Controversial rabbi for human rights group makes his case in Providence
Reprinted from the Jewish Voice & Herald, December 12, 2003
By Jonathan Rubin

Although the mission of the group Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR) is to advance  economic justice for all Israelis, it is their work aiding Palestinians that earns them headlines and controversy. The group of more than 100 rabbis focuses solely on events in Israel;  most of its funding is from its North American affiliates.

Rabbi Arik Ascherman, former executive director of RHR, spoke Monday at Brown University on a national fundraising tour. He said he's been called  "a voice of conscience" of Israelis; he's also been called "traitor," and has had his share of death threats.

The visit by the Reform rabbi, which was supported by six rabbis from Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, including Temple Beth El and Temple Emanu-El, both in Providence; Temple Habonim in Barrington and Congregation Agudas Achim in Attleboro, seemed ripe for controversy.

One rabbi, who asked not to be named, said that a member of his community stopped by unannounced last week and loudly berated him for inviting the organization. However, the gathering of more than 100 at Brown occurred largely without incident.

While the event was sponsored by Brown Hillel and Tikkun (a student Jewish-Muslim dialogue organization), most of those who attended were not students, but members of the community.

The RHR group started when the second intifada broke out in 2001 when a plethora of "peace-related" groups emerged. "A rabbinic response was needed," he said, to what was happening to the Palestinians. He said rabbis were "only speaking about Shabbat  and kasruth" and were silent on "burning moral issues."

Ascherman spoke for hours, with an intensity that had him sweating and occasionally shouting. He had a laundry list of what he felt were Israeli human rights abuses against the Palestinians, including uprooting olive trees in non-combat areas,  water bans, and a "catch 22" Palestinian housing situation, where building permits are not granted even to the most law-abiding Arabs, and any houses that are built are demolished.

Ascherman has stood before bulldozers and has been beaten by both Jews and Arabs during his travels in the territories, and says when it comes to injustices in Israel, "you need to see it to believe it."

As a rabbi, he feels that Judaism has a strong foundation in social action, and quoted from Deuteronomy: "Tzedek, tzedek tirdof" - "justice, justice ye shall pursue," along with the belief in loving thy neighbor and that all human beings are created "bezellem elohim" - in the image of God. While acknowledging that Judaism is not a pacifistic religion and does believe in self-defense, he said that the Talmud requires Jews to take any other action possible before resorting to force, and that failure to do so is no less than murder.

He asserted that "Palestinian violence is wrong," but also felt that it was his duty to focus on "getting his house in order" first. Israeli transgressions, while terrible and often the results of bad policy, are "not analogous to suicide bombers," as one member of the audience asserted. However, "the occupation as occupation is a human rights issue," he maintained.

He cited a sort of "extreme nationalism" that is being taught in the Jewish religious community, and said this vocal minority makes secular Jews and gentiles think that this is all there is to Judaism.

Ascherman said the group intends to build a case for "progressive Judaism" by "introducing into peoples' intellectual universe an equally authentic, equally Jewish, equally text-based humanistic view of Judaism."

He's sure there's an audience for this type of message - he cited the recent National Jewish Population Survey that declared social justice was the most sought-after Jewish identity-building activity in the American Jewish community.

David Good, a congregational minister in Connecticut, noted the "prophetic role" that Ascherman played in declaring that Jews need to be a "light among the nations" and mend bridges with the Palestinians. Good has recently returned from Israel on an interfaith mission, and he said that he "absolutely" believes in a lasting peace.
One of the key organizers of the event, Judith Kaye, of Providence, has already created  the R.I. Arab-Jewish Dialogue Group, and hoped the discussion would "broaden the picture and discussion in Providence beyond the ‘party line.'"
"We're opening up a conversation...  and creating an opportunity for more like-minded people to see we're here," she said.

How do Rhode Island rabbis weigh in?

Rabbi Richard Kirschen, executive director at Brown, said "a lot of students were interested," in hearing RHR speak, and he was impressed with the presentation.
"Uncomfortable questions should come from legitimacy," he said.

Rabbi Elyse Wechterman, of Agudas Achim, helped Kaye in setting up the program.
She commented that some people have the viewpoint that the Jewish people are "a half-step away from annhiliation... that America is going to withdraw funding and Israel will cease to exist. I don't believe that."

"Israel is not in military danger, but in danger of losing its soul."