Since the first of several “Listening Circles” following the October 7th Hamas attack, Israel’s massive reaction, and subsequent expansions of hostilities, the responses of individuals and groups at AARC have been evolving and moving toward action.
After the October 7th attack, and later as the scale of Israel’s retaliation became clearer, six AARC members met to plan Listening Circles to “facilitate conversations about our pain, sense of disbelief, helplessness, anger, betrayal, and fear that conflict in our own congregation could split us apart,” according to Claudia Kraus Piper, one of the planners. The goal was to “speak about our anguish and to deeply listen to each other without trying to change minds or counter each other,” she added. “I see this as a really important foundation of AARC’s response.” Four well-attended Circles were held from 2023 to 2025.
“As part of the Listening Circle planning group,” said Idelle Hammond-Sass, “we knew and hoped there would be a move toward more action.”
One example of this move toward action is an ad hoc group whose members feel strongly about human rights in Israel/Palestine. It has met monthly since April for Shabbat dinners, and most recently, for lunch after Rosh Hashanah services. “Many of us have had seders in the last few years that focused on these issues,” said Deb Kraus. This group grew out of “having a few like-minded people over this year to break Passover and talk more generally about, Where do we go from here?” The gatherings have provided a safe space for those who felt their views were not always welcome in the Jewish community. The attendees represented a range of views on Israel/Palestine. Rather than planning joint actions, the group has chosen to support individual and small group efforts.
Within our congregation, the move toward action has also involved educational programs as well as various levels of activism, including calls for the congregation to sign petitions, such as those advocating a ceasefire. The Board’s decision not to take public stands has frustrated some members.
Addressing this, Chair Dave Nelson said, “As a Board, it’s not our role to sign onto political statements. It’d be presumptuous for the seven of us to give the impression we speak for 90-plus families with a multitude of perspectives.”
“The Board is here to take care of all the day-to-day tasks needed to support the community so that all our members have access to the vital wellspring of energy that drives them toward right action,” he added. “We see how this energy is helping foster so much activity in the congregation and beyond, and we’re pleased to know we’re playing even a small role in supporting that.”
The recent Yom Kippur workshop called “Scared Into Silence,” designed by Deb Kraus, Manya Arond-Thomas, and Deborah Fisch, looked at how fear gets in the way of being at-one within ourselves and with others. Participants first looked at this from a personal point of view, and this was followed by a group dialogue exploring how fear has impacted the ability or inability to speak about Israel/Palestine within the congregation.
Rabbi Gabrielle welcomed the Yom Kippur afternoon workshop. In fact, her Yom Kippur sermon acknowledged the horror and disproportionate suffering of the Palestinians, while also asking us to see the current conflict from the wider perspective of two traumatized peoples with a long history. And she asked congregants to make room for the range of views within our community.
“At the opening of the most recent Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association conference, it was suggested that rabbis need to be a ‘moral compass’ for their congregations,” she said, “but I want our members to find their own moral compass and to act individually and collectively in ways that call to them.”
Some of our members’ upcoming actions include:
- AARC will present three programs open to the public this fall in a series called “New Perspectives, Timely Conversations.” Some will touch on Israel/Palestine issues. The programs are being organized by Sarai Brachman Shoup and Debbie Field. According to the flyer, the series “aims to provide fresh perspectives and raise new questions that will allow the community to think differently about Jewish identity.” Most sessions will consist of interview-style conversations with scholars, journalists, and educators about their work.
The first session is Sunday, October 11, 12:00pm–1:30pm and will feature Dr. Elliott Ratzman, a research fellow at U-M’s Raoul Wallenberg Institute and an experienced organizer and activist. The title is “Zipporah’s Sacrifice: Jewish Ethics and Race.” Dr. Ratzman will use the biblical story of Zipporah as a jumping off point to think about how we as Jews interact with the “others” whom we live among. To attend, email Sarai at sbshoup@gmail.com for the link to RSVP.
- Manya Arond-Thomas will be traveling to Israel/Palestine in mid-October on “The Future is Peace Tour” (with Mejdi Tours), which focuses on Israeli and Palestinian peace groups promoting dialogue and understanding between different communities in the region. The travel agency owners, Maoz Inon and Aziz Abu Sarah, an Israeli Jew and Palestinian, are authors of the book The Future is Peace. Manya plans to make presentations about her experiences after her return.
- Several AARC members who have Israeli citizenship will be flying to Israel to vote in the elections scheduled for October 27 in hopes of helping unseat Benjamin Netanyahu and his ruling coalition.
- Sunday Schmooze – The MI Senate Campaigns: We Have Questions!
Abdul El-Sayed’s candidacy for the US Senate has Jews talking. Some are working to bolster support for him in our community, as his election is seen as key to Democrats taking control of the Senate. Others have concerns around his positions on Israel. A few members of the AARC and the Jewish Cultural Society, with support from Michigan Jews for Democracy, are organizing a program to help attendees process their decisions about how to vote in this election. Asked about the program, Dave Nelson said, “This sounds fantastic. It’s precisely the sort of thing we’d like to foster.” The program will be held on Sunday, October 18, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at the Jewish Community Center. Bagels & coffee provided. Questions? Contact Kira Berman at kira.berman@gmail.com. You can Register here!
Watch for information about all these and other activities that feature AARC members’ engagement with Israel/Palestine issues in the weekly Tuesday Telegraph and on Reconchat.
