No words

I am writing this because I have to. I am writing this for myself. If it gets read or answered, that’s fine. If it does not, I care not.

I am writing this, but I have no words. 

I am writing this because I have not lived a day like this in my 93+ years. I was 11 years old when Pearl Harbor was struck by the Japanese. I was sad, felt somewhat scared — but not angry, sorrowful and helpless as I feel now.

I am writing this because while September 11 was a “one off” what happened in Israel this week has been going on for thousands of years. No Jew is “safe”.  

When a barbaric tribe of nomads can descend on an innocent youth concert and rape, beat and slaughter teenagers no Jew anywhere is “safe.”

This is the “Antisemitism” that slaughtered thousands of Jews in the Inquisition.

This is the Antisemitism that took six million lives of Jews in Europe in the 1930s and ’40s.

This was carefully planned, well executed and horrible. These were bloodthirsty Arabs. These were the latest chapter in the history of the haters and killers of Jews.  

This was not about territory. This was not about “freedom” and/or “rights”.  This was a mass killing of innocent young people simply because they were Jews.

Is there a proper response?  What would it be?

We are Jews. We don’t slaughter people for no reason. Not for nationality or religion. We just don’t.

We may not approve of the present government of Israel.  We may be Orthodox or Conservative or Reform or none-of-the-above, but we are Jews.  

That is what they hate us for. They care less about our own approach to Judaism, the Arabs want us gone. 

The Neo-Nazis want us gone. 

We can go to synagogue and share our remorse and sadness. It won’t change anything.  There is and always will be antisemitism. There are those and always will be those who will try to destroy the Sovereign State of Israel.

We have to be aware, to continue to try and educate others about our religion and our Peoplehood. Yes, we must ... but as long as people hate ...