Clouded vision by Barry Rosenbaum

I recently attended the renowned Verbier Music Festival in Switzerland. Most notably, I experienced Bach’s Mass in B minor for the first time. It was performed by a fifty-person orchestra with an equal number of chorus members and conducted by the inspired Leonardo Garcia-Alarcon. I was at times overwhelmed by the magnificence of the score and the absolute unity of the performers. With an ever-changing montage of the cosmos in the background, I was reminded of the unique ability of music to express the Divine. 

The following day, I observed a Master Class in which young musicians perform a piece and receive guidance from an accomplished musician. The young musicians were a Palestinian string quartet from the village of Maghar near Nazareth, the Galilee Quartet. They are from one family—three brothers and one sister, all in their mid-to-late 20s. While they were still very much learning their craft, they were all quite talented and full of life, joy, and laughter. They are no doubt making their family proud and pursuing their dreams.

Yet, at the same time I was having these amazing experiences, I remained aware of global events. Soon after attending Bach’s Mass, I read the news—154 residents of Gaza have died of malnutrition, including 89 children. It is reported that the Palestinian death toll from the war might be as high as 4% of the prewar population. Both of these statistics are certain to rise. Israel imposed a total aid blockage in March, and there has only been a trickle of food and medical supplies since then. Hundreds of thousands of people are now desperately hungry. One-third of the Gaza population has not eaten for days. B‘Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights, two leading human rights organizations based in Israel, state that Israel is committing genocide. 

As a Jew, I must speak out. As one human to another, we all should cry out. Claims of injustice are piled one on top of another, much like the Second Temple and the Al-Aqsa mosque. In his July 29 Opinion piece in the New York Times, Tom Friedman says, “What makes this war different is that it pits what I believe is the worst, most fanatical and amoral government in Israel’s history against the worst, most fanatical, murderous organization in Palestinian history.”

 Each side negates the other’s humanity while professing a divine right to take all the other’s land. A false claim that one cannot rise up without destroying the other. In the birthplace of three major religions, God so often seems nowhere to be found. I count it as a minor miracle that I was able to hear the music of the Galilee Quartet, that their lives had not been senselessly cut short by the hatred that envelops the region. 

Why must we remain so blind? Why is our vision so clouded by unnecessary hatred? These are human beings. Their flesh and blood is our flesh and blood. Each is entitled to live life to its fullest. I know that the Israeli-Arab conflict is multifaceted, that there has been more than a century of ongoing disputes, and that the brutality and carnage of October 7th were indescribably evil. But this? How do you move from that horrendous event to this? The intentional starving of children is simply beyond the pale. Yes, Hamas is committed to the destruction of Israel and has rejected multiple cease-fires. Yes, it has stifled any movement towards peace with Israel since the 1990s. But this? This is a line that no one can justifiably cross, no matter the wrongs. What have we become?

This week, Jews observe Tisha B’Av, the solemn holiday that commemorates the great tragedies in Jewish history. Many commemorations will rightfully include the tragedy of October 7th. The horror of that day should never be forgotten. But in how many synagogues will our rabbis also speak of the tragedies befallen the Palestinian people? If we are not able to mention this tragedy too, then we have lost touch with our core. 

Joe Klein wrote in his Substack this week: 

“In August, AIPAC sends its annual delegations of American pols to Israel. They are usually a bit too respectful. This time, they should stand and deliver: they should make it clear—in public, in Jerusalem—that they oppose the policies of the Netanyahu government in Gaza and on the West Bank. Also in August, there should be a call from every Jewish pulpit in the land that starvation and displacement are not acceptable ways of warfare; they are the rudiments of genocide… American Jews should send the message to the world. We find the behavior of the Israeli government unacceptable.” 

We are all of the same essence, part and parcel of the limitless universal energy from which there can be no separation. There are no chosen people unless by that we mean that all people are chosen. Fundamentally, everything we do to others, we do to ourselves. As reflected by the intentional starvation of a civilian population by the Israeli government, we are light-years from that realization. Not surprisingly, but tragically, Hamas has exploited Israel’s decision to use food as a weapon. 

On Tuesday, a massive 8.8 earthquake hit Russia. Tsunami warnings were issued from Russia to Mexico, Japan to Hawaii, and New Zealand to Huntington Beach, California.  If we needed a reminder of our interconnectedness, for good or ill, this is certainly a stark and powerful one.

The light of the universe is always present. May we have the strength and wisdom to find it. I fear that time grows short.