Rabbi's Week in Review Blog

This past week I was a speaker at the annual dinner of the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA).  I and others from our Jewish community were welcome in the space, and I felt comfortable in describing my Jewish values that brought me into that space. 

One of those values described was Pikuach Nefesh - the sanctity of human life.  We hold this up as the highest of values.  Our Mishnah says simply that if one saves a life it is as if you have saved an entire world. I observed that the work of PAMA brings the value of Pikuach Nefesh to full fruition.

PAMA has been in existence since 2013.  They have performed the work of saving lives under the most trying circumstances, often risking their own lives to save others.  In addition to providing needed healthcare they are also focusing their efforts on the daunting task of aiding some 40,000 orphans in Gaza in the hopes of giving them a future, and easing their burden after suffering enormous loss.

I had much positive feedback to my speech and to the presence of others from our Jewish community. One comment in particular stood out; that our presence opened up more of the Palestinian community, to want to know more people from our community. 

I am not naive about the seemingly impossible task of finding a just peace for both Israelis and Palestinians. However, I live with hope and have seen how being willing to engage with others not like us, and in this particular moment to engage with Palestinians in our own community is a needed beginning.  We do better in our own fight against anti Semitism when we fight all baseless hatred.  That connecting with other communities who have also suffered historical trauma is a pathway to a more peaceful and just world.