Charlotte Stands With Israel

(Club Z executive director, Olga Meshoe Washington, talks with the press)

Charlotte Jewish News August 2021

By Marcy Braverman Goldstein, Ph.D.

With only four days to arrange everything, Club Z organized Charlotte Stands With Israel, a rally for peace that drew nearly 200 hopeful community leaders, citizens, immigrants, university students, parents, and children from the greater Charlotte area to Romare Bearden Park on May 20. People of various nationalities, ethnicities, and religions all came together to show support for the millions under attack during the recent deadly flare-up between Israel and Hamas. The devastating effects of that faraway conflict continue to reverberate globally despite the ceasefire agreement enacted the same day as this rally occurred, symbolizing a yearning for peace.

As flags waved in sunny blue skies, the crowd sang, prayed, and listened to a lineup of speakers that shared messages about dispelling darkness. Wrapped in an Israeli flag, Olga Meshoe Washington, regional director and educator at Club Z Charlotte, gave an impassioned speech about her conviction that we should stand courageously with Israel and Jewish Americans, especially when they are ruthlessly attacked. She was then interviewed by WBTV, saying, “We have been standing here for peace on both ends, and in particular, we have been calling for Hamas to stop the rockets and to stop using civilians as human shields, which unfortunately has resulted in increased loss of human life. The Palestinian people in Gaza deserve better. The world needs to pressure Hamas to stop the terrorist activity not only [for] its people but also [for] Israel.”

Club Z students Evan Biller and Aliya Martin explained the relevance of this destructive conflict to Jewish Americans and the significance of Israel to Jews worldwide: “We would like to commemorate the innocent Palestinian and Israeli civilian lives lost, and we send prayers for a peaceful resolution. But why are two Jewish teenagers in the United States talking about this? We are saddened to say that recent events ignited antisemitic protests and hate crimes all over the world … And why should we actively support Israel? Because Israel is our home, the only Jewish state amid 195 countries, a sliver of land no bigger than New Jersey. Jews are indigenous to this land. Our grandparents and great-grandparents fought to make Israel a safe haven for Jews. Our ancestors before them survived countless atrocities so that we can stand here today. This is not just a matter of defending the land and our people; it’s about preserving our history, which has been passed down from generation to generation. And it’s about securing our future.”

Everyone also heard from a range of community leaders, including Rabbi Chanoch Oppenheim of Charlotte Torah Center, Rabbi Rachel Smookler of The Ruach Community, Pastor Dumisani Washington of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel, and Cantor Elias Roochvarg. Charlotteans Maor Waizman and Larry Berendt offered a prayer for peace and protection for those at the forefront of the conflict, and Yael Osovski spoke movingly about bearing the stress of Jew hatred.

Participants reflected on the rally while mingling at the park and in the days that followed. Rachael Weiss, an administrator of the Facebook group Jewish Moms of Charlotte, explained what “standing” means: “Agreeing or disagreeing with the Israeli government should not be conflated with standing for Israel’s existence. Nor should political views cause people to hate Jewish people. The rally was a beautiful way to come together and support all innocent people and a nation that’s been terrorized for too long.”

Charlotte Stands With Israel expresses the dream of “One Day,” a song by Matisyahu: “All my life I’ve been waitin’ for, I’ve been prayin’ for, for the people to say, that we don’t wanna fight no more, there’ll be no more war, and our children will play. . . One day this all will change, treat people the same. Stop with the violence, down with the hate. One day we’ll all be free and proud to be under the same sun, singin’ songs of freedom.”

Charlotte Stands With Israel was organized by Club Z, a growing national organization that educates teens to become a network of leaders that embraces Zionism, takes pride in its Jewish identity, and addresses issues of bigotry.