CEO at the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, NJ. Frustrated wannabe artist. Working on a graphic novel (it's not very good). Oh, and supporting Jewish NJ.
Trigger warning. This is hard to read.
Today I visited the massacre sites.
Be’eri and Nova
I didn’t take video in Kibbutz Be’eri. I was uncomfortable with photos anyway, because there’s something about disaster tourism that doesn’t sit right.
1/12
Warning: extremely difficult text to read below.
Last night I surrendered my phone and signed a waiver. And then I sat with a small group and an Israeli military attaché and we watched the 45 minute compilation of Hamas videos from October 7th.
1/12
1. The joy, the gleeful laughter, the depraved happiness over killing Jews.
The exclamations of celebration over death and pain.
The callousness, inhuman pleasure and amusement over slaughtering innocent lives.
The shameless brutality.
These are monsters.
5/
3. The Gazan ‘innocent civilians’ who came over the border in the 3rd wave that morning, to loot, rape, kill, & capture bodies, live & dead, for Hamas rewards.
The joy of the ‘innocent civilians’ who rejoiced in the streets as hostages & bodies were paraded in the streets.
7/
The cheering.
The spitting and kicking and beating.
The hate.
The cruelty.
The social acceptance of kidnapping and killing Jews in Palestinian society.
8/
They can never be reclaimed. They can never be forgiven.
2. The systemized, organized, methodical approach to killing. Go back and shoot this person in the head. Make sure those girls are dead. The organization of mass killing.
6/
I’m trying to keep busy today.
I’ll meet with a therapist shortly. I’m still trying to process everything that I saw. It’s not something that you can analyze easily.
There are images seared into my brain that haunt me now.
9/
The two boys seeing their father killed, watching as a terrorist takes a bottle of coke out of their fridge.
The tortured and raped young girl with her underwear around her ankles, joints bent backwards.
The girls screaming.
The terror.
10/
It’s the same compilation that was shown yesterday in the USSenate, & two days ago to Congress.
It won’t be shown widely, out of respect for the dignity of the murdered & their families.
But I was asked to share my impressions and I’ll try to live up to that obligation
2/
The Hamas terrorists deliberately used GoPros and mobile phones.
They wanted their crimes recorded, to continue to terrorize.
Here are my initial thoughts:
4/
Truthfully, I did not want to be asked to come. But I also knew that if I were asked, I would have to go. To bear witness.
We saw the killings of 138 innocent civilians. That’s about a tenth of the total of killings, as well as the rapes, injuries, and looting.
3/
The burned bodies, wrists tied behind their backs.
Mutilated corpses.
The first responder trying to find live bodies and realizing that everyone, everyone around him was killed.
11/
“The woman in the Hamas video is my daughter: There are 17 young women still in captivity in Gaza. They range in age from 18 to 26. I think of what they & my Naama, could be subjected to at every moment of the day. Each minute is an eternity in hell.”
A short thread on American Jews and Israel and where I’m feeling …
For years now I’ve marched with
#BlackLivesMatter
&
#metoo
I’ve stood for DEI & equity and safe spaces. For interfaith and communal dialogue. For economic justice and social development.
For community
1/6
So I’m done.
I still believe in my core values. But I no longer believe in you and your lack of integrity.
Your inhumanity.
Your arrogance and lack of compassion and shamelessness.
Don’t come back to me.
6/6
Let's make sure ...
That when a Palestinian state is established, the Minister of Health isn't the one who raped this woman.
That the Minister of Education isn't the one who kidnapped American & Israeli children, left them in the dark for 40 days, gave handfuls of rice ...
1/
Suddenly Jews Don’t Matter.
Suddenly it’s
#MeToo_UNless_UR_a_Jew
Suddenly Jewish pain is seen as false, or meaningless.
Awful organizations like
@UNICEF
run away from caring about kidnapped and raped Jewish children.
3/
Universities and colleges who no longer bother to protect Jewish students.
Who allow terror-supporting haters to scream bloodthirsty death wishes at Jewish students.
You have lost me.
5/
@ICRC
and
@WHO
cover up lying medical staff who knew exactly what was happening in Shifa and other hospitals.
Who saw the terrorists come in and out of the building.
Who saw hostages, screaming and struggling, brought in to hospitals.
4/
These past six weeks since the
#hamasattack
have been revelatory.
I haven’t changed my views. Not at all.
But suddenly the hypocrisy and selective caring are all too blatant.
2/
A thread. On the video and responses …
It wasn’t my video.
I didn’t make it.
I don’t have a copy of it.
I don’t get to circulate it.
I’m not asking the families for permission to share it.
1/11
These two,
@DouglasKMurray
& Debra Messing, have been beacons of light and inspiration these past two months. I’m deeply impressed by their dedication, grateful for their values, and encouraged by their decency.
London jewelers told the local Jewish newspaper that sales of Star of David jewelry has increased in some cases by more than 400 percent.
A New York-based jeweler says demand for her Judaica rings and necklaces has soared sixfold.
1/4
We’re deeply shocked and offended by the vile racist and hate-filled graffiti that was found on the wall of Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School.
Our Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ has reached out to the...
I probably blocked/ reported you because you were cruel, a Jew-hater, a whataboutist, or just a troll.
I don’t engage with any of those people anymore.
I originally thought I should answer them back but I’ve learned that arguing with trolls & haters isn’t productive.
11/11
Palestinian terrorists recording a video on October 7th with a kidnapped Israeli boy they are holding hostage in Gaza, letting young local Palestinian kids abuse him.
Palestinian terrorists recording a video with a kidnapped Israeli boy they are holding hostage in Gaza, letting young local Palestinian kids abuse him.
To keep the conflicting going, they wan't spread the hatred to the next generation.
Or blamed the victims ...
Every rapist, murderer, torturer, kidnapper, abuser needs to be brought to justice.
Every hostage must be freed.
Israel and Gaza must be liberated from Hamas.
It's at times like this when you realize how much we depend on each other.
How much we need each other.
We're approaching the weekend, Shabbat if you're Jewish.
May you only have rest this weekend.
May it be peaceful, quiet, and filled with love.
#ShabbatShalom
Seeing the video means seeing the worst things in the world, happening to real people.
I’ve cried many times since I saw it.
Watching the compilation video means that you bear witness, not that you need to enjoy cheap voyeurism.
The families of the victims deserve dignity.
3/
A unanimous vote.
Except for one rape-apologist massacre-denying shameless Hamas excuser.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously, 418-0, to condemn Hamas terrorists for rape and sexual violence on Oct. 7.
1/2
A ceasefire now would leave tens of thousands of rapists, killers, torturers & kidnappers free to continue their attacks, & leave raped and tortured hostages at their mercy.
No sane civilization would cease while those who continually pledge to destroy it continue to fire.
5/
When the Allies fought the Nazis, they didn’t cease fire to relieve the German civilian suffering.
They knew that the future of the civilized world depended on prosecuting the war until evil was completely stamped out.
Would more innocent civilians be harmed? Yes.
6/
One of the hostage family members, Yossi Schneider, uncle of the beautiful Bibas family, just said live on Israel Channel 12 that Hamas' list is like Schindler's List. Who will live, who will be seen.
He's completely right.
This is cruel, evil, inhuman manipulation.
Sleep tight, little princess. ❤️Yaheli Shoham smiles as she drifts off to sleep, reunited with her teddy from home.
There is a bitter fight ahead to bring home her father and all the hostages but this is a moment of joy. She is finally safe and free. The tears just keep coming.
In Jewish tradition, seven is the perfect number.
Seven represents the week of Creation, the seven Noachide Laws for all, the seven colors of the rainbow, the seven species and so much more.
But tonight is the eighth night.
And eight is different.
1/5
Number of Palestinian dead: 25,000, including male terrorists?
Number of US dead:
750,000 US Civil War
250,000 WW2
110,000 WW1
58,000 Vietnam
25,000 Revolutionary War
1: Minutes to google this
2: Minutes to double check
0: Credibility of terrorist-apologizer
And, truly, Israel could publish all the explicit videos and confessions and more, and not one of the massacre-deniers, whataboutists, and trolls would change their minds or hearts.
Those who believe that women should be believed, but not Jewish women.
8/
Israel is fighting a real war.
People are getting killed and that’s terrible.
And it’s Hamas’ fault.
This war will take a lot of time. It won’t be over in days or weeks. It will take a lot longer.
You don’t rush quickly into mined and booby-trapped tunnels.
4/
I was in a dark place earlier today. The haters, the trolls, the task. It all seemed like a lot. I felt down, and heavy, and overwhelmed.
And this evening I met with four incredible Israelis, survivors of the October 7th massacre at our JCC MetroWest.
Hila
Shani
Ofir
Rony
1/3
That the Finance Minister of the new Palestinian State isn't the one who cut off the breast of a pregnant woman, cut out her baby from her womb, and then smacked her across the face as she lay dying ...
Or denied it ...
Or laughed about it ...
Or excused it ...
3/
That the Minister of Defense isn't the one who tortured women on October 7th, filming his exploits on Telegram for all to see...
That the Foreign Affairs Minister isn't the one who tried to decapitate people with a shovel, or shot young women in the head ...
2/
Were there innocent German civilians mingled among the guilty? Yes.
It was terrible.
And it was war.
Israel doesn’t need to “release the videos” to satisfy your verification claims. There are enough Hamas-posted videos out there to satisfy you.
7/
I’ve tried to block many of the haters, so I apologize if I haven’t gotten to you yet.
I probably didn’t block or report you if you said that you stand for Palestine or its people; we can and must find a way to work together.
10/
Those who say that raped Jewish kids “deserved it” because they’re white, or colonizers, or Zionists.
Or whatever.
This isn’t about evidence for them, it’s about hating Jews or twosideisms or shabby trolling arguments.
9/
13 kidnapped children & parents were released today after 50 days making their way to hospitals in Israel.
The convoy just passed the entrance to Ofakim greeted with warm welcomes and love. 🇮🇱
Many more hostages to be released. We won’t rest until every single one is home.
Tell me how killing a 79 year old woman liberates Palestine.
Show me what possible benefit liberation would have from injuring seven children in a stab-and-ramming attack.
1/2
On the seventh night of Chanukah, in Sephardic communities, we celebrate Jewish women: חג הבנות, literally the Festival of the Daughters.
We celebrate Judith, and all those women who fight, who stand up, who inspire us and challenge us.
1/3
I was totally impressed to see hundreds of demonstrators this weekend at the Livingston Oval in support of the 3 million killed in the ongoing Second Congo War.
Standing up for the fight against mass rapes, plunder, and organized killing, these proud demonstrators …
1/1
We are dismayed by, and unaccepting of, recent comments by the President of the United States on Jews. Calling American Jews disloyal for voting for Democrats is offensive and anti-Semitic.
@NicholasARider
If you’re even moderately competent online you can find the worst of these videos in about three minutes.
I’ll never post them.
Several weeks later and I still have nightmares.
Many people are wondering about what’s happening on U.S. campuses.
While I can’t speak about all other college campuses, I can definitely give you an insider’s view about
@Columbia
University.
(this thread may be a bit long, but trust me: it's worth it)
#Chagsameach
, a peaceful, healthy & restful Chanukah for us all.
May the hostages be released, may the wounded and suffering find comfort throughout the land.
And may we all see peace.
5/5
It’s hard to take seriously a statement about a kidnapped child, a citizen of your own country, when you refuse to even name those doing the kidnapping.
This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family. An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered.
Would a ceasefire lead to the return of 132 Israeli hostages, 8 of them dual American citizens, cruelly kidnapped from their homes?
Would Hamas stop firing rockets at Israeli population centers, a war crime, as they’ve done repeatedly for last 15 years?
1/3
Dear community members,
At approximately 3 a.m. this morning, an unknown individual wearing a ski mask ignited and threw a hand-thrown incendiary weapon “Molotov cocktail” at the front door of a Greater MetroWest
#NewJersey
community synagogue.
Because tonight is the 6th night, one-less than holy. Traditionally, 7 signifies kedusha, holiness, in Jewish life. 6 means there's a gap, and it's on you to find that missing piece.
To step up.
To be the living bridge to holiness.
We can find it together.
#Chagsameach
3/3
Tonight we light for the fifth day of Chanukah, which is a special night - the only day of Chanukah that can’t fall on Shabbat, no matter which day Shabbat begins.
The only night whose light can’t add to the light of the Shabbat candles.
1/3
Q: Did you see evidence Shifa hospital is used as a military HQ?
@WHO
: Our focus when we went to Shifa Hospital was on patients, our focus was on doctors, so that's we focused on. We only saw civilians. And that's all we were focused on. So that was our focus, that's all we saw.
As
@Twitter
lets Ye back in … this is happening NOW in Jacksonville at Georgia v Florida college football game. (Text says “Kanye was right about the Jews”). Students should be able to go to games without experiencing
#hate
And we talked, with several hundred people who came out to share their love and solidarity and support.
For Israel.
For community.
And that brought me back.
2/3
I'm really proud to see this. And I give credit to
@RutgersU
& its President for taking this step. It's the right thing to do.
Students for Justice in Palestine suspended.
1/2
With one vote “present:” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Hamas).
Shameful. Disgusting. Inexcusable.
There is no justification for this. No “both sidesism” nonsense.
None whatsoever.
1/2
Exactly 100 days after October 7th, Hamas released a video showing three of the Israeli hostages, Noa Argamani, 26, Yossi Sharabi, 53, Itai Svirsky, 38.
The video was the first sign of life for all three hostages.
The kidnappers say their fate will be revealed on Monday.
1/2
I met Ron’s mom Maayan and brother last month with our clergy mission from our Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ. We promised to remember him and advocate for his release, along with the release of all the remaining hostages.
This is an awful evil thing.
2/5
My art project. I’ve been working on a graphic novel set in
#Jerusalem
500 years in the future, after an earthquake. It’s not very good. But I’ve enjoyed the process of learning about sketching, storyboarding, inking, & more. This is the first time I’m actually sharing it online.
We're watching the developments at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville with concern.
We pray for the hostages inside the building, and note with gratitude the role of law enforcement in keeping the Jewish community safe.
And like the Maccabees fighting the Greeks, we draw on a strength that goes above and beyond nature.
A strength that relies on faith and community. Something we keep thinking about these past two months.
Eight is a test.
3/5