Rabbi's Week in Review Blog

My thoughts — like so many others’ this past week — have turned to the people of Ukraine. Watching a war take place in real time has brought a sense of immediacy that I find jarring. Watching the courageous and dignified people of Ukraine have their lives literally disrupted overnight has left me shaken. Who can really calculate the long-term impact this will have on their children. I think, for the first time, we are getting a firsthand look at what refugees have always encountered: a future wherein nothing is certain. 

At the same time, the resolve of the Ukrainian people is awe-inspiring. With a leader who truly leads, President Volodymyr Zelensky does not hold himself out as too good to be seen with his people — in dress, demeanor and presence, he is with his people. And, yes, the fact that Zelensky is Jewish and lost family in the Holocaust matter to me.

The polar opposite of Zelensky is Vladimir Putin. Holed up in the Kremlin, Putin is not a visible presence. He is an oligarch and a barbarian. He can respond only from his own selfish, paranoid needs. He does not value the sanctity of human life. For Jews, this is the most egregious of sins.

For those in our country who have heaped praise on this littlest of men, I am full of scorn. There is nothing smart about a person of such cruelty. He is not a genius, not crafty, not a capable statesman. Praise for Putin is a threat to our democracy. For Jews, when autocracy wins over democracy, we suffer, and our existence is threatened.

The Ukrainian people are fighting for their democracy. Being targeted by Putin in an unprovoked war has engendered the greatest sense of urgency into their struggle.

We are also in a fight for our democracy. Yet, up until now, we have been complacent in the battle. My hope is that, in this very small world, a Jewish president in Ukraine will inspire us to do more. Let us at least make sure we are voting and getting everyone we can to the polls for every election. We must support candidates at every level, in every race, who believe in democracy. The alternative is too unnerving to consider. The danger may not be quite at our doorstep, but it is closer than we think.