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A Defense Of IfNotNow

IfNotNow Present s Greater Problem

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any liberal Jews are
whom our Jewish community
familiar with the popu-
has failed? Detroit’s INN leader-
lar musical mash-up by
ship includes Rachel Lerman. She
Debbie Friedman (z”l) combining
was educated in a Milwaukee day
two famous rabbinical maxims.
school, spent summers at Young
From the Haggadah,
Judaea and was active in
she took the passage
the University of Wisconsin-
reminding us that in
Madison Hillel. She can
every generation Jews
recall neither her day school,
must see themselves as
nor the summer camp, nor
having been liberated
the Hillel ever giving any
from Egypt. To this she
attention to the occupation.
added Rabbi Hillel’s
Despite this, she refused to
famous adage: “If I am
turn her back on the com-
not for myself, who will Rabbi Jeffrey L.
munity that nurtured her.
be for me? Yet if I am
Instead, she joined INN
Falick
only for myself, what
where she helps lead the call
am I? And if not now,
to our Jewish institutions to
when?”
seriously address it.
Like Ms. Friedman, the young
Hayley Sakwa is another local
people who founded IfNotNow
leader. She grew up in West
(INN) observed a direct connec-
Bloomfield, fully immersed in
tion between the foundational
Jewish life. She was active in
tale of Jewish liberation and our
Temple Israel, youth groups and
pressing need to stand up for our
later at Michigan Hillel. She even
people and others, namely, Israelis
interned in two Federation depart-
and Palestinians suffering from the ments. Like Rachel, as Hayley grew
never-ending Israeli occupation.
into adulthood, she came to realize
Employing tactics of non-violent that she was never educated about
protest at Jewish institutions and
the occupation. She felt misled,
events, they have demanded that
becoming determined to bring the
our Jewish institutions begin to
issues to the forefront of American
seriously address the occupation.
Jewish discourse. She points out
For this, they have been widely
that in her own Reform movement
vilified. Their critics ask where on
she has certainly found support
earth these young people ever got
among some rabbis and other
the idea that it was OK to intrude
leaders. Yet on an institutional
upon Jewish spaces demanding
level, silence reigns.
attention to their cries for justice?
One of the most impressive
They learned it from us. When
things about these INN members
our synagogues and youth groups
is that they do more than protest.
and summer camps reared them
They actively pursue Jewish lives in
on a diet of tikkun olam, they took
ways that should make our Jewish
it seriously. When we lionized past community kvell. But far from
Jewish participation in nonviolent
being the object of pride, they are
social justice movements, they
subject to accusations of being
took us seriously. And when they
“self-hating Jews.”
grew up to realize that their Israel
Fifty years ago, it was my
education had failed to address the own movement of Humanistic
tragic effects of Israel’s oppressive
Judaism that dared to defy Jewish
occupation on both Palestinians
dogma when we challenged
and Israelis, they took that seri-
Jewish beliefs about divinity. We
ously, too.
were called heretics, a label we
They came to realize that their
decided to bear as a badge of
institutions had failed them,
pride. Today, these young people
drowning honesty regarding a half- have also dared to defy Jewish
century of Israeli occupation in a
dogma, this time challenging
sea of falafel, camel rides, and blue accepted beliefs about Israel.
and white banners. (Full disclo-
This proud heretic stands behind
sure: During over two decades as
them with admiration. •
a Hillel director and JCC program-
Jeffrey Falick is a rabbi at the Birmingham
mer, I was the one ordering the
Temple Congregation for Humanistic
falafel and banners.)
Judaism in Farmington Hills.
Who are these young people

EDITOR’S NOTE: Last week, the JN ran a story “Standing With Israel” (page
17, May 3) about a protest the group IfNotNow held at Hillel Day School on
April 19. We asked two community members to share their thoughts on this
relatively new group.

8

May 10 • 2018

jn

n my line of work, I spend a lot of time
rights and exposing the truth, why haven’t
debating the perspectives of various
they openly opposed the fact that Palestinian
Israel organizations. Regardless of their
children in government-funded schools are
agenda, which I may or may not agree with,
taught to kill Jews? Palestinians decorate
for an organization to be considered pro-
their classrooms with pictures of terrorists
Israel, it must first express the right of
and the Palestinian government
a Jewish State in the Land of Israel.
actually pays lifetime salaries to the
This may seem obvious, but the
families of Jewish murderers? Yet,
recently established organization
on these crimes, IfNotNow remains
IfNotNow states that it does not
silent.
take a position on whether a Jewish
IfNotNow presents a greater
State in Israel should exist. In addi-
problem within American Jewry.
tion, IfNotNow refuses to denounce
Young American Jews are increas-
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
ingly enticed to turn away from
(BDS), a movement that aims to
Israel. A study by the Brand Israel
Kobi Erez
destroy the Jewish state through eco-
Group showed that support for
nomic strangulation.
Israel among Jewish college stu-
During my last visit to New York,
dents in the U.S. had dropped 32
I had the chance to observe one
percent between 2010 and 2016. The
of IfNotNow’s demonstrations firsthand.
problem lies in the fact that most young Jews
Participants held signs that read, “BDS is not
are only learning about Israel in depth for the
the problem; the occupation is!” and “Israel
first time when they arrive on their university
is an apartheid state.” They were demanding
campus — a notoriously hostile environment
that American Jewish organizations and the
for the Jewish state. Students need to come
American government end their support of
into college educated on Israel advocacy and
Israel.
ready to defend the existence of the Jewish
I was approached by one of the demon-
state. It’s the entire Jewish community’s
strators who tried to hand me a sign to hold
responsibility to educate our children on the
against Israeli aggression. He wore a kippah
importance of the Jewish nation and its ties
and a shirt that said, “Occupy Wall Street, not to the land of Israel.
Palestine.” I asked him if he realized that the
To meet this need, ZOA-MI created an
Occupy Wall Street movement aligns itself
Israel Advocacy Workshop and Israel travel
with the BDS movement against Israel, and
scholarship for high schoolers to give them
he replied that he was a proud BDS supporter tools to defend Israel on college campuses
as well. Moreover, when I asked him about
and to be proud of their Jewish homeland
Jewish statehood, he maintained that many
and heritage. Our hope is that more programs
of IfNotNow members believe that by defini-
like this will be established in communities
tion, a Jewish state is a racist concept and
around the country.
that one state comprised of Palestinians, Jews
Travel to Israel is one of the key compo-
and other residents should be formed in its
nents to connecting young adults to the
stead.
Jewish state and to their Judaism. Research
IfNotNow claims that Israel is violating
suggests that young Jews who participate in
Palestinians’ human rights, calling Israel’s
trips to Israel like Birthright, ZOA or Teen
behavior a “moral disaster” that should be
Mission sponsored trips are more connected
taught in every Jewish school, camp and
to their Judaism, their Jewish community and
youth movement. But, as is the case with all
to Israel. •
anti-Israel organizations, it’s only one-sided.
Kobi Erez is the executive director for the Zionist
If IfNotNow actually cared about human

Organization of America - Michigan Region.