JULY 24, 2014, 4:19 AM
The other day my friend and colleague Rabbi Menachem Creditor wrote an op-ed entitled “I’m Done Apologizing for Israel.” It is a powerful piece that, judging from the number of times it has been shared, clearly struck a cord. When his post was republished on the Jewish Daily Forward an additional line was added to it on the front page. That line stated,
“Menachem Creditor is a left-leaning Rabbi. His peers expect him to condemn Israel’s military actions in Gaza. But he won’t – he can’t – not this time.”
That additional line immediately reminded me of an exchange another friend and colleague had a few days ago. He had sent a letter to his community explaining the current situation in all it’s nuance and complexity and his thoughts on it. One member of his community replied privately to him that he found the rabbi’s tone problematic. “I expect my Rabbi to be focused on preserving life. Isn’t each person created in God’s image and each life matters.” the man wrote. “Aren’t we taught ‘He who saves one life it is as if he has saved the entire world.’? Isn’t that the cornerstone of what it means to be Jewish?”
Read more: I’m Progressive… Not Suicidal | Daniel M. Cohen | The Blogs | The Times of Israel http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/im-progressive-not-suicidal/#ixzz3As3Fgb98
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Rabbi Daniel M Cohen 