Kol Yisrael Areivim Zeh LaZeh
IN an article from the New York Times, the author focuses on Israeli support of those from the north by all sorts of means – food, shelter, and providing even things like entertainment and yoga – and weddings- to lower the stress of Israelis under bombardment or fleeing those areas. Of course, we all know that Israelis, whatever cultural flaws -or maybe we should call them “sports” (anyone up for an argument? – maybe about the bus fare?), are wonderful in this regard, and that the country has really pulled together at this time. The piece of the article that interested me, however, was a little zinger tacked on at the end, almost so that one would fail to notice it:
“Many northerners have left their homes to take refuge in the center or south of the country. Those who remain behind tend to be from the weakest and poorest segments of society, including immigrants and the elderly.
The general manager of Latet, Eran Weintraub, said most of the relief work has fallen on the shoulders of civil society as the government — accused of being sluggish and bureaucratic even in the best of times — is consumed by the war effort.
Mr. Weintraub has directed convoys of food-laden trucks and cars driven by volunteers directly to bomb shelters.
‘We wanted to physically get to the shelters in order to know it is going to the right place and to send a message to the people living in them that people from other parts of country care and that they are not alone,’ Mr. Weintraub said.
Israel’s socialist roots have been overshadowed in recent years by its embrace of a market- driven economy that celebrates individualism.
But Hillel Schmid, dean of the school of social work and social welfare at Hebrew University, said that this most recent war and the existential threat it seems to pose has once again unified Israelis around a precept deeply rooted in Jewish tradition that says, ‘A Jew guarantees the welfare of a fellow Jew.’
‘Once again there is a feeling that we are part of a collective … that we are going back to a feeling of responsibility to each other,’ Mr. Schmid said.”
Here’s the really interesting part though. This article was forwarded to me from our local Federation. When I went to read it online , in what I presumed was the original article, I found that what the article there read was this way:
” ‘We wanted to physically get to the shelters in order to know it is going to the right place and to send a message to the people living in them that people from other parts of country care and that they are not alone,’ said Eran Weintraub, general manager of Latet.
Hillel Schmid, dean of the school of social work and social welfare at Hebrew University, said that this most recent war and the existential threat it seemed to pose had once again unified Israelis around a precept deeply rooted in Jewish tradition that says, ‘The people of Israel are responsible for one another.’
“’Once again there is a feeling that we are part of a collective,’ he said. ”
Okay, ten points for the one who notices precisely what’s missing. Yes, indeed, that’s right, the criticism of Israel’s move away from that very Jewish value of tzedakah- righteousness in taking care of those in need. Dr. Schmidt’s comment that a Jew guarantees the welfare of a fellow Jew is also missing. I am beyond curious at the source of this discrepancy. But for now let’s move on.
Although I am very touched to see my cousins in Israel taking care of one another, which I urge all Jews everywhere – especially in the USA where we remain safe – and many of us have the money to give- to help, I am and have been long disturbed by Israel’s turn away from our roots of tzedek. As one who has long been active with Rabbis for Human Rights, (as well as RHR-NA, the American support branch for this organization) -who have concerned ourselves with this very matter for a number of years- the shift in economic system to the incredibly unethical, and un-Jewish American system has been a source of great concern for me.
If it is possible for anything good to come from war, I hope that the recent renewal of “a precept deeply rooted in Jewish tradition that says, ‘A Jew guarantees the welfare of a fellow Jew.’ … a feeling that we are part of a collective … that we are going back to a feeling of responsibility to each other…'” is it, and that Israel, once, IY’H the fighting is over and Israel is safe, or at least safer, once again, the Israeli government will stop pretending that it is okay to leave the weakest members of society unprotected, and will be able to be a model for the US, which is horribly retrograde in this way, to return to a form of government that will protect and support all its citizens. That is, that Israel will be Jewish once again.
You need to decide of Israelis are taking care of Israelis or Jews are taking care of Jews. Which ever you decide, consider the ramifications for a country with more than 20 per cent non Jews. (Just for comparison’s sake, the US has maybe 13 per cent blacks)
I read an article recently that went into volunteer organizations providing water, food, supplies, and games for kids – regardless of race, religion, or neighborhood in bombed areas.
Is there any evidence otherwise?
Um, I really feel worried by the comment, “Just for comparison’s sake, the US has maybe 13 per cent blacks” as if African Americans were “taken care of” by whites?
Well, either way, of course Israelis must take care of Israelis. The Torah is pretty cler about how we are to treat the resident alien. And by the way, many of those Israelis who are being taken care of – are Jews. Even when we’re referring to economic systes prior to the current conflict.
There is a conflict between social solidarity among the citizens of Israel, and the sense of tribal solidarity of Jews – Israelis and non Israelis.
At this time when both Arab and Jewish Israelis are suffering together as a result of the war, I would expect advocates for the Israeli state to emphasize joint action. But instead, Jewish organizations are focusing on Jewish solidarity. With the state pre-occupied with the war, social services are being left to civil society. Since Jews in Israel are wealthier and more visible, I suspect that needs are not being met equally.
This war is a test of Israeli society on many levels; it is not doing well, in the same way that Bush failed blacks during and after Katrina.
Jewish groups in the US (with the exception of the New Israel Fund) are doing a poor job of affirming the value of a united Israeli society, and are instead waxing nostalgic about recovering some long forgotten sense of Jewish socialist unity.
Ironically, far more Arabs vote for the one party in the Knesset that advocates for socialist economy….
This is a byproduct of Zionism: foreign Jews helping Israel cling to a pre-modern tribal identity, instead of encouraging the emergence of a modern citizen-state. As an Israeli and a Jew, I wish it wasn’t so.
If you’re concerned for the welfare of Israel why don’t you move here? I’m sure you could help people here who need your help more than those who have an economy with more mobility, such as yours in the U.S.
Whatever pro-socialist sentences were added to the article – the reality is that all this charity is happening in modern, capitalist Israel – and made possible by the newly-generated wealth.
A big case in point was the wedding ceremony for 15 couples from the north that was held this week. ALL of it was privately funded by a wedding planner who called in favors, and by corporate entities that wanted the billing – plus volunteered facilities by the University, which donated use of its campus.
So much for heartless capitalism.
Go back to socialism, and everyone will be poor together, with lousy social services that treat people like crap. Under a market economy, the entire community generates wealth and then you can pressure people to share it, but they will do so voluntarily, which I think is more Jewish than discouraging entrepreneurial initiative. Jews are one of the most entrepreneurial ethnic groups in history, since at least the beginning of the diaspora. Business is also a Jewish tradition, going all the way back to Torah. And many wealthy people give back to the community, especially among Jews compared to other groups.
Yeah, what seems to be overlooked is that many of the organizations that are working already existed before the war. Many (not all and not a majority but certainly an unproportional number) of the organizations are religious and filled in the welfare gap by merely expanding to the new ‘customers’ in the north.
The big difference now is that the ‘seculars’ who aren’t ‘obligated’ to give a tenth of their net income to tzedakah all year round, are now opening their pockets, and even generously to help the welfare crisis.
A ‘secular’ Tel Aviv friend surprised me today with more chesed. She told me that she’s being more tolerant about the myriads of refugees in her city who don’t know how to get around and are cloggin the streets. I told her this was chesed, she said something like ‘whatever – just want their stay to be okay’.