Month: July 2024

Carlos Santana, Red Rocks, Nova Music Festival and October 7th

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

Last night I fulfilled a bucket list item. Most people know that a bucket list is a list of things you want to experience before you ‘kick the bucket’ and leave this world. Seeing a show a Red Rocks in Colorado was on my bucket list. But not just seeing any show. I wanted to see an artist who enhanced the beautiful venue and where the venue enhanced the artist. When I saw that Carlos Santana was playing Red Rocks, I knew this was the one.

Red Rocks is outside Denver. It’s a beautiful natural theater set in a park in the mountains. As you drive in, you are captivated by the beauty all around you. Instantly, you are transformed to a magical and special place. The beauty is awe inspiring. It immediately brought me to the desert in Israel which is also captivating. The view of Masada and when on top of Masada, the view of the Dead Sea and all around you.

Red Rocks Park

We drove up the winding hills to get to the upper level parking lot and I was thinking about the drive to Tzfat and how the bus driver is always a magician with the roads and the twists and then finally parking so we can get off the bus. The old parking area where he would back up until it felt the bus was going to fall off the cliff.

We parked and began the walk to get to the venue. Once again I was transformed to Masada. Either the snake path or the Roman path has the preliminary entrance that gets you excited about what’s ahead and sometimes even a little intimidated about the climb (especially the snake path)

Making the climb up to Red Rocks Arena. What a beautiful start to the climb

We got to the area and found our seats. Wow! What a venue. As you looked around it was spectacular. There was music playing, the buzz and energy from the crowd was electric and I knew that this was going to be something special. I have many friends that have seen shows here and they all rave about the venue and how special it is. I was about to experience it and couldn’t believe it. My wife, Alison, could sense my excitement and her energy level was high as well.

The Counting Crows took the stage. I loved their music in the early 90s and had forgotten about it. As they began the play, it was still daylight and we sang and danced. You could see the people in the crowd and on the stage. It felt like a festival.

We were entranced by the acoustics, the way you could feel the music fill your soul and your body because of the venue. We danced. We sang. We were free. It was exhilerating. The sun was setting and it was changing the vibe in the venue. As we were enjoying ourselves, the people next to us leaned over and asked, “Are you from Israel?” It seemed to be a strange question in the middle of Colorado while the Counting Crows were playing, but I answered them, “No, but I just got back. Why do you ask?” They had seen my tattoos on my forearms, one saying ‘We will dance again’ and the other to remember the Nova Music festival. They were from Israel and seeing me with my tattoos, my Magen David, and my dogtags to remember the hostages and the Nova festival was very meaningful for them.

Instantly, everything transformed for me. Having been to the Nova site twice this summer, I was suddenly transformed to an American version of Nova. The people in the theater were the people at the Nova festival. The music we were enjoying and letting go listening to was the music that they were dancing to and enjoying on October 7th. Red Rocks was the desert near Gaza. As I looked out beyond the stage, the views reminded me of the views from the lower Galil just a few weeks ago as we prepared for Shabbat.

Red Rocks views that resemble the Lower Galilee in Israel

I could imagine fireworks in the air above me, what the Nova concert goers thought the rocket attacks on October 7th were. I could imagine people on hangliders flying in over the mountains to attack. I could picture terrorists coming from the bottom by the stage and from the top and sides of the venue, trapping us with nowhere to go. No chance of survival. Red Rocks had become Nova and the bomb shelters around Nova.

It was a chilling feeling and hard to let go of. Part of me knew I would never let go of it. October 7th and what I had seen at Nova and Kibbutz Kfar Aza along with in the Hamas 47 minute video are burned into my soul, into my being. I also knew that I had to let it go. As Mia Schem said, and then had tattooed on her arm after being released from being a hostage by Hamas, “We will dance again'” means we must continue to live. We cannot be consumed by the past although we can never forget it. It is why I got it on my forearm. To remember both what happened and that we must live. So I refocused. Took in the beauty around us. As the Counting Crows finished and darkness took over the arena, I looked around and found the beauty again.

Red Rocks looking up from row 25 to the back. Spectacular.

Santana took the stage and the show was more incredible than I expected. He is a musical genius, his sound unique and piercing the venue, the acoustics bouncing it all around and through us. We sang. We danced, we were overwhelmed by the experience. I said to Alison many times through the show how incredible the music was both in my ears and through my body. If you have never had that experience, it is indescribable. It took over my entire being.

I love this song and it fills my soul – last night at Red Rocks it filled my body as well

Yet throughout the concert, I kept looking to the sides and above me, just in case there were terrorists hangliding into the arena or ambushing us from the front, back, and the sides. It was surreal, almost like being in a movie waiting for the bad guys to take over the innocent civilians and then hoping the good guys would get there in time. Knowing the isolation of Red Rocks, I wasn’t secure that they would. I could channel the fear of the festival attendees waiting for the IDF to show up and rescue them and not having them come in time.

This is the reality of the post October 7th world. We have seen evil up close in a way we never have before. The way that Hamas live streamed and recorded their murders, rapes and kidnappings has never happened before. The way it touched and impacted the entire Jewish community is transformative. As a little kid, I remember watching the TV mini-series “Holocaust” and being worried about taking a shower for a day or two, wondering if it would be a shower or gas. But that was a TV show. I knew that wasn’t real. I knew that it happened 30 years prior but that those were actors I was watching. What we saw on October 7th was real. They were not actors. I have met their families. I have seen the devastation with my own eyes, touched it with my own hands, felt it deep within my own heart.

Carlos Santana said twice last night that, “It takes courage to be happy” and he is correct. Mia Schem reminded us of that when she said, “We will dance again” and got her tattoo. I have mine to always remember that. October 7th was a defining moment in both Jewish life and in the history of the world. We saw pure evil face to face. How we choose to handle it yet to be determined. The fate of not just the Jewish people but the entire world depends on it.

Santana playing The Name of Love, a great song and reminding us about love, not hate.

I can’t wait to return to Red Rocks to see another concert. Alison and I both said the same things as we walked out of the venue, ‘we need to come back’. There is something spiritual and holy about this site. Just like there is somethign spiritual and holy about the Nova site and Kfar Aza for me. Red Rocks and Nova will always be linked for me. My vow is that it is also about the future beauty of music and love and community. I won’t let the evil of October 7th ruin the future. Last night I felt like the soul of every person murdered on October 7th was there with me, celebrating the music of Carlos Santana and dancing with me.

The Nova site

Fighting antisemitism by being Jewish

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

I have been talking and writing about the increase in antisemitism and Jew hatred for a decade now.  I saw it when I was living in Seattle when a swastika would be drawn/painted on a Jewish building almost monthly.  I called it out then and many people thought I was being reactionary and fear mongering.  I was pointing out what was happening.

Over the past decade, it has only gotten worse.  Since October 7th, the rise in Jew hatred has become frightening.  Violence against Jews is now common.  Shooting at Jewish schools happens too often.  Ugly, racist protests occur on college campuses and in the streets in the US, Canada, and throughout Europe.  Israeli Olympic athletes are threatened with death.  The Palestinian athletes are allowed to wear shirts with bombs dropping on Israel, but the Israeli athletes are not permitted to wear the yellow ribbons for the hostages.  The list goes on and on. 

I have mentioned many times how I’m not super religious but very Jewish.  Over the past few years, I have been digging deeper into what being Jewish means to me outside of services.  Like many people, services don’t connect or inspire me.  I knew there was much more to being Jewish than just religious services so my exploration into Jewish spirituality, text and how it applies to my life, and finding more meaning have been a big part of my recent journey.

As I learn with Rabbi Ehrenkranz, we include a bit of prayers to understand the why instead of the what.  My recent trip to Israel with the Jewish Leadership Institute (JLI) also focused deeply on the why instead of the what.  My recent trips to Israel have also been an exploration into the why instead of the what.  Why does Jerusalem matter?  What is the point behind some of what we do?  What is the intention?  The goal?  The objective?  I have found that when I understand the why, I can adapt the what to fit my life and what is meaningful to me.  Judaism has adapted since the time of Abraham, Moses, King David, and even the 2nd Temple.  We don’t pray the way they did but we can connect to God and each other the way they did.  I find that very meaningful.

Rabbi Ehrenkranz started a monthly Sunday morning Minyan (prayer service) that I began attending because he asked me to.  Often times, just asking somebody you have a relationship with gets them to do what you ask.  It turns out most of the people who attend are friends of mine, so it becomes a social gathering as well as an opportunity to grow.  I appreciate how Rabbi Ehrenkranz explains the goal of each part of the service.  It has enabled me to move away from reading the Hebrew words that I don’t know what they mean and instead think about the goal and objective and connect that way.  It has turned an experience that was rote into one that is meaningful.

This Sunday, with all that is going on in Israel and the recent attack by Hezbollah on the Druze village, I chose to wear my IDF tzitzit (ritual fringed garments).  I got them from Rabbi Atlas in the IDF as I am helping him with a project to fund the 5,000 mezuzahs the IDF needs.  I don’t wear them regularly and in fact, this was the first time that I wore them under my shirt like you are ‘supposed’ to.  It was a way to connect to Israel, the IDF, and Judaism.  I feel that way about mezuzahs too – something that is easy to put on your door and have a meaningful symbol without being required to be super religious.  It’s an easy thing to put on your doorpost and show Jewish pride both internally and externally.  If you don’t have one and want one, MyZuzah will give you one for FREE!  And if you want to support the IDF in their effort to get their needed mezuzahs for IDF soldiers, there is a dollar for dollar match and you can buy them for the IDF here for $30 each.

At the minyan, I spent the time during the silent Amidah (the major prayer of the service) in my own mediation and conversation with God, thanking God for all the gifts in my life today.  In my learning with Rabbi Ehrenkranz, part of what I have learned is that most of our prayers are really a reminder to ourselves about how we should live and how much we need to be thankful to God for our lives.  As such, I took this time to focus in this area.  It is easy to take so many things for granted in our lives and this gave me a few minutes to really focus on things and express my gratitude.  Instead of reading Hebrew words without meaning, this time was special because it was focused on gratitude.  It reshaped my entire day as I realized not only how lucky I am to live the life that I do but also that it is only by the grace of God that I have so many gifts.  I am grateful to Rabbi Ehrenkranz for helping me find meaning in something that didn’t have meaning before.

We sang Acheinu, the prayer for those in capitivity, for the hostages. I began singing this in Israel in July and it has become incredibly meaningful to me. It’s an easy song to sing, a powerful prayer to say, and reminds me to keep the hostages front and center in my mind. That, along with my ‘Bring them home now’ dogtag that I wear every day keeps my priorities front of mind. It has been almost 10 full months of captivity and the reports now coming out from released hostages are horrific. I’m glad that I learned the how to sing it and do so daily. It takes me a couple of minutes, fills me with gratitude for my life, and doesn’t let me ever forget the hostages.

Over the past few years, I have been very lucky to have some amazing Jewish mentors and teachers.  People who expose me to things that are meaningful and show Judaism in a different way in which I can connect.  Harry Rothenberg, Ari Shabat,  Saul Blinkoff, Lori Palatnik, Mickey Singer, David Abramowitz, and Rabbi Ehrenkranz are just some of them.  Each exposes me to different things to think about.  Each one expands my knowledge and enriches my life in different ways.  Pirkei Avot says, “Find yourself a teacher, acquire for yourself a friend”, and I have found this to be true.  Each of these teachers are also friends and only one is a Rabbi!

As somebody who raised somewhat religious and is not any longer, I have found deep meaning in Judaism through understanding the why of what we do.  The what doesn’t really mean much to me but the why is something entirely different.  As antisemitism grows and Jew hatred explodes across the globe, I have found investing in my Jewish identity and Jewish meaningful practices to be important.  I have begun to bake challah again.  I make sure to say thank you to God every morning for waking me up (the basis of the Modeh Ani prayer), and since I learned about thanking God for making the rooster understand the difference between day and night, I thank him for the beauty of nature and this world. (It is a funny prayer that we start with – almost like the Rabbi’s are pranking us!)

Many people think it is all or nothing.  You either go to synagogue or you don’t pray.  You either can pray in Hebrew or you don’t pray Jewishly.  You keep kosher or you aren’t really Jewish.  You keep Shabbat one specific way, or it doesn’t have any meaning to you.  I have found just the opposite.  There is incredible gray in Judaism once you understand why we do things.  Then you have the opportunity to do what is meaningful to you to accomplish the goals. 

I encourage you to explore the why.  To learn about why Israel matters to Judaism.  To understand the intent behind the services and the prayers we do.  It will open doors for you to grow in ways you can’t imagine.

We are all Druze

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

Before October 7, 2023, I have been concened about hatred and antisemitism. I have spoken about it frequently for more than a decade. When the hate groups started their public attack on Jews in Orlando, I spoke about it on the news with regularity. October 7th was still shocking and I haven’t stopped since then. This week I have reached a breaking point.

What brought me to my breaking point this week? The reaction to Hezbollah bombing a Druze village where kids were playing soccer. The Druze are are an Arab and Arabic-speaking esoteric ethnoreligious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, syncretic, and ethnic religion. They are citizens of Israel and serve in the IDF. They love Israel and are a part of Israeli society and culture. When anybody calls Israel an apartheid state, the Druze are one perfect example of how that is a lie.

I have been to Druze villages, met Druze people, and had a meal together. They are wonderful and warm people. This bombing broke my heart. 12 children were murdered as of this time with 4 coming from one family.

Not in order – 10 of the 12 names of the murdered children. Fajr Laith Abus Saleh, 16, Amir Rabie Abu Saleh, 16, Hazem Akram Abu Saleh, 15, John Wadie Ibrahim, 13, Izel Neshat Ayoub, 12, Finis Adham Safadi, 11, Yazan Naif Abu Saleh, 12, Alma Ayman Fakhruddin, 11, Naji Taher Halabi, 11, Milad Muadad Al-Sha’ar, 10.

The bombing made me angry but the response to the bombing and murder of these children playing soccer is what took me past the breaking point. The BBC headline was offensive. The example below shows what they wrote and what they should have written.

Then there are tweets like this where Hezbollah terrorists are celebrating the murder of these children. We saw the celebration on October 7th as Hamas recorded themselves ecstatic over murdering Jews.

Hamas has vowed to do October 7th over and over again. Hezbollah, another Iranian proxy, will do the same. The Iranian regime wants the eliminate the Jews and Israel. If the celebrations on October 7th weren’t enough (and they were more than enough), the celebrations of the murder of these Druze children shows the world who we are dealing with.

Audio recording of a terrorist celebrating killing 10 Jews with his parents on October 7

Yet the response from the world is shocking. Instead of being angry and seeing the evil of these terrorists, the Biden administration is urging a ‘measured response’. Vice President Harris (and prospective Presidential nominee Harris) has not said anything publicly. The UN remains silent. Amnesty remains silent. UNICEF remains silent. These are children, citizens of Israel, that were massacred. Unlike Hamas, there are no military bases here. There were no attacks from this Druze village. This was purely an attack on civilians but Hezbollah using rockets provided by Iran.

Victims from the Hezbollah bombing of Druze children playing soccer. May their memories always be a blessing.

Speaking of Iran, reports have come out that not only has Iran threatened war should Israel retaliate but American leadership has been talking with Iran to ensure them that they won’t allow Israel to respond in whatever way Israel determines necessary. Iran, two weeks away from breakout for nuclear weapons due to the disasterous JCPOA. Iran, the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism. Iran, who wants to establish a caliphate and calls America ‘Great Satan’. Iran, who murders their own people.

I talk a lot about leadership and the lack of leadership that we face in today’s world. Our leaders are more interested in appeasement than leading. Their willingness to cave in and show weakness to avoid war has emboldened others to create war. Russia-Ukraine. Hamas-Israel. Hezbollah-Israel. China is threatening Taiwan. Iran, Russia, and China have joined forces to create a new axis of evil. Our leaders have forgotten that peace comes through strength, not through weakness and appeasement. They have forgotten that our Declaration of Indepence clearly states:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

That is the promise of America and we are not living up to it. These children murdered in the Druze village and their families and friends have been robbed of this. Our leadership is more interested in staying in power than doing their duty and living up to American values and morals.

We don’t know what the future holds. We don’t know how Israel will respond to this attack. Will it be full scale war with Hezbollah? Will it also be war with Iran? What will the United States do if it is war with either or both? How will the UN blame Israel for being attacked?

One thing we know is that Israel will protect her citizens. This Druze village was an Israeli village. The people murdered were Israeli citizens. It will not go unanswered. The question is how will the world respond? Will they support Israel’s right to defend herself and exist? Will they stand on the sidelines quietly? Will they criticize Israel, refuse to support her, and potentially support Iran and Hezbollah? Will they pay attention to the fact that the children murdered were Druze-Israelis and not Jewish Israelis?

Approximately 83% of the Druze population serve in the IDF. They are passionate about their country Israel. They are patriots. In Lebanon, 5% of the population is Druze. When Israel attacks, will the Lebanese Druze help Israel with Hezbollah? So much is unknown as a result of our approach of appeasement. Is this the time when China will attempt to take Taiwan? Will Russia use this as an opportunity to increase their efforts in Ukraine?

The world is unstable in a way it hasn’t been for decades because of a lack of leadership. The fear of war has only created the reality of war. Having just returned from Israel less than 2 weeks ago, my heart breaks for this Druze village and the Druze people. It breaks for the IDF soldiers who are now preparing for war with Hezbollah and their families. Leadership is hard. It is challenging. It is making tough decisions because they are the right ones, not because they are easy or because that’s what a section of the vocal public says they want. Leaders lead. They take risks because they understand that playing it safe often ends up doing just the opposite.

We are all Druze

I went to minyan this morning. It’s not something I do regularly but it is something I do monthly because it’s run by friends and the Rabbi who I learn with. The people there are friends and I enjoy being together as a community. I use the time to really think about both what I have been learning with Rabbi Ehrenkranz and my connection with God. Today, I chose to wear my IDF Tzizit. I don’t wear tzitzit and haven’t since I was in Jewish Day School in 5th grade. Yet today, I had to wear them. I had to do whatever it may take to help the Jewish people. I put on Tefillin and my tallis. I prayed with my friends. I asked God to keep Israel, the IDF, and the Jewish people safe. I prayed for the souls of the Druze children who were murdered. I was an active part of the Jewish community.

We all have a role to play. We need to hold our leaders accountable. They need to hear our voices. We need to be connected as Jews, whatever that means to you. Some do it through prayer. Some do it through actions. Some do it through Tikkun Olam. Some do it through study. Some through ritual and some through holidays. Others through food. It doesn’t matter what you do, only that you do something and it is meaningful to you.

How will you take action today to benefit the Jewish community, Israel, and the world? What role will you play in ensuring a bright future? Our actions matter, whether it is with our friends, our neighbors, our local community, our statewide community, or our country. Every one of us has the ability to change the world one person at a time. I urge you to take the time to do that before it is too late.

Leadership. Are they failing us or are we failing them?

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

I write a lot about leadership and the challenges we face with our leaders.  World Leaders.  United States Leaders.  Jewish communal leaders.  It isn’t limited to one specific area.  It’s about a lack of leadership in general.  I often wonder what happened and where we went wrong.  The days of leaders leading is long gone – now it is about what the followers want.  It reminds me of the Henry Ford quote:

Leadership is a word used often but rarely seen. We call people our ‘leaders’ because of their position, either professional or volunteer. Because of their titles. Because of their income or philanthropic giving. None of that makes them leaders. And that certainly does not make them good leaders, talented leaders, or effective leaders. They often cause more harm than good as a result.

Leadership is something that requires learning. Many people are born with the charisma to lead but if they don’t have the education about effective leadership, they merely lead people in the wrong direction. As Steve Jobs famously said, and as Apple famously marketed, you must “Think Different.”

Leaders lead. It sounds like a silly thing to say but far too many leaders simply follow. They follow group think and don’t think differently. They give people what they say they want rather than what they need. The group they lead ends up with faster horses, not cars.

We saw this when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to address the US Congress. Here is the list of who chose not to attend the speech. Instead of showing leadership, they showed cowardice. Instead of showing up to hear what one of the elected leader of one of our staunch allies had to say, they chose to make a political statement by not showing up. In fairness, VP Harris and Sen Vance had prior commitments, they did not officially boycott the speach, but the choice to prioritize their prior commitments over this critical address showed a lack of leadership. All those who chose not to show up or to boycott, sent a message to Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah, to continue their attacks and to continue their terrorism. Their actions make the world a less safe place.

Vice President Kamala Harris (D)

Senate:

  • Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
  • Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
  • Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
  • Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI)
  • Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
  • Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
  • Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA)
  • Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT)
  • Sen. J.D Vance (R-OH)

House of Representatives:

  • Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
  • Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA)
  • Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX)
  • Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC)
  • Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)
  • Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)
  • Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA)
  • Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA)
  • Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
  • Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY)
  • Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA)
  • Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL)
  • Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA)
  • Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA)
  • Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY)
  • Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL)
  • Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)
  • Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)
  • Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
  • Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN)
  • Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
  • Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD)
  • Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA)
  • Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA)
  • Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ)
  • Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO)
  • Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA)
  • Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN)
  • Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT)
  • Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI)
  • Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM)
  • Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM)
  • Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY)
  • Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA)
  • Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY)
  • Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX)
  • Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA)
  • Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX)

We live in a time when leadership appears to be missing on so many levels. We see it at the top. We see it in congress. We see it as the Supreme Court code of ethics is an issue. We see it in our state governments and we see it in our Jewish communities. Being a leader is going where we need to go, not where the people want to go. Being a leader is taking a principled stand and leading the people there. Following the guidance of the people isn’t being a leader. It’s being a sheep. Leading is being willing to take the risk and get that ‘first follower’, another leader, which attracts others. Our leaders today are not willing to take that risk. They don’t believe they will have that first follower that will start a movement. They prefer safety to leadership and risk.

We see that regularly among our leaders when it comes to Israel. Too many of our Jewish leaders stay silent. They don’t want to take a position out of fear that people will be upset and they will have to defend their position. They are worried they will lose their donors, lose their job, lose status. They don’t lead from vision, passion, and belief. They lead from fear.

We see that with our elected officials. They try to take both sides of an issue, saying nothing, standing for nothing, and trying to be liked by all instead of being a leader for all. The amount of lies that continue to be told about the war in Gaza is staggering.

  1. The death toll. The UN has come out publicly with a report reducing the number of women and children who have been killed. The overstated number is what is continually used, even by VP Kamala Harris this week.
  2. The famine is because Israel won’t allow the food in. Another UN report has documented that plenty of food is coming into Gaza. More calories per person per day than is required to be sent in. The food doesn’t get to the people because UNRWA and Hamas divert it. The commonly heard complaint from people in Gaza is that the food is too expensive. This is humanitarian aid, coming at no cost. It’s only too expensive because it is being stolen and diverted to be sold or used by Hamas.
  3. Israel is bombing schools, hospitals, medical clinics and mosques. Hamas is using these sites as military bases and storing and firing weapons from them. Hamas has committed and is committing war crimes by doing this. Hamas places the entrance to their terror tunnels either inside these buildings or next to them. They are actually FORMER schools, hospitals, medical clinics and mosques after Hamas turns them into military bases.
  4. Israel is targeting civiians, commiting genocide. There are two parts to this lie.
    • First, Israel notifies civilians IN ADVANCE of bombings so they can leave. They do this with flyers dropped from airplances, text (SMS) messages and phone calls. They warn civilians because they do not want to harm them. In fact, the person who fires the weapons can call off the attack if they think it’s too dangerous to civilians, even if it has been approproved by the highest in command!
    • Second, based on the death toll reported by Hamas/Gazan Health Ministry/UN, there have been a total of approximately 38,000 people in Gaza. While this number includes approximately 19,000 Hamas terrorists along with those who died of natural causes, they don’t break it out at all. Since the start of the war, the UN has documented 50,000 new births in Gaza. This means that the population of Gaza has INCREASED per Hamas/Gazan Health Ministry/UN since the start of the war. That fact alone makes it clearly not a genocide.
  5. Israel is targeting UN Aid workers. It has been proven that these ‘UN Aid workers’, employees of UNRWA, not only participated in the attack on October 7, they remain currently involved with Hamas. They are and have housed hostages. They are giving the food to Hamas. They are using their houses and buildings to store Hamas weapons and let them be used as Hamas headquarters. Tunnel openings are just outside or inside these facilities. These are not humanitarian workers. They are terrorists. These are not relief buildings, these are military installations.
  6. Israel is stopping a ceasefire. Israel has offered many ceasefire options. It is Hamas that rejects every ceasefire offering. It is Hamas that uses the fact that our leaders in the US and around the world spread these lies to delay and attempt to stay in power. For there to be a ceasefire, Israel has said the agreement must include the following:
    • All the hostages released. Those who are no longer alive must have their bodies returned.
    • Hamas must surrender and the new government must be demilitarized and cannot include Hamas
    • Israel must maintain military control to ensure terrorists cannot take over and that there can never be another attack like on October 7.
  7. Israel is not providing vaccines to to the people of Gaza. Israel has documented that they have provided vaccines for over 2 MILLION PEOPLE IN GAZA since the start of the war. It is up to UNRWA to actually take the vaccines provided and give them to the people. It is UNRWA that is not doing this. It is UNRWA, working with Hamas, who keep the people of Gaza in chains.

Since 1967, the same attempt has been made by our leaders to create peace. Pressure Israel. Make Israel give up safety and security for peace. It has never worked. What has worked is when the Arab leaders saw it was in their best interests to make peace with Israel. Anwar Sadat, after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, realized it was in the best interests of Egypt to make peace with Israel. As a result, in September 1978, the Camp David Accords were signed, resulting in a lasting peace with Egypt. In 1987, King Hussein of Jordan realized it would be in Jordan’s best interests to have peace with Israel. It took while but in October 1994, the Wadi Araba Treaty was signed by Jordan and Israel, creating peace. In 2016, a number of Arab countries realized it would be in their best interests, both economic and security wise, to have peace with Israel. This resulted in the 2020 creation of the Abraham Accords in which the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain normalized relations with Israel. Since then Sudan and Morocco have joined the agreement and normalized relations with Israel. Prior to October 7, both Saudi Arabia and Indonesia were preparing to normalize relations with Israel.

Our leaders are not leading. They are continuing failed policy because the sound bites are good. Because it doesn’t get people upset. It doesn’t pose any risk to our leaders to take these failed positions. We saw with Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump that these agreements are possible but only when you don’t follow the tired script that has failed for 55 years.

The war in Gaza will end. The attacks from Hezbollah and the Houthi’s will end. The real question is what are our leaders going to do about Iran, a true threat to the world. What are they going to do with Russia and China? These three countries have joined together to create a new Axis of Evil. Since the discussion of JCPOA under President Obama, we have heard from our leaders that Iran will not be permitted to have nuclear weapons, yet we heard last week from US Secretary of State Tony Blinken that Iran is only 2 weeks away from a breakout to have a nuclear weapon. Our leaders continue to fail us. Our leaders continue to fail the world.

How long are we going to tolerate this from our leaders throughout society? From our national, state, loca and Jewish leaders? How long are we going to continue to elect and support failed leadership that continues to follow failed policies? How long are we going to tolerate the lies being told to us, especially when we know we are being lied to? When are we going to stand up and demand our leaders show real leadership and do what is necessary not what is politically or socially expedient. When will we demand that they take a stand and stick to it rather than play the middle and try to say just enough that everybody doesn’t get outraged at their lack of a position? Our leaders have and continue to fail us but just as importantly, we continue to fail them. We continue to pick ‘the lesser of two evils’. We continue to allow money to decide who is nominated and who leads. We continue to enable them and their failure.

As long as we are willing to accept the status quo, nothing will change. As long as we fail to demand more from our leaders, they will give us less. The responsiblity lies with us. What are you going to do? Are you going to remain a lemming and blame others? Are you going to continue to accept the lack of leadership? Are you going to choose not to get involved with Jewish life or with our elections? Or are you going to stand up and demand more? Demand better.

The United States was founded on demanding more and demanding better. We have never been perfect but for a long time we worked to be better. In a January 1787 letter from Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, Jefferson wrote:

“I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccesful rebellions indeed generally establish the incroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them.”

We often cite our founding fathers. Are we going to listen to Jefferson? Or are we going to sit back and allow failed approaches and failed leadership throughout all aspects of our community? The choice is ours. Don’t ever forget the classic lyrics from the rock band Rush:

Zionist vs. Patriot

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

I’ve been a proud Zionist all my life.  My great-grandmother, who I knew, was a Zionist.  My grandparents were Zionists.  On a visit to Israel a number of years ago, I went to the JNF building and found the books that had their name in it for their support of JNF back in the 60s.  My parents were Zionists.  I grew up filled with a love for Israel and a strong belief in the importance of a Jewish homeland. 

All four of my grandparents went to Israel.  My parents went to Israel.  My in-laws went to Israel.  My brother and sister-in-law have been to Israel.  My sister and brother-in-law have been to Israel.  My wife has been to Israel and this last trip was my 22nd trip to Israel.  The proof is in the pudding as they say.

On this recent trip, while sitting in the back of the bus with one of the participants, he posed an interesting question to me.  “Why do we still call it Zionism?”   After all, Zionism is the belief that the Jewish people should have their own state and be able to have their own self-determination.  We have that.  We have had it for 76 years.  In 1776, the Americans were revolutionaries.  We no longer call ourselves revolutionaries nor have we for more than two centuries.  We are patriots because America is a country, and we no longer have to fight for our freedom from another country’s rule.

In 1948, in the former home of Mayor Meir Dizengoff, David Ben Gurion declared independence for the State of Israel.  While we have fought many wars since then, from that point forward the Jewish people have had a state.  We have had our homeland.  We have had self-determination.  So why are we still calling it Zionism?  Shouldn’t we just be patriots as well?  Haven’t we accomplished the goal of Zionism, the creation of a Jewish homeland?

It is a question I find myself struggling with for many reasons. While we have a Jewish homeland, the State of Israel, there are so many people and countries that want to eliminate our homeland and right to self determination that we must always be vigilant. So while we have our Jewish state and self determination, we cannot afford to sit on our laurels. We must continue to fight to maintain it. As a Zionist, I fight for our homeland and won’t let it be deligitimized. Today, more than ever, that is critical. The United Nations, UNRWA, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are actively working to eliminate our homeland. If we are merely patriots, do we lose the urgency needed to defend Israel? Do we forget how long it took us to have our homeland after the Romans sent us into exile? Do we lose the passion of Zionism when we become Patriots? I don’t have the answers but I do have the questions.

On the flip side, we have our country. We have the right to self determination. Do we really need to be fighting for something that we already have? Defend it as patriots, yes. The Zionist dream is real and has been for 76 years. We accomplished the goal of Theodore Herzl. His radical idea, “the restoration of the Jewish State”, has come to pass. Are we using a word that we don’t need to? Are we creating challenges for ourselves because of that? Is it time to change the paradigm, to not live in fear that we will not have a Jewish state, because we actually have one?

As a Zionist, that word ties me to generations of my family. It ties me not only to my Great-great-grandparents and the time of Herzl but to ancient Jews and receiving the Torah. It is being a part of the Jewish people. Generations upon generations. When I was recently in Israel, walking on 2,000 year old streets, looking out at where King David’s castle was, praying at the Kotel, the base of Temple Mount, it all came together. My ancestors from thousands of years ago stood where I was standing.

Original streets from more than 2,000 years ago, beneath the Kotel.

In May, when I stood on top of Temple Mount, it was a connection to the Temple built by Solomon and then rebuilt and modified by King Herod.

In front of Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount, where the Temple used to stand

At Passover every year, we remember that God took us out of Egypt. Not just our ancestors but us. We were all at Sinai for the giving of the Torah. Judaism isn’t about what happened to others. It’s about what happens for us. So yes, the Zionistic dream of Herzl has been attained. But Zionism remains for all of us to defend. To fight for. To advocate for. Our history shows us that if we take it for granted, we will lose it.

After lots of thinking about the word Zionist and comparing it to Patriot, there is no question in my mind that Zionist is the right word. Our homeland is too precious to be diluted. As I watch so many Jews not understand the importance of Israel, having never been to Israel, not seeing the historical connection and minimizing what Israel means to Judaism and the Jewish people, I am not sure the fight for Zionism will ever be over. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to those who came before us and fought for Zionism and for the existance of Israel. They are giants on who’s shoulders we continue the fight.

I won’t change from Zionist to Patriot. I won’t stop advocating for Israel and the Jewish state. And I won’t stop being public with my Jewish identity and passion for Israel. Each trip I video walking the streets to show those who have never been what it’s really like. I post images and tell stories. Zionism is more than a national identity. It is core to the Jewish people. From Abraham to Moses to Joshua to King David to King Solomon, from the Mishkan to the First Temple to the Second Temple. If you don’t believe me, take a trip to Israel and see it yourself.

Am Yisrael Chai!

Thoughts from my July 2024 Israel trip

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

I returned from Israel about a week ago.  It was my second trip this summer and very meaningful on many levels.  I love going to Israel and being in Israel.  Everybody in my family knows how much I enjoy being there, how meaningful it is to me, and I’m sure there are some who expect that one day I will make Aliyah and live there.

This trip was highlighted by a few things that I think are very important, not just because they mean so much to me but because they highlight a bigger picture of Israel and the meaning to the Jewish people.

We got off the plane and after changing, the first thing we did was go to work the land.  There is something about Israel and working the land that is incredibly gratifying.  We went to pick apples that will be given to those in need.  It was a hot morning, and we had our water and hats and off we went.  There were two huge bins to fill that looked daunting when we began.  Yet working the land in Israel meant that we worked hard.  Very quickly the first bin was halfway full.  We talked, we laughed, and we picked apples.  Halfway through filling both bins, we took a break to eat some fresh watermelon.  By fresh, I mean it was picked just to cut up for us. 

Israel was founded by working the land.  “Making the desert bloom” remains a key goal and catchphrase.  There is something about getting your hands dirty in Israel by picking fruits and vegetables that is incredibly rewarding and meaningful.  It ties you to the founders of the State of Israel.  It ties you to 3500 years of Jewish history in the land of Israel.  I’ve been to farms in the Negev where they are growing fruit and vegetables in the sand and picked them.  I’ve helped with lemon trees in the Gaza envelope.  I’ve been to a friend’s Moshav near Gaza growing all sorts of fruits, vegetables, and nuts.  Now I have picked apples.  It’s incredibly rewarding, and I can’t wait to do it again.  I learned about Israel Food Rescue, an opportunity to volunteer picking fruit and vegetables in Israel to help harvest the food needed since the loss of so many Thai workers and Palestinian workers since October 7.  Israel gives you an opportunity to really give back, not just with money or time, but with your hands and sweat equity. 

I had the opportunity of this trip to meet and do some work with incredible leaders of Israeli civil society.  I went to the Knesset to meet with MK Sharron Haskel, an amazing leader who represents a new generation of Israeli leaders.  As we reach a crossroads in Israel with leadership, she is part of a new generation that will shape the future.  I met with former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, who I met a number of years ago and is a friend.  Fleur is also part of this new generation of Israeli leaders who will change the shape of the country.  Fleur spoke to our group and captivated them with her brilliance.  Her analysis of the possibility of a 2-state solution, a 1-state solution, and other options for peace was fascinating.  She recently debated former Ambassador Dennis Ross on the topic and I can’t wait to watch it when it is released on August 2nd.  I met with Brigadier General (ret) Amir Avivi and my friend Lt. Col. (ret) Yaron Buskila about the future of leadership in the IDF and the Jewish world.  They are doing some exciting work and I have the opportunity to be a part of it and learn from them.  I met with Lt. Col. Rabbi Yedida Atlas who oversees the religious aspect of the IDF.  He gave me a pair of the IDF’s tzitzit (ritual garments worn under your shirt) that since October 7, IDF soldiers, regardless of their religion, want to wear for spiritual protection.  Later that day, I had the chance to help make tzitzit for the IDF which was incredibly meaningful.  I am working with him to get enough mezuzahs for the IDF due to the war and all the reserve call-ups.  I was on a zoom call with my friend Roni Ekele, the Director General of the Ethiopian National Project (ENP) and childhood friend, Grace Rodnitzki, the Director of International Relations for ENP.  ENP provides critical services for the Ethiopian Israeli youth to ensure their success in Israeli society. 

With Member of the Knesset Sharron Haskel
Lt. Col. Rabbi Atlas and me
With my friend Lt. Col. Yaron Buskila
With my friends Fleur Hassan Nahoum, Lisa Barkan and Rabbi Randy Brown

In Israel, you have the ability to meet, befriend, and work with incredible leaders.  They are accessible.  They are friendly.  They are passionate.  I have great hope for the future of Israel because of these leaders – the future leaders of the country.  In America, we are very concerned about the future of our leadership.  We wonder where the quality leaders are and where they will come from.  In Israel, we see them emerging in all aspects of society. 

This was a leadership trip for 19-26 year olds. We had a very diverse group on the trip. Some graduated Jewish Day School. Some were entirely secular. Some knew nothing. Throughout the trip, we learned something with everything we did. The Torah study was interesting as we explored the ‘why’ of the first verses in the Torah. Not the story but what the lesson is behind the story. The things that affect us today. Services were not about the ritual of the service but the meaning of the prayers. Not just what we say, but why we say it. We sang, “L’dor V’dor”, from strength to strenth, throughout the trip, reminding us of our place in Jewish continuity. We sang Acheynu ,the prayer to free captives, for the hostages. As we stood under the Kotel, on original flooring from over 2,000 years ago, we sang it, one of the more powerful experiences I have had in Israel. At our last dinner of the trip, everybody had a chance to share their feelings about the trip and the experience. It was powerful listening to what everybody got out of it. I’m excited to see what this group of leaders is going to do. Just like the future of Israel is bright with their future leaders, I believe that American Jewry can also have a bright future with these type of leaders. It takes effort. It takes work. It’s not easy to find them, recruit them, train them, and pay for all of it. But we must. I have seen the impact of this trip for the past 26 years. I have seen what engaging the future of Jewish life in a meaningful way means and does. It is something I am committed to and I look forward to sharing some exciting plans for 2025 in this area. This trip, seeing what happened for these future leaders, has inspired me to do more. So pay attention, something very exciting is coming in the very near future in regards to young leadership!!

Singing Acheynu for the hostages while standing on a 2,000+ year old original floor under the Kotel
Our group of future leaders after making sandwiches for those in need. The future is bright!!

Israel is a special place. If you haven’t been to Israel, I can’t really explain to you what it’s like. If you have been, I don’t have to. There is something in the air. Walking the streets of Jerusalem is unlike anywhere else in the world. Floating in the Dead Sea, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, doing a water hike in the lower Galilee, eating on the edge of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), looking at the Golan Heights, being at the Kotel, working the land – each is so much more than just an activity. There is a connection. There is deep meaning. Israel isn’t just a place you visit. It visits your soul. It visits your heart and your mind. As we sat in Machane Yehuda one night, the traditional middle eastern market that turns into a nightclub, the buzz was amazing. The music was pumping. The energy level was high. And then they played ‘Am Yisrael Chai’. It touched us all in our hearts and in our souls. We knew it was more than just a nightclub. We knew it was more than just a fun place to be with friends. It was home. It was a connection to thousands of years of history and of family. Israel changed us all for the better. Am Yisrael Chai.

The party at Machane Yehuda at night – Am Yisrael Chai is playing

It is Friday in America

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

On my recent trip to Israel, we were in the Lower Galilee on a jeep ride. It was beautiful to ride through the lush area, climbing the mountain in the jeeps, until we reached an amazing view.

In the background, you see the Golan Heights. The Golan is a strategic area as whoever holds it has complete control of the valley below. Prior to 1967, Syria would sit there and shoot at the people living in the villages in the valley. In the 1973 war, the Golan was almost lost. The story of the tank unit in the 188th armored battallion is legendary. I first heard it a few years ago when we visited the unit as they proudly told the story of their unit. Totally outmanned, they managed to hold off the Syrians as the cost of their lives until support could arrive to fight and eventually win.

What I didn’t know is that my friend David’s cousin, Benny Katzin, was one of the leaders of that unit in 1973. While looking at that view, David told us his story. As he was preparing to leave for the weekend to spend both Shabbat and Yom Kippur with his family, Benny sensed that something was going on and there was something wrong. His overall commander told him not to worry and to go home and enjoy Shabbat and celebrate Yom Kippur with his family. He told him he had earned it.

Benny Katzin

The uneasy feeling wouldn’t leave him. As much as he wanted to see his family and spend the holiday with them, Benny couldn’t leave. His responsibility was too great. Instead of leaving that Friday afternoon to go home, he stayed on base just in case something happened. Something happened all right.

On Saturday October 6, 1973, the armies of Syria and Egypt attacked. Not only was it Shabbat, it was Yom Kippur. Israel was not prepared. On the Syrian-Israeli border, the Syrian army made incredible progress. They were so successful, so quickly, that they thought it was a plot to trick them into going to far so they stopped. This gave Bennie and his immediate commander, Yitzchak Ben Shosham the time to move any tanks that still worked to try to delay the Syrian army. They managed to hold off for another day while reinforcements were sent north, ultimately defeating Syria on the border. Bennie and his commander were fighting in the last 2 operating tanks against a Syrian force of 177. When only one tank worked, they both jumped into it to continue to fight. The were found dead together in that last tank. It had stopped being able to move so they used whatever ammunition they had until they ran out and were then killed.

Yitzchak Ben Shosham

What makes this story any different from hundreds of other acts of heroism at that time? Why bother with this specific story? Benny was a hero, not for what he did when the war began on October 6 or for what he did to defend Israel on October 7, 1973 when he died. It isn’t for taking on 177 Syrian tanks with just two Israeli tanks. If itsn’t because they were successful in delaying the Syrian army until reinforcements could arrive. Benny is a hero for what he did on October 5th. For choosing to stay. For listening to his gut and deciding it was more important to be there in case he was right rather than go home and hope he was wrong.

How many times have we been faced with that type of situation? We have a feeling something is going to happen. We know deep down that we should stay but we want to go home. We want to see our spouse, our children, our parents. We want to relax, eat a good meal, and not deal with the ongoing stress. How many of us do that instead of listening to our gut and doing the hard thing, staying.

Here in America, many of us have that feeling in our gut. Something is wrong. Something bad is going to happen. Whether it is something with women’s rights, individual rights, assassination attempts of leaders, school shootings, the rise of antisemitism, or many other things, we feel it deep within ourselves. The question is what are WE going to do? Are we going to ignore the signs that we see, the feeling in our gut, go home and hope it doesn’t happen? Are we going to sit at home and ignore the feeling, hoping if it happens, it is not to us or those we love? Are we going to leave the responsibility to somebody else because we can? Or are we going to be like Benny? Are we going to act? Are we going to say, “Not on my watch! I refuse to allow this to happen without doing what I can to stop it.”

We have the choice. Nobody would have faulted Benny for going home that Friday to spend Shabbat and Yom Kippur with his family. He would have been recalled on Saturday and been fighting against Syria on Sunday. He would have known. He would have to live with the fact that he knew in his bones that something was going to happen and left. He would have known that he could have made a difference on Saturday and didn’t.

The truth about Hamas, UNRWA, and Gaza is slowly coming out. The UN has already cut in half the number of women and children that have been killed in the war. If you take the numbers reported by Hamas/Gaza Health Ministry/UNRWA (they are all the same terrorists), in the UNRWA report from Tuesday July 9, 2024, they reported that 38,193 people have been killed. They don’t discern between terrorists and civilians. They don’t include anybody dying of natural causes. The same report estimated that 50,000 babies have been born in the past 9 months. This means that in this so called ‘genocide’, the population of Gaza has actually INCREASED even including the terrorists who have been killed and those who died of natural causes! While Israel is amazing in so many ways, they sure are terrible at genocide.

Yet the cries of genocide and apartheid remain. We’ve already seen how this ‘genocide’ is the only one in history where the victims have seen their population increase. If you go to Israel, you will soon realize so are the claims of apartheid. On my most recent trip, one of the participants got sick. I took her to the medical clinic that morning where she was treated by an Arab-Israeli doctor and nurse. When I got her prescription filled, it was by an Arab-Israeli pharmacist. The wonderful man who cleaned my hotel room every day, who I talked to multiple times a day and built a friendship with (and tipped him well for an awesome job done) is an Arab-Israel. Our medic and security guard one day was an Ethiopian-Israeli. One of our speakers shared with us that the number of Arab-Israelis choosing to serve in the IDF continues to grow significantly as are those who are choosing national service as an option.

Yet here in America and around the world, we are faced with these lies. We are faced with growing anti-semitism – I choose to call it Jew hatred because that’s what it really is. What are we going to do about it? How are we going to respond? Are we going to respond? Should we just sit back and hope it goes away? I have heard the arguments about Jews staying on the campuses where they are facing daily hatred both in and out of the classroom because we can’t abandon them. I disagree. Abandon them we must. Protecting ourselves is more important. Imagine a Jew-free Ivy league. How much would their prestige fall? How many Nobel Prize winners would now come from other Universities? How many innovators and business creators would now come from other Universities? The brain drain will affect them tremendously and our students stay safe. Imagine the amazing Jewish professors leaving the Ivy League hatred and improving the quality of education elsewhere. Rabbi David Wolpe writes about his year at Harvard and why he left. Imagine the talent leaving these hate filled institutions and going elsewhere.

It’s Friday in America now. The question is who are you going to be? Are you going to be Benny Katzin who chose to stay because he knew something was coming? Are you going to be like Benny and instead of going home to see family and celebrate the holiday, make the sacrifice to stay and fight? To be there because you know it is coming? It’s Friday in America. Are you going to look back with pride that you took action and didn’t let others face it without you or are you going to look back with regret because you could have made difference and didn’t. When your grandchildren ask what you did and where you were when it was Friday in America, how are you going to answer them? I know how I am going to answer them. My children already know the answer to tell their grandchildren about what I have done and what I am doing when it is Friday in America. What about yours?

How my dog Bella (z’l) is like Israel

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

Our 13 ½ year old chocolate labrador, Bella, crossed the Rainbow Bridge last month.  We got her as a Hanukkah present on December 1, 2010, and she has been a constant in our life and our family ever since.  She taught us about unconditional love, how important playing is in life, the joy of treats, and the joy in just being together. 

Bella as a puppy when we first got her and took her for her first checkup

Almost exactly a year ago, she almost died.  While being boarded, something we hadn’t done in many years, she developed 3 major infections and had 3 major open wounds.  She couldn’t eat, walk, or do much of anything.  We were preparing to say goodbye and tried one last Hail Mary attempt before saying goodbye.  That last attempt miraculously worked and for the last year Bella fought every day to be with us and to do whatever she could do.  She went on walks.  She climbed the stairs.  She did some physical therapy in a swimming pool.  She would climb up in my lap.

The last few months she would come upstairs at 2 am to wake me up and make me go downstairs and sleep on the couch next to her.  She liked sleeping on the travertine tile floor but didn’t want to be alone, so it was my job to be close to her.  Most of the time, as soon as we got downstairs together, she would lay on the floor and be content and sleep through the night.  Every so often she would let me spend the entire night sleeping in bed, but it was a rare occurrence.  I didn’t mind (much) because I knew how important it was to her.

Bella reminds me in many ways of Israel.  Israel is 76 years old.  When the US was 76, we hadn’t even fought the civil war yet.  Israel is still a baby, or maybe a middle school student.  It is start-up nation.  It is innovation.  We joke that the national bird is the crane because when you are in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, there is so much construction that you see so many cranes all over the place.  My relationship with Israel is similar to the relationship I had with Bella.  It is one of mutual love.  It is one where we learn from each other every day.  It is unconditional love.  It doesn’t mean that I was happy when Bella stole the challah or that I am happy when the Israeli government makes what I consider to be a bad decision.  It does mean that I love Bella no matter what she does, just like I love Israel even when the government or some of the people make very poor decisions.

My relationship with Bella started the day I picked her up, December 1, 2010, and brought her to our home and our family.  While she is physically gone, it is a relationship that will last forever.  My relationship with Israel began as a child, shaped by my grandparents and parents.  It deepened when I made my first trip there in the summer of 1989 and has continued to grow on each of my 21 subsequent trips since that first one.  Just as my relationship with Bella deepened as she got older and we spent more time together, so has my relationship with Israel.  Each visit takes me deeper into my own Jewish identity.  Each visit helps me explore who I am, who I want to be, what my values are, how do I want to spend my life, and answer the question I have previously written about, “What would I die for?”, which tells me what I am living for. 

Israel is not a tourist attraction that you go to once and that’s it.  It is a fine wine.  A good bourbon or scotch.  Incredible music.  It is to be savored.  That first taste is exactly that, a taste.  It’s wonderful and exciting and exhilarating.  Floating in the Dead Sea, climbing Masada (or taking the cable car), going to the Kotel, touring the old city of Jerusalem.  Exploring Tzfat and spirituality.  Visiting the Kinneret.  Rafting down the Jordan river.  Hearing the Muslim call to prayer from the minarets, as you are in the middle Jewish or Christian prayers. Exploring Haifa and the Baha’i Gardens.  I could go on and on and on.  Yet it’s just a taste.  A first sip.  Your toe in the ocean.  There is so much to explore, so much to invest, so much to learn and grow.  Just like every relationship.  Just like my relationship with Bella.  The day I brought her home, I was in love.  She was adorable and cute and fun.  The day before she died, we were sitting outside together, she way laying the grass, happy as can be, a totally different and deeper experience.  My first trip to Israel was exciting and exhilarating.  I soaked it all up and have vivid memories from that trip, 35 years ago.  My trip to Israel last month was also powerful and deep in a very different and more mature way.  My trip this month was a deeper exploration into what Israel stands for, what she means, what her values are, and my personal connection that as a Jew, started when Abraham listened when he was told by God to “Lech Lecha”, go forth, and was guided to this land.  Just like sitting outside with Bella during her last weeks as she laid in the grass instead of playing frisbee or chasing a ball, it was even more special despite the vast difference.

Bella in the yard just before she died. She was happy until the end and gave us love her entire life

As we toured the old city of Jerusalem this time, our guide challenged us to view it very differently.  He urged us not to see buildings, walls, rocks, and rubble.  Instead, take a look at what happened. What are the stories?  What does it all mean?  When he took us through the tunnels under the Kotel, he posed the same questions.  It was a remarkable two tours with Eytan.  He spent three hours each time with us, pushing us to keep moving with him as he made the old city come alive in a completely different way.  I felt like I was there in the 1948 war for the old city.  My love for Jerusalem was captured during the tour as I asked myself what I would do to defend Jerusalem.  The old city will never be the same for me as I turn every corner and there is deeper meaning.

As he took us through the City of David, we stood where King David’s palace likely was.  There is enough archeological evidence to show this is where it would have been.  You could imagine what happened in that area.  The poetry of King David being written.  The decisions he had to make, both good and poor.  As we moved to the current excavation site, you could imagine the city that once existed there, more than 3,000 years ago.  The vibrancy of the people.  We walked through the drainage system, designed to capture the rainwater from the mountain to bring fresh water to the cisterns of the city below.  The system was small and narrow.  I couldn’t stand straight up and banged my head a few times.  It felt tight and constricted.  All I could think of as I walked through this tight place was the hostages and how they live like this every day.  A 3,000-year-old water collection system teaching me about life today.  I’m not sure there is anything more Jewish than that. 

I miss Bella every day, just like I miss Israel.  There are a few images that will stay with me from this trip for a long time. 

Our hotel is where the residents of Shlomi, a town in the north of Israel, have lived since October 7th.  They are right on the border with Lebanon and were bombed by Hezbollah and had to evacuate.  Throughout the hotel, we had families living their lives.  Kids running around, riding tricycles, women doing laundry at the specially installed washing machines because this was now their home.  A Gan (kindergarten) still functioning as the other children are now enrolled in local schools.  The hotel lobby had become a community center. Shlomi is a religious community and as we prayed each day, said the Birkat Hamazon (grace after meals), and learned Torah, they watched.  They came up to one of our leaders and spoke to him in Hebrew, telling him how much we inspired them.  How proud they were because of what we were doing and because we were there.  Imagine being forced from your home and living far away in a single hotel room with your 5-7 children for over 9 months.  And young people, choosing to come to Israel during the war, doing Jewish traditions, inspire you. 

You see how close Shlomi is to the Lebanese border

I watched as their Gan began the day.  The children were adorable.  The teacher filled with excitement and passion.  The joy in the room at the hotel was palpable.  These 4-year-old children who have had their life turned upside down had normalcy.  I was inspired.  I watched and smiled.  Life doesn’t just go on.  It flourishes.  That is Israel.  Even in the worst of times, there is joy and plans for a better future.  As we visited the Kotel before leaving Israel, what did we see?  Another group of children, dressed in costume, learning at the Kotel. It was a beautiful site. No matter how much people try to kill us, try to villify us, try to isolate us, try to mock us, try to eliminate us, we will not give up. We will not forget who we are.

The joy of being at Machane Yehuda in the day, as a bustling shuk (market) and then in the evening as a crazy fun group of nightclubs is amazing. The energy, the passion for Judaism and Israel expressed at both times is amazing. When in Jerusalem at the shuk, the singing is loud, the passion is raised, and there is a strong and powerful pride in being Jewish. Why can’t we keep this when we return? Why do our voices suddenly get quiet? As you watch this video of the shuk, feel the energy, the passion, the joy and make sure you bring it with you every day when it comes to being Jewish.

Can we always sing Am Yisrael Chai with this passion and love?

I have been to Israel 22 times now and will be back at least once more this calendar year. As I walked and talked with one of our participants who was on her first trip to Israel, she talked about how surprised she was at how she felt in Israel. She talked about how much she wished we had an extra week or two on the trip, with the group, to continue learning and having the experience. She talked about how much she wanted to come back and maybe next summer would work. Once you have been to Israel this will make sense to you. Until you go, you can’t really understand it. It brings up the existential question, how to do we maintain this connection to Judaism, to our history, to our family and community, and to God, when we aren’t in Israel? How do we bring it home with us so that it lives within us all the time, not just when we are in Israel?

Many people and organizations have tried to answer this question over the years, some with some success, others not so much. What I do know is that as long as those of us who aren’t super religious can inspire the religous people of Shlomi with our effort, we are doing ok. As long as we continue to make the effort to do it, we are having success. It truly is a journey, not a destination.

P.S. – Here is a little something to put a smile on your face – the Jerusalem Youth Choir with Arab and Jewish youth singing on America’s Got Talent.

What a response! Thank you Dina.

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

Every so often there is something written by somebody else that is so amazing that I want to share it with others. The last one before this was by Yotam Berger. This time, it is an incredible response by Russian-Israeli author Dina Rubina. Her summation is concise, brilliant, and one I firmly agree with. Please read and know that we can stand up for ourselves, we don’t have to accept the lies and narrative, and we don’t have to play defense any longer. It is time for us to play offense both as Jews and Zionists.

Enjoy her words.

Russian Israeli author Dina Rubina was scheduled for an event to discuss her books at Pushkin House in London in collaboration with the University of London.

Before she was “allowed” to speak, however, event moderator Nataliva Rulvova demanded she clarify “her position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” saying other invited participants needed to “understand your position on this issue before responding.”

Here is the note Rubina received from Rulyova:

Hello, Dina!

The Pushkin House announced our upcoming conference on social media and immediately received critical messages regarding your position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They wanted to understand your position on this issue before responding. Could you formulate your position and send it to me as soon as possible?

– Natasha

Here is Dina’s blistering response to the ridiculous request.

Dear Natalia!

You’ve written beautifully about my novels, and I’m so sorry for the time you’ve wasted, because apparently we have to cancel our meeting.

The universities of Warsaw and Torun have just canceled lectures by the wonderful Russian-speaking Israeli writer Yakov Shechter on the life of Galicia’s Jews in the 17th and 19th centuries “to avoid making the situation worse.” I suspected that this would affect me too, since academia is now the main breeding ground for the most disgusting and virulent anti-Semitism, disguised as so-called “criticism of Israel.” I was expecting something like this, and I even decided to write you an email about it… but I put it aside. It’s time for me to publish it.

This is what I want to say to all those who expect from me a quick and obsequious report on my position regarding my beloved country, which currently lives (and always has) surrounded by ferocious enemies who seek to destroy it. My country which is waging a just war today against a rabid, ruthless, deceptive and cunning enemy. The last time I apologized was in elementary school, in the principal’s office, I was 9 years old. Since then, I have been doing what I think is right, listening only to my conscience and expressing exclusively my understanding of the world order and human laws of justice.

Natalia, thank you for your efforts, and I personally ask you to send my answer to all those who are wondering.

On October 7, Saturday, the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, the ruthless, well-trained, well-prepared and well-equipped Hamas terrorist regime of Iran, Hamas, which rules in the Gaza enclave (which Israel left about twenty years ago) attacked dozens of peaceful kibbutzim and bombarded my country with tens of thousands of rockets. Hamas has committed atrocities that even the Bible cannot describe, atrocities that rival the crimes of Sodom and Gomorrah. Atrocities filmed by the way, by GoPro cameras, the murders having taken the horror to the point of sending the images to their families or on social networks in real time.

For hours, thousands of happy, blood-drunk beasts raped women, children and men, shooting their victims in the crotch and heads, cutting off the women’s breasts and playing football with them, cutting off the babies from the wombs of pregnant women and immediately decapitating them, tying up and burning the small children. There were so many charred bodies that, for many weeks, forensic pathologists could not cope with the enormous workload of identifying individuals.

A friend of mine, who worked in the emergency room of a New York hospital for 20 years, then in Israel for 15 years, was one of the first to arrive in the kibbutzim, as part of a team of rescuers and of doctors. She still hasn’t been abe to sleep since.

While she is an emergency specialist, accustomed to dissected bodies and corpses, she fainted when she saw the macabre sight and vomited all the way back in the car. Among the Hamas militants, Palestinian civilians rushed in, participating in pogroms of unprecedented scale, pillaging, killing, dragging everything they could get their hands on. Among these “Palestinian civilians” were 450 members of this highly regarded organization UNRWA (United Nations Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East).

Judging by the utter joy of the population (also captured by thousands of mobile cameras), Hamas is supported by almost the entire population of Gaza. But the essential is there for us: More than two hundred Israelis, including women, children, the elderly, and foreign workers, were dragged into the beast’s den. A hundred of them are still rotting and dying in Hamas dungeons.

It goes without saying that these victims, who continue to be mocked, are of little concern to the “academic community”. But that’s not what I’m talking about right now. I am not writing this so that anyone will sympathize with the tragedy of my people.

During all these years, while the international community has literally poured hundreds of millions of dollars into this piece of land (the Gaza Strip) – UNRWA’s annual budget alone is equivalent to a billion dollars! – During all these years, Hamas used this money to build an empire with a complex system of underground tunnels, stockpile weapons, teach schoolchildren from primary school to disassemble and assemble Kalsashnikov assault rifles, print texbooks in which hatred of Israel is indescribable, in which even math problems look like this calling for the murder of Jews with every word:

There were ten Jews, the Shahid killed four, how many are left?

And now, when finally shocked by the monstrous crime of these bastargs, Israel is waging a war of annihilation against the Hamas terrorists who so carefully prepared this war, who placed thousands of shells in al the hospitals, the schools, kindergartens…

The academic community, which was not concerned about the massacres in Syria, nor the massacre in Somalia, nor the mistreatment inflicted on the Uighurs, nor the millions of Kurds persecuted by the Turkish regime for decades, this very worried community, which wears “arafatkas” [keffiyes], the trademark of murderes, around their necks at rallies under the slogan “Liberate Palestine from the river to the sea”, which means the total destruction of Israel (and Israelis). “Academics”, as polls show, have no idea where this river is, what it is called, where certain borders are located.

And it is the same public which asks me “to express a position cear on the issue”. Are you really serious!

As you know, I have been a professional write for over 50 years. My novels have been translated into 40 languages, including Albanian, Turkish, Chinese, Esperanto, and many more.

Now, with great pleasure, without choosing my expressions too much, I sincerely and with all the strength of my soul send to all the brainless “intellectuals” who are interested in my position to go fuck themselves.

— Dina Rubina

Russian-Israeli author Dina Rubina

Visiting Israel during war time

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

As I reflect on this last trip to Israel, the war with Hamas in Gaza is deep in my thoughts.  The potential war in the north with Hezbollah.  All backed by the Iranian regime.  Spending time in May and July in a post-October 7th Israel, visiting the Nova site twice, Kfar Aza twice, hearing from and having a barbecue dinner with the people from Kibbutz Alumim, displaced since October 7th to a hotel in Netanya, and then eating lunch at the Kibbutz with those who returned, hearing from and spending time with my friend Lt. Col. (retired) Yaron Buskila and meeting with Brigadier Gen (Ret) Amir Avivi, hearing and seeing the bombing of Jabaliya and hearing the jets and rockets over Gaza while hearing explosions and gunfire, and spending a weekend in the Lower Galilee while Hezbollah was firing rockets into the upper Galilee has given me a very personal and deeper understanding of what Israel has been going through since October 7th and the changes in the country.

People think they know what is going on, but they really don’t.  They think Israel wants to conquer Gaza and take it over, a land grab, and expel the people living there.  They don’t.  They want the hostages returned.  There wasn’t a day I have spent in Israel in the past two months where returning the hostages was not a primary topic of conversation, where I didn’t see signs calling for their return.  It is a palpable undercurrent throughout the country.  Every hostage is a brother or sister, a son or daughter, a grandchild of the country. 

There is anger at the government, the IDF, Hamas and Iran for what happened on October 7th.  The massacre.  The hostages.  The delay of the IDF in responding.  Major change is coming both in the government and the IDF once Hamas is defeated, and the hostages returned.  There is no national desire to conquer and hold Gaza.  There is a demand that the security between Israel and Gaza be strengthened.  The events of October 7 demand that.  Those who think a full IDF retreat from Gaza is required simply don’t understand October 7, the trauma of the country, and security risk.  If that means those of us in the diaspora have to continue to educate and advocate for Israel, then we will do so.  The end of the war won’t end the Jew hatred we are experiencing because Israel will never allow what happened on October 7 to occur again, regardless of the political cost.  Unlike the past where Israel would have an incursion to Gaza to reduce their military ability and then give them the keys back, Israel will not give up the security control after October 7.  We value human life too much to take that risk again.

There is no desire for war in the north.  Nobody wants the war to last a day longer than needed to get the hostages returned, capture or kill the leaders of Hamas, and end their ability to do anything militarily.  The tunnels in Gaza are actually being dug out so they won’t exist to be used or rebuilt.  Israel is not built for long wars.  The war in the Sinai was 100 days.  In 1967 it was 6 days.  1973 was 19 days.  This is now over 9 months.  In my first 20 trips to Israel, I had never heard the word melowim.  The past two, melowim, being called up for reserves, is common.  Everybody talks about it.  When they were last called up.  When their next call up will be.  They are in and out of active duty after having a chance to rest a little.  I’ve watched speakers finish, go change into their army uniform, come back to say goodbye to us, and then report for duty.  Tour guides who are preparing for their return to active duty in the next day, few days, or the next week. 

Iran and Hamas’s goal on October 7 was to start a regional war.  They wanted the brutal murders, rapes, kidnapping and terror to create the chaos of a regional war.  They hoped that like Al Queda did with 9/11, they would be able to get America to respond, then getting other major powers involved as well.  When that failed, they wanted the death of their own people to be what would create this regional war.  Their ultimate goal was to create a war between Islam and the West.  To date they have failed.  Despite what we see on college campuses and in major cities, the governments have not responded with military action. 

Where they have succeeded is in making the people of Gaza the victim.  They make sure the people of Gaza die and then blame Israel.  They make sure the people of Gaza starve and blame Israel.  Even when the UN, an antisemitic organization who is no friend to Israel, reports that there is more than enough food being brought into Gaza, Hamas makes sure the people don’t get the food.  The news makes sure to highlight the latter and ignore the former.  UNRWA uses their offices, schools, medical clinics and hospitals as Hamas bases and the world ignores it. 

As we have seen in the past week, the leaders of Hamas in Gaza and some of the leaders of Hezbollah in Lebanon are being targeted.  Israel, despite the international criticism, is winning the war.  I believe the day will come when Sinwar will either come out of hiding with his hands up or will be killed.  The question that will be critical on that day is what will the world do?  The world that has been crying for the people of Gaza have two choices.  They can step in and help rebuild or they can pretend it is now ok and go back to hating Jews in quiet.  With the current world leadership, I am concerned they will do nothing, go quiet, and allow Iran and Qatar to be who funds the rebuilding.  They will continue to make the same mistake over and over again. 

The United States often calls the World War II veterans the Greatest Generation.   The more time I spend in Israel, the more I am convinced that for Israel, THIS is the Greatest Generation.  Talking with these 18–22-year-old IDF soldiers, those who have come back to serve in reserves, those who put their lives on hold because of the need of Israel for them to serve is incredible.  The sacrifices they make every single day is awe inspiring.  It makes me wish I was 30 years younger and could join them.  There is a political earthquake coming in Israel.  There is a rising political leadership that will take over and not accept the status quo.  They are not interested in repeating the mistakes of the past but rather learning from them and moving Israel forward.  I went to meet a young current MK at the Knesset this trip.  I was excited to talk with her, learn from her, and left wanting her to have a bigger role in the future.  I spent a few hours with a friend who has been in leadership for the past 7 years and is preparing to run for the Knesset in the next election.  Hearing her talk about the future of a 1 state solution, a 2-state solution, the Haredi serving in the military, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran inspired me with hope.  Unlike in the US where I wonder where our future leaders are and have real concerns as the far left and far right seem to continue to secure more and more strength and control, I am excited for Israel’s future.  This generation is truly putting the country first. They are putting the safety and security of all Israeli citizens first.  They want to move to a bright and united future.

Outside our hotel a few days after we arrived there was a large protest against the government, against Bibi, in favor of the Haredi serving in the military, and demanding the return of the hostages.  It was beautiful to watch.  People were joined together, peacefully advocating their positions.  There was no violence.  No arrests.  Nobody was a paid agitator.  There was a strong police presence, yet no laws were broken, and no arrests made.  The contrast between Israel and the United States was so strong. 

I traveled from the United States to Israel, from a supposed country at peace to a country at war, and yet it is Israel I feel most optimistic about long term.  As I head home, it is a strange feeling.  I’m more concerned about being attacked in the United States as a Jew than being less than a mile from Gaza, a war zone or in the lower Galilee, 20 kilometers from where Hezbollah was shooting rockets while we slept.  What does that say about us?  What does that say about our future?  What are we going to do to change this reality?

I have lots of questions but no answers.  I do know that Israel will win the war.  They will survive and thrive.  They have their greatest generation now. 

Am Yisrael Chai

Here are two podcasts by friends of mine that I recommend if you want to learn about Israel and Judaism

https://www.saulblinkoff.com/podcast