Last week I launched this Mezuzah Planet project. I knew from the start that the most difficult part of it would be to get the first few post. Of course nobody wants to be the first. That’s why I made a contest to win a $108 gift certificate. After a couple of days, I still only had 2 submissions. I really wanted to get the ball rolling. So last night I went to Flickr and started looking for pictures of people putting up their Mezuzah. I found quite a few. So I sent out emails to some of them telling them about our project and inviting them to submit their picture. I figured that people who already had a digital picture would be more likely to submit it with their story.
When I came back in the morning, I was a bit upset to see what was in my mailbox.
Dear Aaron,
Thanks so much for writing and for your interest in my picture of the mezuzah. Unfortunately, I do not feel comfortable accommodating your request.
As I noticed on your online map, Rabbi Shaffier (I’m not sure if that is you or someone else) lives in and gets his scrolls from Tekoa, which is an Israeli settlement inside the West Bank. While Im an ardent Israel supporter, I do not feel comfortable associating myself with businesses or individuals that perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through settlements in the West Bank (even though I know that Tekoa rabbi Menachem Froman is a strong supporter of Israeli-Palestinian peace).
Sincerely,
-Rob
I wasn’t really so surprised by this email. When I put up my picture on the Mezuzah Planet Map showing where I live, I knew that it may cause controversy. Its just that I can’t help being disappointed every time that I hear this kind of thing from my fellow Jews. I wrote back to him:
Dear Rob,
I am sorry to hear that you will not be submitting to our Mezuzah Planet Map. As to your comments regarding my town of Tekoa being a “settlement”, let me refer you to the first couple and last couple of verses in the book of Amos.
Although I didn’t quote the verses in my reply (I didn’t want to go too ‘Old Testament’ on him), I was referring to the following verses:
1:1 The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa—what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.
Then the rest of the book speaks of the terrible things that will happen to the nation of Israel due to their sins. Then in the end it says:
9:11 “In that day I will restore David’s fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be, 12 so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name,” declares the LORD, who will do these things. 13 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. 14 I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. 15 I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God.
Although I didn’t elaborate on my intention in my response, if he took the time to look at the verses he will see what my intention is. Amos the prophet lived in the same “settlement” that I live in over 2,000 years ago. And he is the very prophet who promised us that in the end we would return to this place and rebuild ruined cities.
Now here’s the thing. I understand (sorta) people who say, “Those Jews are messing it up for everybody, if they would just get out of that land, the whole world wouldn’t have to put up with terrorism.” I think that they are greatly mistaken but I understand that they just want peace and quiet and to be left alone. What gets me is that a guy who bothers to put up a Mezuzah - in fulfillment of a Biblical commandment - would be so anti Biblical in his views on the Israeli situation.
I concluded my short reply:
In any case, I wish you much peace and happiness in your occupied Native-American home in America.
Aaron
The thing that bothered me the most about his response to me was this. Here is this guy who I think lives in Los Angeles (if I am correct based on his pictures on Flickr) telling me that he cannot support my business because it is connected with the “settlements”. The United States stole California from Mexico. Mexico had a revolution ’stealing’ it from the Spanish who in turn had stolen it from the Native Americans. Here he is, a Jew, living comfortably in a land that non-Jewish white people stole from the Natives and judging me for living in our national homeland that has had Jews living here for over 3,000 years. The only way that I can understand this is to say that it is Jewish Antisemitism.
Then I was thinking that maybe I am being to harsh on the poor guy. Here he is living in Los Angeles (I lived there once too) watching CNN and reading the LA Times. He is probably just a bit brainwashed by what the media is feeding him. They try to make it seem like the Jews who live in the Judea region (”West-Bank”) are a bunch of wild, violent types and we are terrorizing our Arab neighbors. So I thought I would go ahead and post a few pictures to show you my kids and some kids of our Arab neighbors and let you be the judge.
Us
Them
You will be happy to hear that the Israeli athletes at the Olympic village will have Mezuzahs on their door. Rabbi Freundlach of Chabad-Beijing affixed them this week. The Rabbi also is making sure that there will be kosher food available at all times at Dini’s Kosher Restaurant, situated near the American Embassy.
