Jewish Georgia with the American Joint Distribution Committee

 Why I'm Here

The American Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is one of the most impactful international organizations on global Jewish life and continuity. JDC operates in over 70 countries, and they save and support lives each and every day. Each Jewish community has its needs and desires. Some need more help than others. I have the privilege to work at a Jewish organization that works really hard to support the local Charlotte Jewish community and global Jewry in building connections and deepening relationships. My job title at Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte (JFGC) is Israel & Global Jewry Associate. Building connections with the citizens of Israel is clear and obvious simply given that it possesses the largest Jewish community in the world. But global Jewry requires a different level of sensitivity, one of which I have a deep personal connection with. The two largest Jewish communities are in Israel and the United States. I owe both countries for the many gifts and experiences they have provided me. But my roots are in small, diasporic Jewish communities. My father is from South Africa and my mother is from Liechtenstein (I believe my family is over 50% of the Jewish population of that tiny country). It also cannot go unacknowledged that the Charlotte Jewish community is also small in comparison to other cities in the US. As such, through my work, I applied for a JDC Entwine trip to see the incredible work that JDC does abroad. The trip I was accepted on to be one of 25 young professionals was Georgia. 

Not Your Mama's Georgia

After spending 22 hours on three different flights, I finally landed in Tbilisi (without my baggage, but it's fine). Georgia is nestled in the Caucuses region bordering Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Russia. Tbilisi, the capital city, gets its name from the Georgian word "tpili" meaning warm. This is due to the city's sulfur hot springs (highly recommend a sulfur bath). Despite what some may imagine, Tbilisi is one of the safest cities in Europe. Certainly, safer than other major European cities that I won't name who get millions of tourists. While I wouldn't recommend travelers to rent a car here, it is very safe to walk around and experience the sites and history of this old city. 

Jewish Tbilisi

According to legend, but certainly in the realm of possibility, Jews first arrived in Georgia in 500 BCE after the Babylonians expelled the Jews from the Land of Israel. The Jews set up communities in Tbilisi and other cities around the country and have been a part of Georgian life ever since. Fast forward, at one point, the community was as high as 80,000 Jews. With the fall of the Soviet Union and the disastrous economic collapse that Georgia experienced, many Jews left the country for Israel or elsewhere. Estimates today range between 3,000 and 10,000 Jews across the country. While the Jews certainly experienced intense and cruel antisemitism from the Tsarists and the Soviets, antisemitism is noticeably absent in Georgian life. My answer may be incomplete but here is what I gained from conversation with locals and walking around Tbilisi. Georgia is incredibly diverse. It is common for Georgians, Armenians, Jews, Turks, Christian Orthodox, Muslims, etc to live in very close quarters. According to locals, it is common for people to share food and stories from their traditions while maintaining their distinct identities (though assimilation is not irrelevant). The other reason I have been given is that the Jews of Georgia, while loyal to their country and having a deep history here, are considered to be guests. Jews are not involved in political leadership in this country, and it seems that Jewish leadership focuses more on supporting the local community than political engagement. 

In Tbilisi, I had the privilege to visit modern Jewish institutions in Tbilisi. I visited the Jewish Community Center which provides space and programming for the community. We learned about the Hesed Welfare Center which was established by JDC in the 1990's to support elderly and disabled Jews. The Center provides home care services and all types of assistance to those in need. As we know, human beings require social interaction other mental health can deteriorate and so Hesed provides that kind of support. We went to a home visit. Much struck me. The outside of the building looked like the stereotypical Soviet-style apartment-bloc building. After going up 7 flights of stairs, we visited an incredibly kind elderly woman. I have to say that she had made a beautifully decorated and comfortable apartment and through a translator, we got to learn her story. For the sake of privacy, I must stop there. 

Gori

From Tbilisi, we went to the town of Gori. Gori's claim to fame is it being the birthplace of Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili, known to us as Joseph Stalin. Gori is also home to small but sizeable Jewish community, and they are supported by the JDC. Gori has a small synagogue that was built in 1936 and is still in operation to this day. There is also a matzah bakery and a mikvah as well as a Hesed Center. What I particularly admired about Gori's Hesed was its support for youth in providing after-school programming that gives skills and arts. We got to see a performance and it was quite enjoyable. 

Akhaltsikhe 

Located in the southwest of Georgia and just 20 kilometers from Turkey (sadly couldn't make a quick visit), Akhaltsikhe is home to medieval fortresses and castles. The Rabati castle was built in the 9th century and was recently renovated. 

Akhaltsikhe is also home to a synagogue that was built in 1902 by Georgian Jews. The challenge is that the city has only one Jew. A young 21 year old Jew who is stuck taking care of his family synagogue. His family has been in the city for many years but Tsarist and Stalinist antisemitism as well as the post-Soviet economic collapse caused many Jews to leave. And now, there is only one. He takes care of the remaining Jewish institutional buildings and only has services on high holidays thanks to tourists. 

Good Shabbos and Shabbat Shalom

No Jewish international experience is complete without a local Shabbat experience. Fortunately, we were invited to a Chabad Shabbaton at their local kosher restaurant called Mendi's. We shared the experience with several Israeli tourists. The experience was filled with Hebrew, delicious food, whiskey, and song. Chabad of Tbilisi was very hospitable and put on a great Shabbat show. It is amazing how just about wherever you go in the world, you can find a welcoming Chabad community to provide you a meaningful spiritual experience. 

Many Jews in Georgia also know Hebrew quite well. While I am far from fluent, I can manage a conversation. I don't know any Georgian and there was something special about a Jew from the US and a Jew from Georgia communicating in Hebrew. That even though we both live in Diaspora and don't know the other's language, we can connect and communicate in our ancestral language. It felt as if doors otherwise closed were opened up and cross-global connections could be forged. 

Takeaways from Georgia

Georgia is a beautiful and struggling country. It has incredible scenery and amazing hospitality. Not only are the people here incredibly friendly but they overfeed you with delicious food. The wine is out of this world. The Jewish community struggles here alongside the larger community. They face similar challenges that other communities face. The 2,500 year old Jewish Georgian history serves as a lesson in resilience, providing support for one's community, and how people of different cultures and live together and share each other's traditions and cuisine. But we can also wrestle with factors that may not apply to us. The Georgian Jewish community may be viewed as guests but that is not the situation for many other Jewish communities. It is worth asking if the "guest" approach in which you live in a society but not participate with it proper inclusion. But if other Jews in Diaspora apply this model and antisemitism were to dramatically decrease, is it worth that cost? I don't have an answer. It doesn't solve assimilation and it hasn't kept the majority of Jews born in Georgia to stay in Georgia. Nevertheless, the Georgian Jews share a fascinating culture and tradition which they carry with them whether they be in Georgia, Israel, or elsewhere. 

The JDC does remarkable work and their unique community-model approach enables them to serve the local communities based on the needs that they express for themselves. The work they do saves lives and makes a difference for many people - people we may never know. It has been a privilege to see the work they do so far from home but that we all can connect and support. 

My deep gratitude goes to the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte and American Joint Distribution Committee for supporting me on this journey to learn firsthand about Global Jewry, Georgian Jewry, and the incredible unsung work that JDC does. 

Kol HaKavod. 

Tisha B'Av in Jerusalem - To See a Prophecy

Jerusalem has a holy reputation. It is known for its holy sites, fascinating history, and religious passions. Jerusalem has possession of holy sites for all three monotheistic traditions. It has some of the most beautiful churches and monuments of Christendom. It is the site of al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock, the third holiest site for Islam. For Judaism, Jerusalem is the holiest city of them all. The importance of this city to the Jewish people is emphasized by over 600 mentions in the Hebrew Bible and the several prayers reminding us of the deep Jewish longing for return. As a part of the Jewish people, I feel that powerful connection to Jerusalem. Every time I have the privilege to go to Jerusalem, I feel something really special in my soul. In my current visit to Jerusalem, I am spending a month engaged in intensive Jewish study in the Aish HaTorah yeshiva. I have learned so much about what it means to be a Jew but I also learned to see the miracles that happen right in front of me. 

As I lived in the Old City of Jerusalem for this month, I engaged in a common activity here done by both locals and tourists - people-watch. 

It happened to be that during my month in Jerusalem, Tisha B'Av was to take place. For those who do not know, Tisha B'Av is one of the saddest days of the Jewish calendar and it is accompanied by a 25 hour long fast. It is on that day that both the first and second temples were destroyed. If that was the only tragedy on the Jewish people to fall on that day, it would have been enough. It happens to also be the day the First Crusade began which sparked pogroms of thousands of Jews by the Christian crusaders. It is the day the Spanish Inquisition began in 1492 which brought to an end one of the most influential Jewish communities of the time and further dispersing Sephardic Jewry, converting and killing many. It is also the day Germany entered World War I which led Germany down its dark path to the Final Solution and the Holocaust. These are just a few terrible tragedies to list. 

So when a Jew reflects on Tisha B'Av, the traumas of their ancestors rests on their souls. It is a day of reflection and sadness comes alongside. But out of sadness, gratitude also comes to mind. As most fasts tend to go, I often feel tired and weak after about the fifteenth hour. I suppose this is the price to pay for having the time to meditate and reflect on a number of things. This fast, I was to have it in the Old City of Jerusalem. I sat on a bench in the small plaza in front of the Ramban Synagogue (the oldest active synagogue in old Jerusalem). As I sat there to meditate on the weight of Tisha B'Av, I struggled to concentrate because of many little loud noises. Those noises came from children. For a moment, I was frustrated because these loud kids running around were disrupting my meditation. After a few minutes, I was able to get to a state of mind where I could move past the noise, but then it hit me. I need to listen to this noise and embrace this noise. This is the noise of a fulfillment of a prophecy!

Zechariah 8:4-5 - So said the Lord of Hosts: Old men and women shall yet sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of old age. And the streets of the city shall be filled, with boys and girls playing in its streets.

What an amazing prophecy to witness! And how easy it is for myself or anyone to just walk by it and fail to appreciate such an amazing thing! Coming to this realization really uplifted my mood. This is what the Jewish people live for. Its about creating a Jewish society in which the streets can be filled with children playing together in safety. 

From where I was situated, I was walking distance from the Kotel which is the remaining wall of the Temple Mount that Jews pray and cry at. I really wanted to go down to it and pray on this day. Alas, that was not possible. Due to the coronavirus, I was unable to safely go down to the Kotel to pray and reflect. I could look at it all day from the Aish HaTorah balcony, but my hands would not touch it this year. To be so close and yet so far. To go to the Kotel on such a day would have been really important to me. But this year, it just was not meant to be. 

I witnessed for myself the fulfillment of a prophecy. If you ever have the privilege to visit Jerusalem then you must go to a public bench, sit down, and just watch. You will witness the fulfillment of a powerful prophecy. 

Jerusalem has no shortage of challenges ahead but this is not the piece to discuss that. I think of how important it is for people to have a space to be themselves. I know that Jews are aware of that. Throughout our history, we kept losing our places to be ourselves. We lost Judea two thousand years ago and thankfully we returned to make a new home. But I think of my own history and the places that those before me had lost. I know where in Germany my maternal grandfather used to live. In 1938, he lost that place to be. On my father's side, they were Jews of Poland and Lithuania. They lost their places to be around that same time. I think of my Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish brothers and sisters who lost their places to be in North Africa and Middle Eastern countries. I have Jewish history on my mind - a history of always having a bag packed and ready to flee elsewhere. 

I hope and pray those days are done and that if a Jew packs a bag, its of their own free will and not due to any form of distress or persecution. 

Jerusalem is perhaps the perfect place to be on Tisha B'Av. It is not an easy holiday but Jerusalem is not an easy place. It is a city that is often in my thoughts and I hope for its success and peace. I hope that those who feel its holy essence can have the space to embrace that feeling there. 

May our prayers for peace and fulfillment be answered. 

#JewishPrivilege

Many people who seek to divide and hate have started pushing the hashtag #JewishPrivilege. I normally ignore hateful trends on the internet because they tend to be on the fringes. But this hashtag has crept into the mainstream. Many Jews have already spoken out against it citing their “#JewishPrivilege.” For the record, there is no such thing as #JewishPrivilege. At least not in the way that it is currently being used by bigoted individuals. Jews do not control the media, banks, or Hollywood. Jews are not plotting to take over the world. Jews only want to be like everyone else. To have equal rights and to be treated fairly.

But since this hate is trending, I want to share my #JewishPrivilege. 

My #JewishPrivilege was kids trying to force feed me ham because they thought it was funny. 

My #JewishPrivilege was being on the receiving end of pennies being thrown at me. 

My #JewishPrivilege is constantly being mischaracterized and misunderstood whether in the classroom or in the streets.

My #JewishPrivilege is being called Christ Killer and being told I’m going straight to hell unless I drop my Judaism and convert.

My #JewishPrivilege is constantly trying to come to terms with what horrible things happened to my ancestors but realizing that I probably will never come to terms with it.

My #JewishPrivilege is being told “get over the Holocaust” regularly. 

My #JewishPrivilege is a swastika under my door seeking to push me down.

My #JewishPrivilege is memorizing where all the exits are in all the synagogues in my city. 

My #JewishPrivilege is being ignored when I try to address real antisemitism. 

My #JewishPrivilege is being treated differently than others when I put a yarmulke on. 

These are all real things and I could list more but I hate to end on a negative ending. 

So please join me in setting a positive trend: #JewishPride. Let’s show the world why we are proud of who we are! 

I have #JewishPride because I am a member of a people tasked to be a light unto the nations and bring morality into this world.

I have #JewishPride because my Jewish brothers and sisters are capable of overcoming any obstacle when we stand together. 

I have #JewishPride because I am of a nation that has a beautiful blend of peoplehood and faith.

I have #JewishPride because I am part of a legacy that seeks justice and to lift others up to standard of equality and fairness.

I have #JewishPride because despite all of the odds, we are still alive and seeking to create a better world. 

I have #JewishPride because I am proud to be a Jew and I would not have it any other way. 

שער לאדם باب للانسان Shar La’adam

Five months can just fly by. It’s not a long period of time, but it is in a way. It’s enough time to become comfortable in a new environment. It’s enough time to be part of a new community. It’s enough time to make some incredible adventures.

I spent five wonderful months at a little place called שער לאדם (Shar La’adam - in Arabic it is pronounced Bab Lil-insan), the Entrance to Humanity. It is a very simple place, but simple in a complicated way. It’s appearance might fool you into thinking it is primitive. There are trees everywhere. There’s no real walkway. You trip on uneven steps and you roll your ankle at least once a month. You have to hike down the hill to go to the bathroom and shower. There are hippies right next door. You hear nature at all times throughout the day. Both Arabs and Jews come around and make lots of noise at the wrong hours of the day. 

But the beauty is in its simplicity. 

שער לאדם allows you to slow down. It allows you to attempt in being more incarnated.

Many of us are constantly rushed or overwhelmed by demands, deadlines, and more. We suffer through these things because we want a home, food on the table, and to buy some pleasures. 

Here, I slow down.

I breathe.

I make food with my friends.

I lay under the stars and reflect on who I am.

I strive to be better.

I connect.

I grow. 

My time at שער לאדם was nothing short of life-changing. I made some wonderful lifelong friends who I love so dearly. People whom we developed a deep trust and intimacy with each other. Going through the trauma of coronavirus together certainly helps in building a strong friendship. I will be visiting them in their respective cities whenever possible. 

I tear up a little bit now since I no longer see them every day. 

I also have to thank our two co-directors who took us under their wings and helped us learn and grow.

While I still have much to learn, I know that I will always carry a piece of שער לאדם with me. 

Sometimes the hard work comes from the simple places. 

I hope that this little place continues to grow and foster the coexistence that is so greatly needed. 

Thank you! Todah Robah! Shukran Ikthir! 

Interfaith Support Call for Teaneck, NJ 06/14/2020

Shalom and Hello to everyone from Harduf, Israel. It is a great honor for me to participate in this Interfaith call to healing. It’s quite amazing that I am able to be with you even though I am 7,000 miles away so that despite how far apart we are in distance, we are still together. 

I want to take this time to talk about Judaism’s wisdom on hope and inner strength. Judaism has many great verses of biblical wisdom and prophecy that has provided Jews a spiritual strength to persevere and survive for thousands of years. As you are likely aware, Jews are a people familiar with difficulty and hardship. So I want to discuss a bit about a Judaism of hope. 

Judaism is ultimately, a faith that by its very structure holds out to hope for the future. Rabbi Johnathon Sacks of Great Britain brilliantly points out that what makes the Hebrew Bible different than most other works of literature is that it has an amazing beginning but no satisfactory ending. There is no “and they lived happily ever after.” It ends with the Jews in exile in II Chronicles. That’s because the Jewish story has yet to end. We believe that we are constantly and regularly adding to our story of what it means to be a Jew and every single Jew is adding to the Jewish story regardless of where they were in Diaspora or whether they remained in the Holy Land. And it also means that God is still with us as we work to build a better world. Our story does not have to be in the Bible for it to be relevant to us. I find that understanding to give me a lot of hope for the future. That my story is not complete and that I have a chapter to add to the Jewish story. 

But while our story is ongoing, the Hebrew Bible still has plenty of relevance. Not only does it describe the origins of Judaism, it also provides plenty of wisdom to deal with a multitude of challenges. The Torah provides wisdom. The Nevi’im or Prophets provide wisdom. And the Kethuvim or Writings provide wisdom. And it has a fascinating way of providing comfort when needed. I want to share some words from each of the 3 sections of the Hebrew Bible in hopes that it will provide for you some comfort and strength regardless of your faith. 

Every week Jews around the world read a portion of the Torah which is called a Parshah. This practice has helped keep the Jewish story alive. It keeps the Torah on our mind as we think about it, discuss it, argue about it, and wrestle with its deeper meaning. 

Last week, Jews around the world read the Parshah Nasso, in the Book of Numbers, which holds what I believe to be one of the most beautiful blessing in the Torah. 

Numbers 6:24-27 ‘May the Lord bless you and watch over you. May the Lord cause his countenance to shine to you and favor you. May the Lord raise his countenance toward you and grant you peace. They shall bestow My Name upon the Children of Israel, so that I will bless them.’ 

God conducted this blessing through Moses as the Israelites were crossing through the Sinai Desert. 

In the Prophets, Isaiah reminds his audience about who God is and tells them to have hope and faith in God. This is Isaiah’s message of hope and strength: 

Isaiah 40:28-31 ‘Do you not know-if you have not heard an everlasting God is the Lord, the Creator of the end of the earth; He neither tires nor wearies; there is no fathoming his understanding. Who gives the tired strength, and to him who has no strength, He increases strength. Now youths shall become tired and weary, and young men shall stumble. But those who put their hope in the Lord shall renew their vigor, they shall raise wings as eagles; they shall run and not weary, they shall walk and not tire.’

At last, I want to conclude by sharing a portion of a Psalm. It is believed that David wrote the Psalms with every Jew in mind so that when tough times come, the Psalms will help provide hope, comfort, and strength. 

Psalm 91:9-16 ‘For you said, “The Lord is my refuge”; the Most High you made your dwelling. No harm will befall you, nor will a plague draw near to your tent. For He will command His angels on your behalf to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you, lest your foot stumble on a stone. On a young lion and a cobra you will tread; you will trample the young lion and the serpent. For he yearns for Me, and I shall rescue him; I shall fortify him because he knows My name. He will call Me and I shall answer him; I am with him in distress; I shall rescue him and I shall honor him. With length of days I shall satiate him, and I shall show him My salvation.’ 

These are powerful words that have provided a lot of comfort, strength, and hope to Jews across the centuries no matter where they were. I find that they not only help me in finding hope but also in looking deeper into who I am as a human and as a Jew. 

I hope these words have brought you some comfort, strength, and hope. I know we will get through these difficult times and what I hope is that our suffering and loss was not in vain. That we learn from this so that we can better protect each other and our society in the future. May the memories of those we lost forever be a blessing. May God grant us the strength to get through this difficult time and make a better world. May we carry with us strength, courage, prayer, and hope. 

Amen. 

The Siren Heard Across the Land - Yom HaShoah

Yom HaShoah Holocaust Remembrance Day. 

10:00 am. A siren sounds across all of Israel. We know this siren comes annually. Today is a day that we take to remember who we lost. An interesting question can be asked: why should we not only remember, but be reminded once every year? Does the history of the Holocaust not cause us some kind of deep pain? It does. 

There are many reasons to remember but one that sits on my mind is that it’s not just my history, it’s not just a recent history, it’s human history and its lessons are valuable to the contemporary. 

One thing I hear people say a lot is that “people are inherently good.” I don’t believe that. As a Jew I don’t believe it and as a descendent of survivors and victims, I can’t believe that. To be good is to do good. And sometimes, to do good requires a bravery greater than the average person can summon. What comes to mind when discussing the Holocaust is not just those who partook in the atrocities but also those who made excuses to remain silent. It comes to mind because there is silence towards great pain today. People remain silent about atrocities and agony across the world. Whether it be in Central America, Syria, Myanmar, China, or anywhere else - we should not have to wait for the situation to be like that of the Holocaust for us to care about those being victimized. Jews may spend the remainder of their lives remembering the Holocaust but the Holocaust is not just about the victims. It is about those who can become perpetrators and bystanders when situations arise to allow such behaviors. But also, the Holocaust is about those who in spite of all that was stacked against them, became the righteous among the nations. That’s what makes being a human being a worthy cause. It is because humans are not inherently good that it is so uplifting when humans do such amazing good. We might not be inherently good but we are capable of doing so much good. We can prevent future atrocities. I believe that since we can do so many great things despite our capabilities of doing such great evil reveals the beauty and complexity of being a human being. 

When I hear the siren of Yom HaShoah in Israel, I think of those who came before me and sacrificed so much so that I can be where I am today. I think of those who had their whole lives disrupted and were forced to rebuild. I think of the stories I need to share so that on the day there are no more survivors, I can carry the mantle and keep their stories alive. But perhaps most of all, I think of those who didn’t make it. 6 million Jews and 5 million other people who had their lives stolen from them and never truly received the justice worthy of their sacrifices. 
So let the siren sound so that we can take this moment in time, to silence the noise of our lives, for just one minute that we can pay respect to our forefathers and foremothers who sacrificed so much that we can be where we stand today. 

May we use the memory of the Holocaust to build a better future.

May we never again allow hate to destroy.

May we love the neighbor.

May the memories of those we lost forever be a blessing. 
Am Yisrael Chai.

This Year in Jerusalem? Maybe Next Year.

For many generations, Jews have concluded their Seders with the saying “לשנה הבאה בירושלים״ translated as “Next Year in Jerusalem.” Many Jews dreamed of returning to Jerusalem over the generations and sadly most were never able to go. I am currently enjoying a great privilege which is to be in a land where Jews are safe and can express their faith openly without concern. This year, I happen to be in Israel during the holiday of Passover and I really wanted to celebrate the holiday in Jerusalem. I didn’t want to just celebrate this for myself; I wanted to celebrate the holiday in Jerusalem for those before me who never made it to Jerusalem. Unfortunately, my dream went unfulfilled. Because of the coronavirus and the quarantine imposed upon us, I was unable to make it to Jerusalem. So close and yet I might as well be so far away. I will be honest, it hurt. But as with every challenge in life, lessons and ideas can come from it. My ancestors prior to my grandfather never made it to this land and were never able to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem. This year, I did not make it to Jerusalem for Passover either. But, I came close. 

Sometimes, we have to come to terms with what is impossible but we should also acknowledge how close we got. So, this year I don’t get to pray for those who didn’t make it. Perhaps next year - I will.