This past Wednesday, Governor Noem signed HB1076 into law, incorporating the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) definition of antisemitism into the Human Rights Code. This bill received overwhelming, and bipartisan, support in the Legislature.
Contrast that to Georgia, where for five years, the Klan (Neo-Nazis) and CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) joined forces to oppose the legislation. Incredibly, what brought the KKK and CAIR together, was their common Jew hatred. In preparing this bill, experts from national Jewish organizations offered insights into the legislation. Kenneth Marcus, Chairman of Brandeis Center for Human Rights told the committee that "passing this bill is the number one thing the State of South Dakota can do right now to protect Jews." These experts shared that while they encountered challenges and opposition in other states, their experience in South Dakota was unique. Here, legislators debated not whether to support the bill, but how to strengthen it further, intensify the fight against antisemitism, and provide even greater protection and support for the Jewish people and Israel. This reminds me yet again how fortunate we are that in South Dakota the vast majority of citizens stand in solidarity with the Jewish community. Later this month we will be celebrating Purim. Mordechai is referred to in the Megillah as “Mordechai Ha-Yehudi.” The term "היהוד Ha-Yehudi" holds several significant meanings: היהודי means "the Jew" from the word "Judea," in the Holy Land of Israel. It means the one who was מודה (“modeh”), recognizing and accepting G-d while rejecting the popular idol of the day, even at the risk of his life. And it means the one who is אודה (“odeh”), giving thanks. These three connotations carry relevance in our daily lives today. To be a Jew means recognizing our identity, origins, and heritage. Only by understanding and embracing these aspects can we truly live life to its fullest, all while maintaining an attitude of gratitude.
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This week, a Jewish woman in New York made one of the single largest charitable gifts ever: Ruth Gottesman donated one billion dollars to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine to provide free tuition to all its students in perpetuity.
Upon reading this news, I felt a sense of pride seeing the Jewish value of tzedakah being done in such a remarkable manner. It also made me think about the instruction G-d gave Moses in this week's Torah portion, where he was tasked with taking a census of the Jewish people. The reason why countries or locales conduct censuses is to assess the strength of their population for military or tax purposes. A larger census typically signifies greater power. Yet, counting the Jews poses a challenge; because our numbers are consistently small it could portray us as vulnerable. In fact, there is an interesting Jewish tradition that we refrain from directly counting Jews by number because of fear of the evil eye. Instead, when necessary, we count through the words of a verse. For example, when counting ten men for a minyan, we recite a verse with ten words like "hoshiah, es, amecha, etc.," rather than counting "one, two, three," and so forth. This brings us to the specific details of G-d's instruction in this week's Torah portion: Moses was told to count the people indirectly, by asking each person to contribute a coin, which would then be counted. As the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks eloquently put it, while we may be small in number, our contribution is very big. Indeed, there have been no people who have contributed as much to the world as the Jewish people, whether in ethics, medicine, economics, sciences, arts, or, most importantly, in matters of G-dliness and spirituality. It's important to remember each morning as we awaken that this is also a fundamental aspect of Judaism: thanking G-d for giving us another day and recognizing that each of us has a significant contribution to make in improving the world. And we need not wait until we can write a billion-dollar check to do so. This week, Jews around the world, and all lovers of peace, rejoiced at the news of the miraculous rescue of Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, after 129 days in Hamas captivity. The stories the released have told of starvation, terrible medical treatments, physical and sexual abuse, are enough to horrify any decent human being.
So when they were rescued in a flawless and heroic operation with no IDF fatalities, all people of good conscience had reason to celebrate. But there was one specific detail in the story that caught my attention. As I listened to the recording of the soldiers' radio communications during the mission, after they eliminated the terrorists and located the hostages, one of them called over the radio the words that confirmed the mission had been accomplished: "The diamonds are in our hands." The US Secret Service famously assigns code names to individuals under their protection. Clinton was known as "Eagle," Bush was "Trailblazer," Obama "Renegade," and Trump "Mogul." The military also employs code names for missions; for example, the operation to eliminate Bin Laden was codenamed "Geronimo." For this mission, the IDF chose to use the code word "Diamonds." How appropriate and how Jewish! This is the way we should look at our fellow, and this also explains why Israel was willing to take extraordinary measures for such a daring mission to save hostages. It reminded me of a story. For decades, the Rebbe devoted three nights a week meeting privately with people in his office, where he listened, offered encouragement, advice, and blessings upon those who sought his guidance. Though they would begin in the evening, oftentimes these meetings went well into the night, sometimes until 6 or 7 AM, ensuring that each individual on the schedule for that evening had their chance to connect with him. As the demand grew and it became physically impossible to accommodate everyone, the Rebbe proposed something new. Starting on his 84th birthday, each Sunday he stood in the lobby between his office and Synagogue, and greeted each person briefly. Thousands flocked each week, forming lines that stretched around the block. The Rebbe would stand for as long as eight hours without pause, despite his advanced age, and personally engaged with each individual, offering guidance or a blessing, and handing them a dollar bill to donate to a charity of their choosing. He said that when two people meet, a third should also benefit. As a young child, I had the privilege of meeting the Rebbe several times during these occasions. Once an elderly woman asked him: "Rebbe, How do you do it? How is it that you do not tire of standing for hours and hours?" The Rebbe smiled and replied: "Every soul is a diamond. One does not tire from counting diamonds." Several weeks ago I got a call from a woman on the West Coast. She told me her father Rob lived in the Black Hills and his health was deteriorating. The doctors said he didn’t have much time left, and she wanted to know if a rabbi could spend some time with him. She was very thankful when I told her I would be glad to drive from Sioux Falls. "Oh, and one more thing," she asked. "Does your wife make chicken soup? He would love that!"
Later that day I called Rob to tell him I had spoken with his daughter and that I would be coming to visit him with a bowl of chicken soup. When he asked if my wife also knew how to make “kreplach,” I knew this was going to be a very special visit. Little could I have imagined just how inspirational it would be. After a long drive, I arrived at Rob’s place. He told me he had lived in the Black Hills for over fifty years. He was born and raised in Philadelphia, where he went to Hebrew school, his family went to Shul, and he had his Bar-Mitzvah. After serving honorably in the Navy he settled in South Dakota where he enjoyed the nature and freedom the state offers. We visited for over an hour. He told me that for all those years, he had no formal connection with Judaism. He often felt alone, but never forgot who he was. He said the attacks on Israel on October 7th, and hate marches against Jews in America since, had been deeply distressing and very awakening. He told me he was born as a Jew, and now that he felt his time had come, he wanted to be sure he would die as a Jew. When I asked him if he knew his Hebrew name, he proudly told me it was Ruven ben Avraham. I helped Rob put on Tefillin, his first time since leaving Philadelphia, but he still remembered the brachos and was able to say the Shema fluently. We also said Viduy together, the prayers traditionally said at the end of life. Not long after I visited, Ruven ben Avraham returned his soul to its maker. May his memory be a blessing. This evening is Yud Tes Kislev, the 19th day of the Jewish month of Kislev. It commemorates the liberation of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad, from Czarist imprisonment in 1798 for his Jewish beliefs and practices.
Rabbi Shneur Zalman, also known as the Alter Rebbe, laid the principles that guide Chabad to this day; the ability to have a meaningful relationship with G-d, based on wisdom, understanding and knowledge, the mechanisms we have as humans to keep our mind and intellect in control of our emotions and passions, and most importantly, the glue that must hold that all together, the fundamental and transformative Chabad approach to loving your fellow Jew as yourself. So why was he arrested? In 1788, Rabbi Shneur Zalman established Colel Chabad, a charitable fund to raise money for the impoverished Jewish community living in the Holy Land of Israel. At the time, the Holy Land was under Ottoman rule. Since Turkey was at war with Russia, his detractors fabricated false accusations of treason to create a pretext for his persecution, arrest, and incarceration by the Czarist regime. In the 235 years since its founding, Colel Chabad has operated without interruption providing for the Holy Land’s needy and most vulnerable. Incidentally, it is also another reminder that Jewish people have always been living in Israel, dating back over 3,300 years when the Israelites entered the land promised by G-d to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants to this day. About the importance of supporting our brothers and sisters in the land of Israel, the Alter Rebbe writes how one “should impose austerity on his own life and go far beyond the letter of the law [that one contributes 10% of their wealth].” This charity is so important that even those who struggle to make a livelihood “must give precedence [to supporting those living in Israel] over any fine apparel and family feasts, with meat and fish and all kinds of delicacies, for oneself and all of one’s household.” Over the last few weeks we have seen some of this spirit play out in real-time, as Jews from around the world have opened their hearts and generously contributed to our brothers and sisters in Israel as Hamas rockets rain down on their homes, schools and hospitals, terrorists shoot randomly in the streets of Jerusalem, and all of them face an unimaginable humanitarian crisis. As we say, 'In each generation, they rise up against us, but He (G-d) saves us from their hands.' Czarist Russia and the Ottoman Empire are long gone, but Yud Tes Kislev and the values taught by the Alter Rebbe are still celebrated, and the Jewish people still exist and thrive in the Holy Land of Israel. Like those who persecuted us centuries ago, our enemies and their enablers will no doubt disappear soon enough. Let us hope and pray it happens swiftly with no further loss of precious life so the people of Israel can live in peace. May G-d ensure the safe return of the hostages, bring healing to the wounded, and protect the brave men and women of the IDF and the people of Israel. As it's written, "The Guardian of Israel neither sleeps nor slumbers..." and "I shall grant peace upon the Land..." I was in New York this past weekend for the annual conference of Chabad rabbis, the largest conference of rabbis in the world. Generally there are also about 1200 rabbis who come in from Israel, representing some of Chabad's religious, social, educational and humanitarian organizations in the Holy Land.
This year, most of them did not attend. They are reeling from the barbaric massacres of October 7 by Palestinian terrorists. Right now they are remaining with their communities, serving in the reserves, and in the rabbinate identifying the dead, volunteering to assist the citizens of Israel, and keeping their families safe as they come under daily indiscriminate bombardment from Hamas rockets aimed at their homes, schools and hospitals. A most inspiring moment of the conference was when a young boy from Sderot, Avraham Pizem, addressed the conference. I encourage you to watch his speech here and how he describes the twelve seconds, T W E L V E seconds, he has to run to shelter every time he hears the sirens, and the opportunity to do good he has in those twelve seconds! This was his first time in America. His father told me when they came to the house they were staying in New York, the boy asked where the closest bomb shelter was… He has never experienced a reality without one. We Jews are not regular people. While our enemies seek to destroy us, we find more ways to grow and build. While they indoctrinate their children to hate (videos show kindergartens and camps in Gaza with children leading skits of murdering Jews), we teach our children to love. While those against Israel, march with calls for Israel’s destruction and the genocide of Jews (“Intifada! Intifada!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” i.e., the entire area from the Jordan River until the Mediterranean Sea will be free of Jews), we march calling for the security of our people and the release of all the hostages. Over the past few weeks, I have been inspired again and again by the outpouring of support for Israel and the Jewish people we have received from so many in Sioux Falls and across the state. As someone wrote to me: “The vast majority of South Dakotans have the good common sense to differentiate between Good and Evil, and they recognize Hamas for the antisemitic disease that it is [and] the public demonstrations in support [of it]. Rest assured that should this Evil creep into Sioux Falls, there will be thousands of Gentiles who stand ready to defend, and publicly stand with, the Jewish people of Sioux Falls.” Within the Jewish community, there has also been a spiritual revival, with so many looking for additional ways to proudly demonstrate their being Jewish, and doing another mitzvah. As the world puts pressure on Israel, and Jews around the world feel more vulnerable, we must be more united and more proud than ever. We must continue to be there for each other. There is not a single enemy of Jewish people who is not calling for a ceasefire. That should tell us something. No person who cares for Jews would demand they stop defending themselves against Hamas. A ceasefire would be a gift to the Hamas terrorists who want to murder, rape, shoot, burn and kidnap more Jews. They don’t hide their intentions and we can’t be naïve. Only our firm recognition that the Holy Land is an eternal gift given from G-d to the people of Israel, and a decisive victory by Israel that completely neutralizes the enemy, will restore peace and security. May G-d ensure the safe return of the hostages, bring healing to the wounded, and protect the brave men and women of the IDF and the people of Israel. As it's written, "The Guardian of Israel neither sleeps nor slumbers..." and "I shall grant peace upon the Land..." In dark tunnels in Gaza, some 241 innocent men, women, and children are being held hostage by Palestinian terrorists.
The Talmud offers an intriguing teaching that even when faced with a sharp sword at one's neck, one should not lose hope or refrain from seeking Divine mercy. Some may view this as a lofty concept, perhaps only achievable with a dose of naivete . How can one maintain such resolve, and what follows even if they manage to do so? But this was not the response of Margalit Megidish. Her daughter, Ori, was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists during the barbaric assault on October 7. The greatest fear a parent can experience is the unimaginable dread that their child is in the clutches of evil individuals in the worst possible place on earth. The idea that Jewish people share a neighborhood with such individuals is difficult to fathom. Margalit, however, did not succumb to despair. She clung to hope and strengthened her faith in G-d. Remarkably, she had a Torah scroll brought into her daughter's room, and she fervently prayed. In an emotional video captured by another family member, she is seen praying earnestly while preparing the Shabbat challah (a special mitzvah for women), even declaring amidst her emotions, 'G-d, I love you.' She seemed to be in a state of serenity and hope, rather than hysteria. Some may question the depth of such faith, and associate it with shallowness and lack of sophistication. 'How can I believe in G-d and love Him when I feel He has abandoned me?' they might ask. Yet, miraculously, Margalit's daughter, Ori, was rescued from Gaza and reunited with her family. To date, she is one of only five individuals to have left Gaza and the only one to be rescued. This profound level of faith, which transcends understanding and rationality, is aptly described by the 11th-century philosopher, Rabbi Bahya ben Joseph ibn Pakuda, in his work Sha’ar HaBitachon. He likens deep faith to someone locked in a dungeon, knowing that only one other person in the world holds the key, and your only hope lies in that individual unlocking the door. Similarly, one's faith in G-d should be absolute, recognizing that our fate is entirely in His hands alone. It may be difficult for us to experience such unwavering and deep faith, but let us take inspiration from Margalit Megidish who demonstrated that it is possible. As the verse proclaims, and we must always remember, “It is not by our strength or might of our hand, but it is He who gives strength.” May G-d ensure the safe return of the hostages, bring healing to the wounded, and protect the brave men and women of the IDF and the people of Israel. As it's written, "The Guardian of Israel neither sleeps nor slumbers..." and "I shall grant peace upon the Land..." The images we're witnessing from Israel are gut-wrenching and profoundly distressing. In this digital age, where everything is documented, we are confronted with the stark reality of what's unfolding. As I watch these harrowing videos, my thoughts inevitably turn to my own children and elderly grandmothers, as if they were in those very situations, may God protect us.
This isn't about "my family in Israel" or "my friends in Israel." I personally don't know anyone in those videos, yet I feel an inexplicable connection to each of them. Every Jew in Israel, every soul suffering there, is my family. The brutal acts committed by Palestinian terrorists, invading homes and ruthlessly murdering the innocent, shake us to our core. The inhumanity displayed, including the unspeakable acts of violence and mutilation, are images we will never be able to forget. When the terrorists invade communities, and commit savage murders of innocent men, women, and children in their homes and public spaces, going from house to house, forcibly removing people, killing children in front of their parents and parents in front of their children, raping women in the presence of their friends and families, then mercilessly mutilating the deceased, kidnapping elderly and young alike, while live-streaming this all on social media, it serves as a stark and haunting reminder of the evil that exists. There can be no room for hesitation. There is no question about what is going on. This is a horrific pogrom and massacre of Jews on a scale not seen since the Holocaust. Its death toll is equivalent to ten 9/11s in Israel. I express my gratitude to our Governor Kristi Noem, for her resolute statement of support of Israel and her well wishes, to the members of our delegation Senator John Thune, U.S. Senator Mike Rounds and Rep. Dusty Johnson for issuing resolute statements of support for Israel, to our Mayor Paul TenHaken, and Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum, for their strong words of encouragement and support. The Jewish people have endured centuries of persecution, from Pharaoh in Egypt, to the Nazis in Germany. But through it all, we have prevailed. Our enemies are no more than footnotes in the ash heap of history. Today too, despite the immeasurable pain, the Jewish people will be strong. In this critical moment, standing in their ancestral God given homeland, with the help of Almighty God, the Jewish people will once again be victorious. Am Yisrael Chai. We can offer prayers for our brethren in Israel, perform extra mitzvahs in their merit, and generously contribute to charity. May the Divine Healer bring healing to the wounded, ensure the safe return of hostages, and protect the brave men and women of the IDF. As it's written, "The Guardian of Israel neither sleeps nor slumbers..." and "and I shall grant peace upon the Land..." Our daughter’s medical journey, though not an enjoyable one, has led our family to meet new people and experience situations we would have otherwise not had the opportunity to. One such recent encounter was with a scientist who shared with me a fundamental approach in medicine, derived from the teachings of Sir William Osler, a father of modern medicine.
When faced with a perplexing set of symptoms, we always seek the economy of diagnosis, meaning, one unifying story that ties the whole picture together in lieu of several diagnoses that invoke a confluence of disparate, unrelated events. This reminded me of a method I learned from the Rebbe's teachings about how to best resolve apparent contradictions, complexities or challenges in Jewish thought. When dealing with questions on a passage of Talmud, a halachic ruling from Maimonides, or a commentary from Rashi: if one idea successfully answers more than one question, and especially when the same idea answers multiple questions across various topics, one can be more certain this is indeed a correct answer. This parallel method to approaching, discerning and resolving challenges, also further demonstrates the idea that embedded in the Torah is the methodology and resolution to every conceivable issue one can face in life. Often we may feel that Torah, modernity and scientific discovery are at odds. In truth, however, the more deeply we delve into it, we realize that there is a true convergence. The only question might be how far are we willing to go. Discovering this harmonious balance and holistic approach is what we need as we prepare for Rosh Hashanah. The heightened spiritual awareness we experience during the High Holiday season can not simply be limited to an isolated time on the calendar or the specific location of the Synagogue. We must be able to adapt and live with this awareness year round, wherever we may be. Tapping into this energy, may also be the secret key to unlocking a happy and sweet year for us all. This week Mussie's extended family got up from Shiva for her maternal grandmother, Devorah Greenberg.
Mussie's Bubby, or Savta, as she is fondly called amongst her many international grandchildren that speak several different languages, lived a full life of 85 years. She spent her childhood and much of her young adult years in Communist Russia, where together with her parents and later her husband, fought to keep their Jewish learning and practices under the KGB’s watchful eye. In the early 1960s, together with her family, she was granted the freedom to leave the Iron Curtain and immigrated to Israel by the grace of G-d. There, she and her husband continued to raise their beautiful family, all of whom went on to lead successful and meaningful lives, becoming Jewish community leaders and educators around the world. Amazingly, a portrait with 7 different clocks hangs in her home, so she would be able to keep tabs on the time zones of her children that live on different parts of the globe, including places like Shanghai, Anchorage, Austin, San Diego, New York, Paris, Hannover and Odessa, and I haven't even listed them all. It's a big family. We were happy for her that some of her children and grandchildren settled close to her, in Israel, as well. What always striked me as a “married in” grandson, was her ability to be content with little materialism. To feel and act wealthy, when in fact the opposite was the case. What Mussie's Bubby accomplished in the most beautiful and meaningful way possible, was to live and bring to reality the value described in Ethics of the Fathers as, "Eizehu ashir hasameach bechelko - Who is wealthy, one who is happy with their lot.” Mussie’s Bubby and Zeidy lived in Israel as immigrants, with hardly enough to scrape together for the very basic necessities of life, but somehow you would never know it. Mussie's Bubby and her home shone with love and happiness, always plenty of delicious food, and although the apartment was smaller than tiny, it was always in perfect shape, and they always seemed to have everything they needed to share with others as well. To paraphrase the wise words of Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, who said you often hear the question being asked about someone “What are they worth?” when all that is meant is “What is their net worth.” A person may not always have a high net worth, but living honestly and happily, raising a large and wholesome family, who all went on to live a life of service to others, and doing acts of goodness and kindness as taught by the Torah, are a person’s true worth. There is so much more to be said about Devorah Greenberg, but I'll leave you with this for now as Mussie and I hope to learn from her and practice this in our life as well. |
Rabbi Mendel Alperowitz BlogServing the spiritual needs of the South Dakota Jewish community. Based in Sioux Falls and travels the state. Archives
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