April 23, 2011 | 19 Nisan 5771

What would you do if you learned that individuals were throwing stones at worshippers leaving our synagogue building on Shabbat? What if you found out that a small group of people had entered our building one Shabbat and sought to create a disturbance? How would you react if one day you were driving by the synagogue, glanced over at the building…and saw that it had been defaced with graffiti?

Oh, yes, I know some of the words that would come out of your mouths. I know what you would call the perpetrators. And if you could catch any of them and had the physical strength to “teach them a lesson,” I know exactly what you would do to them. It would be a long time before any of them could throw a rock or run away following one of their heinous acts.

I know that all of this sounds absurd and totally unrealistic. That just can’t happen in a 21st century democracy!

What if I told you that everything I have just described has happened in recent months in Israel…and the perpetrators were ultra-Orthodox Jews!

That’s right! Last Shabbat as worshippers left the Masorti congregation in Netanya, several Jews dressed in religious garb threw rocks at them.

Did you hear what I just said? Doesn’t it anger you?!  Don’t you want to do something about it?! Of course, I’m inciting you now…and that, my friends, is precisely the reaction I fear as non-Orthodox Jews hear about this incident and several other recent ones.

I am concerned that we will loathe the ultra-Orthodox more than we may already do. I am also concerned that we will publicly rail against an Israeli leadership whose inaction appears to reflect disinterest. In short, I fear that our reaction may only exacerbate a bad situation.

To incite, to call upon people to publicly protest or to castigate Israeli officials in public is simply unseemly.

They are actions unbecoming lovers of Israel. But lovers of Israel can and, I believe, must register their concern with Israeli officials. It is time for the American Jewish community to organize itself on national and local levels to respond to these despicable acts and to express its expectations of Israeli leadership.

Our national congregational organizations, joined by the Jewish Federations of North America, ought to communicate directly with Prime Minister Netanyahu. They ought to help us organize in our local congregations and communities to reinforce a simple message – The behavior of these ultra-Orthodox hooligans is illegal. The perpetrators must be pursued and those who are caught must be prosecuted. These actions must stop.

Notice, please, that I did not say, “or else.” No threat should accompany these statements. Lovers of Israel do not threaten its leaders. We must simply say to them – This situation is unconscionable and must change.

Some of you here are probably thinking, “Isn’t this overkill? After all, it’s just some isolated incidents…”

To you I say – What number of incidents will it take to warrant action? Will someone have to be significantly injured or even killed before action is taken?

Every year our movement in Israel grows. In the past two years eight Masorti congregations have been founded. Those of you who heard Rabbi Chaya Rowen Baker, a Masorti rabbi in Jerusalem, when she visited with us several months ago, had to be impressed with the outreach efforts to secular Israelis that she described. More and more Israelis are finding Jewish spiritual meaning in activities like these.

As progressive Jewish religious movements in Israel gain strength, how do you suppose those ultra-Orthodox Jews prone to violence will respond?

The time for action is now…before a bad situation likely grows worse.

Just prior to the start of Passover, one of my colleagues here in Atlanta raised this issue with several rabbis and communal leaders. When the holiday ends, I’m sure we will address it in our community.

I hope that a national group of thirty Orthodox, Conservative and Reform rabbis will have an opportunity to address the issue directly with Israeli officials with whom we will meet in just a few weeks. The Israeli government is bringing ten rabbis from each of the major movements to Israel, including three from Atlanta, for a pilot program entitled, “Rabbis Engaging With Israel.”

The stated purpose of the program is to take rabbis who are already engaged with Israel and make them more effective voices within their congregations and communities. But it is important for us to share our concerns with the Israeli officials with whom we will meet.

In fact, whenever Israeli officials visit us we should raise this issue of ultra–Orthodox violence against Masorti synagogue worshippers. They need to know how strongly we feel.

As I said earlier, it is important that any American Jewish reaction to the unconscionable actions undertaken by a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews neither state nor imply any threat.

No, there ought not be any “… or else….”  But you and I must recognize there really is an “or else.” That “or else” is not a harsh, retaliatory action by American Jews against Israel. Rather it will be our growing disaffection.

I have previously spoken about several causes of that disaffection. This is another one.

If Israeli leadership does not express thorough rejection of what some ultra-Orthodox Jews have done and do everything in its power to preclude future attacks, American Jews will continue their drift away from Israel.

As lovers of Israel, we abhor that possibility, but we know that the likelihood of that drift and disaffection will increase if attacks on non-Orthodox synagogues and shul-goers continue.

Today upheaval rages throughout much of the Arab Middle East.  People seek more freedom, and countries march toward potential democracy.

Israel stands alone in that part of the world as a democracy. But democracies do not allow complete freedom. They are ruled by law.

Similarly, our people’s journey from Egypt to Israel was ruled by law as it was shaped by Torah. Unbridled freedom became freedom with responsibility.

Today, on this Shabbat Chol Hamoed Pesach, we continue to celebrate our freedom.  

Once again, we have left Egypt. Now we are on the road toward Sinai, the road to Torah and responsibility.

We pray that Israel’s leaders will join us on that same road and act decisively to protect the well-being of all Israelis.

Amen