I was thrilled and deeply honored when I got an invitation to participate in Congregation Emanu-El’s 180th anniversary Shabbat service. This historic synagogue, where I began my rabbinate, is foundational to American Reform Judaism, and was the congregation of early Reform thinkers that inspire me today, including Rabbis Kauffmann Kohler, David Einhorn, and Judah Magnes.
But when I received more details about the service, where I would have had a speaking role, I thought again. I find Zionist elements in regular Reform worship — such as the Israeli flag on the bimah or a prayer for Israel — uncomfortable but not a deal-breaker for attendance. But Israeli President Isaac Herzog was listed as a speaker at the Emanu-El service, to be followed by communal singing of “Hatikvah,” Israel’s national anthem.
My qualms about Herzog, who many see as more moderate than the far right currently driving Israel’s war effort, stemmed from his statements immediately following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Herzog publicly blamed the entire Palestinian population of Gaza for Hamas’s actions, asserting collective responsibility due to their not rising up against Hamas. Though he also said in that appearance that there is no justification for killing innocent civilians, and that Israel would prosecute its response according to international law (a claim that has not been borne out), his statement was cited by the International Court of Justice as proof that Palestinians had plausible grounds for protection from genocide. Now, as Israel renews its war effort in Gaza, Herzog’s objections have centered on the risk to Israeli hostages and soldiers, not to Gazans.
Further, the inclusion of the Israeli national anthem in the service felt like a bridge too far. I do not believe expressions of nationalism — whether Israeli, American or other — have a rightful place in worship services. Adding Hatikvah alongside other prayers as part of worship also works towards the total conflation of American Jews with Israel. There is no stronger sign of loyalty to a nation than singing a national anthem before that nation’s flag — being part of a room full of American Jews doing so, especially as Israel has redoubled its military efforts, announced plans to seize large swaths of Gaza, and killed hundreds of Palestinians in the past week, goes against my core beliefs.
At Emanu-El, I valued our diversity and the synagogue’s historic openness. For some, Zionism was core to their Judaism. For others, it was anathema. In fact, Emanu-El has a proud history of holding both. In 1943, Rabbi Samuel H. Goldenson established the American Council for Judaism, my current employer, at the very address of Emanu-El, in a bid to maintain a Judaism free from nationalism and Zionism in the Reform movement. He remained the cherished senior rabbi for four more years, and when he announced his retirement, the congregation reportedly prevailed on him to remain for another year.
Inspired by the same anti-Zionist values, I have worked with a board of committed Reform Jews to renew the ACJ for our contemporary post-denominational Jewish world as its executive director. So I was initially torn between hoping that my presence at the 180th anniversary celebration might bridge divides, demonstrating that diverse views could coexist respectfully within our community, and fear that it would signal tacit support for a politician and a regime that I believe is anathema to Reform Jewish values. But seeing Herzog and Hatikvah on the agenda signaled to me that explicit support for Israel’s current actions would be prominent and expected of attendees.
Community is often thought of as a step between family and acquaintances. It bridges diverse beliefs, backgrounds and opinions, unified by shared purposes such as holidays, lifecycle events, study and celebration. Determining when community boundaries conflict with personal principles requires deep reflection. It demands clarity of personal principles, knowing when to allow those principles to bend, and knowing when the bending will turn to breaking.
As I reflected on my principles in considering the invitation – before learning what the service would consist of – I consulted with a rabbinic colleague also working in the Jewish left. “Isn’t part of the goal for Jews like us to be included in these sorts of things?” she asked. I agreed immediately. Both of us have experienced direct attacks from mainstream Jewish leaders and organizations for our stances, and the idea of instead being included in one of these spaces seemed to signal a shift. I also thought frequently of the words of the prophet Micah carved deeply in the building across the street from Emanu-El (once the home to the UAHC, the Reform Movement’s federation of institutions now known as the Union for Reform Judaism): “Do justly. Love mercy. And walk humbly with your God.”
For five years, I looked at this statement every day, and was inspired and motivated by it when I went to work at Congregation Emanu-El. These words guide not only my rabbinate, but my basic moral foundation as a Jewish person. I do not believe I would be upholding justice if I lent my presence to an event that is honoring Israel’s president, who continues to remain silent on the injustices being committed against Palestinians. It would certainly not show my commitment to mercy, given the ongoing merciless onslaughts in Gaza and Lebanon. And, to simply occupy a pulpit for the sake of doing so, even in contradiction to my own principles, would not embody humility, but rather hubris.
Today, my conscience demands that I decline participation in Emanu-El’s anniversary service. My decision is rooted firmly in the universal ethical core of Judaism first nurtured at this synagogue by generations of Jews committed to the messages of the prophets. I remain proud of my formative years at Emanu-El but urge my former community and all Jewish institutions to rediscover and recommit to Judaism’s universal ethical teachings.
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