Rabbis Must Speak Up for Israel

The recent Academy Awards filled me with dread. No, it wasn’t anxiety about which film would about Israel from Hollywood insiders whose expertise on the Middle East is as limited as their understanding of the region’s complexities.

Perhaps I should take solace in seeing fewer attendees wearing the red-hand pin distributed by the Jewish Voice for Peace affiliated Artists for Ceasefire, but I was discouraged that I saw no celebrities donning yellow ribbons in support of the hostages held by Hamas, or heard any speeches declaring the righteousness of defeating the terror organization. Sadly, this is what we’ve come to expect from Hollywood.

This silence extends beyond the red carpet, however. Many American rabbis have been too reticent to speak boldly about why we must stand with Israel in its battle against those who wish to destroy it.

I don’t mean the rabbis who sprang to action on October 8th , 2023 to shield Hamas and justify their actions, nor of the misguided rabbis who signed a New York Times ad intended to smear Israel for a crime it hasn’t committed.

I mean the rabbis, who unlike the Hollywood elite, spend their time studying events in Israel, who regularly travel to Israel and have lived there at some point. I mean the rabbis who devote portions of every single day contemplating the history and survival of the Jewish people, and the security of the one and only Jewish state. I mean the rabbis who make a living displaying empathy and compassion for all people, and who also recognize that the Jewish people are indigenous to the land of Israel and that Israelis have a moral responsibility to defend their country, homes and families.

Many of these rabbis are blessed to lead strongly Zionist congregations. And yet, inevitably, in many congregations there is a small group of voices who loudly dissent. When the rabbi speaks in support of Israel, they walk out of services. When the rabbi posts his or her sermon to social media, they are quick to attack the rabbi in the comments. They charge the rabbi with bringing politics to the bimah. They argue that it isn’t the rabbi’s place to speak about policy, or that foreign affairs shouldn’t make their way into the sanctuary. They hope, by their volume and consistency, to silence the rabbi from speaking in support of Israel. Sadly, it often works. When the majority of congregants are silent, a few hyper critical parishioners can create the appearance of controversy with very little effort.

My heart breaks for rabbis in these situations. In this moment, when our brothers and sisters need our vocal support more than ever, too many rabbis feel restrained by small minorities of congregants who try to create an uproar in order to silence their much-needed voices. It is true, we rabbis are not experts on everything. There are many political forays to which we should not enter. But the survival of the Jewish people is not political and we can’t allow, to paraphrase Isaac Bashevis Singer, for the minority to excommunicate the majority.

I have been truly fortunate to serve a congregation in Miami that never backs down from its commitment to support Israel. We proudly affirm our Zionist principles daily and join with a robust Zionist community that surrounds us in South Florida. In turn, our approach has inspired many more families to join our community, bolstered by what they see as an inspiring commitment to the Jewish people.

Being a Zionist does not mean you support one political party over another, either here or in Israel. It does not mean you support Bibi or you don’t. It does not mean that you don’t pray for the day when Israel will be able to live side by side with its neighbors in peace, including the Palestinians. It simply means that you support Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself. I ache for my colleagues who feel that they cannot say this openly and proudly. But as the example of my community makes clear, maybe more vocal support for Israel will actually strengthen their rabbinates and inspire their communities to grow. After all, when rabbis do speak out, their moral leadership far outshines any star in Hollywood.

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Rabbi Jeremy Barras is the Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth Am in Miami, Florida. He currently serves as a member of the CCAR Board of Trustees, as Co-Chair of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation Synagogue Relations Board and on the Executive Board of the Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami.