What Should Our Response Be

We are now in the three week period prior to Tisha B’Av.  It is known for its sad nature historically.  In our own times, we can note several tragedies that have befallen the Jewish world within recent memory.  This week the internet was ablaze with stories about remembering the Israeli victims of the massacre at the 1972 Munich Olympics.   Wednesday was the anniversary of the 1994 bombing of the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires that left 100 dead and wounded 250.  It was also the day that we watched scenes of the suicide bomb attack on the bus carrying Israeli tourists in Bulgaria.  It appears that there is no end to the sadness that continues to befall us.

Each of these events reminds me that we have survived generations of those whose actions have been fueled by their hatred of us.  Part of our outlook on life is colored by these events that remind us that it really doesn’t matter where we live, how we observe, or what the variations in our personal beliefs are when it comes to evil that rears its ugly head against us.

How can we respond other than becoming overcome by fear or hatred ourselves?  We must remain true to the core values of Judaism.  We need to remain united to other Jews, cognizant of the fact that good people exist throughout the world, and take steps to ensure that evil not be allowed to take hold. 

Albert Einstein wrote, “The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.”  What can we do if we know that our lack of response is likely to make the world more dangerous?

What have we learned from our experience of either witnessing or learning about the Holocaust?  How can we react to combat evil?  This is a conversation that we should be having within our Jewish communities, individual synagogues, and families.  Where can we put our efforts that will have the best results in combating hatred?  What are the organizations already dedicated to this cause that we should be supporting individually and as a Jewish community?  I can think of two, the ADL and AIPAC…I am interested in hearing your ideas on this subject, however.