On Monday, 19 January, bishops and delegates from the Holy Land Co-ordination met with Rabbis for Human Rights, a long-running Israeli NGO made up of a membership of 175 Israeli rabbis from across the different denominations of Judaism.
Anton Goodman, a member of Rabbis for Human Rights, explained the approach the organisation takes to its work:
“We really come together in understanding that human rights and Jewish values not only go well side by side, but they integrally link to each other, feed into each other, and strengthen each other. Based on these beliefs and these deep-seated commitments to human rights, we work with populations who are struggling with human rights abuses, who are facing sufferings and hardships that they should not be facing.”
Rabbis for Human Rights works closely with Palestinian communities in the West Bank who are facing extremist settler violence, as well as within Israel with people who have been displaced due to the war, and others who are struggling with the challenges of living in poverty and with food insecurity.
Goodman explained that his organisation is inspired by the Jewish value of Kedushat HaChaim, the sanctity of all human life, which applies to all of humanity:
“The moment that you start to understand this inherent sanctity to all life, not just to human life, all existence on this beautiful planet that we have been gifted guardianship over. A mere blink in the progress of time. We understand with humility that we need to be here for all life together and that what happens to one form of life will end up happening to another. There’s nothing that you can isolate from yourself. You must show goodness and kindness to all if you wish for it to be shown back to you.”
Reflecting on the growing tensions across the geopolitical system, Goodman emphasised the global nature of the threats we face:
“It is not just Israel-Palestine and the terrible atrocities that have taken place in Gaza. This is a global conversation that the fabric of our morality has been torn and we are gravitating towards corruption. This is a time for action, for daily action, for stepping out of your way for other people, no matter who that community is, and especially if they do not come from your community.”
Elaborating more on what we can do in our own local communities, Goodman emphasised the need for genuine openness to dialogue and encounter:
“We need to actively engage every community around us, no matter what preconceptions and misconceptions we hold, in order to see the humanity that they hold. When we have done this, we bring a compassion, a compassion of the divine who does not distinguish between us, who sees us as a beautiful creation of life. And maybe we can bring these heavenly values down to Earth and change the direction that is heading.”
