If you currently are hurting from losing loved ones, maybe skip this post
Nationalism is a form of egotism. Mourning ‘your own’ dead more than the deaths of foreigners or strangers is natural. But if we Jews are really so horrified by death itself, shouldn’t we mourn all the dead?
There was a first commemoration held among (mostly) Arab Israelis for their deaths and all the deaths among the IDF. In the health industry, Jews and Muslims in Israel are already working/being sick side-by-side. Now also in the commemoration business? We’re moving in the right direction!
BTW: The ideas that Jews should not marry out and keep a Jewish majority in the only Jewish country on earth have everything to do with continuing the Jewish People. We are so tiny, that if we would drop this, we would disappear. The continued separate existence of any Nation in the world seems mostly of sentimental value. But, if the Swiss and the Italians would fuse, they could eat real Italian pizza with real Swiss cheese and little would be lost. Yet, Jews are a Nation, the only one, founded on a calling. Our raison d’être does not come from a common and uniting language, geography, history, outwardly racial traits, or culture. Our life literally depends on our task to study, execute, and model Judaism and help all of humanity to live as G^dly creatures, and, in the end, foster world peace. So, when we reject intermarriage or endless amounts of foreign refugees, that is not racist at all. This in contrast with rich large Western countries. Their, ‘Jews will not replace us’ is pure xenophobia and Nazi speech.
Now, when we commemorate and elevate the memories of fallen soldiers, police, resistance fighters, and victims of terror and genocide, shouldn’t we also spent some time including those who were innocent but shot by security personal or the allies? They are innocent victims of terrorism too. I’m not sure, because it’s still different if you’re killed as part of genocide or as a innocent bystander to mass-murder. Just like it’s not the same when someone is murdered or dies from an illness. Though it’s both bitter.
BTW: But besides enormous gratitude for the fallen and endless empathy for the bereaved, let’s also have in mind all those soldiers and security personal who came out alive and well and whose loved ones feared for nothing so long and deeply. Their sacrifices shouldn’t be trivialized either.
And while we’re at it, would-be terrorists or Nazis, killed while (trying to) murder, can’t we mourn their senseless lives? They gave up their lives for what? For expressing a commitment to Jews’ hatred? How sad that is?!
Yes, it will enrage everyone. The Antisemites will be enraged that we think of the perpetrators as victims that wasted their lives for a vile philosophy. The close ones of the victims might be enraged that we can even think of the perpetrators as if they ever were human (but they were).
No, we shouldn’t equate the lives of the murdered and the murderers, the righteous and the wicked. We don’t need to forget or forgive. But perhaps, we could regret a life squandered, a missed chance at a good life. Their lives were wasted too. Just not by us. There is a crucial difference.
If our commemoration of victims of terror and anti-Semitism is not just a form of chauvinism but truly a stance against hatred and death culture too, then let’s also mourn lives lost to hatred on the other side of the stick.
So many, often young people set out to murder, died, got life in prison, or ruined their health by hating instead of loving. We may regret their fate because we don’t have their mindset. And let’s welcome those who came to regret a terrorist upbringing or training and help them speak up/out.
However. A very smart learned and wise friend of mine totally disagrees with the tendency of the above. She told me that Jews in general can be seen being so extra caring about all people because we first practice caring about ourselves. That’s where we train our empathy. That could be.
Surely, the other way around doesn’t work. Jews who especially care about all people but ourselves often don’t improve toward including themselves or other Jews in their warm hearts. Paradoxically, their lack of chauvinism seems to stem from being Jewish — an identity they deny almost totally.
But, having opposite viewpoints in mind has always been a Jewish option.
Happy Israeli Independence Day!
MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, previously a daily blog contributor to the TOI. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. None of his content is generated by the new bore on the block, AI. *
As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. Or not at all because he doesn't claim G^d talks to him. He gives him good ideas—that's all. MM doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and educations contribute to his visions. *
This year, he will prioritize getting his unpublished books published rather than just blog posts. Of the 15 (!) books he has in mind, the next two are about homosexuality in Judaism and new rabbinics. Next year, he hopes to focus on activism against human extinction. To find less-recent posts on a subject XXX among his over 2600 archived ones, go to the right-top corner of a Times of Israel page, click on the search icon and search "zuiden, XXX". One can find a second, wilder blog that also may contain updates to Times of Israel posts, to which one may subscribe, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/ or by clicking on the globe icon next to his picture on top. *
He's getting ready to publicize books on: "Free Will, "Judaism and Homosexuality, "His parents in the Holocaust, "Judaism, "A New Torah Translation and "A New Hebrew Grammar, "Co-Counseling, "Vegan Facts, "Immortality, and more. *
Like most of his readers, he believes in being friendly, respectful, and loyal. However, if you think those are his absolute top priorities, you might end up disappointed. His first loyalty is to the truth. He agrees that in a post-truth world, that's irrelevant, but then this is for the record. He will try to stay within the limits of democratic and Jewish law, but he won't lie to support opinions or people when don't deserve that. (Yet, we all make honest mistakes, which is just fine and does not justify losing support.) He admits that he sometimes exaggerates to make a point, which could have him come across as nasty, while in actuality, he's quite a lovely person to interact with. He holds - how Dutch - that a strong opinion doesn't imply intolerance of other views. *
Sometimes he's misunderstood because his wide and diverse field of vision seldomly fits any specialist's box. But that's exactly what some love about him. He has written a lot about Psychology (including Sexuality and Abuse), Medicine (including physical immortality), Science (including basic statistics), Politics (Israel, the US, and the Netherlands, Activism - more than leftwing or rightwing, he hopes to highlight reality), Oppression and Liberation (intersectionally, for young people, the elderly, non-Whites, women, workers, Jews, LGBTQIA+, foreigners and anyone else who's dehumanized or exploited), Integrity, Philosophy, Jews (Judaism, Zionism, Holocaust and Jewish Liberation), the Climate Crisis, Ecology and Veganism, Affairs from the news, or the Torah Portion of the Week, or new insights that suddenly befell him. *
Chronologically, his most influential teachers are his parents, Nico (natan) van Zuiden and Betty (beisye) Nieweg, Wim Kan, Mozart, Harvey Jackins, Marshal Rosenberg, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and, lehavdil bein chayim lechayim, Rabbi Dr. Natan Lopes Cardozo, Rav Zev Leff, and Rav Meir Lubin. This short list doesn't mean to disrespect others who taught him a lot or a little. One of his rabbis calls him Mr. Innovation [Ish haChidushim]. Yet, his originalities seem to root deeply in traditional Judaism, though they may grow in unexpected directions. In fact, he claims he's modernizing nothing. Rather, mainly basing himself on the basic Hebrew Torah text, he tries to rediscover classical Jewish thought almost lost in thousands of years of stifling Gentile domination and Jewish assimilation. (He pleads for a close reading of the Torah instead of going by rough assumptions of what it would probably mean and before fleeing to Commentaries.) This, in all aspects of life, but prominently in the areas of Free Will, Activism, Homosexuality for men, and Redemption. *
He hopes that his words will inspire and inform, and disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. He aims to bring a fresh perspective rather than harp on the obvious and familiar. When he can, he loves to write encyclopedic overviews. He doesn't expect his readers to agree. Rather, original minds should be disputed. In short, his main political positions are among others: anti-Trumpism, for Zionism, Intersectionality, non-violence, anti those who abuse democratic liberties, anti the fake ME peace process, for original-Orthodoxy, pro-Science, pro-Free Will, anti-blaming-the-victim, and for down-to-earth, classical optimism, and happiness. Read his blog on how he attempts to bridge any tensions between those ideas or fields. *
He is a fetal survivor of the pharmaceutical industry (https://diethylstilbestrol.co.uk/studies/des-and-psychological-health/), born in 1953 to his parents who were Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in the largest concentration camp in the Netherlands, Westerbork. He grew up a humble listener. It took him decades to become a speaker too, and decades more to admit to being a genius. But his humility was his to keep. And so was his honesty. Bullies and con artists almost instantaneously envy and hate him. He hopes to bring new things and not just preach to the choir. *
He holds a BA in medicine (University of Amsterdam) – is half a doctor. He practices Re-evaluation Co-counseling since 1977, is not an official teacher anymore, and became a friendly, powerful therapist. He became a social activist, became religious, made Aliyah, and raised three wonderful kids. Previously, for decades, he was known to the Jerusalem Post readers as a frequent letter writer. For a couple of years, he was active in hasbara to the Dutch-speaking public. He wrote an unpublished tome about Jewish Free Will. He's a strict vegan since 2008. He's an Orthodox Jew but not a rabbi. *
His writing has been made possible by an allowance for second-generation Holocaust survivors from the Netherlands. It has been his dream since he was 38 to try to make a difference by teaching through writing. He had three times 9-out-of-10 for Dutch at his high school finals but is spending his days communicating in English and Hebrew - how ironic. G-d must have a fine sense of humor. In case you wonder - yes, he is a bit dyslectic. If you're a native English speaker and wonder why you should read from people whose English is only their second language, consider the advantage of having an original peek outside of your cultural bubble. His posts are spell, grammar, and style polished by AI, but all written by himself. *
To send any personal reaction to him, scroll to the top of the blog post and click Contact Me. *
His newest books you may find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMoshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&s=relevancerank&text=Moshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1
