Sisterhood

Our 2020/21 year of Sisterhood is going strong. This morning I saw an ad for a parody book called Good Morning Zoom. I was intrigued by this book and how it followed the story pattern of the classic, Good Night Moon. My mind wandered a bit – who would have thought that seven months ago when we were all introduced to Zoom that it would still be controlling our daily lives and we would be following each other around our Emunah Zoom room!

In appreciation of the wonderful Temple Emunah Zoom initiatives made in the months prior to, and for the High Holidays and “now beyond,” Sisterhood has earmarked a $5,000 donation to the Technology Fund to help pay for the expense of this virtual programming. In addition, we are contributing another $500 to pay for a Sisterhood Zoom account for our own programming and the remainder of the money will be donated to the fund.

Sisterhood had a fabulous Paid-Up Membership supper with over ninety members attending our TV Dinner. Many thanks to Rachel Raz for bringing the Space Torah film to our Sisterhood; to Rabbi Kling Perkins for her inspirational words; to Barbara Posnick for facilitating the program and to Joelle Gunther and Alison Dick who helped with the RSVPs and distribution of 130 meals.

Our PARTNERSHIP theme is working well. We are so happy that Sisterhood can partner with so many committees. We have many events in the future such as co-sponsoring initiatives with Adult Education, Family Education, the Religious School, the Membership Committee and the other Temple Emunah committees. Our ability to provide financial support for these have helped Sisterhood to increase participation while reaching out to more people in our diverse temple population.

Rabbi Lerner (continued from page 1) celled a speech in memory of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, z”l, may his memory be blessed, chaired by Mandy Patinkin for Americans for Peace Now. While even AOC admitted she was not an “expert in geopolitics in this issue,” Weiss claims that AOC knew perfectly well what she was doing and that even great peace-makers like Rabin are now treif if they are associated with Israel.

But AOC is a product of her times and the milieu that has been created not just by the left. What should have happened when AOC was first elected in 2018? AOC should have been taken on a trip to Israel as used to be de rigueur for most new members of Congress.

Who should have brought her? There is an incredible pro-Israel organization that takes newly-elected Congressmen and women to Israel – pretty awesome, right? This amazing group is AIPAC.

As a supporter of AIPAC for years, I say proudly that AIPAC has had a most impressive track record: they have organized trips for new members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to teach the history of the State of Israel in all its complexity. These trips were also rare opportunities where Republicans and Democrats could come together.

In October, we partnered with the Israel Action Committee on a program called “Building a Shared Society in Israel” by Zoom where we heard from two dynamic speakers, Dr. Amal Elsana Alh’jooj and Mohammad Darawshe. In November we had our signature Dinner and a Movie program featuring the film “Operation Wedding,” a documentary about the Dymshits–Kuznetsov hijacking affair, an escape attempt from the Soviet Union by a group of young Soviets, mostly Jewish people, who were denied exit visas. The documentary is told from the personal point of view of the filmmaker, Anat Zalmanson-Kuznetsov, daughter of group members Eduard Kuznetsov and Sylva Zalmanson. Anat joined us for a Q&A during our dinner.

In December we will be having a community H . anukkah dinner. Individual boxed holiday meals will be offered for purchase and picked up in a parking lot drive-up prior to our Zoom program. Looking ahead to 2021, make sure to Save the Date for a Mitzvah Day project in early February with the religious school; Pre-Purim Libations (some kind of adult cocktail event with appetizers on Feb. 11), our Community Brunch (Feb. 28) and our Dinner and a Movie (date TBD).

In closing, I am thinking of the dates on the calendar that will keep me busy throughout the remainder of the year and into 2021. I hope you will mark your calendar for our wonderful Sisterhood programs.

In the spirit of the holiday season and the upcoming new year, I wish everyone a happy and healthy 2021 and I look forward to seeing you at our Good Morning Zoom and Good Evening Zoom programs. Janet Goldberg, Sisterhood President

janet.goldberg2@verizon.net

But, sadly, AIPAC allowed itself to become a bit too partisan, especially during these last four years. Though the organization tried to avoid the left/right fights, it got sucked in. In 2016, the Policy Conference was whipped into a Trumpian frenzy, one that turned off many young attendees. Thus, AOC did not go to Israel with AIPAC and in fact, has not been at all.

The second fact is that AOC simply made a mistake. It’s not part of some far-left movement, but rather, like many other politicians, she made an error. She went too far and the proof that this is not a left-wing agenda is that left-wing organizations criticized her for her actions. For example, see the head of J-Street, Jeremy Ben-Ami’s piece on September 29, 2020 (https://jstreet.org/rep-ocasio-cortezs-decisionand-the-legacy-of-yitzhak-rabin-yom-kippur-reflections/#. X62J8MhKiUl). * * *

Ms. Weiss’ second topic is anti-Semitism in general in the United States. Here, I think she is correct and the data bear this out. There is a rise in anti-Semitism. It is most disturbing to see left-wing protestors spray-paint “Free Palestine” on a synagogue in Kenosha, Wisconsin. However, some of her (continued on page 12)

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(continued from page 11) other examples do not rise to this level. Let us all be clear: anti- aspects to this far-left thinking, but really how mainstream is

Semitism is on the rise on both the far-left and the far-right. It stifling free speech? has been fueled by Q-Anon, far-right conspiracy theories, and Her comments about how the left wants to rid us of the SAT white supremacists that have sometimes found a home in the take us into a vastly different topic into which Weiss apparently embrace of the outgoing president. feels no qualms wandering. My editor might have sent that

I do take issue with Weiss’ critique of Mayor de Blasio’s back: “looks like material for another essay”. That said, having criticism of the ultra-Orthodox community in New York for teens of SAT age, it is clear to me that the test is not that helpful their risky behavior around Covid. I think that de Blasio’s since those who have the money to pay for tutoring and other statements were accurate. I have heard first-hand accounts means of gaming it, pretty much can. It favors the wealthy and from several members of our congregation who have attended the children of highly educated parents. ultra-Orthodox funerals in the Tri-State area: people were not Since there is no level playing field to begin with, the wearing masks, they were not physically distancing themselves notion of a meritocracy is fairly complicated. Weiss would do from one another, and they were gathering in large groups. This well to appreciate some of the arguments put forth in Michael has contributed to the spread of Covid – it is against both NY Sandel’s recent book, The Tyranny of Merit, which points us to law and Jewish law and has caused the deaths of hundreds, if the dangers of meritocracy and the resentment it breeds: see not thousands of people. It is deserving of critique in strong the 2016 presidential election or the people who voted for the terms. Weiss’ criticism is significantly off the mark. outgoing president in 2020 as examples. * * * Sandel encourages us to think more about an ethic of soli-

The final part of Bari Weiss’ article is a long excursus about darity and humility, more about the dignity of work than the the general dangers of the drift from American liberalism, as importance of the meritocracy. This is a strong critique of our she feels that it is drifting too far to the left. current state of affairs and another missing piece in Weiss’ puzzle.

Her argument that Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. felt that our Ibram X. Kendi is the focus of her lengthy closing critique. founding fathers created “magnificent” founding documents Here, she has missed the forest for the trees. As I discussed in my is on the mark. They have been supple enough to allow us to sermon on Kol Nidrei (https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/a-matterevolve for almost 250 years. Not a small feat. As she writes so of-color/), I do think we have internalized racist attitudes that eloquently, “America would never be perfect, but we could always have seeped deeply into our culture and our society; they are strive toward building a more perfect union.” part and parcel of this country and its history.

After that, however, Weiss goes too far. Despite her claims, While we should be sounding the alarm about Jews who

American liberalism is not being replaced with some far-left have suffered discrimination on campuses, Kendi’s books are extremism any more than its news is being replaced by non- not the cause of that. His approach does not endanger Jews, it is factual, incoherent, news-like products manufactured by outlets built to correct generational injustices including slavery, racism, like the Sinclair Media Group. If anything, the greater danger is and redlining against blacks. That’s it. not from the far-left, but from the far-right, from Q-Anon and As Jews, we have a choice about how to approach this white supremacist groups as our own government has stated. moment: we can run from it, falsely claiming the left is totally

But I am an equal opportunity “danger-ist,” and so there are dangerous, we can fully embrace it, drinking the Kool-Aid™ clearly threats to us from both sides. It’s time to stop sounding without checking its ingredients or kosher certification, or an alarm on one side of the boat when we can see attacks com- there is a third option. We can carefully approach this moment ing from both starboard and port. We Jews are not even on a as the thoughtful people we are, wisely choosing to partner ship, it’s a small craft! with those on the left or the right when we can and when their

Her critique of “social justice” Judaism also feels too harsh. values align with ours. We can build bridges with other faiths

For many Jews, this is a door into Judaism, one that has been and racial groups and communities, strengthening our hand central to Judaism since the Tanakh; I would spend less time at a time when our numbers are diminishing. slamming it shut and instead, try to find some wood to prop Or we can just run screaming: “Fire.” I’m not a big fan of it open. that one.

Having the opportunity to speak with many college students, * * *

I would emphasize that we should recognize where our youth are Bari Weiss has shone a spotlight on critical problems: and where they are going. We can attract them by highlighting there should be some concern about left-wing anti-Semitism a Judaism that is inclusive and open to others. That’s what we and the loss of traditional alliances. I would argue that there learn from the opening chapters of Genesis: we are all created should be equal, perhaps greater, concern about far right-wing in the image of God, b’tzelem Elohim. That is the foundation of anti-Semitism. social justice. Once we are engaging with them, we will have That said, her arguments are far too broad, lacking the an opportunity to deepen their Jewish experience. Without nuance these topics deserve. meeting them first, we will have no chance. As a Jewish community, we need to build coalitions, find

Free speech is another of Weiss’ concerns. She feels that friends and help people and leaders like AOC understand the the left is stifling it. Again, there are clearly some troubling complexities of this moment. Bari Weiss is sounding the alarm, but her ringtone is off-key.

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