I just looked at a composite of photographs. 22 in all. Children who have died at the hands of Israel during the siege taking place in Gaza. - I was raised in an only faintly Jewish household, in my view. My parents made an effort to teach us the basic tenets of Judaism, we went to temple a few times, and ate weird food. My cousins were more into it than we were. Summer camp was fun. I recall my people from Moms side of the family, all who carried with them memories of being held captive in one way or another, and their thick Polish accents. My dads side of the family are all from Austria.They fared a little better. Both sets of grandparents, their brothers and sisters, cousins and so on, all emigrated to the United States sometime during, or shortly after the people in the Nazi concentration camps were liberated. Some of my ancestors were in those camps. Seeing the looks in their eyes, the tears, the excruciating pain of their recollection, etched itself deeply into the emotional landscape of my childhood. I remember making a conscious choice as an 11 or 12 year old Jewish boy, that if that, all of that is what being Jewish is about, I have no desire to embrace the faith, nor to identify myself as Jewish. I sure as hell wouldnt raise my hand to group myself with Jews if we were persecuted again in any fashion. Why would I do that? What would I be accomplishing, or defending? My point is simple; Have all the faith you want. In God, in Allah, in Buddha, Krishna, whomever. Whatever form that faith assumes, is not worth dying for, going to prison for, or killing other people to protect. What Israel is doing now is beyond reprehensible. Im not saying Hamas or other militant factions in Gaza are totally without blame. To wantonly kill hundreds of people, many of them children, people who have nowhere to go, virtually no way to defend themselves, and whose homes, villages, and livelihoods have been turned to dust - All in the name of Judaism? I renounce what little faith I have held, the coincidence of my ethnicity, and anyone who takes it upon themselves to ever again assert that being Jewish necessitates the State of Israel.
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 01:25:15 +0000
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