(Picture from AJWS, via Seth Chalmer.)
I've often criticized Orthodox Jews for being insular and not caring enough about non-Jews. However, I've been really impressed by how many are speaking out against what's going on in Darfur. Of course, Jews unfortunately know as well as anyone what genocide really means, and it's therefore fitting that we should be standing with our non-Jewish brothers and sisters against this one. These YU students did more than I did on Sunday. Go them.
May one day "Never again!" come true.
11 comments:
Imyirtzehyehova one day the satmarers Yimach shmom vizichrom will do something like this lesheim shomayim as well.Halevei...
Anonymous
please do not confuse the satmars with the neturei karta.
Glad to see them getting out into the world a bit. They need to more often.
JA,
There really were a lot of guys with yarmulkas in the crowd. Other people were commenting about all the Jews (in a good way).
I still just don't understand what takes the "civilized" world so long to respond to this. Well, that's actually a lie - I do understand, but I don't want to believe it. How many people does it take to be displaced, killed and raped before "genocide" becomes genocide?
How many people does it take to be displaced, killed and raped before "genocide" becomes genocide?
It's because ignorance is bliss.
also,
Please check out my blog friend who was actually there and has posted tons of pictures:
http://vancouvercalling.blogspot.com/
There are also some pictures up here. I don't know whether that was/is from that rally, but either way...
Sorry, so these are the Washington rally pictures.
Yes, I was there. How cool is that?! :-) I was also impressed with the Jewish response to this. I think some in the non-Jewish world have come to identify Jewish people in a negative way, either because of the situation in Israel, or as a tired record over the Holocaust. I don't share those views, but have heard them. When you try to educate people about both situations, they are either resistent to learning more details (it's too complicated) or already have firmly embedded preconceived notions that they are not willing to let go of.
I saw the Jewish response in D.C. on Sunday as a hugely positive one. It put the Jew, not necessarily in the spotlight as a victim, but as a teacher (don't let this continue to happen), a soldier (I'm willing to stand up for this, even though few stood up for my people), and a co-worker (I am here with you, we can find a solution together). I saw this response with a number of groups. Evangelicals are another good example. The secular community or liberal Christians have increasingly started viewing Evangelicals in a similar vein to radical Muslims, as backward, extreme, and crazy. They are not. To see so many diverse religious groups come together, with a common purpose, working together, sharing the same view, was amazing!
I am still moved by the whole event. It has renewed my faith in humanity, that we can stop our bickering and ignorantly allowing political interests to exploit our differences and divide us. We can speak to each other, disagree on some things, agree on others, and live and work in peace with one another. It's okay if we're radically different in our beliefs about God, our beliefs about women's roles in society, etc. It starts with one small agreement on one thing. That's the first step toward building a bridge for understanding. We do not all have to be identical, live the same way, believe the same things. There is room for difference. Share this idea with others. Make the ripples and help them spread outward.
vv:
welcome. :-)
I agree, the Jewish presence at the rally was good for the Jews.
It is moving that when something like Darfur comes along, we can set aside our relatively petty differences and stand together against something far worse. If only our "leaders" in politics would try to unite us to fight for the issues that virtually all of us believe in, if only they would inspire us rather than trying to divide us by stirring up controversial issues every election cycle.
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