Life during the intifada

CYNTHIA RAMSAY SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN

Peace in the Middle East is possible. That was the ultimate message delivered by former Beth Hamid-rash Rabbi Yosef Benarroch at a gala fund-raiser for the synagogue last week.

Almost 160 people attended the event, titled A Festive Sephardic Evening with Yosef Benarroch, at Schara Tzedeck Feb. 25. The evening, which included a silent auction and several door prizes, was held to raise money to allow Congregation Beth Hamidrash to finish its new building.

"Our rabbis teach us that gemilut chasadim, extending a helping hand, is superior to tzedakah, to charity, because gemilut chasadim ... is basically help in any possible way," explained Rabbi Ilan Acoca, current spiritual leader of Beth Hamidrash. "It's not just giving money and saying, 'done.' It's more than that. It's supporting someone morally and, I must say, that tonight, all of you are performing tzedakah ... but at the same time, it's gemilut chasadim.... You are showing us that we are part of the community and that it's important for you to be here and to support us."

This idea of community and unity was echoed in Benarroch's keynote speech. The rabbi and his family made aliyah more than three years ago and now live in Efrat. He described his family's first year in Israel as "great." But, for the last two and a half years, he said, "the reality has been very, very, very harsh."

Benarroch, who is the director of the Sephardic Education Centre in Jerusalem, said that there is not a single day that goes by without terrorists being caught. He also described a recent incident in which his car was pelted with "stones the size of softballs" thrown by three Palestinian youths.

"The truth of the matter is that when I speak to you today, I speak to you out of pain ... the pain of seeing what could have been and what is," he said. "The pain of dreaming, like so many Israelis did, not more than two and a half years ago [that there could be peace], and waking up to realize that we're right in the middle of nothing less than a nightmare."

In a heartfelt address, Benarroch shared with the audience many personal stories of his experiences in Israel, as well as four lessons that he has learned.

"Lesson No. 1 is about Jewish unity, the importance today, more than ever before, of the Jewish people being united," said Benarroch. "What happens to us in Israel affects all of you and whatever happens over here affects all of us in Israel. And if we don't stick together ... we're in very big trouble."

As his second point, Benarroch emphasized that we have to believe in our cause – no matter what world opinion may be, "it doesn't mean that our cause is wrong."

Lesson No. 3, Benarroch said, "is that peace is not dependent on any concessions made by the state of Israel." He said that Yasser Arafat has to be replaced with leadership that will "prepare a new generation of Palestinians for peace, for democracy, for compromise and to accept the reality that the state of Israel is there to stay."

Benarroch ended his talk with a positive lesson.

"No matter what we hear in the news and no matter how bleak we think the situation is, we should all realize that we are the luckiest Jews to be living in the last 2,000 years," he said, pointing to the miracle of the state of Israel and the fact that some of the mightiest civilizations have tried to conquer Israel, but failed.

"Jewish history is one unbelievable journey and we are all testaments to that," he said.

"Every single one of us has the opportunity and the ability to support our fellow Jews and especially the state of Israel, and that's our duty right now," said Benarroch. "I believe that one day there will be peace. I really do," he concluded, but each of us has to do our part to bring it about.

The gala was emceed by Fred Tischler and Elizabeth Nicholls chaired the organizing committee.

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