Rabbi's Blog

Dear OZ family,

The mornings feel like the days following 9/11, when we would wake up wondering if it was all a nightmare. It is very real and it is far from over. That is why we must exert the powerful resolve to do all we can to alleviate the suffering that continues, and to assure victory over the evil that was perpetrated against us. This includes thanking those who have come out in support for Israel, and to take to social media to publicize Israel’s just cause. Hundreds of indiscriminate missiles continue to rain on Israeli cities, and each one of them is meant to hit a nursery, school-bus or hospital, and if it God-forbid did, they’d be handing out candy in the streets of Aza.

Here is a partial list of cities and moshavim that have absorbed missiles in the last 24 hours:

Sa’ad,  Alumim,  K’far Azza,  Nachal Oz,  Mefalsim,  Amioz,  Ashdod,  Ashkelon,  Gan Sorek,  Netua,  Gavim,  Holon,  Mikveh Israel,  Bat Yam,  Tel Aviv,  Jerusalem,  Ibim,  Sderot,  Nir Am,  Mivtachim,  Beit Shikma,  Netiv Ha’asara  Karmia,  Mavkim,  Berekhya,  Mishan,  Nir Israel,  Beit Ezra,  Nitzanim,  Ad Halom,  Erez,  Magen,  Ein Hashoshan,  Zikim,  and others continue to fall throughout the day. Some of these are duds, designed to deplete the iron dome. No nation could stand for such barbarism and depraved  disregard for human life. Every dead Jew is a prize for Chamas, but what is much more valuable for them is every resident of Aza who is killed in retaliation. The ghouls of Chamas use their own people, and now Israeli hostages as human shields against our fire that is returned to the source of their missiles, usually originating from nurseries, hospitals and residential buildings. Every Muslim that is killed is a trophy for Chamas to wave before a blind media establishment that morally equivocates between those who suffer unspeakable crimes and those who retaliate to assure it never happens again. You can be sure that MSNBC, CNN and the BBC will call for a cessation of the cycle of violence. We can recall the front page picture of the New York Times of the young children killed in Gaza, who were used as human shields by their cruel leaders. We must counter this nefarious force to the best of our abilities.   

Heroic efforts are underway for assistance in many fields. Some doctors in our community have already signed up to serve the medical needs in Israel. They will work in the hospitals of Israel, while Israeli doctors serve the army directly. Badly needed materials have been sent immediately, and I am told that the army has caught up with these needs by now. This is of course, a situation that can change daily. Mark Zeiring, who lived on the West Side some years ago, lost a son. Sharon and Weldon Turner’s son Zakkai was called up. Len Schwarzbaum’s son, Zach was called up. Ari Kramer’s 4 nephews were called up. Everyone knows someone whose life has been overturned this week. But we are strong, because we are all family. Every one of us. God-forbid it shouldn’t take something like this to unite us, and united we are in our resolve to defeat this vicious enemy, and to emerge from this battle as Am Echad that is Am Yisrael Chai. I have included prayers to say for Tzahal and the captives, to say along with our Tehillim (click HERE).

Chazak!

Rabbi Allen Schwartz

Rabbi Allen Schwartz

Congregation Ohab Zedek

118 West 95^th Street

New York, NY  10025-6604

Phone 212.749-5150, ext 200

E-mail ras@ozny.org

Website:  www.ozny.org