With thanks to Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft. Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft – Spiritual Leader of the African Jewish Congress and Country Communities Rabbi of South Africa. Prepared message and prayer delivered at the conclusion of the 30th National Triennial Conference of the Union of Jewish Women – 20 August 2014 Good morning Ladies and thank you for inviting me to offer the closing message and prayer to your conference, which marks and reflects on the 90 years of remarkable undertakings and projects on the UJW. The work you do in both our local Jewish community, and more particularly, in the wider community, are considered fulfilling our Holy Obligation of TIKKUN OLAM, improving the world. And how is that done - by improving the lot of individuals that make up the world. The Late Chief Rabbi Harris authored a book entitled: “The Jewish Obligation to the Gentile” which I believe if you haven’t read and studied it, you should get a copy and do so. A current situation unfolding once again is the conflict in the Middle East, and the threat of loss of both Jews and Arab lives. Our Sages teach us that words create worlds - and words destroy worlds, that with one kind and encouraging word we can uplift the spirit of another human being ,which is a great mitzvah; and conversely G-d forbid, with an unkind word, we can destroy another. The destructive force of machloket – dispute and division – can consume families and communities like a wild fire - therefore, we need to have mercy on ourselves and the Jewish People, and let everyone in his or her place extinguish that fire of dissension. Last night we watched a film of what happened to European Jewry in 1938 onwards. Unfortunately that is happening again across Eastern Europe, Australia, the USA and now even here in SA. Jews are being refused service in shops, a car being spray painted with swastika, Jewish graves vandalised, the call for the boycott of selling Israeli tomato and litchis, and the list goes on. In May 1981, then Prime Minister Menachem Begin, addressing 30 young American Jewish leaders visiting Israel, was asked what he thought the lesson of the Holocaust was. “I believe the lessons of the Holocaust are these: First, if an enemy of our people says he seeks to destroy us, believe him. Don’t doubt him for a moment. Don’t make light of it. Do all in your power to deny him the means of carrying out his satanic intent. Second, when a Jew anywhere is threatened, or under attack, do all in your power to come to his aid. Never pause to wonder what the world will think or say. The world will never pity slaughtered Jews. The world may not necessarily like the fighting Jew, but the world will have to take account of him. Third, a Jew must learn to defend himself. He must forever be prepared for whenever threat looms. Fourth, Jewish dignity and honour must be protected in all circumstances. The seeds of Jewish destruction lie in passively enabling the enemy to humiliate us. Only when the enemy succeeds in turning the spirit of the Jew into dust and ashes in life, can he turn the Jew into dust and ashes in death. During the Holocaust it was after the enemy had humiliated the Jews, trampled them underfoot, divided them, deceived them, afflicted them, drove brother against brother, only then could he lead them, almost without resistance, to the gates of Auschwitz. Therefore, at all times and whatever the cost, safeguard the dignity and honour of our Jewish people. Fifth, stand united in face of the enemy. We Jews love life, for life is holy. But there are things in life more precious than life itself. There are times when one must risk life for the sake of rescuing the lives of others. And when the few risk their own lives for the sake of the many, then they, too, stand the chance of saving themselves. Sixth, there is a pattern to Jewish history. In our long annals as a nation, we rise, we fall, we return, we are exiled, we are enslaved, we rebel, we liberate ourselves, we are oppressed once more, we rebuild, and again we suffer destruction, climaxing in our own lifetime in the calamity of calamities, the Holocaust, followed by the rebirth of the Jewish State. So, yes, we have come full circle, and with God’s help, with the rebirth of sovereign Israel we have finally broken the historic cycle: no more destruction and no more defeats, and no more oppression – only Jewish liberty, with dignity and honour. These, I believe, are the underlying lessons to be learned from the unspeakable tragedy of the Holocaust.” Ladies, I am pained, concerned and embarrassed about the current news in South Africa and indeed the world at large. We, members of the Jewish community have to stand up and fight anti-Semitism. SOUTH AFRICAN JEWS ARE NOT EXEMPT. If current events continue to take their course and South African Jewry at large does not wake up out of this fallacy that everything is hunkey dorey, G-d forbid …. I don’t even want to say it. As I said, it’s happened in Sydney, it’s happening all around Europe, it’s happened in the USA. I am a big enthusiast of our local Jewish leadership. They are selfless and we are lucky to have people who are willing to devote the number of hours and amount of money. Unfortunately, we have reached the point where there is no margin for error. If current policies are not working, the community, you and me, and all Jewish in SA must demand that the strategy be rethought and that stronger action be taken. The Chief Rabbi, in his opening prayer, detailed to you the importance of the Jewish women and the immense role she has in shaping her family and environment around her. I hope you realise that he was not being patronising. I hope you all took heed of his detailed message, as it was all true and encouraging. SHMA BENI MUSSAR AVICHA - V”ALL TITISH TORAT IMECHA – we are taught, “listen my son to the traditions of your father, but never discard the TORAH of your mother” The influence and responsibility of you as Jewish mother and grandmother have are far greater than that of the fathers. We living in SA have no right to offer an opinion on what is happening in the Middle East, especially if it’s chastising the actions of the State of Israel. We do not live there, we did not elect them into power, we do not really know why the Government make the decision they do. I could go on and on why we have no right to censure the actions of the Government of Israel. Sure, it is devastating to see how many civilians are being killed in Gaza, even though the IDF drop notices informing the residents that they should leave before the bombing. Have you ever thought of the hundreds of thousands of Jewish children who live in constant fear of when the next siren will go off and they only have a few seconds, depending where they live, to flee into bomb shelters! Have you thought how this continuous fear and trauma affects their lives currently and will in the future? Thousands of elderly, who are confined to beds or wheelchairs, when the sirens go off, cannot run for safety to the bomb shelters!! Parents, siblings and spouse of the over 66 000 IDF reservists who called up. Every time the phone rang, or the doorbell rang, they froze, G-d forbid it could be to give them bad news. So much more could be said about the despicable actions of some Jews in SA, who are feeding our enemies delight on seeing our divisions. Sure we encourage free thinking and debate, but keep it within the community. Out of respect for their grandmothers and their children, I will refrain. So ladies, let me conclude by stating that Israel exists because it does and because it must. Within the borders of Israel, the Jews are able to govern and to protect themselves from the constant threat of anti-Semitism in a way they could not for 2,000 years. Never again will we be victims of an inexplicable hatred-no more – never again will Jews be vulnerable - never again, precisely because the State of Israel exists! AM YISRAEL CHAI Thank you.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 08:28:27 +0000