A call-to-action letter has been released with more than 1,000 rabbi signatures, expressing what its authors call "a grave moral crisis" facing the Jewish people.
While strongly supporting Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas and Hezbollah, and demanding the immediate release of all hostages, the rabbis also condemn what they describe as the mass killing of civilians and the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
Shayndel Kahn, rabbinic chaplain for Jewish Family and Children’s Services in Sarasota, admits that adding her name wasn’t easy. "I never know what to sign," she said. "I get nervous about putting my name out there... but this particular letter resonated, and so I felt strongly about it."
She shares her worries about Hamas influencing public opinion.
"They've put out this narrative that Jews are terrible. We have to kill all the Jews, and everybody's siding with Hamas."
At the same time, she feels guided by a higher power. "As a rabbi, how can we let starving children happen? Helping Gazan children doesn't mean we're not for Israel."
Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer, of Bat Yam Temple of the Islands in Sanibel, wrestled with whether the letter would have an impact.
"If it's not going to do anything, if it has no real effect, then what's the point?" he said.
But he concluded that saying nothing wasn't an option.
"Silence is complicity," he shared. "I will call out anybody who acts contrary to Jewish and humanitarian principles, regardless of whether they're an Israeli official, an American official or a private entity. The voice of conscience should not be silenced."
For Rabbi Mark Weiner of Boca Raton and a former president of the Florida Jewish Democrats, the decision ultimately came down to faith: "I believe, as a religious man, very deeply, that God wants me to take this kind of position, and I feel commanded by God, in fact, to take this position."
While affirming his strong love for Israel, Weiner couldn't support the current government's approach.
" He sees a different path: "I despise this government and so many of the things it stands for. The ideal ending would be a cessation of hostilities, the return of the hostages, and a government for the Palestinian people that would pursue peaceful coexistence with Israel."
The letter ends by calling for an end to settler violence, an end to hostilities, and an end to holding the hostages. Weiner adds, "We are a people wedded to hope, and hope is central to the Jewish view of the world and of history, and so I have to be hopeful."
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.