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8 | JUNE 25 • 2020
1942 - 2020
Covering and Connecting
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How to reach us see page 12
for Black Lives organization,
which has since dropped, but
not altogether deleted, an
anti-Israel platform piece from
its website. There are certainly
some vicious anti-Semites and
anti-Zionists who associate
with the BLM movement or
organization, but that must not
move us Zionists away from
our principles of Zionist activ-
ism.
If BLM itself came out
officially with an anti-Israel
statement on their website, I
would be the first to condemn
it because Zionism is all about
Black Lives Matter.
The Jewish people and
Zionists live by the verse from
Exodus 3:16-17: “I have noticed
you and what they are doing to
you … And I have said, ‘
I will
take you out of slavery and suf-
fering to the Land of Canaan …
(to the Holy Land – Israel!).
”
This is both the Zionist
dream of ending the millennial
oppression of the Jewish people
in foreign lands, and it is the
vision that gave hope to our
black brothers and sisters in
their years of suffering in their
“Egypt” — in America — and a
vision of a better country.
In Egypt, God said, Jewish
lives matter. Now that the
Jewish people have the Jewish
State, and we have strength and
a modicum of acceptance in
America, it is time for us to say:
“Black Lives Matter.”
Our Zionism has taught us
how important this narrative
is, and we have succeeded. We
have found our Zion and it is
strong. Now let us Zionists give
hope to those who are fighting
to remove the “Egypt” from this
country and let us be allies with
them to find their Zion.
In those rallies I have attend-
ed, specifically in Detroit, the
leaders of the black commu-
nity have emphasized how
destructive violent protests and
looting have been to the cause.
This also is consistent with the
way the Jewish people moved
toward establishing Israel.
Zionism is about purpose,
focus and building and not
about violence and destruction.
In fact, the early founders of
Israel quashed rogue elements
that took the focus away from
the cause. Black Lives Matter
must mean the same discipline
for the sake of fighting racism
and injustice.
The great Supreme
Court Justice and Zionist
Louis Brandeis said, “Let
no American imagine that
Zionism is inconsistent with
patriotism.” For the sake of our
Jewish and Zionist tradition, let
no American say that Zionism
is inconsistent with the fight
for true patriotism. Black Lives
Matter and Zionism matter
in the battle for racial justice
and equality for our African
American brothers and sisters.
Rabbi Asher Lopatin is the JCRC/AJC
executive director.
And I believe every part of those
statements. I specifically didn’
t
write some of the specifics that
other’
s signs said because I can’
t
genuinely say I’
ve done enough
research on each individual topic
to state my opinion. Just like
how if I didn’
t research a specific
topic before an election, I would
not blindly vote on that topic.
But I fully support peaceful
protests that have the goal of a
better world. And the Oak Park
protest was one of them. I also
believe that black people matter.
I specifically didn’
t state “black
lives matter” or “BLM” because,
while I believe in a lot of the
things the movement stands for,
I cannot agree with everything
the organization itself stands for
or supports, and I’
m not a fan of
some of the leaders’
viewpoints
on Israel and anti-Semitism.
I did not bend a knee when
everyone else did because I
wasn’
t sure if I could as a Jew, so
I erred on the side of caution.
But no one said anything nega-
tive to me about it.
I joined the protest/march
because I care about my black
neighbors. I joined the protest/
march because I care about my
black classmates. I joined the
protest/march because I care
about my black friends. I joined
the protest/march because I care
about black Jews.
I joined the protest/march
because I care.
Menachem Roetter, 25, is from Oak
Park. He is a full-time student at the
University of Detroit-
Mercy working on a
bachelor’
s degree in Addiction Studies.
He also works at the local restaurant
Kravings. In his spare time, he advo-
cates for Agunot.
PROTESTS from page 6
ZIONISM from page 6
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