Dear Readers,

We are in such a state of ‘holding’, waiting to respond, watching things escalate and we do not fully know the consequences of them, bringing bodies back with tears, sending hope and prayers our for ourselves, our communities, the greater community of Israel, the world. It is hard to know what to think sometimes, as our moral outrage is engaged in different and sometimes conflicting ways. My colleague, Rabbi René Pfertzel wrote this poignant piece, which he has graciously allowed me to share with you:

"There was a time I believed that if I just explained myself clearly enough, with nuance and compassion, people would understand, even if they disagreed. That faith has been tested in recent months.

In February, I returned from a trip to Israel. What I saw and felt compelled me to write honestly, critically, and with deep love for the country and its people. I wrote about the unsettling expansion of settlements in the West Bank, about the violence we ourselves experienced from settlers, about the pain and trauma I’ve seen in Israel, the terrible sites of the massacres of the 7th of October, about the daily realities I witnessed, and about the impact all of it had on Palestinians, Israelis, and on the soul of Judaism itself.

I wrote not out of anger, but out of love for Israel, a love that refuses to look away. I questioned what was being built or done in the name of security. I questioned the spiritual price we are paying for political choices. I spoke about the dangers I see in the current path of the Israeli government, as I understand them.

The reaction in my community was swift..."