Timing Is Everything

They say that “Timing is everything”. I have always believed that and that is why I am always quite nervous and apprehensive of anything that is happening to Jews and our community during the Nine Days, knowing that this time in the Jewish calendar doesn’t bode well for us. It is historically the season of bad tidings for the Jewish people. I look forward with a great sigh of relief when Tisha B’Av is over and done with and we have come out of it unscathed..

We know that everything that happens in this world is the result of “Yad Hashem” (hand of G-d) we are now dealing with serious issues and consequences that can greatly affect us individually and as a community during this period. Eretz Yisroel is reeling from the turmoil from Gaza. The kites that are being sent with fire balloons have decimated many acres of Israeli farm land and nature preserve. An estimated 28,000 dunams have been scorched in the once thriving and flourishing southern Israel area since March 30th. Prime Minister Netanyahu announced right before the nine days that Israel would be taking a series of steps against Hamas in the Gaza Strip starting with the closing of the Kerem Shaon Crossing into Israel which is the main commercial road as a direct result of the continued launching of incendiary aerial devices from Hamas towards Israel.

Also in the Middle East, the Syrian government reported that it has downed several Israeli missiles that were targeting an airbase in western Syria. The Homs airbase has been reported to be the site for deployment of Iranian drones .These drones have been known to have been loaded with explosives to attack Israel in the past. Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Libeman said that Israel will act against terror groups connected with the Iran backed axis operating in Syria. “We will act aggressively against all terror infrastructures that we identify. From our point of view. the Assad regime is responsible for what is happening. It will be held responsible and will pay a dear price for cooperating with the axis”. He reiterated that “ Iran’s presence in any part of Syria is not acceptable from Israel’s perspective. We will not accept Iranian entrenchment in Syria.”

It isn’t just Israel that is burning, The whole world is aflame with evil intentions.The times are very bad now. Anti=Semitism is on the rise all over the world. There isn’t a day that goes by that a Jewish hate incident occurs somewhere in Europe. For example, a Jewish man was assaulted in Berlin for wearing a Star of David by a group of 10 men and women ranging from ages 15-21 many of whom were Syrian. The incident happened days after a 19 year old Syrian was found guilty of attacking a man wearing a kippah on a Berlin street in April. The irony of this incident is that the man was not Jewish. He wore the yarmulka as an experiment to see “how bad it is to walk the street as a Jew today”. He certainly found that out the hard way. In reaction to this, just last week nearly 40 German Jewish organizations called on the government to confront anti-Semitism following a series of anti-Jewish attacks in the country. The group is part of the Jewish Forum for Democracy and Anti-Semitism that called for Germany to adhere to the International Alliance for Holocaust Remembrance’s definition and to take seriously the experiences of the victims...

It not just happening in Germany (as if that isn’t enough), It is happening all over the continent. In Zurich a man was arrested after allegedly threatening Orthodox Jewish children making anti-Semitic remarks and then chasing a Jewish family with a large knife on their way to synagogue. This past Tuesday, a Holocaust memorial in the Greek city of Thessaloniki was vandalized. The monument was smeared in blue paint and a cross was painted on it. This was the second time in two weeks that the memorial was defiled.

To add insult to injury, on July 6th the company that manages an apartment complex in France has ordered a Jewish family to remove a mezuzah from their doorway.it wrote, “We remind you that no personal object may be presented in public areas and request that you remove the mezuzah inside your accommodation.

Most troubling of all, last week Israel summoned the Irish ambassador Alison Kelley to object to the Irish Senate’s vote to advance a bill that would criminalize trade with any part of Israel located over the pre-1967 lines including East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and the West Bank. The Israeli foreign Ministry slammed the vote stating ‘The Irish Senate has given its support to a popular, dangerous and extremist anti-Israel boycott initiative that hurts the chances of dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians”. If passed, it will be the first time a European Union member state has banned commercial activity over Israel’s pre-1967 lines. The Ireland-Israel Alliance doesn’t think the bill will ultimately pass into law but said,” one thing it is doing is exposing the very dark underbelly in Ireland. Anti-Semitism is never “old”. It is alive and thriving on this island of ours Shame!”” This could cause a domino effect in other countries where bris milah and shechitah are already in danger.

Here in the US a negative trend is evolving, as well. There are several individuals running for public office who are anti-Israel and probably anti-Semitic by their rhetoric. We do not need people of that sort in our government. They have categorized themselves as progressive socialists that do not represent or reflect our values in our democracy. Their far left philosophies should be unwelcome in our society; but they are not and that is quite disturbing. One in question is a Somali-American candidate for Congress in Minnesota Ilhan Omar who wrote in 2012 that, “Israel has hypnotized the world. May Allah awaken the people and help them see evil doings of Israel”. She has also referred to Israel as an apartheid nation. Another one that we have to watch out for is someone closer to home., Alexandra Ocasio-Cortes, who defeated Congressman Joseph Crowley.. This young woman has sharply criticized Israel including calling the killing of Palestinian protesters as a massacre. Her victory is seen as a bell-weather for the Democratic Party as it turns dramatically to the left .Also, in California a candidate for the state assembly blames Israel for committing genocide against the Palestinians and has offered her support for Nation of Islam’s leader Louis Farrakhan. Maria Estrada has posted last year on Face book, ”Democrats turn a blind eye to the genocide against Palestinians and justify it by bringing up the Holocaust. Religious fanaticism is used to justify apartheid and crimes against Palestinians and no one should be okay with it.” It is frightening that people of this ilk should be able to win public office in this country that could affect our safety and stability , as well as Israel’s.

 The atmosphere at American colleges and universities is another troubling issue. The rise of the progressive left in this country has created a serious divide. As the scholastic year begins there are renewed attempts to promote BDS and the plight of the Palestinians. On most of our major campuses, BDS legislation is being sponsored by the left-wing campus groups .like the Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights and endorsed by other radical groups. The school year hasn’t even started and we are already seeing troubling ramifications. Just recently a welcome sign at the University of Oregon’s Hillel was defaced with a pro-Palestinian message riddled with obscenities. Jewish students and their institutions need our prayers to ensure that they may have a successful school term free from fear and leftists violence.

 May Hashem ensure that we, Jews have an uneventful Nine Days period and an easy fast for klal yisroel.

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Cynthia Zalisky is the Executive Director of the Queens Jewish Community Council. She can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.