Orthodox Opinions: A "Core" response to Sderot

A good example of something which concerns so many of us today is the terrible situation in Sderot. Sderot is a town in western Israel, very close to the border with the Gaza Strip. It is in what some call "Israel proper", i.e. it is not a "settlement".

For six years now, Sderot has been the target of rocket fire from Gaza. These attacks have accelerated since the withdrawal from the Gaza communities, and have intensified even further in the past few months.

I personally visited Sderot a little over a week ago, on May 31st, to be precise. While there, my wife and I and several companions had to take refuge from not one, but two, Kassam rockets. They ended up doing no damage, but they gave me a small taste of what the citizens of Sderot experience daily.

Today, June 11, a small delegation of three Sderot residents, as part of their tour of the United States on behalf of their town, visited the offices of the Orthodox Union, where I work. The touching and matter-of-fact stories of these three individuals, a science teacher, a social worker, and a college student, shook me to my very bones. Their tales of daily fright, coupled with faith and commitment, were awe-inspiring.

The group at our office had many questions to ask our visitors, but one proved especially difficult to answer. "What can we, here in New York City, do to help?" I would like to attempt to answer this question, drawing from my understanding of "core" Judaism.

The first thing we must do is open ourselves to the pain and suffering of the people of Sderot. We must fight our tendency to avert our attention from these fellow Jews, thinking, "Well they are way over there, and I am here, so I'll put them out of my mind." There is a "core concept" which demands that we counter this urge to distance ourselves. It is the "core" requirement that we be "Nosei b'ol im chavereinu", share the load of the other's burden.

Then we must include the courageous people of Sderot in our prayers. We must speak of them to our fiends, and if we have the power, spread the word of their dire situation to others. We must force ourselves to read the reports of the daily attacks, although typically they are absent from the general media. We must shed tears, certainly for every lost life or personal injury, but also for loss of homes and possessions.

We must contribute to those organizations that have relief programs in Sderot.

And when we visit Israel, we must make it our business to visit Sderot. I did. It is a lovely town, and the people are special. Spending some money shopping there, even for minor items, can't hurt.

I refrain from prescribing military solutions that the Israeli government might take. My knowledge of the "core" of Judaism does not qualify me as a military expert.

But this much I know. The people of Sderot feel abandoned, and each of us must assure them that they are not.

Finally, a suggestion for the government of Israel which would be a Jewish "core" response. Every time a rocket falls, particularly one that does serious damage, a high ranking political or military official should visit the scene. And he should bring with him as many reporters and TV cameramen as possible. He should demonstrate to the people of Sderot that he cares and stands with them. In this manner, he might, just might, force the images of disrupted lives onto the front pages and TV screens of the world. That would be a Jewish "religious" response, coming from the "core" of our faith.