Community Magazine March 2003

s ” xc ADAR II 5763 MARCH 2003 43 Then there are those of us, in particular Jews living in America, who today feel geo- graphically and emotionally removed from the events happening in Israel. Life goes on as usual, as our daily routine and familial obligations take precedence over our thoughts and feelings of the situation in Israel. Then there are those who unfortu- nately do not feel any connection whatsoev- er and are removed from identifying with the plight of our people. What can we do to address these feelings of helplessness, or the inability to relate to the situation on a personal level, because of our immediate responsibilities and the gen- eral apathy amongst some. If we are to be true to ourselves as G-d fearing Jews, what actions do we need to take in order to truly prove to Hashem and to ourselves the real meaning of what we stand for as religious Jews? Is our religiosi- ty only an external expression of the way we dress or the "hashgacha" we subscribe to? What does Hashem expect of us? Why is He taking so many of the best, the heroic and the innocent people in succession from us? The answer lies to a large degree with our enemies. Jewish history has repeatedly shown us that when Hashem is displeased with our behavior and is trying to get our attention, He causes the nations of the world to rise up against us. Why is it necessary for Hashem to utilize an outside source to wreak havoc upon his children? It is only then that we seem to be able to overcome our petty differences. It is the hatred of our ene- mies that gives us the signal that we need to stop judging one another; that we need to stop feeling superior as an individual or as a community to someone that is different from ourselves. We need to start acknowl- edging Each and Every Jew as special irre- spective of their level of religious obser- vance; to engage in acts of Chesed and lov- ing kindness in abundance; - in particular to people you would never associate with. Make an effort - starting today - to go out of your way in furthering the commandment of veahavta l'reyacha kamocha (love your neighbor as you love yourself). But this time, go beyond the boundaries and limitations that you yourself or the groups of people you grew up amongst has set for you. The capacity for us to prevent further tragedies amongst our people lies within our very own hands. More than our prayers, Hashem longs to see us loving each other unconditionally, irrespective of our level of religious obser- vance or political affiliation. The greater our ability to love each other and reach out to each and every Jew espe- cially those that are different then ourselves, and to unite with one another, the greater our ability to have our prayers reach the highest levels and be answered. Let us show Hashem that our religiosity is also an inter- nal expression of our souls. We began a project several months ago whereby a Sefer Torah is being written to commemorate all the neshamot (souls) that were brutally killed in the last two years in Israel. We invite everyone to take advantage of this historic moment and show that you care about your brothers and sisters. Every single contribution is an act of unity, a signal to our enemies that even though they may have stolen some of our most precious souls, we care about each Jew as if they were part of our own body. The writing of this Torah will include a cover with the names of every person murdered in the last two years embroidered upon it. This is to emphasize the importance and unique- ness of every single soul that is part of the greater Jewish nation. In stark contrast to our enemies, who have no value for human life and use their own children as human shields, Am Yisrael must reinforce how highly we value the life of every Jew. Hashem is waiting - will we rise to the chal- lenge? Please send your tax deductible contribu- tion to: Masada Institute Of Brooklyn Inc. 2431 Mill Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11234 tel: 800-558-2789 fax: 718-257-1638. All residual funds will be forwarded to orphaned victims of terror. Friends and Supporters Jacques Avital, Chairman Sephardic National Alliance Yitz Grossman, C.E.O. Chairman Target Capital New York Statye Assemblyman, Dov Hikind Mar 63 color insert.qxd 2/27/2003 3:30 PM Page 43