side and each person in the group, but also relayed the personal challenges involved in such a dialogue program. One alumnus stated that it was quite difficult to relay his personal narrative to others because he wasn’t even completely sure of his own identity, raising the point that there are not just two or three sides to any conflict. Each narrative is intensely personal, and no single person is representative of any particular side or position. However, many alumni agreed that the way to finding common ground, surprisingly enough, lies in understanding and accepting diversity and the individual narrative of each person. Two people with completely different backgrounds, religions, and political ideologies can find common ground in the fact that they are incredibly different, but they have a shared humanity and they both have a story to tell.

The most important question came at the end: “We represent Jews in 11 different countries around the world. What would you have us take back to our communities and families? What should we do after listening to your experiences?”

This question was significant because it brought to life one of the main purposes for alumni events such as this one: inspiring increased tolerance and understanding between religions around the world. Hearing the stories of youth and young adults who are willing to put away radically differing religious and political ideologies, at least for a while, and listen to and work with a different side inspires hope and confidence in a future peaceful world and encourages a desire to join in the effort of dialogue and education. The answers given by the alumni reflected this view: “Bring groups from your families and communities here to see the situation for themselves,” “Don’t support only one side–instead, work to understand the validity and feelings of people on all sides of the conflict,” “Understand that everything is much more complicated than it seems,” and finally, “Remember that it’s the personal narrative that really counts.”

This is something that all of us can do in promoting religious tolerance and understanding: remember that each group is made up of individuals, each with a personal narrative, and it is in listening to that narrative that we can find common ground in our differences and see validity in ideologies different than our own.

Despite the name of his center, Zoughbi Zoughbi emphasized that he works in CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION, rather than resolution, using non-violent philosophy and methods. We too in ICCI believe in transforming conflicts from ones of violence to a situation of peaceful coexistence.

He grew up as a Palestinian Christian in Bethlehem but studied abroad, receiving his M.A. in Peace Studies at Notre Dame University in the U.S.A., studying as a fellow at Brandeis University and at Eastern Mennonite University.

Zougbhi began his work in conflict resolution in Palestine in 1994, shortly after the signing of the Oslo Accords. He believed in the importance of People-to-People programs which brought Palestinians and Israelis together to get to know one another. Unfortunately, he admits, this has largely stopped since the outbreak of the Second Intifada in September 2000.  Moreover, in recent years, there has been a sharp rise in anti-normalization feelings in the Palestinian street, which has made his work (and ours) more frustrating and complicated.

Zoughbi made it clear that while he is against the Occupation, he is not against the existence of the State of Israel. On the contrary, he favors a two-state solution. In the absence of political progress, he continues his work in civic education in Palestine through conferences and workshops, using non-violent methods such as art therapy.

Zoughbi’s work remains positive, despite the ongoing conflict. In his words: “We do not demonize the other; we humanize the other. We still look forward to a future of peace, of living together.”

Zoughbi left us with 3 messages:

• A message of hope, in a period of hopelessness
• A message of transformation—personal, communal and international
• A shift from guilt and victimhood to collective responsibility. We all have to assume responsibility. As a Palestinian, Zoughbi is a witness for a just peace.

During the Q &A, Zoughbi reiterated some of his key points:

• “Rather than victimhood and demonizing the other, we need a culture of acceptance.”
• “We need to shift from wishful thinking to reality. It is time to share the land. We need to move from maximalist ideas to real ideas.”
• “We have only one option—for Palestinians and Israelis to live together.”

It was indeed refreshing and inspiring to listen to Zoughbi Zoughbi speak honestly and forthrightly, with a clear message of sanity and hope.

For more information about the Wiam Center, see their website:  www.alaslah.org

Rabbi Dr.Ron Kronish
Director, ICCI
rkronish@icci.org.il

I was privileged to hear President Shimon Peres speak today at the annual reception for Christian leaders in Israel at his presidential residence in Jerusalem, an event that I attend every year.

During the presidency of Mr. Moshe Katzav, the previous president, it was an embarrasment and a disgrace to hear him berate Christian leaders again and again for promoting terrorism. One year, there was shouting and screaming–rightly so–after Katzav’s address, which was humiliating and insulting.

During the presidency of Shimon Peres, the situation is completely different. Mr. Peres speaks eloquently and in a dignified and respectful manner to all the Christian leadership, and you can see how much they appreciate this. Today he said: “We are proud of our relations with the Christian communities in Israel… Each religion should be free to pray the way it wants and to have equal rights and opportunities… as a Jew, I respect other religions. All of us are created in the image of God…”

When talking about peace, Mr. Peres remains optimistic, as always: “I believe we can make peace with the Palestinians… There are doubts but we have to overcome them… And religious leaders need to reach out to the souls of their people… we can all try to bring hope, stability and Peace.” To this I say, “Amen!”

Even Minister of Interior Eli Yishai, who spoke in Hebrew, was politically correct today. He said, “Jews are commanded to love peace and pursue it all over the world… we are also commanded to respect and love all human beings.”

After the speeches, I spoke to some Christians whom I know, and I was told that they liked the speeches but are waiting for them to be concretized by more action. In particular, I heard whispers that Minister Yishai should give his speech to some of the bureaucrats in his ministry who are famous–or infamous–for neither responding positively to requests of Christian institutions for visas for their volunteers nor to requests of some Christians from abroad to become citizens of Israel.

Nevertheless, it was an uplifting morning at the President’s residence. The current president of Israel–who is a symbol of the search for peace–sends the right messages to Christians at this time of year.

L’Shalom,

Rabbi Dr. Ron Kronish

Director, ICCI

rkronish@icci.org.il

In a mixed Jerusalem neighborhood a fortnight ago, frenzied Jewish and Arab teens chased and screamed at one another for an hour—all whilst flashing big smiles and cracking jokes.

The pandemonium arose from a spirited soccer match among the recently-graduated participants of Face to Face / Faith to Faith (F2F), a leadership and dialogue program that includes a 2-week summer peace camp in New York, which ICCI sponsors in cooperation with the Auburn Theological Seminary. Before and after the summer camp, the Jewish and Palestinian teens engaged in bi-monthly dialogue sessions that focused on breaking down stereotypes; they also performed community service and worked on developing their leadership skills.

The teens, accompanied by friends, arrived at the Musrara Community Center on the evening of Thursday, December 15th, for the penultimate event of the year-long dialogue program. Before the group facilitators drew the participants into more serious discussions, they gave the boys a soccer ball and the girls green space in which to skip, jump and dance. Linda, a Palestinian girl from the town of Shuafat in East Jerusalem, tried to mimic a improvised dance move that one of the ICCI facilitators was demonstrating to the girls. She discovered ICCI and the F2F program through a Palestinian friend of hers. Although her friends and society sometimes criticize her for meeting with Jews, she believes that dialogue groups are a vital medium through which to build trust between her Jewish neighbors. Her family supports her efforts, and her sister was a camper at the Seeds of Peace camp in Maine.

Linda and Hadar

Hadar, a Jewish girl who participated in the program in 2011 with Linda, also tried with varying success to follow the comical dance moves. She learned about ICCI and the summer peace camp through high school friends. After an ICCI staff person gave a presentation at her school, she decided to enroll in the program. She brought to the event a friend of hers from school, as all the participants were asked to bring friends to introduce them to the peace work in which they have been involved this past year.

At the close of the event, the participants discussed their feelings and thoughts about playing games with the “other side”, a rare and unusual occurrence in Israel. One participant said it was not strange to play soccer with the other side, adding that Jews have more in common with Palestinians than they might imagine. A Jewish student said that he relishes the opportunity to learn about Palestinian culture and religion.

Thursday, December 1, I attended a meeting with a panel presentation of alumni from some of ICCI’s youth and young adult programs, which was given for rabbinical students at the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem. After a short explanation of the purposes of ICCI and what these groups work to accomplish through dialogue, the alumni discussed what they had learned from their participation in the various programs and how the dialogue process is still affecting their lives.

As a new intern for ICCI, I was fascinated both by the questions the HUC students asked and the varied responses the alumni gave about the high points and challenges of the programs. Both specific and general problems presented challenges to the dialogue process. A specific example from this past year was the effect the conflict in Gaza had on the programs. Several of the alumni who participated in programs last year mentioned that continuing dialogue during that conflict was particularly difficult, but they all felt a sense of satisfaction that they were able to push through and keep attending meetings together. Another challenge that the participants have run into is affecting them now more than while they were in the programs. Many of these alumni agreed that while the dialogue itself was often difficult, now that they are done with the program they find it hard to continue this type of dialogue with members of the community who haven’t participated in similar dialogue groups. As one Jewish alumnus said, “I can’t just go up and start talking to Arabs on the street about what they think about the conflict here; they’d think I was from the Israeli intelligence or something!”

Several alumni mentioned that one of the high points of the programs was the opportunity to learn about other religions in a neutral context. A Palestinian alumnus from East Jerusalem said that learning about Jews and Judaism was one of the most helpful parts of the program for her because she was able to distinguish between the negative propaganda that she had been taught about Jews and what their customs and traditions actually mean. Learning about Judaism and associating with Jews helped her to appreciate many aspects of the religion and understand the mindset of Jews better.

Two things were particularly poignant for me in the discussion. One of the Palestinian alumni talked about his experience in a 2-week international camp in New York. One day the Israeli and Palestinian participants had to sit down together and discuss possible solutions to the conflict, but neither side was willing to agree with the other and give up what they wanted in order to come to a peace agreement. In that instant, he realized that peace through dialogue was perhaps much more difficult than he had previously thought. However, even though feelings might have been hurt on both sides, after a few days and some team-building activities, they were able to be friends again. I found this especially interesting, because even though both sides thought they were right and the other was wrong, they were still able to find ways to overcome their differences and stay friends. It was encouraging to me that even though they might have thought the conflict would never be solved, at least they could keep the dialogue process going.

The second thing that struck me from the discussion was a question that one of the American students from HUC asked the participants: “How would you define yourselves in just a few words?” It seemed easy for the Americans present to answer such a question, at least peripherally: the words American, student, and Jewish could provide an accurate description for most of the HUC students present. However, as one of the Palestinian alumni stated, for the Israelis and Palestinians, “It’s complicated!” Some of the answers that were given were half-Christian half-Muslim, Palestinian from East Jerusalem with a Jordanian passport, and Jewish but not religious. Even seemingly simple questions, such as those concerning religion and nationality, were difficult to answer. Although not all of the alumni were able to adequately describe themselves in just a few words, the responses that were given showed the difficulties that can arise when trying to define “identity.”

After the panel and discussion, the alumni joined the students for dinner and lively discussion about their personal lives and their experiences with ICCI. The HUC students had come with open minds and an eagerness to learn about the conflict and how ICCI’s programs had opened up possibilities for dialogue for Israelis and Palestinians. Because of this, the open discussion over dinner was especially helpful for them to get to know people from different backgrounds and with different ideologies. Personally, I left the event with a greater understanding about how dialogue can be effective: although talking about things won’t solve all problems and conflicts, it does open up an understanding of and a tolerance for what other people think, making it much easier to come to a compromise that is mutually beneficial!

Breanne White

Breanne is a new student intern with ICCI. She received her BA from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah with degrees in Ancient Near Eastern Studies and English, and is currently working on graduate studies in Arabic and Hebrew at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her graduate research is focused on the role of women in creating and sustaining peaceful societies in the Middle East.

Dear friends,

May you and yours enjoy the blessings of Hanukkah as you light candles to fulfill the obligation enacted by the Sages. May the blessings, miracles and wonders from your household spill over to all the other households in our Nation and in the world, so that the world at large can benefit from the ancient wisdom and traditions of the Jewish people.

In the broader spirit of Hanukkah, which means “dedication”, let us all dedicate ourselves, Jew as well as Gentile, to wishing for a miracle that brings about a better world — a world where we accept and love each other and where we rejoice in each others’ celebrations, as I plan to do on Wednesday evening at the lighting of the second candle at the Embassy of Israel in Washington.

Nina and SA Ibrahim

The Ibrahim family is an American Muslim family that promotes international and interreligious understanding through the Ibrahim Family Foundation, which sponsors the Ibrahim Leadership and Dialogue Project in the Middle East, administered by the Institute of International Education, and supports the work of the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel. Mr. S.A. Ibrahim, the CEO of Radian Group, received ICCI’s “Building Bridges and Bonds” in June this year.

See also:

• Letter from an American Muslim friend
• Eid al-Adha Greeting from S.A Ibrahim
• Ibrahim Leadership and Dialogue Project Delegation visits ICCI

by ICCI alumnus Bushra Abdelrahman / بشرى عبد الرحمن / מאת בושרה עבדלרחמן

in Arabic, Hebrew and English

تجربتي في مؤتمر “السلام ممكن”في نيويورك تضاهي أي تجربة أخرى, لأنها مكنتني من استيعاب النضج والتغيير الذاتي الذي لبرنامج “وجه لوجه / إيمان لإيمان“ له دور فيه.

فقبل 4 سنوات تقريباً تواجدت في نيويورك كمشتركة في هذا البرنامج ومن خلال تواجدي في نيويورك خلال شهر نوفمبر بهيئة مختلفة تماماً. عن قبل أربع سنوات, أدركت أني على مقدرة بمشاركة غيري من الأشخاص الذين لا يعلمون شيئاً عن هذه التجربة ذات المعنى الكبير. وليس هذا فقط بل بإمكاني جذبهم إلى هذه التجربة الشخصية وجعلهم يتفهمون كم هي مهمة لكل شخص في بيئة يحيطها صراع.

بعد تواجدي في هذا المؤتمر عدت إلى البلاد مع معنويات أكبر , فقد كنت على اتصال مع مشتركين آخرين من سنين سابقة من جنوب أفريقيا والولايات المتحدة مثلاً , والنشاط الذين يقومون به هناك. وإيمانهم بما يفعلون قد زاد رغبتي بأن أصبح شخص منتج وفعال أكثر بمجتمعي , فمجلس التنسيق بين الأديان هو المكان الذي وجدت فيه الراحة لتكوين هوية بعيدة عن كل هذه الاختلافات وبعيدة عن الأضرار الناجمة عن الصراع. واليوم بعد اشتراكي بعدة مشاريع يقوم بها مجلس التنسيق بين الأديان بودي أن أرد لهذا المكان جزءاً من العطاء الذي قدمه لي بشكل شخصي , فأنا اليوم أكثر انفتاحاً لما هو مختلف عنّي, مزوده بآليات تمكنني من التعامل مع الصراع اليومي, وناشطة اجتماعياً وسياسياً في محيط الجامعة والعمل. لذلك بدون شك تجربتي هذه مكنتني بأن أومن بأن السلام ممكن في مكان يظن الكثير منا أنه غير ممكن وبل مستحيل!

החוויה שלי בפאנל “השלום אפשרי” לא דומה לשום חוויה אחרת, בגלל שאפשרה לי להבין את השינוי הפנימי שהתרחש בתוכי, שלתוכנית “פנים אל מול פנים  / אמונה אל אמונה” היתה השפעה גדולה עליו.

לפני 4 שנים בערך הייתי בניו יורק בתור משתתפת במחנה קיץ, ובמהלך חודש נובמבר השנה הגעתי לניו יורק למטרה שונה לגמרי. הבנתי שיש לי את היכולת לשתף אנשים אחרים שלא יודעים כלום על החוויה בעלת המשמעות הזאת של השתתפות בתוכנית, ומעבר לכך, גם למשוך אותם  לחוויה האישית הזאת כדי שיבינו עד כמה היא חשובה לכל אחד מאיתנו, במיוחד במקום שיש בו סכסוך.

אחרי שנגמר הפאנל חזרתי לארץ עם יותר מוטיבציה, וזה בגלל האינטראקציה שהייתה ביני לבין משתתפים אחרים משנים קודמות מדרום אפריקה ומארצות הברית לדוגמה, והפעילויות שהם עושים שם. האמונה הגדולה שלהם במה שהם עושים גרמה לי לרצות להיות בן אדם פעיל ואקטיביסט בחברה שלי, כי המועצה הבין-דתית המתאמת היא המקום שמצאתי בו את השלווה כדי לבנות זהות רחוקה מכל השוני ורחוקה מכל הנזקים הנוצרים בגלל הסכסוך. היום, אחרי השתתפותי בפאנל ובקבוצות דיאלוג שהמועצה הבין-דתית המתאמת אחראית עליהם, הפכתי לאישה צעירה הפתוחה למה ששונה ממני, עם כלים שמאפשרים לי להתמודד עם הסכסוך ברמת היום יום, ונעשיתי לפעילה חברתית ופוליטית באוניברסיטה ובעבודה. לכן, בלי ספק, החוויה הזאת אפשרה לי להאמין שהשלום הוא כן אפשרי, במקום שבו המון אנשים חושבים שהוא קשה להשגה ואפילו בלתי אפשרי!

 My experience in the “Peace Is Possible” panel in New York was unlike any other experience that I have had, because it allowed me to understand the great impact that the “Face to Face / Faith to Faith” program had on me and the internal growth and changes which resulted from my participation in the program.

About four years ago I was in New York as a participant in a summer camp, but during November of this year I arrived in New York with a completely different purpose. I understood that I had the ability to share what a meaningful experience taking part in the program was with other people who didn’t have any previous knowledge about it. Furthermore, I could also help them see how the panel could affect them personally, enabling them to understand how this program is important to each of us, particularly as people in areas of conflict.

After the conference I returned home more motivated, due to the interaction that I had with other participants of the program from different years and countries (e.g., South Africa and the U.S.) and the activities that we did there. The other participants’ strong belief in what they are doing made me want to be a more of an activist in my own society, because the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel is the place where I found the peace to construct an identity removed from the differences and damages caused by the conflict.

Today, after taking part in the panel and in dialogue groups of the Interreligious Coordinating Council, I have become a young woman who is open to beliefs and understandings different than my own, with tools that enable me to deal with the conflict on a day-to-day basis. I have also become a social and political activist at my university and at work. Therefore, without a doubt, this experience led me to believe that peace is indeed possible, in a place where many people think it’s difficult and perhaps even impossible to achieve!

My first trip to Jerusalem and it seems that every stone has a story.

This is the place where ‘X’ happened?

This is where ‘Y ‘did this

This is a holy place

This is where the world began

This is where the world will end

Grand statements, with every stone given huge significance and scale.  Which means that it feels like the small things that make up life can get relegated, and everything poured into a serious melting pot.

And yet I met and laughed with many people, heard their stories and felt a kin-ship, told my tales and felt a connection.

I came to talk about my land, the north of Ireland, and to offer my experiences of conflict, dialogue and creative ways to build good relations.

I ate well (the salads were enormous)

I walked from the grave of Jesus to his birthplace

I waited in line at checkpoints

I met many people working hard to bring hope to a divided and broken place

We talked and talked and talked…Jerusalem likes to chatter…

And in one session I handed out a stone I had brought from Ireland, a stone held by friends and foes, different tribes. And I passed it round the room, asking each person to be still and reflect, and to touch the stone that had touched friend and foe. And the loud room was stilled. And something of the sacred unfolded.

And we all play our part in making new worlds

And we all play our part in ending old worlds

And mostly we make small contributions, but they all add, connect, nurture.

And I will never forget my first trip to Jerusalem, a place where every stone tells a story.

And the stone that was shared in Jerusalem is now being held in Ireland.

Paul Hutchinson is the Centre Director of Corrymeela, a Christian community committed to reconciliation. He visited Jerusalem recently and shared his experiences from Northern Ireland with locals during two special events hosted by ICCI. Read more about these events here.

In one corner, two people playfully whack a red balloon back and forth. In the other corner, six people read aloud names of murdered men, women and children. Such were the images as they played out in a dream of Paul Hutchinson, a peace educator from Northern Ireland, who visited Israel last month. The theme of the dream: the challenge for people embroiled in conflict and tragedy to continue living and enjoying life.

Mr. Hutchinson was invited to Jerusalem by the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel (ICCI) to share his experiences as a peace facilitator in the post-conflict era of the 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland between Protestants and Catholics, during which more than 3,500 people were killed. He began his week with ICCI on November 22nd at the YMCA in West Jerusalem, by hosting a discussion with local Jews and Palestinians. Halfway through the discussion, Mr. Hutchinson invited eight participants to re-enact his dream of the red balloon and the reading aloud of casualties.
The reactions of the participants were mixed. A balloon-whacking participant said she felt guilty that she was having fun while other people were devastated by tragedy and sorrow. The readers of the list of the deceased expressed a sense of jealousy and anger toward the balloon players, who seemed oblivious or indifferent to their pain. Mr. Hutchinson’s exercise provoked an emotional dialogue, in which people spoke about issues of recognition, reconciliation, commemoration of the dead, the past’s effect on the present and future, and other topics relevant to Israelis and Palestinians who deal with the conflict on a daily basis.

The successful evening, entitled “Walking the Boundaries“, was sponsored by ICCI, the Jerusalem International YMCA, and the Jerusalem Intercultural Center.

Mr. Hutchinson, who works for a peace and reconciliation group in Northern Ireland called the Corrymeela Community, also spent last Thursday, November 24th, with local peace facilitators in a more intimate setting at ICCI’s educational center. Mr. Hutchinson led the group of about 15 facilitators through a series of exercises and games that he had used during various peace dialogues that he facilitated. The local facilitators learned new techniques and were excited to implement them in their work. This workshop, which focused on “Creative Practices in Nurturing Peace“, was sponsored by ICCI and the Jerusalem Intercultural Center.

During his week in Jerusalem, Mr. Hutchinson—who had never before visited Israel—mentioned similarities between the two conflicts. For example, most of the schools in Northern Ireland were segregated during the conflict. In addition, the city was split into two sections, the “East” and the “West,” where those who resided in one section were cautioned not to enter the other side for fear of their safety. There was also a wall—ironically named the “Peace Wall”—that was built to insulate and protect Protestant sections from the Catholic sections and vice versa. In short, like with the conflict in Israel, there was a problem of communication between the two conflicting parties. For this reason, Mr. Hutchinson, like ICCI, strives to develop communication to foster understanding and the humanization of the other side. As Hutchinson put it: “In conflict situations, we stop being curious because we think we already know about the other.”

Last summer, in August, I hosted an iftar seminar and dinner at Mishkenot Sha’ananim  in Jerusalem, in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, for Jews, Christians and Muslims in Israel. This was the second year that ICCI hosted such an event.

At the panel before the break-the-fast dinner (which Muslims call “iftar”), a kadi, a priest and a rabbi all talked about the connection of fasting to social consciousness. Two of the 3 speakers (the rabbi—who happens to be the rabbi of this synagogue and one of the co-chairpersons of ICCI– and the priest, who share the same Holy Book), referred to the prophet Isaiah in general and to the chapter we read this morning in particular, Chapter 57 (from what scholars call Second Isaiah).

This chapter is one of the most beautiful and powerful in all of prophetic literature. The Rabbis chose it for Yom Kippur because of its clear message about the purpose of fasting.  We read it every year at this time. Does it affect us? Does it transform or enhance or social consciousness? Does it move Us to action?

First of all, we need to ask: What is the problem? What is the issue that the prophet addresses? What’s wrong? Why is he so upset???

 58:1 God says to Isaiah: Cry with a full throat, do not hold back, let you voice resound like a shofar, declare to your people their transgression……

The prophet is consumed with a divine imperative. He must speak out. He needs to reprove his people, to let them know where they have gone wrong, with the goal that they will correct their ways.  Why? What bothers him so much?

58:2-4

Yes, they seek me daily,

As though eager to learn My ways,

As if they were a people that does what is right,

And has not forsaken the way of God.

They ask Me the right way,

 as though delighting in the nearness of God.

 When we fast, you say,

Why do you pay no heed?

Why, when we afflict ourselves,

Do  You take no notice?

Answer:

Because on your fast day you pursue your own affairs,

While you oppress your workers!

Because you fasting leaders only to strike and discord,

While you strike with a cruel fist.

Such a way of fasting on this day

shall no help you to be heard on high!

What’s the problem?

The problem is the people think that just by praying and studying –or in Biblical days by sacrificing animals—that they have fulfilled their religious duty!

They think that the rituals are enough to earn them salvation, that just by fasting, God will forgive them and accept their repentance.  They don’t make the connection between the ritual side of Judaism and the social action side. There is a huge disconnect!

This drives Isaiah crazy. He is deeply disturbed by the fundamental misunderstanding of the people of true religion. They confuse the means with the end. The rituals are a means for ethical living. They are not an end in themselves!

Reform Judaism and Isaiah

Early Reform Judaism loved Isaiah and the other literary prophets (Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Hosea, etc). Not because they were Zionists (early Reform Judaism—sometimes known as Classical Reform—was anti-nationalism!) but because they were Ethical Monotheists! They stressed ethics and social justice, more than ritual behavior.

One of the great mistakes of early Reform Judaism, however, was to misinterpret Isaiah (and other prophets) to say that they rejected rituals and only wanted us to perform good deeds and engage in social justice.

Indeed at the end of this very special haftarah, Isaiah issues a very clear call for observing the Shabbat.

See chapter 58:13-14. He wants the people to observe Shabbat!  But he is disturbed that the people don’t do it right. They perform the rituals but still pursue their own affairs. They don’t get the message. They are hypocrites!

Hypocrisy! This is what bothers Isaiah. Superficiality. Just doing the rituals to do them. Without understanding their underlying meaning and purpose. Mechanists. Perfoming rituals without kavannah.

Indeed, this was Reform Judaism’s great critique of Orthodoxy– from the beginning, until today.

In the early years, Reform Judaism replaced Rituals with Ethics. They went to the other extreme. Now there is more of a return to the original ideas of Isaiah (and the other classical prophets)—to balance rituals and ethics, to see how rituals and motivate us to ethical living and creating a just society.

In Israel Society today

We find this problem prevalent in Israeli Society today.

If you ask a Jew: are you dati? He will say: “yes, I observe Shabbat, fast on Yom Kippur, etc.” He or she generally won’t say: “I fast on Yom Kippur AND engage in Tikkun Olam!”  He makes a false dichotomy between observance of ritual and perfecting the world, as if they were unrelated.

(By the way, you can get the same answers from a Muslim: “I fast prayer 5 times a day, I fast on Ramadan, as if religion is only ritual, divorced from ethics!)

Isaiah wouldn’t like this. He would want us to observe Shabbat AND to repair the world, to fast on Yom Kippur and to pursue social justice. Both are part of our religious consciousness and our religious behavior!!

Unfortunately, we see in Israel all too often the opposite of this the link between a proper understanding of ritual observance and ethical behavior.

For example: the outrageous burning of a mosque in northernIsraelthis week, probably by so-called “religious extremists” (an oxymoron!). In a conversation about this with one of my daughters this week, she asked me: “Abba—how could a religious Jew do this during the Ten Days of Repentance?” I responded by saying that this is exactly the kind of fasting and repentance that Isaiah abhorred!! It’s impossible. It is a distortion or a desecration of the Word of God!

We need to return to the original vision of the state ofIsrael, as enshrined in our Declaration of Independence, which was conscious of our prophetic tradition:

“The state ofIsraelwill be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisioned by the prophets ofIsrael; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to ALL its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex…..”

What is the proper religious meaning of the fast?

Isaiah 58: 6-9  – read these verses.

If the fast doesn’t motivate you to fight injustice, then it is not a proper fast!

If the fast doesn’t catalyze you to share your bread with the hungry, to clothe the poor, to provide the needy with housing !!,  to bring freedom to the oppressed, then you have missed the point of the fast!! Then your fasting is an empty ritual, a mechanical act, a meaningless gesture.

This is the essence of our fast on Yom Kippur, as it should be for Muslims when the fast on Ramadan or for Christians when they fast on lent.

It should be obvious, but we forget. We are creatures of habit, so we miss the mark.

This is why we read Isaiah every year on Yom Kippur.

This is why we read him all summer long, for 7 weeks of Consolation after Tisha B’Av.

To remind ourselves –again and again—that our prayers are not sufficient, that prayer alone won’t bring us a just society, that study of Torah is necessary but not sufficient, if we want a just society  FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS, if we seek peaceful coexistence between us and our neighbors. Prayer and study without tikkun olam is insufficient!

To reset our consciousness –especially those of us that have the privilege of living in restored Jerusalem—that Jerusalem must become IR HATZEDEK,  a beacon of justice, for all who live here, and for the rest of the world, which is watching us every day, every minute

This ought to be self-evident, but it is not. This is why we gather on Yom Kippur bclal—to read Torah and to recite liturgy which will stir us to action, to repair the world.  We can no longer retain passive.

As we read over and over again in the special Amidah of these Yamim Noraim: “Ha-El Hakodesh nikdash b’tzekekah”—the Holy God is sanctified by acts of righteousness, by our acts, not just by our prayers and by our leaning.

If we heed the words of Isaiah and the prayers that we recite, we can create a just society, right here, right now, inJerusalem, and inIsraelb’clal. Reciting prayers, hearing the shofar, fasting alone and then going home and doing nothing will no longer suffice. We all must do our part to make this a more humane, just society.

This is the true meaning of fasting on Yom Kippur, in the spirit of Isaiah.

Kein Y’hi Ratzon.