The French Revolution, despite its flaws, changed the world. Democracy opened a world of possibilities in the realm of governance and opened the door to equality for the citizenry.
All of these ideas were being celebrated in Nice when the murderer came in his white truck. The violent destruction of more than 80 innocent lives were collateral damage to the assailant. The real target of the barbarians of ISIS and Bocu Haram and Al Qaeda continues to be Western Civilization.
While there will be long discussions of security in the wake of this act of evil in Nice, the most important response is to continue to live our values. Those who counsel actions that would deprive the Muslim community of their constitutional rights should be shunned. The perpetrators and their handlers in ISIS are hoping that Muslims will be ostracized in the Western World. The only thing that this will accomplish is to create more disaffected people. Security measures must continue to be improved but the best way to honor the dead is to ensure that our freedoms continue to be protected.
I have been spending the day in Tel Aviv continuing our Rabbinic education tour. We met with an Israeli Arab who spoke of his love for his country, his educational work with Israeli and Arab children. We also met with two representatives of the LGBT community. In both areas Israel has a way to go, but there is a path forward. There is a legal system to be employed and a continuing battle for hearts and minds. A recent poll of Israelis shows they more than 70% of the country is open to same sex marriage. Israel continues to change and evolve. Compared to the growing intolerance of other countries in this region I am grateful for a bit of light on a very dark day. Vive liberté, egalité fraternite!
Please take these words of Abraham Joshua Heschel into Shabbat and afterwards share them with someone else:
"An individual dies when they cease to be surprised. I am surprised every morning that I see the sunshine again. When I see an act of evil, I'm not accommodated. I don't accommodate myself to the violence that goes on everywhere; I'm still surprised. That's why I'm against it, why I can hope against it. We must learn how to be surprised. Not to adjust ourselves." - Abraham Joshua Heschel
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