My Post Yom Kippur Prayer

In the modern Jewish Democratic State of Israel, where is the Seat of Judgement? Above in the Heavens or Down Below in the Hands created by the Source of All? The facts on the ground are painfully clear for all to see if we open our eyes to the ugly truth before us. There is profound disagreement amongst our Am as to the answer to that basic question. As Yossi Klein Halevi wrote this morning in the Times of Israel, Yom Kippur 5784 has become a contemporary Tisha B’Av. The moment of Truth is here.

Our collective failure to clearly define the core values in Jewish/Democratic terms has come calling – this is the Sacred Moment of the Collective Heshbon Nefesh.  I humbly offer these simple working terms – Equality means B’tzelem Elohim.  Justice means Tzedek.  DemocratiYah means a Liberal Democracy rooted in these Sacred Concepts.

To Bibi I say this – I am a loud and proud Liberal, American, Female, Conservative, Zionist Bibi. My grandfather was born in the Old City of Jerusalem. His cousin Chaim Zelniker defended that Old City in 1948. His family from Petah Tikvah has contributed blood, guts and construction skill to the building of the State. As an adult I have been blessed to continue my grandfather’s legacy by using my resources to help build Israel’s civil society through the Federation movement and the Jewish Agency.

Once you were a Prime Minister who cared about the Greater Good. Now, you are a BUSHA.  However, if you do the homework assignment given to you by my President Uncle Joe, as so clearly explained in Tom Friedman’s pieces, perhaps you can repent and save not just yourself but the Land, the State and most of all the People of Israel.

Normalization or Annexation? The choice is yours to make Bibi.

I pray that you find the strength and courage to return to some sense of normalcy. Otherwise, We are going to find ourselves in the Wilderness for a long time to come once Sukkot 5784 dissolves into a potentially even more bitter Mar Heshvan.