Thinking Torah Blog

Anyone who reads these weekly emails knows I rarely veer away from the weekly Torah portion or current holiday when writing. Today, I am going to do that. The last two months have been excruciatingly painful for many of us. The shocking atrocities on Oct. 7th left many of us frightened for the future of Israel, and the war that Hamas started has been horrible as well. Seeing the images of dead or wounded Palestinian children is no less painful than seeing those same images of Israeli children. Knowing both peoples' stories is vital for preserving our humanity. War is awful. War is the most chaotic and disorienting experience human beings collectively have. And, even though the war with Hamas is thousands of miles away, its tentacles have gripped our community here in Washtenaw County. 

This week, along with a few other Jewish community members, I spent about 6 hours in city council meetings in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. I've gone to these meetings because advocates for the Palestinian cause have been pushing both councils to pass ceasefire resolutions that are also anti-Israel. The Palestinian advocates have inundated both city councils, bringing dozens of speakers to voice their support for resolutions during public comment. In Ypsilanti, public comment went on for many hours before the Council could engage in city business. As a liberal person who believes in the democratic process, I support the Palestinian advocates engaging in the political process. Many of the speakers bring legitimate critique and concern. I feel for them and the Palestinian people. At the same time, several community members have advanced antisemitic tropes in their efforts to promote a resolution. 

In Ypsilanti, I heard more than once, "Some outside group has bought your vote…" and "You are bending the knee to the Zionists." These clear antisemitic dog whistles would be bad enough, but there is rampant denial of the Oct. 7th massacre. In Ann Arbor, when Council Member Briggs spoke about Oct. 7th, she was shouted down as people yelled that documented rape, torture, and murder are Israeli government lies used as a pretext for war. In Ypsilanti, Council Member Simmons, who also is the co-director of the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice (ICPJ) here in Ann Arbor, stood before the Council during public comment and said, "When talking about Oct. 7th, one of the things that I know is true, is that the story keeps changing. It reminds me of weapons of mass destruction and that we will look back and see that there [are] more than one truth that has been put forward." This sort of rhetoric should bring a chill over us all. It is the same sort of rhetoric employed by holocaust deniers. 

I share this with you not to cause distress but to keep you informed about what is happening in our community. In the coming days, I plan to be in further contact with you as we develop coordinated opportunities for members of our community to speak out about the antisemitism that is permeating public comment at our local city councils. I hope you'll join me when called upon.