On August 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Maine Monument in Columbus Circle in Manhattan and steps away from the Trump International Hotel, a sea of outraged American Jews gathered to call for an end to the Israeli government's starvation and ethnic cleansing of the residents of Gaza, and the safe entry of substantial humanitarian aid.
Arriving an hour before start time, I ran into the Multifaith Monday event, a weekly gathering under the umbrella of the Interfaith Center, which has the tagline of "Witness to Democracy". One of their sponsors is T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. Rabbi Jill Jacobs was standing nearby. I thought she might be early for the demonstration. Instead, she explained T'ruah's role in the weekly speak-outs, underscoring the need "for a steady religious presence" in these precarious political times when it was easy to "get overwhelmed". At the end of July, T'ruah clergy were arrested in front of the Israeli Consulate on Second Avenue. As we spoke about the disastrous events taking place in Gaza, Jacobs said, "Something cracked this week." She was alluding to the public letter signed by over 1,000 Rabbis and Cantors from around the world, which called out the killings and starvation of the civilians of Gaza.
Other Rabbis had shown up early, and I had the opportunity to interview them.
Rabbi Abby Stein, a founding member of Rabbis for Ceasefire, voiced the importance of doubling the aid to Gaza, because "feeding people is key". She added, "It's basic Jewish values." Executive Director of Partners for Progressive Israel, Rabbi Margo Hughes-Robinson, commented on the range of groups that were present. "We know the dignity and safety of Israelis and Palestinians are bound up with one another." Hughes-Robinson saw the continuum of voices as an "inversive moment of hope".
A long-time fixture in New York politics and former president of the human rights organization, American Jewish World Service, Ruth Messinger, told me, "I'm here because Torah states we can't stand idly by. Starvation is not an appropriate weapon of war." When she addressed the crowd, she shared information about MUAC, which stands for Mid-Upper Arm Circumference. "It's the easiest way to know if a child is dying." Messinger intoned, "Children are starving on our watch. And it's not being addressed. We need full nutritional packages, and recipients cannot be under physical threat." She paused and then declared, "I want you to go to bed tonight thinking about starving children in our name."
A recurring reference of the night concerned the murder of Palestinian peace activist Awdah Hathallen by the Israeli settler Yinon Levi, known for his repeated acts of violence against Palestinians on their lands. A mourning tent had been set up for Hathallen, which is where I met Natasha Westheimer, a member of All That's Left. She elaborated on her background and said that she had been living in Jerusalem for ten years. Westheimer is among Diaspora Jews who work directly with Palestinians. She, and others, have been calling for the body of Hathaleen to be returned to his family so he can be buried in his village of Umm al-Khair. (The Israeli government has a history of using corpses as a negotiating tactic.) A "quiet burial" was the official prerequisite, with no more than fifteen people in attendance. Currently, sixty to seventy women are on a hunger strike, demanding the return of Hathaleen's body. Westheimer, in response to my questions, said, "State Zionism upholds Jewish supremacy and apartheid that leads to what we're seeing for Palestinians across the Occupied Territories. As she expanded on the mindset that believes "Jews have a more valuable life" and that "Jewish statehood is of greater importance than Palestinians", her demeanor changed. It was then that Westheimer related that she knew Hathallen personally and was "One of the many internationals that he had welcomed into his home and village." It wasn't another statistic. It was personal.
By 6:30, the ranks had swelled. There was a small seated area, but most people were standing, and the group had rippled out in all directions. Printed signs messaged, "Never Again is Now"; "Let Aid Into Gaza, Stop Starvation"; "Stop Ethnic Cleansing". One button that covered all bases read, "Jews Against this f*cking Bullshit." A woman expressed to me, "It's hard to know how to be effective." Yet, the signage, drummers, and button-wearers showed that their presence was a clear sign of resistance and that in itself was a form of usefulness.
Music and chants of "Let Gaza Live" signaled the start of the program. Each speaker brought their specific energy, but the core thread was consistent. Being in community for Jewish and Palestinian equality was an antidote for feeling alone in the struggle; Jews and Americans had a responsibility to speak out. Morriah Kaplan, Interim Executive Director of IfNotNow, threw down the challenge to "any Jewish organization that doesn't call out this moral stain".
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