July was a month filled with crisis in Israel and the Middle East — and therefore was a month filled with Wisconsin Jewish community responses to the situation.
At present writing (July 28), the efforts culminated with the state’s two largest communities holding solidarity with Israel events toward the end of the month. (See photos above.)
The Milwaukee Jewish community held its event on July 27 at Congregation Shalom. It was organized by the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and the Wisconsin Council of Rabbis. An estimated 800 people attended — and about 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators stood outside the building during the event.
Moreover, the Milwaukee community has launched an emergency campaign, participating in the effort initiated by the national Jewish Federations of North America in collaboration with the Union for Reform Judaism and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
JFNA’s current emergency fundraising goal is $30 million, $8.5 million of which has been raised and distributed.
Funds raised by this drive are being used in Israel for trauma counseling, strengthening infrastructure — including bomb shelters — respite for frontline professionals and volunteers, emergency preparations and emergency healthcare for the most seriously wounded soldiers.
MJF Vice President of Development Amy S. Kahn said the JFNA set an initial goal of about $278,000 for Milwaukee to raise. (For more information, see MilwaukeeJewish.org.)
MJF leaders emphasize that this effort should be distinguished from the MJF annual campaign. The annual campaign meets continuing needs of agencies, including those on the ground in Israel, but the emergency campaign is a separate effort to meet needs generated by the current crisis.
The Madison Jewish community held its “Solidarity for Israel and peace in the region” gathering on July 24 at the Hillel Foundation University of Wisconsin.
This event was sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Madison, the Hillel, Temple Beth El, the Beth Israel Center and the Madison Jewish Community Day School. More than 100 people attended.
JFM is also participating in the emergency campaign. Ellen Weismer, JFM program director, told The Chronicle that Madison’s goal is $33,000 of which $17,000 has been raised to date.
The local reactions followed the development of the events in Israel and Gaza.
Three Israeli teens were kidnapped June 12. After their murdered bodies were found on June 30, Milwaukee Jewry held a memorial event on July 2 at the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center.
(Helping organize and participating in this was one of the last official acts of Israeli emissaries to Milwaukee Michal Makov-Peled and Ro’ee Peled before they returned to Israel later in the month.)
The Israeli government blamed the Israel-hating terrorist organization Hamas for the kidnapping and murders, and had begun arresting Hamas personnel in the West Bank on June 13. Hamas began firing rockets from Gaza into Israel on June 16.
On July 2, a Palestinian boy’s burned body was found in what Israeli officials said appeared to be revenge murder for the three teens; six Israelis were arrested July 6, of whom three confessed to the crime on July 7.
From July 2-6, Hamas rocket fire and Israeli airstrikes intensified. On July 7, Israel launched Operation Protective Edge, sending intensified airstrikes into the Gaza Strip and announcing plans to send in ground forces.
On July 7-13, the JFNA conducted a mission for federation campaign chairs and campaign directors that visited both Greece and Israel. Among the 125 participants were Kahn and the current MJF campaign chair Andrea Schneider.
On July 14, more than 75 members of Madison’s Jewish community met at the Hillel to hear an analysis of the events by Nadav Shelef, the assistant professor of Israel Studies and an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at UW-Madison.
Also on July 14, JFNA a number of U.S. Jewish leaders, including MJF treasurer and chair designate Daniel Bader, arrived in Israel for a JFNA solidarity mission.
On July 15, the Egyptian government proposed a cease-fire that Israel accepted but Hamas rejected.
On July 16, the Milwaukee Jewish community held a telephone briefing with Roey Gilad, Israel consul general to the Midwest. He said that Israel’s “Iron Dome” anti-missile system, developed with help of the U.S., has been “a game changer” with its capacity to intercept and destroy many Hamas missiles in flight.
Also on July 16, the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee held a “Prayer Service for Peace in the Middle East” at All Saints’ Cathedral. Participating clergy included Rabbi Ronald Shapiro of Congregation Shalom, who asked “the God of all humanity” to “bless our striving to make real the dream of peace for all.”
Israel began sending its ground forces in on July 17. Also on that day, Bader reported on his experiences with the JFNA mission to the Milwaukee Jewish community.
On July 23, Lubavitch of Wisconsin held a "Solidarity, Prayer and Action for Our Brethren in Israel" event at at the Peltz Center for Jewish Life in Mequon. About 250 people attended. The event included a live telephone report from Lubavitch emissary Chani Friedman in Ashdod, Israel.
Local actions and reactions to the Gaza events were noticed in local news media, like the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. A July 20 article in the daily newspaper by Annysa Johnson was headlined “Turmoil in Gaza felt by faithful here.”
Among other things, the article reported on how “at least 200” supporters of the Palestinians demonstrated in downtown Milwaukee on July 18.
The article also reported that the events are straining interfaith relations in Milwaukee, especially between the Jewish and the Muslim and Arab Christian communities.
“Each accuses the other side of war crimes and crimes against humanity,” the article states. “And they accuse each other of disregarding human life.”
The Madison website Channel3000.com carried a report on July 23 headlined “Wisconsin women share stories from Israel amid violence.”
The report included Alexandra Zimmern, 21, of Green Bay, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who was in Jerusalem studying Jewish texts during this period. She said her parents offered to fly her out early, but she insisted on finishing the program, which is scheduled to end this month.
A July 24 Journal Sentinel article by Robert Gebelhoff described how plans for trips to Israel — including one by the Milwaukee JCC and another by Temple Beth El in Madison — were cancelled because of the events.
In the July 26 issue, the Journal Sentinel published a letter by Elana Kahn-Oren, director of the MJF’s Jewish Community Relations Council. She denounced how local pro-Palestinian protestors have called for Israel’s destruction, while “supporters of Israel… have sought to learn, provide humanitarian relief and pray for peace.”
On July 27, the Journal Sentinel published opposing opinion articles on the Gaza-Israel conflict by Bader and Othman M. Atta, executive director of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee.
Also on July 27, Congregation Beth Jehudah held a gathering at which Rabbi Michel Twerski spoke about how Jewish communities “all over the world” have gathered to pray for Israel because “we’re all one family.” Other synagogues that have held special services for Israel included Anshe Sfard Kehillat Torah.
Pro-Palestinian activities also took place in different parts of the state. On July 12, about a dozen people participated in a rally sponsored by the Racine Peace and Justice Coalition.
About 50 people took part in a “peace rally” in Houdini Plaza in Appleton on July 17. A Fox 11 website article said organizer Lubna Alam “invited people from all faiths” to come, most of the news media reports quoted primarily pro-Palestinian participants.
See additional photographs in the Chai Lights section of this site.
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