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Dear Friends,
With much of my family having come from the Former Soviet Union, I've grown up on stories of my family members having to be extremely cautious about what they said or even implied in all but the most trusted, intimate environments.
My father, who came to Canada from Uzbekistan in his 20s, shared with us a lot of stories about days playing bass in a band that was extremely popular with the local politicians. These were entertaining stories that showed how he had gained favor among those with power. A consequence of this favor? The KGB asked him to spy on his father because he was Jewish. Thank goodness, his father was never arrested and they were ultimately able to get out.
My maternal grandmother left what is now Ukraine in the late 1920s and told me about how one day after school, her father asked her what they told her at school to say about God. While the exact words escape me, her response, as a young child, was a forceful statement along the lines of "to hell with God." She told me that her father encouraged her to remain open-minded and come to her own conclusions. She took this to heart—as a slightly older child in Montreal with very limited English, she became so creative that other children would pay her to tell them stories, ones she often made up on the spot. Later in life, she would write the book and lyrics to musicals performed for the Montreal Jewish community. One of my favorites? Carmen Cohen, a parody on Carmen, where she ultimately met her demise with a bad smoked meat sandwich.
The rights to independent thought, religious expression, and open dialogue—these are values that I have learned, through my own family history, to never take for granted. I'm sure that many of you have inherited similar family stories.
Of course, we know that with these rights comes risk—risk of bad actors taking advantage, spreading falsehoods for their own agendas. Some voices empowered can pose significant threats. This past Sunday, more than 20 B'nai Abraham community members saw October 8. The movie was difficult to watch, yet immensely necessary in its documentation of how the floodgates of Anti-Zionist, Antisemitic sentiment opened within hours of the October 7 attacks, long before Israel had even considered the response that was to come. The film paints a vivid picture of the state of Antisemitism today, especially on college campuses. It does so effectively to the point that every one of our non-Jewish friends should see it so that they can get a better understanding of what we're facing.
Among numerous important points, the film discussed a 1993 meeting in Philadelphia where 25 people connected with the Muslim brotherhood met at a local Marriott. Their meeting was to plan to take advantage of United States institutions to fund Hamas, gradually sway our population against Israel, and ultimately bring any possibility of peace and a two-state solution to an end. Unbeknownst to them, the FBI was monitoring the conversation and used much of what it learned in their investigations against Hamas funders. Learning about this meeting emphasizes for me the reality we're seeing—that there are many who have been completely duped about the admittedly messy and difficult reality of Israelis and Palestinians, not just in the moment, but as a long term strategy to discredit and destroy the state of Israel. While some of the claims against Israel may indeed be just, and concern for Palestinian self-determination reasonable, much of what is being directed at our people and our state is from years of extremists taking advantage of the open discourse we hold dear.
So what is the answer here? From my experience, it cannot be to limit our rights to expression. When something like this happens to someone else, history teaches us that it will likely again happen to us. Rather, we must ensure that we teach our children to be critical listeners, to verify facts, keep reasonable doubt, use common sense, and avoid groupthink. When someone tugs at your heartstrings, don't automatically follow the emotional path. Sometimes that is the right course, and as we're seeing now, sometimes it is all but.
The right to speak must be balanced with the right to respond, the right to disagree, the right to stand up for our own. Those balances come from us—parents, friends, and community.
If you haven’t yet seen October 8, please take time this weekend to see it (it’s now available on streaming platforms). Bring your high schoolers, college students, and friends. Our community depends on allies who truly understand what we're facing. Even more so, our community depends on us having a full understanding of our past, and present so that we can enter the future with greater wholeness. Share stories of your family history with friends, or seek out friends to learn about their background. It is through each other– through sharing, exploring, even debate, that we might continue to grow and thrive.
Shabbat shalom,
Dave
One quick note– please remember to vote in the World Zionist Congress elections. Voting is open until May 5. If you’re an American citizen or resident, Jewish, 18+ (by June 30, 2025), and didn’t vote in the November 2022 Knesset election, you’re eligible. There’s a $5 registration fee. Votehere.
A reminder, we have a broad coalition working towards the same goals for Israel. Consider voting for one of these slates:
- The Jewish Future (Yesh Atid, Centrist Liberal Zionism)
- Mercaz USA (representing Conservative Judaism)
- Vote Reform (representing Reform Judaism)
- AID Coalition (American-Israel Democracy– the Israeli-American Voice to Rebuild Israel)
- Hatikvah (a slate focused on pluralism, equity, dignity, and peace)
While some parties mention the war and hostages, defense isn’t the WZC’s focus. Vote with long-term, non-military policy in mind.
Let’s embrace our democratic right and perform a mitzvah! Let’s vote!
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