Beautiful Demons
Dear friends,
Purim conjures the best and worst memories. Ridiculous feasts, family gatherings, insane Jerusalem karaoke parties, drunken laughter, silly costume duos with friends, moments of the deepest honesty and most liberated dancing. And also times when that loosening unraveled horror, bad drunken behavior, nastiness, parties gone wrong, and most prominently February 25th, 1994 when Baruch Goldstein, Yimakh Shmo (may his name be blotted out) murdered dozens of Muslim worshippers in the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron.
This year I’m feeling both extremities, and we’re going to try to go in both directions at once at the Shul. Sunday we will party in person, and Tuesday night we will Zoom through what’s happening in Israel/Palestine.
As Purim of 5783 approaches, I find myself oscillating between the improvisational ease of the jester and the deep sadness of the prophets. My homeland, where I grew up and where my parents, brothers, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews and many of my best friends live, has morally and structurally collapsed. At the same time it has also woken up, stood on its feet, risen into collective song. I read the news and scratch my eyes: the Jews have performed a full-fledged pogrom. The Israeli Minister of Defense says the Palestinian village that was attacked should be “wiped out by the state.”
Hundreds of Jews, including my father went to that village today to show solidarity. Their buses were stopped by the army, forbidden to show empathy. So they walked instead. Tear gas followed, people beaten. My father made it through and sent pictures of a serene mountain village. My friend, Avital’s father didn’t fare as well. Her father, Avraham Burg, is the former Chairman of the Knesset and director of the Jewish Agency. This is the person who used to be the lead representative of Zionism in the world – today there were videos of him pushed to the ground by Israeli policemen, preventing him from reaching Hawara.
It’s hard for me to think of anything more upside down than that.
And then there are the incredible protests that everyone I know there has been a part of. This Wednesday the country was shut down by Israelis who know that if this isn’t stopped the country as we understand it is finished. Streets blocked all over the country, protests in front of elected officials homes, an array of hopeful, forward looking activity, the likes of which I have never seen in Israel or the US. It’s a celebration of political expression, imperfect though it may be.
So the upside down is itself upside down. Mirrors and masks and costumes galore.
Our job seems to be to celebrate the groundless upside earth we stand on, and that’s what we will do this Sunday. The artist Uncutt will paint dancer Dorian Cervantes after leading us through his exhibit of Protect Yo Heart – art based on the verse from Proverbs. Fabio Tavares will unravel himself in movement. Wine and food and DJ and music and VR goggles and ancient stories and a rejoicing over this fragile insanity we live.
And then our upside-down job is to understand what’s going on so we can stand with sanity. Tuesday evening Rabbi Amichai and me will try and give you our perspective, answer and ask questions, and help us all find some solid ground on which to stand together on our heads.
Purim is there to release our demons. Let’s make sure they are beautiful demons of liberation, not ugly demons of destruction.
Hope to see you at both events!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Misha