Here is an open letter from Rabbi Ellen Lippmann of Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives inviting the public to a special discussion the synagogue is sponsoring.
“On Thursday, September 15, at 7:30 pm, Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives ( 1012 8th Avenue in Park Slope) is hosting an open Jewish conversation about cultural boycott of Israel. This is a controversial subject about which many people hold passionate opinions for, against and everything in between. Why have I and Kolot Chayeinu decided to host such an event?
“The simple answer is that we believe strongly that our Jewish community should be a place of open conversation about many subjects, including one that like this arouse deep passions. While the subject of boycott of Israel as a strategy seeking greater justice and peace there has been discussed widely in private individual and organizational settings, there have been few Jewish spaces willing to open doors to this conversation. We thought it was time for Kolot Chayeinu to open those doors.
“In our community, too, the discussion of boycott of any kind has been confined to the living rooms that housed a two-year Israel-Palestine reading group. But when asked last year about hosting a larger event on the subject, opinion in the community was split. What was not split, though, was the desire on the part of many Kolot members to have our congregation be a place of open discussion, regardless of any member’s opinion on the subject at hand. Therefore, when we were asked this year to host, we agreed — with the understanding that the event must be a truly open conversation, allowing strong voices pro and con. We insisted that members of our congregation be speakers on the panel along with those from other organizations. We insisted that because the subject was cultural boycott specifically, some speakers be artists; on the final panel, one is a filmmaker, one a musician. All panelists have thought long and hard about the subject of cultural boycott. Some stand firmly against it, some just as firmly for it. Others are still engaged in internal debate even as they share that debate with us.
“Ultimately, what is important in this conversation is that it is an open conversation for Jews, who rarely have this chance in a Jewish setting. This is not an evening of advocacy, people are not speaking to convince anyone to take a position. Rather, while the positions expressed are certain to be strongly stated, the evening is for talking and especially listening. After all, God gave us 2 ears and only one mouth! And we must ALL listen with respect to each other no matter our personal position or how violently we may agree or disagree with what is said. This is an evening for openness, honesty, careful listening, and deep thought.
“The conversation we are hosting on September 15 is unrelated to any others that are going on in the neighborhood or in the community. It is OUR conversation. The Kolot Executive Board would not have voted to host anything else, nor would I. I look forward to seeing you Thursday evening.”