Dear Congregational Family,
This past Shabbat was my first back after having been away for a few weeks. I delivered a retrospective of my time in Israel from earlier this Summer. It is hard to believe that when I arrived in Israel on June 27 for the purpose of study the concern of the Jewish world was the fate of three teenagers who had been abducted. Sadly, while I was in Israel, we learned that they had been murdered. A few days before I returned from Israel, the week of July 10, the full scale war with Hamas had already begun. I wish to make a few points clear. We as the Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda community stand firmly with Israel. This war was thrust on Israel by a terrorist organization, which was launching thousands of rockets at civilian communities. As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said so eloquently – “Israel protects its civilians with missiles, and Hamas protects its missiles with civilians.” The death and destruction suffered in Gaza are terrible things, but the sole source of responsibility is Hamas. Our brothers and sisters did more than any country in history by providing warnings in various forms of impending assault at Hamas targets, as well as providing humanitarian assistance throughout.
My friends, there is no moral ambiguity, only moral clarity. This Summer’s war has been right against wrong. A democracy against a terrorist group. A society that celebrates life and mourns death versus a society that celebrates death and is indifferent to life. The media propaganda about proportionality is simply ridiculous. If Israel did not have the iron dome defense system, then Israel would have suffered thousands of deaths. The fact is Israel did its best to save lives because of the Jewish value in the sanctity of life.
As a Jew, as a rabbi, as a Zionist, as a representative of Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda, I am so proud of my spiritual home, Israel. I am so proud of the men and women who serve in the Israel Defense Forces and other security forces. On Tisha B’Av evening, during the recitation of the Book of Lamentations, we read out loud all the names of Israeli military personnel and civilians who have died this Summer due to the war imposed on Israel by terror. May their memories be a source of blessing, and may peace soon come to Israel . “Oseh Shalom Bimromav Hu Yaase Shalom Aleinu V’al Kol YIsrael – May the One who ordains peace above ordain peace for us and for all of Israel.” Amen
Rabbi Howard Morrison
