Approaching 12th-month of anti-Zionism since Oct 7, '23, realistic reform rabbi calls for tougher Jewish defense

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch delivers sermon in Manhattan synagogue

NYC rabbi reflects on Rosh Hashana: 'The most challenging year in my career' by Sharon Crowley and Amanda Geffner, Fox5NY.com 2 Oct '24.

With the start of Rosh Hashanah, many are approaching the Jewish New Year with mixed emotions. 

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch leads the historic Stephen Wise Free Synagogue on the Upper West Side. Hirsch is preparing to celebrate the high holy days on the calendar. "We don't celebrate the new year with fireworks and getting drunk and wild parties. It ushers in 10 days of reflection on what we did wrong, how we can do better, and atonement by asking for forgiveness," Hirsch said.

This year, for many, the emotions will be extraordinarily powerful, given that the midpoint of the 10 days spanning Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is Oct. 7 — the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and triggered the still-ongoing war in Gaza.

For Jews in the U.S. — the world’s second-largest Jewish community after Israel — the past 12 months have been challenging in many ways linked to Oct. 7. There’s been a surge in antisemitic incidents, and many college campuses were wracked by divisive pro-Palestinian protests.

Jews grieved for Israelis killed or taken hostage by Hamas; many also are grieving for the tens of thousands of Palestinians subsequently killed during Israeli's military offensive in Gaza.

 

"This has been the most trying and challenging year in my career and the life times of many of our people," Hirsch said. At the same time, there is pervasive anxiety about a rise in antisemitic incidents over the past year. Major Jewish groups have been tracking this trend, which was confirmed last week in the FBI’s 2023 Hate Crime Report. It found that the Jewish community was the most-targeted religious group, with 1,832 anti-Jewish incidents accounting for 67% of all religiously motivated hate crimes recorded by the FBI. That was up from up 1,124 incidents the prior year. The incidents include vandalism, harassment, assault, and false bomb threats.

As a prominent figure in the Reform Jewish community, Rabbi Hirsch's first day of Rosh Hashana sermon, "The Tests of Our Time" may surprise you. We start with excerpts from it (with links to the video on his Twitter page). 

“For Jews, our deepest anxieties for the safety of our people — the product of centuries of repressed traumas — have reawakened and our confidence in the West’s ability to withstand the test of civilization has been shaken,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch on Rosh Hashanah, warning that what was unleashed against Israel on October 7th “threatens the West as much as it does the Middle East...” 

https://x.com/AmmiHirsch/status/1841935240228422130  

✡️ On the seriousness and resurgence of antisemitism: “One of the saddest developments since October 7 is the shock experienced by American Jews, who, for the first time in their lives, are encountering pervasive antisemitism...”
https://x.com/AmmiHirsch/status/1841935244267819379 

🇮🇱 On today’s manifestations of anti-Zionism: “...the intent of anti-Zionism is to generate intense hostility to Judaism and Jews themselves… How easily do anti-Israel passions lead to violence against Jews and Jewish institutions…” “If you understand the history of classic antisemitism, the connection to today’s anti-Zionism stares you in the face. The Jewish state has become the Jew of the world, humanity’s ultimate villains, and accused of our era’s worst transgressions..” 

https://x.com/AmmiHirsch/status/1841935248155672745

🗽 On post-October 7 society and the test of Western civilization: “For years now, some of us have been warning of a deteriorating commitment to liberal values, camouflaged by a torrent of high-sounding words like ‘progress, civil and human rights, anti-racism, and anti-colonialism.’ Ideologies that divide people by the color of their skin rather than the content of their character; philosophies that reduce all human conflict to oppressor and oppressed, subjugation and freedom fighting, racists and anti-racists — are not liberal values… These are illiberal and dangerous ideas that threaten the future of our country and Western civilization.”

https://x.com/AmmiHirsch/status/1841935251708510495

 💪 What can we do? “Recognize the urgency of the times. We must win this battle of ideas and reassert basic norms of Western liberal morality. Do not be in denial. Do not be complacent. Fight back… fight back hard!” 
https://x.com/AmmiHirsch/status/1841935248155672745

Above is the entire speech worthy of watching by Jews of all denominations and viewpoints. Recorded on Thursday 3 October 2024. 

Excerpted from 00:18:23 "Protesting to relieve the carnage of war is fine.  I, too, am devastated by the destruction, and have spoken of my anguish many times. Even not liking Jews is fine. “Who can fathom the human heart,” Jeremiah preached. “It is beyond cure.” And therefore — Jeremiah concluded: “God rewards a person by his deeds.” All of us have our prejudices and predispositions. What matters is how we act on them. We are judged by our deeds, no matter what disturbing, disconcerting and discouraging desires we harbor in our hearts.

No country, no government and no community is beyond criticism. Even if I disagree, I will listen to your critique and endeavor to learn from you. We will study your narrative of the history of this awful conflict. We will debate with you all the terms and conditions of an eventual two-state solution that will bring dignity and coexistence to both peoples. We will consider your accusations of excessive force in Gaza and Lebanon, and study your suggestions, learned or not, on how you would have handled the military campaign differently, in a manner that would have reduced civilian casualties while still achieving security for Israel. We will reflect on your views when and how a ceasefire should have been effected. These are all legitimate issues. 

But we will not debate with you whether the Jewish state, of all the countries of the world, has a right to exist. We will not debate whether we have a right to live. If we cannot persuade you to leave us alone - we will defend ourselves!  What other choice is there? We have already tried everything else. The days of prostrating before the marauding murderers are over."

According to Jewish tradition, these three concepts: Tefilla (prayer), Teshuva (returning to one’s innermost self), and Tzedaka (righteous acts) - are intricately linked and essential for a meaningful spiritual life. They are often referred to together as a formula for averting evil decrees and bringing about a year of sweetness and plenty. 

Teshuva: Not Repentance, But Inner Transformation.  Teshuva is not simply repentance, but rather a process of inner transformation, returning to one’s true self, and reconnecting with G-d. It involves acknowledging and rectifying past mistakes and making amends.

Tefillah: Attaching Oneself to G-d Tefillah, or prayer, is not just a request for material needs, but rather a means of attaching oneself to G-d, acknowledging one’s dependence on Him, and seeking a deeper connection. Every Jew, regardless of their circumstances, needs to engage in Tefillah to maintain their spiritual connection.

Tzedaka: Distributing Possessions with Righteousness.  Tzedaka, often mistranslated as charity, is actually the act of distributing one’s possessions with righteousness. It involves using one’s resources to promote justice, kindness, and compassion, rather than simply giving to those in need.

The Three Paths Together, Teshuva, Tefillah, and Tzedaka form the three paths that lead to a year “written and sealed” for good. By practicing these interconnected concepts, one can turn the promise of Rosh Hashanah into the abundant fulfillment of Yom Kippur: a year of sweetness and plenty.

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May you and yours be blessed with health, safety and freedom in this new year!