While reflecting on his recent trip to war-torn Israel with fellow rabbis from across the ideological spectrum, Rabbi Brian Schuldenfrei explained a profound difference from previous visits.
In this “idyllic setting riddled with bullet holes,” what the senior rabbi of Adat Ari El will most remember is, “that for the first time I have gone to a new Israel.”
In a war setting riddled with uncertainty, Rabbi Schuldenfrei said, “what was before no longer exists. And no one is certain what Israel will become. Clearly, it is a different Israel.”
Different, however, may be good in this case. He said the country is united on the acute need for security.
“From the leftist of the left to the rightist of the right, there is agreement of the necessity of the military response to ensure Israel’s safety.”
“From the leftist of the left to the rightist of the right, there is agreement of the necessity of the military response to ensure Israel’s safety,” Schuldenfrei said.
He stated firmly that people who label this stance as revenge are wrong.
“This is not about what happened as much as assuring that it never can happen again,” the rabbi said.
The double impact on both his mind and heart were so strong that in January he will be leading a delegation to Israel from his Conservative congregation in Valley Village.
Turning to “a critical point the Western press often misses,” he noted that 200,000 Israelis have been evacuated from their homes both in the north and south since Oct. 7.
Stressing that neither end of Israel is safe, the rabbi concludes these Israelis will remain homeless until the Netanyahu government can guarantee their safety.
Jews in southern Israel, not far from Gaza, have been the most seriously traumatized, the rabbi said.
They know people who have been killed, who have been kidnapped, who have experienced the savagery of Hamas directly. In many cases, they needed to stay in a room for hours on end, unsure when or if the army was going to respond.
Ears ringing from the steady and dreaded sound of explosions, “their lives have been ripped apart after being torn from their homes,” the rabbi said. “These people are tremendously vulnerable – economically, socially, spiritually, physically.”
While Rabbi Schuldenfrei’s end-of-November trip affirmed “the horror I suspected and gave me closer access to pain, it also affirmed for me the tremendous resolve of Israeli society.
“Everyone realizes the only way to create this new Israel is together. There is a tremendous sense of unity and purpose. You see flags throughout the country, from the little iPad where you order your morning coffee from Aroma to the machines that scan your passports on the way in. Flags are everywhere.”
For a quite different slant on the country in the heat of war, Rabbi Schuldenfrei spent a day by himself in Tel Aviv.
Multiple scenes provided welcome surprises.
“The people of Tel Aviv were going about their lives,” the rabbi said. “Restaurants were crowded, there was noise on the streets, and everywhere it was getting back to normal.
“Of course the war is on everyone’s mind. Flags supporting hostages are everywhere.
“But there is a recognition there is no other choice. If you forfeit your daily routine, you are allowing Hamas to win.”
Schuldenfrei said both scenes can be true: People are thinking about the war and going on with their regular lives.
Pragmatically speaking, what can American Jews do to effectively support Israel?
The rabbi didn’t hesitate. “First, open our wallets,” he said. “We have to financially support since this already is a fiscal disaster. The impact on Israel is going to be unimaginable.”
In the last two months, “we have seen the best of the Jewish community.”
American Jews have raised more than $1 billion for Israel since Oct. 7, separate from Jews and communities that have opened their homes while offering aid of many kinds or those who have been displaced.
In another part of his mind, Rabbi Schul-denfrei is worried about the evacuees in Is-rael, plus the mental effects — long and short-term — on children from kibbutzim who were traumatized by the horrors of October 7.
When the rabbi said “everything needs to change,” one part of the challenge is about those who held jobs on kibbutzim, jobs that no longer exist.
“It is up to us they are taken care of, and with dignity,” the rabbi said.
He made suggestions that are quite doable from home.
“Call the White House and elected officials every day to remind them that currently over 130 Israelis are being held hostage by Gaza.,” Schuldenfrei said.
“We cannot allow our elected officials to forget that.
“We must be insistent that the American government exerts pressure to help relieve the nightmare these families have lived through since Oct. 7. It is unimaginable.”
Rabbi Schuldenfrei’s second suggestion is also uncomplicated.
“We need to continually show Israel we care,” he said – writing a card, sending a gift.
“The idea is to consistently demonstrate we stand with Israel. People really were appreciative we went there.”
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