Leaving Egypt and Coming to Israel

I’m writing to you from Israel. I’m here with 130 Jewishleaders from around the world working on issues of anti-Semitism and Jewishliberation in the context of working to end all interconnected systems ofoppression. It is powerful to be here, during Pesach, during the time that iscalled “zman cheruteynu/the time of our liberation”, envisioning thedeep, authentic and life-long work of liberation for the Jewish people, for allpeoples and for our planet. When I talk about liberation, I am holding out apicture of our personal and collective fullness – our vibrant, clear-thinking,daring, loving and deeply connected humanity. This is a fullness that isliberated from all the distortions that historic trauma, on-going targeting,and twisted, stereotyped definitions of who we are and what we are capable haveembedded in our minds and hearts, communities and societies.

The words of the Seder are still reverberating in me – “Inevery generation, you must see yourself as if you went free fromEgypt.” To really leave Egypt, not symbolically and not just once a year, it ismeant to be a daily, awareness-stirring, action-oriented game-plan for livingthat is given a focused boost of energy and clarified purpose at Pesach butthat guides our way throughout the year, like the pillar of smoke and thepillar of fire guiding the Israelites through the wilderness once they left Mitzrayim/Egyptbehind.

For Jews specifically, this call requires looking at theparticular ways that a long history of anti-Semitism, in its horrific genocidalexpressions and in its more subtle, isolating and blaming forms, has made Jewsafraid, deeply isolated, careful, useful (particularly to those with power whomight protect us), defensive, assimilationist or insular, controlling oraccommodating – and so many other beliefs and behaviours that grow out of apersistent history of being targeted for annihilation and singled out for blame.

We as a people have developed ways of being to wisely helpus survive, but they have become another Mitzrayim, constricting ourability to envision what is possible and hindering our capacity to freely,fully act. The more we practice seeing these hindrances and their impact on us(which we are so accustomed to that it takes conscious effort to learn to see),the more we can loosen their grip and work to transform them. This has been theexciting work unfolding at this conference, and has also been the powerful workthat a group of DJC Jews and Allies have been engaging with during our 4-partseries on Jews and Allies United to End Anti-Semitism!

It is moving and so very beautiful to be here in Israeldoing this work with a diverse group of Jews – Israelis and folks from aroundthe globe; Ashkenazim, Sephardim, Mizrachim, Asian Jews; White Jews, Jews ofColour and Jews targeted by racism – all of us in this work together. It hasbeen a deliberate part of the conference that the Mizrachim in particular havebeen visible leaders throughout. As Arab Jews, their leadership and visiblepresence has been potent in challenging the racism so many of us Ashkenazimhave learned to direct toward Arabs. We are grounding this work inunderstanding each other and building genuine closeness with each other.    

At the same time, this call to see ourselves as if we eachwent free from Mitzrayim asks us to look around, to name the outerobstacles and inner struggles that inhibit the freedom of other groups and tobe part of the force that splits the sea for the safe and freeing passage ofothers.

Rabbi Miriam in Israel

What is clear in the work we are doing here, is the truththat we can’t attend to one liberation without attending to the others. Wecan’t work for Jews to be safe from violence and blame if we are not also onthe side of other groups targeted with hate, violence, negation and suspicion. Wecan’t work to challenge and change Jewish isolation and insecurity so long aswe (consciously or not) are  targetingand distancing ourselves from other groups. And equally, we cannot stand besideother targeted peoples if we have given up on any of our fellow,cherished Jews, if we are cynical, dismissive or separated from the braveproject of healing for the whole Jewish people. Most of us choose one or theother. If we only choose one of these two prongs, our work will be small, ourcapacity will be limited and it won’t be able to rise from a whole and healedcentre.

It is particularly moving and important to be doing thiswork here in Israel. There is so much to say about the aftermath of the Israelielections, and the continued swing of the government and a large segment of thepopulation to the far right. And there is so much to say about the on-goingcorrosive effects of the occupation on the Palestinian people as well as itsdamaging effects on Israelis and on the Jewish people as a whole. I want toinvite us to engage in more fulsome conversations as a community about how wemight work for Palestinian liberation and dignity, as well as supporting valuesof religious pluralism, care for minorities and civil liberties here.

Without minimizing any of these commitments, I want to sayas well that it is wonderful and important to be here in Israel. I amunderstanding the picture and project of Jewish liberation far more fully andrichly by being in the Jewish homeland and among Israelis. I love being here. Ilove walking through the streets and hearing Hebrew, speaking Hebrew – alanguage alive with echos of Torah and prayer and secular manifestos of Jewishcultural revival and poetry, all woven into the ways people have ordinaryconversations. I am amazed by the creativity and ingenuity of this country. Centuriesof our people’s history are layered here everywhere you look. I feel aliveamong my beautiful, challenging, loving people in a way that is distinct here. AsI walked through the narrow alleyways of the Machaneh Yehudah market fragrantwith spices, fruit and grilled meat on the night before the Seder, it wasbustling with Jews of all backgrounds, religious and secular alike, buying lastminute supplies for their Seders or meeting friends at the food stalls and barsand I felt so joyous to be in a place that runs on Jewish time, a place wherebeing Jewish is normal, beautiful, visible, unapologetic, openly expressed. Ifeel the protective, distancing layers around my heart as a Jew softening andmelting – defensive layers I didn’t realize were even there until they began toevaporate.

As a Jewish community, we can claim and celebrate howsignificant it is to the project of Jewish freedom and liberation to have aJewish homeland and to develop a genuine relationship with it. It is adistortion of anti-Semitism that too many of us believe we have to choosebetween Israelis and Palestinians, or that we have to choose between Jewishsafety and Jewish self-realization on one hand and moral treatment ofPalestinians on the other. I want to invite us to engage in more fulsomeconversations as a community about how we might develop and deepen an honest,joyous, complex and committed relationship with Israel as part of the work ofJewish liberation.

It was remarkable on Seder night to sit in Jerusalem andsay, “Next year in Jerusalem,” not as the distant yearning of the rabbis whowrote that line under the pain of exile and oppression, but as a progressive,justice-engaged Jew celebrating freedom in Jerusalem, and aiming for anever-more ardent, inclusive and whole freedom for us all next year – so no oneis targeted, forgotten or lacking resources. So we claim each other and do thechallenging, exciting work of healing on our own behalf and in support ofothers. Ken yehi ratzon – may it be so.