TELL magazine: December 2020 - Emanuel Synagogue

the same as me. Far from my
enemy, they are my allies.
So what made the difference?
Firstly, the rally itself set a tone
calling for diversity. The speakers
spoke essentially from a place of
support for victims of war and
injustice - not from a place of
blame and condemnation. There
was therefore nothing to defend.
The glue was compassion, not
hatred. Therefore, when the
occasional sign of condemnation
appeared, it was OK. There
was enough to focus on
that was positive, without
having to respond to that.
The night of the rally was
first night Chanukah. It was
a poignant moment, when I
took the chanukiah and placed
it by the window, two candles
aflame, for all to see. One of
the requirements of Chanukah
is that we publicly display our
faith - be visible and proud and
claim the right to be Jews. I was
struck by how different it was
at this rally when I identified
myself. It removed any sense
of betrayal that I had felt at
the first rally when I walked
anonymously, amongst those
placards condemning Israel. It
allowed others to voice their
support and encouragement.
It created the opportunity for
those on ‘the other side’ to shake
my hand and dissolve perceived
differences. It encouraged the
few Jewish participants at the
rally (remarkably few, in fact)
to take a stand, and reminded
them that they were not alone.
It created Peace.
The most enduring lesson for me
is that a faceless body is a scary
thing. When Loud Opinion
walks down the street, with
signs for mouths, and fists for
hearts, there is nothing to do
but shake a fist - and join them
or fight them. But when you
look into the eyes and hearts
of that Loud Opinion, they
so often reflect your own. On
Chanukah, we quote the words
of Zachariah: “Not by might,
and not by power, but by spirit
alone, will we all live in peace.”
Amen.
16 TO 26 OCTOBER 2022
6:00pm December 11
25