Salute to Israel Parade – Responses ii
I have still been thinking a lot about my post and, specifically, maayan's reply about "fluff."
The short version of my response is this: "I agree. Point well taken."
Now for the longer version.....
I seem to remember a story - I think it's about David Brenner (Rabbi Fleischmann, is it in his autobiography, Soft Pretzels with Mustard which I think you quoted here....?). The story is about a protestor at a poorly-attended rally. Some passerby jeered him by saying, "Do you really think you're going to change the world??"
Brenner replied, "I'm not trying to change the world. I am just making sure that the world does not change me."
I am sure you remember the huge rally in support of Israel in Washington D.C. a few years back (was it in May or June of 2002?). Literally thousands and thousands of Jews from all over the world came to Washington to express support for Israel. Our school sent many busses and each faculty member was in charge of a different bus. Our bus got there a bit late and the kids didn't see or hear any of the speakers. We just stood there in the sun, not sure what to do. I remember telling them that the point of the rally, first and foremost, was to show support. Politicians and reporters count people and they don't really care if we heard Netanyahu speak. They care that we were there. In some respects, we went there just for that one aerial photograph or that one line in the papers that read, "250,000 people came out in support of...." Despite spending 10 times more time on the bus than we did at the rally, the kids felt that they accomplished something. And they did.
The truth of the matter is that no one has any way to know whether the rally changed the geopolitical landscape in the Middle East. We hope it did, but it's hard to imagine that any one event or rally can changed thousands of years of animosity and unrest. But there is no question that the rally changed everyone there. The act of going, of giving up a day, of walking in the heat, of seeing the sea of busses, of standing shoulder to shoulder with Jews (and probably non-Jews) of all stripes focused on one goal.... that's not fluff. That's real change.
There is no question: going to rallies, participating in letter-writing campaigns, lobby trips to D.C., etc. changes the person/people involved. I said it in my post but perhaps not strongly enough (and the "Blah blah blah" didn't help clarify my point!): I know that people are changed by participating in the parade. I would go if I were there as I have for the past many years. My kids benefited, the people around me benefited... I benefited!
So I accept the point that you all made: much if not all of the parade is for the people who participated.
My post was from the other perspective, that is from the perspective of a new oleh going through a rough time of acclimation who didn't have the luxury to be inspired by the 100,000 or so marchers, banners, floats, etc. It was hard and it's still hard and that's where I was coming from.
On the other hand, we read Parshat Shlach this week in Israel; perhaps this is not the best time to talk about the hard stuff.
Thanks again to all.
The short version of my response is this: "I agree. Point well taken."
Now for the longer version.....
I seem to remember a story - I think it's about David Brenner (Rabbi Fleischmann, is it in his autobiography, Soft Pretzels with Mustard which I think you quoted here....?). The story is about a protestor at a poorly-attended rally. Some passerby jeered him by saying, "Do you really think you're going to change the world??"
Brenner replied, "I'm not trying to change the world. I am just making sure that the world does not change me."
I am sure you remember the huge rally in support of Israel in Washington D.C. a few years back (was it in May or June of 2002?). Literally thousands and thousands of Jews from all over the world came to Washington to express support for Israel. Our school sent many busses and each faculty member was in charge of a different bus. Our bus got there a bit late and the kids didn't see or hear any of the speakers. We just stood there in the sun, not sure what to do. I remember telling them that the point of the rally, first and foremost, was to show support. Politicians and reporters count people and they don't really care if we heard Netanyahu speak. They care that we were there. In some respects, we went there just for that one aerial photograph or that one line in the papers that read, "250,000 people came out in support of...." Despite spending 10 times more time on the bus than we did at the rally, the kids felt that they accomplished something. And they did.
The truth of the matter is that no one has any way to know whether the rally changed the geopolitical landscape in the Middle East. We hope it did, but it's hard to imagine that any one event or rally can changed thousands of years of animosity and unrest. But there is no question that the rally changed everyone there. The act of going, of giving up a day, of walking in the heat, of seeing the sea of busses, of standing shoulder to shoulder with Jews (and probably non-Jews) of all stripes focused on one goal.... that's not fluff. That's real change.
There is no question: going to rallies, participating in letter-writing campaigns, lobby trips to D.C., etc. changes the person/people involved. I said it in my post but perhaps not strongly enough (and the "Blah blah blah" didn't help clarify my point!): I know that people are changed by participating in the parade. I would go if I were there as I have for the past many years. My kids benefited, the people around me benefited... I benefited!
So I accept the point that you all made: much if not all of the parade is for the people who participated.
My post was from the other perspective, that is from the perspective of a new oleh going through a rough time of acclimation who didn't have the luxury to be inspired by the 100,000 or so marchers, banners, floats, etc. It was hard and it's still hard and that's where I was coming from.
On the other hand, we read Parshat Shlach this week in Israel; perhaps this is not the best time to talk about the hard stuff.
Thanks again to all.
posted by T.Y.I.I. at
Thursday, June 15, 2006
6 Comments:
Shloimetas - Don't worry about talking about the hard stuff. Being on this side of the ocean I certainly acknowledge that you and your family are the ones who actually made Aliyah - not us...yet. And, as far as Parshat Shlach I know without a doubt that had you been one of the meraglim you certainly would have been either Yehoshua or Calev.
BTW is it true that you guys are on a different Parsha than we are?
Our Shlach is next week.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
What a nice compliment, Libby. It fits with your name moreh derech; you're showing the rest of us the way on many levels.
Moreh, I am honored that you quote my blog (and I guess read it too) (joke) (but not a killer one).
Look at the name of the post you quoted from, "it's like rain on your wedding day" (ironic) (even though rain on your wedding day is not ironic) (the fact that the examples in that song are all not really ironic, is in fact ironic, so the song deserves its name after all) (but I digress).
I recall that rally well. It was a frustrating venture and as I recall was not covered much by the media at all (a recent Darfur related Washington rally got much more coverage). But the point is a strong one, we need to speak up for our own sake.
The quote you cite from Brenner is a good one. He's an example that I should add to my recent list (of two) of out there Jews who are very proud of being Jewish (but not of Judaism) and passionately anti anti-Semitism.
Brenner has sever autobiographical books, and they each have referenceds to his Jewish pride, the Jewish star he wears, etc. One of those books contains a story of a woman he was on a date with who after a few drinks started saying negative things about Jews. She got so drunk that she slid off her chair and under the table...where he left her at closing time.
Sorry for taking up so much comment space, I don't plan to make it a habit.
Thanks to both libby and Rabbi Neil for your comments.
Libby: your snippet-like encouragements keep me going. Thank you.
Rabbi: It happens to be that I do not read that many blogs (maybe I'll do a meme on the blogs that I do read). Constraints in both time and interest make it hard to read a lot. But I do read yours, and I enjoy it a lot. I have said often that I write for myself and this blog has really, really helped me organize and articulate my thoughts. Your blog inspired me to start it in the first place. So thank you.
Wow. Your welcome. Keep going. Even if you decide to stop blogging, writing can be a savior and a friend.
I appreciate your thoughtful, thought-out response about fluff and other stuff.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home