What Rabbis Should Say on Rosh Hashanah About Israel

On Rosh Hashanah or on Yom Kippur, most rabbis will speak about the serious situation in which Israel finds herself now. We’re not politicians, we’re not analysts, we’re not possessed of the gift of prophesy. Therefore, if we dare offer a prognosis (which I for one am sorely tempted to do), listen sceptically, and watch and see if we get it right.

But to speak in religious terms, particularly those of the moment–this indeed is our coin. More than that, it is our responsibility. Repentance, forgiveness, healing. Such necessities, tested by truth, tempered by a wise and courageous understanding of good and evil, all subject to our understanding of what God wants of each human being–these are our matters of concern.

The author Yossi Klein Halevi, gifted of both prose and poetry in his soul as well as in his writing, has framed Israel’s current situation through the lens of the religious moment. This is very close to what I wish I had written for these upcoming Holy Days to explain what is happening in the Middle East in religious and existential terms. More importantly, I hope rabbis far and wide will read what Yossi has said, absorbing his thinking as they speak to their congregations at this crucial and worrisome time.

To read No Apologies: Israel Isn’t to Blame for Its Growing Isolation, please click here.

[green_message] To visit Rabbi Moscowitz’s Blog From Jane Fonda to Judaism: A Rabbi’s Journey From Radical Politics in Santa Monica to the Bimah of Holy Blossom Temple, and to read other blog entries, please click here. [/green_message]
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To learn more about our upcoming program
What Must Israel Do To Survive – And Thrive? Three Leading Figures Speak,
featuring Yossi Klein Halevi, please click the image below.