This Shabbat: Parshat Shoftim, Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:18-21:9 

The name of this week’s Torah portion is Shoftim, which translated into English means “Judges.” As you might expect, the Torah reading talks about how the Children of Israel should structure their society so that justice and peace prevail. One of the most oft-quoted phrases in the parsha is “Justice, justice you shall pursue!” Many commentators on this verse have asked why the word “justice” appears twice. Wouldn’t it have been sufficient to say “Justice shall you pursue”? The medieval Torah commentator Ibn Ezra (1089-1167) gave three answers to this question. First, he wrote, the word appears twice because we are obligated to pursue justice not only if it will benefit us, but even if it will cause us loss. Second, the repetition means each and every time - we must continue to pursue justice all the days of our lives. Third, he says, the repetition is for emphasis, so that we understand just how important it is to pursue justice. In other words, Ibn Ezra teaches us that the pursuit of justice is fundamental to our lives as Jews. 

In today’s complex world, it can be challenging to know the best way to pursue justice. Sometimes the most just path is not clear and disagreements can exist even among those who are the most committed to fighting for justice. Sometimes it can feel easier to opt out. But, this week’s Torah portion reminds us that no matter how hard it might be, we are all obligated to work toward a more just and righteous world. It is up to us to engage in those tough conversations about the best ways to move forward and then to pursue justice with all of our might.

 

This Week in Jewish History

August 22, 1654 - The First Jew Arrives in New York

Jacob Barsimson, a Dutch Jew, was the first Jewish settler to arrive in New Amsterdam, later New York, on this date over 350 years ago. Barsimson was welcomed as one of a group of migrants sent by the Dutch West India Company on the good ship Peartree to help settle the Dutch colony. But, a mere two weeks later, he found himself in a completely different situation. On September 7, 1654, twenty-three penniless Jewish refugees from the Dutch colony of Recife arrived on the shores of New Amsterdam. These Jews had been living comfortably under Dutch rule until the Portuguese reconquered Brazil, bringing the Inquisition along with them. The Jews of Recife were given the choice to convert to Christianity or leave the colony. While wealthier members of the Recife Jewish community headed back to Amsterdam, and some Jews there chose to convert, this small group of twenty-three men, women, and children were neither wealthy nor willing to convert. They fled, seeking safe harbor in any Dutch colony along the east coast of the Americas that was willing to take them in. After being rejected by a number of Dutch colonies and running out of money to pay their ship captain, they ended up unceremoniously dropped on the shores of New Amsterdam. The governor of New Amsterdam, Peter Stuyvesant, who was no fan of Jews, did his best to make the lives of this new group of Jewish immigrants miserable by restricting their ability to openly practice their religion, work in certain trades, and serve in the Dutch army. Luckily for them, Jacob Barsimson, together with Asser Levy, one of the Recife 23, stood up and fought back, winning rights for this tiny Jewish community that was the seed from which today’s mighty New York Jewish community ultimately grew.

August 23, 1929 - Hebron Massacres 

The 1920s were a difficult time for the Yishuv (Jewish community) in British Mandatory Palestine. Tensions between the Jewish and the Arab populations were growing, and the British were clamping down on Jewish immigration. But, in the ancient city of Hebron, things still seemed peaceful. Jews had been living in Hebron, a holy city in Judaism, for hundreds of years, and Jews and Arabs enjoyed peaceful coexistence there - until August 1929. On August 15, a group of Jews held a march in Jerusalem near the Temple Mount, flying the Zionist flag, and singing Zionist songs. Arab residents of Jerusalem were angered by the march, and on top of that, Arab leaders spread false rumors that the marching Jews had killed Arabs along the way. The last straw came when the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem told his followers that the Jews were planning to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and reconstruct their ancient Temple in its place. Violence broke out with Arabs attacking Jews in Jerusalem. Before long, the violence spread to Hebron. At first it was minor - small attacks that did not do much harm, but beginning on August 24, Arab residents of Hebron began a full scale attack on Jewish residents of the city. Mobs went door to door searching for Jews and murdering them in their homes. Many Jews went into hiding - and dozens were saved by their Arab neighbors who hid them until the violence subsided. By the time the violence ended, sixty-three Jews had been murdered. Following the Hebron massacre, Jews left Hebron, ending the centuries-old continuous Jewish presence in the city. Eventually, Jews returned to live in Hebron, but they never again enjoyed the peaceful coexistence that they had with their Arab neighbors before August 1929.

August 23, 1950 - The Blaustein-Ben Gurion Agreement

At a luncheon in Jerusalem on August 23, 1950, a mere two years after the founding of the State of Israel, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and AJC President Jacob Blaustein exchanged remarks about the Israel-Diaspora relationship. Far from off the cuff, the remarks were well-thought out and had been developed and negotiated over a number of months. Blaustein’s remarks made clear that, although American Jews would continue to be strongly supportive of the Jewish State, they would not seek to meddle in Israeli politics and internal affairs. For his part, Ben Gurion promised that Israel would not try to intervene in the affairs of Jewish communities living outside of Israel and would not call upon American Jews to make aliyah to Israel. Instead, he publicly agreed that they should not be criticized for their prevailing view that America was their home. The Blaustein-Ben Gurion Agreement, signed by both leaders, defined the post-statehood relationship between American Jewry and Israel for many decades. It laid the groundwork for two strong and independent Jewish communities who were nonetheless cognizant and respectful of one another’s views and perspectives. Today, many in the organized Jewish community are concerned about the fraying relationship between Israel and the Diaspora. Thankfully, AJC’s commitment to a strong and enduring Israel-Diaspora relationship is still just as strong seventy years after the Blaustein-Ben Gurion Agreement, Indeed, our commitment is spawning new initiatives to build bridges between the two communities. Keep your ears open - you’ll be hearing more about these initiatives in the coming months!

By the way, you can examine fascinating original documents from AJC’s archives discussing the Blaustein-Ben Gurion Agreement here. In particular, take a look at AJC’s press release about the agreement for an incredible window into the mindset of American and Israeli Jews at the time as well as an inside view into the details of the agreement.

 

For Shabbat Table Discussion: What happened between the UAE and Israel this week?

Last week, Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced a historic agreement to normalize relations between them. In a joint statement from the two nations and the United States who brokered the agreement, the two countries declared that they will enter into bilateral treaties that will cover many areas of cooperation including diplomatic relations, tourism, security, and investment. The statement also announced that Israel was suspending its previously-announced plans to annex portions of the West Bank. For the most part, the announcement was met with great enthusiasm. After all, this is the first peace agreement between an Arab nation and Israel since the 1994 peace treaty between Jordan and Israel. Plus, this agreement opens up enormous opportunities for collaboration between the two nations in ways that could change and realign power structures in the Middle East in very productive and positive ways. Nonetheless, some right wing Israelis were angry that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu back-burnered his previous plans for annexation. Others, including those on the Israeli left as well as the Palestinians, were disappointed that Netanyahu said annexation plans were “suspended” and not canceled. In addition, Palestinians felt betrayed by the UAE because it entered into an agreement with Israel without making a Palestinian state a prerequsite for the deal. However, most of the world celebrated the new agreement and hoped that it would encourage other Arab Gulf states to join the UAE in normalizing relations with Israel. 

Questions for discussion at your table:

  • Does it matter if nations enter a peace treaty for idealistic or practical reasons?
  • Do you think this agreement will have any impact on the often-toxic dialogue about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on American college campuses? Why or why not? 

For more on this historic agreement, read about the significant role AJC played in paving the path for it to happen. Also, take a look at AJC’s statement in strong support of the announcement.  

 

Shabbat shalom!

שבת שלום!