Here’s a great quality video of my entire speaking appearance at University Friend’s Meeting in Seattle this past Monday night. I attended series of wonderful – and at times inspiring – events during my short stay in the Northwest and will be reporting on them in due course. In the meantime here’s a taste:
Hello Dear Rabbi Rosen! I am sad to miss your event, I live in Seattle and recently was in the. Palestine West Bank. Are you still doing any events around seattle this week? I would love to connect and talk more.peace and smiles, Luke roehl
Dear Rabbi Rosen, I feel very blessed to have been able to attend two of your events in Seattle this past week. You are one of the most compassionate people I have ever met. I was so inspired by your work, that I added a bit about you at the end of my blog post today. Shalom, Lois Gaylord
I tried viewing your videotape twice, but my computer (or a bug in the email) didn’t allow past a certain point. Regardless, you seem to be a fine and compassionate person, yet the whole subject matter is alienating for several reasons. 1. Obsession with Palestinians. It’s commendable to see their point of view, and they don’t have it easy, yet your primary concern as a rabbi and Jew must be the welfare and security of your own people, not just your local congregation in Evanston, far removed from the rockets, suicide attacks, and putrid propaganda which even the “moderate” PA promotes in the “moderate” West Bank. This is missing from your monologue. 2. Who are the Palestinians with whom you identify to the point you don’t see the necessity of a Jewish state anymore? Are these individuals all against terrorism, do they believe in a secular state with a Palestinian majority that would provide security and equality to a large population of Jews? How would they prevent bloodshed when the majority of Palestinians openly say they not only hate Jews, they’d kill them as soon as possible? You don’t address this gaping problem. Why are you ignoring this? 3. Why are you so secure in your semi-assimilated Jewish milieu that you can’t see Jews in France, the FSU, even England, being anything but secure in a growing hostile environment, where many French Jews have owned apartments in Israel for years, just in case, in addition to those who have already left? Have your Christian counterparts so won you over that you don’t sense a bit of condescension in their attitudes towards Judaism and Jews? I’m sure some of them are sincere, but many are anything but. Don’t give them all credit for being so good; they’re not. The rotten Church of Scotland (Presbytarians?) report on Israel is ridden with supersecessionist/replacement theology it’s actually a replay of old, Christian anti-Judaic hostility. I suspect this underpins much of the mainstream Christian policies towards Israel, and it precedes and transcends the issue of settlements. Rabbi Rosen, has it ever occurred to your internal, mental dialogue that maybe you are cheating yourself, and the rest of us Jews, by being dishonest in your own evaluation of the whole picture? Why is the one state “solution” -which requires no compromise from the Palestinians, but total capitulation by the Israelis-a “fair” solution? Is this really what Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants? Mrs. Lieberman. Have a chag sameach.
So good to hear from friends and relatives about your talks in both Seattle and in Montana
We wish all our friends and family can eventually hear you.
Thank you so much!
Ruth Havighurst Neff
History my dear Rabbi would tell you that unfortunately (and I mean unfortunately) you are on the wrong side of this issue.