Temple Emanu-El Stands with Israel
Reflections from the Greenstein family on their experience of attending the March for Israel in Washington, DC:
My husband Yonatan, having been born in Israel to American parents who made Aliyah, always had a strong Jewish identity. I, however, grew up in Brooklyn in a family that emigrated here 40 years before the Holocaust. Early on, most of my friends weren’t Jewish and I attended a temple that didn’t really cater to a younger generation, so my Jewish identity really didn’t solidify until college where I joined Hillel, went on Birthright, made more Jewish friends, and soon after met Yonatan. Still, my experiences with antisemitism growing up were few and far between, and it was hard for me to imagine a world where Israel did not exist- it just seemed to be a given. I attended a very progressive liberal arts college in Boston, and never experienced or noticed racism towards Jews. In the last few weeks, I’ve come to realize that my children might not be afforded this same privilege.
The atrocities of October 7th have shaken me to my core- as a mom, a Jew, a trauma therapist, and a human. While the violence of last month and the reverberating antisemitism are difficult topics to discuss with 8-year-olds, we feel that it is crucial for our kids to have an understanding of the current climate; they cannot be complacent or take their Jewish identify as a given as I did growing up.
They need to learn now to advocate, use their voices for good, and to feel even prouder of their Jewish identify than ever. They need to understand the facts that can help guide their understanding of a complicated and nuanced history and inform their conversations with others. Even more importantly, I believe, is what they saw in Washington. Whatever struggles or adversity they may face in the future, I hope they now see that they will never be alone. On Tuesday, they got to march, stand, cheer, sing, whine (because they’re 8), dance, high five, and just be with 300,000 people, mostly strangers, who are and always will be their friends, family, allies, supporters, and protectors.
Yonatan and I talked with them about why it’s important to show up even when you feel lost in an enormous crowd. The “collective we” showed them that you can support a cause peacefully with words, song, and spirit, not violence, intimidation, and hate, while still holding space for tolerance, sadness, and grief for the innocent civilians on the other side. Like in any situation, you can feel two things at once. It breaks my heart and it seem so unfair that my 8-year-olds need to think about the fact that kids their age and much younger are being held captive and used as tools of terrorism, and others were killed “just because,” but we feel that they must know why we’re so sad and outraged, and also why our energy to come together and support one another as Jews is stronger than ever. As Yonatan said when we were weighing our options on attending the rally, “Work and school can wait, but this once in a lifetime show of support for Israel cannot.” I am so grateful that my children got to experience the pride and positivity in Washington this week, and I truly hope that if they ever attend another rally such as this, it’s only for celebration, not because they’re fighting to secure a future for the Jewish people and state.
A huge shout out to the Federation of Greater Metro West and Temple Emanu-El for putting New Jersey’s trip to Washington together so quickly. It was an organized, seamless day. And thank you Bus 38 for putting up with some invigorated eight-year-olds on the ride back to Westfield.
Lisa and Yonatan Greenstein
TEMPLE EMANU-EL TO CREATE EMPTY SHABBAT TABLE
FOR 220 HOSTAGES BEING HELD BY HAMAS
On Friday, October 27, in support of and urging the release of the current hostages in Gaza, the Temple Emanu-El community will recreate the Tel Aviv Museum of Art’s Empty Shabbat Table. Each empty place setting represents one of the 220 hostages being held by Hamas since October 7.
Friday’s installation will be live on the Temple’s front lawn from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM. The Community is invited to view the exhibition in solidarity. Setting an empty seat for prisoners has been part of the Global Jewish Protest lexicon since the 1960s when the movement to free Soviet Jews made it a hallmark of its symbolism.
In addition to the installation, there will be opportunities for congregants and visitors to write letters to soldiers in the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) and learn about other ways to support Israel at this time.
“As one of the largest Reform synagogues in New Jersey, we have an immense responsibility to draw attention to the hostages and call for their release,” said Rabbi Ethan Prosnit, Senior Rabbi at Temple Emanu-El. “In addition to bringing awareness to the terrorist attacks on Oct 7, 2023 and the ongoing unrest in the Middle East, we want to continue bringing our community together to mourn, heal, and celebrate Shabbat. As we gather to celebrate Shabbat as a community, we recognize that 220 hostages cannot mark this holy time with their family and friends, and we pray for their safety and release.”
Last week, in addition to Tel Aviv, tables for the hostages were set up in advance of Shabbat in the Jewish Quarter of Rome and on Australia’s famous Bondi Beach. Similar installations have been created throughout the world since.
“As war rages on in the Middle East and anti-semitism is at an all-time high, we can not lose sight of the hostages being held in Gaza right now,“ stated Allison Cohen, project organizer. “It is our hope this public installation brings awareness and inspires others to speak out and demand their safe return.”
Upcoming Events about Israel:
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Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest Israel Emergency Fund
Dollars donated to this fund will enable us to send help right now to mobilize resources to our international partner organizations.
Magen David Adom
Resources on how to talk to your children (K-12) about Israel now
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Resources from the ADL
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