Your Daily Phil: Tisha B’Av in the shadow of Oct. 7
Good Monday morning.
Ed.’s note: In observance of tomorrow’s fast of Tisha B’Av, the next edition of Your Daily Phil will be published on Wednesday, Aug. 14.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on the relationship between the Druze community of the Golan Heights and the HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed youth movement, and on the new liturgical poems written for Tisha B’Av in the wake of the Oct. 7 massacres. In the latest installment of eJewishPhilanthropy’s exclusive opinion column “The 501(c) Suite,” Barry Finestone writes about adapting to a “new normal” of rapid-fire change and compounding crises. We also feature an opinion piece by Andrés Spokoiny reflecting on Tisha B’Av and the importance of appreciating what we have. We’ll start with the release of an English-language version of the animated film “Legend of Destruction,” which tells the story of the destruction of the Second Temple.
From BMH-BJ Congregation in Denver to Sixth & I in Washington, D.C.— and as far as Gondar, Ethiopia — hundreds of Jewish congregations and communities worldwide will show the premiere of the English-language version of the Israeli film “Legend of Destruction,” on Monday and Tuesday to mark Tisha B’Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar when Jews mourn the loss of the First and Second Temples, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Haley Cohen.
“Legend of Destruction” — in Hebrew, Agadat Hurban — first released in 2021, charts the period leading up to the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE and tells the story of societal fractures that led to its destruction. The film was directed and produced by Israeli director Gidi Dar, who has also directed the popular Israeli film “Ushpizin.”
The film took eight years to produce and is the first animated feature of its kind, using some 1,500 original still paintings drawn by David Polonsky, who illustrated the Oscar-nominated “Waltz with Bashir,” and Michael Faust.
“During this highly polarized time we find ourselves in, the message of the destruction of the Temple serves as a warning not only for the global Jewish community but all democracies,” said Dar, the winner of four 2021 Ophir Awards (Israeli Academy Awards). In addition to the destruction of the temples, several tragedies faced by the Jewish people throughout history have fallen on Tisha B’Av, including the expulsion of England’s Jews in 1290, the banishment of all Jews from Spain in 1492 and the start of the mass deportation of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka in 1942. The film release comes as Iran has threatened to attack Israel on the day of Tisha B’Av.
“Everyone told me to hurry, but unfortunately, we didn’t have to worry because it’s just going to get more and more relevant,” Dar told eJP. “I don’t influence reality, but it somehow coincides.”
The film will only be available through group screenings, not for individuals to watch online. Dar noted that this leads to “unity” of the broad swath of Jewish communities — which also includes groups in Singapore, South Africa and India — gathering together to screen the film at the same time, which he said is “so needed in a time of peril.”
The film’s characters are voiced by several prominent actors, including Oscar Isaac (“Dune,” “Star Wars,” “Moon Knight”), Evangeline Lilly (“Lost,” “Antman”), Elliot Gould (“M*A*S*H,” “The Long Goodbye”) and Billy Zane (“Titanic”). The Hebrew version received four Israeli Academy Awards in 2021 including Best Artistic Design, Best Editing, Best Soundtrack and Best Original Music.
The worldwide screenings commenced last Wednesday in the courtyard of the Tower of David in the Old City of Jerusalem. A handful of Christian groups are also expected to screen the film in coming weeks, according to Dar. “The political metaphor in the movie [is not just for Jews],” he told eJP. “We’re talking about a story that’s 2,000 years old and a moment in history that changed the destiny of the Jewish people and Christianity in general as well.”
“What is described is a society that is totally divided… it’s a good metaphor for all democracies today in the world.”
ISRAELI MOVEMENT
Zionist youth group mourns slain Druze members, as deadly rocket attack shines light on community’s complex ties to Israel
On Saturday, July 27, Baha’a Rabah was standing near a soccer field in the Druze village of Majdal Shams, located in the Golan Heights along the Syrian border. At 6:18 p.m., he received an alert on his phone, warning of incoming rocket fire in Majdal Shams. As he sprinted for cover, he caught sight of a rocket streaking across the sky before it exploded with a deafening blast in a soccer field, a few yards from where he was standing. Rushing to the field, he found several of his fellow members from HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed (the Working and Studying Youth, a Zionist movement that goes by the English acronym NOAL). Many were already lifeless. The 21-year-old Rabah tried to assist those still clinging to life and took off his shirt to cover the bodies of those killed, reports Efrat Lachter for eJewishPhilanthropy.
A fraught relationship: The deadly rocket attack shocked the country, and its reverberations are still evident weeks later as Israelis brace for an expected retaliatory attack by Hezbollah after the Israel Defense Forces killed the terrorist group’s military commander. It has also brought to the fore a small subset of an already small Israeli minority community — the Druze population on the Golan Heights. The Golan Druze, which once universally maintained ties to the Syrian government that once controlled the territory and rejected Israeli sovereignty, have grown closer to Israel in recent years, increasingly requesting Israeli citizenship.
Building resilience: Rabah, the coordinator of NOAL in Majdal Shams, said he continues to meet with his traumatized youth members, who are struggling to cope with the horrific memories of that day. “We’ve been holding meetings since the incident,” he said. “Some kids want help, so we send them to the resilience center for treatment, to psychologists. Soon, we will organize sports and activities for them, hold community meetings to give them a way to deal with the situation and the event. I go to the resilience center every other day, and I have a psychologist — it helps a little.”
SIGN OF THE TIMES
The rabbis adding Oct. 7 to their Tisha B’Av lamentations
On Monday evening, Jews across the world will gather to hear Megillat Eichah, the Book of Lamentations, referring to the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem, and read kinot, additional lamentations, including tragic events after the Second Temple was destroyed, the Crusades period and beyond. Some congregations in Israel and the Diaspora will have new texts to read about more recent, tragic events, the greatest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust, reports Lahav Harkov for eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider.
Then and now: Tzohar, one of Israel’s leading Modern Orthodox rabbinical organizations, disseminated a companion text, in Hebrew and in English, to congregations whose members’ “minds are oscillating between the destruction of the Temple and more recent atrocities of October 7th.” In addition to a kinah, lament, written by Israeli musician and poet Yagel Haroush about Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the hardest hit Gaza border communities, Tzohar’s booklet provides new readings and commentary on the traditional kinot relating to the Oct. 7 attack.
We understand it now: Tzohar’s chairman, Rabbi David Stav, told JI that most years, the religious Zionist population in Israel – which believes that the establishment of the Jewish state is an early manifestation of God’s redemption – has difficulty relating to Tisha B’Av and its texts relating to ancient, distant matters. “For the first time in many years, saying kinot will be much more natural,” Stav said. “Until recently, most of Israeli society felt fine. Things were good for us. We knew there was no Temple, but it didn’t bother most of us that much. We [rabbis] had to explain to Israelis why we have to mourn over there being no Temple. Today, that is not the situation.”
Read the full report here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.
Other offerings: Some other new Oct. 7-related kinot that have been released this year include ones from the Orthodox Union and some by??Tamar Biala, the co-editor of Dirshuni: Contemporary Women’s Midrash, among others.
THE 501(C) SUITE
Welcome to the state of VUCA, aka our new normal
“We are in a state of VUCA — volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity — a concept coined by the U.S. Army College in 1987 and popularized by the leadership theories of Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus. In short, the term describes the current state of our world,” writes Barry Finestone, president and CEO of the Jim Joseph Foundation, in the latest installment of eJewishPhilanthropy’s exclusive opinion column “The 501(C) Suite.”
No going back: “What, if anything, does this have to do with philanthropy? Instead of reacting to emergencies and then waiting to ‘get back to normal,’ we must recognize that we are living in a new normal. There is no going back. We need to embrace VUCA, understanding we will experience different degrees of it at different times, and prepare ourselves to navigate effectively through the most acute VUCA moments.”
Ready, set, change: “In the past, when change occurred more slowly, we could see it, define it and then execute a plan to address it… To be clear, there is still a time and place for this type of work; both funders and grantees still need to engage in strategic planning and remain focused on long-term goals and outcomes. It just can’t be our exclusive approach anymore. We need to train ourselves, to strengthen our adaptive ‘muscles’ so we are ready to quickly and effectively react to issues and unanticipated developments in as close to real-time as possible. For this to happen, there are three mindsets we need to adopt — and the quicker we do it, the better.”
TISHA B’AV THOUGHTS
Remembering to cherish: From Station Eleven to Jerusalem
“Like the Jews of Jerusalem in 70 CE, we have forgotten one of the most important human traits: gratitude,” writes Andrés Spokoiny, president and CEO of the Jewish Funders Network, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “I, for one, fear that an annoyed God will finally behave like a parent who has lost patience and say, ‘You want to cry? I’ll give you something to cry about.’”
Think about it: “Yes, we live in anguish and fear. America’s political system shows ominous cracks through which people are left behind. Israel is stuck in a protracted war. The world seems to have gone mad in so many ways — yet would you prefer to live in any other time? In which historical period were humans better off, safer, healthier and more self-fulfilled than today?”
What we can do: “I’m not minimizing the problems we have, the anguish we experience and the tragedies that surround us. They are all very real and very painful, and we should work to address them. But this Tisha b’Av, let’s bathe in humility and bask in wonder at the many overlooked and underappreciated miracles that make up our daily lives. Let’s value all that we have, big and small, because Tisha b’Av teaches us that nothing is safe; we can lose everything without having ever enjoyed it. Let’s develop what French philosopher Simone Weil called ‘a patriotism of compassion,’ a feeling of love for our nation(s) that is a ‘tenderness for a beautiful thing that is both precious and perishable.’ Maybe if we cherish what we have, we won’t become the Jews of 2,000 years ago, lamenting what we’ve lost.”
Worthy Reads
Lead With Self-Discipline: In The Times of Israel, Rabbi Elchanan Poupko shares a warning from the Jewish sage Hillel in Ethics of the Fathers about the danger of a leader putting their personal interests ahead of the public interest. “‘[A] leadership of humility and modesty is not the product of an absence of standards — it is the product of ironclad discipline. Loving-kindness, pursuing peace, loving everyone, humility, and other character traits of a good leader are not the human default. They require development, grit, and very hard work. Hillel teaches us that seeking to overextend one’s own name for the sake of fame will lead to self-destruction. How many times in history have we seen leaders who did not know when to stop? How often do we see people who built great companies, held high offices, and garnered the respect of millions, then go on to destroy it all because they wanted more power and more fame? Hillel’s lesson does not rule out the possibility of one achieving great things or going far in life. Rabbi Ovadia of Bartenura and Maimonides translate the first phrase in this Mishna, ‘Naged shemah,’ as extending one’s name too far.” [TOI]
A Problematic Focus: In The Chronicle of Philanthropy, nonprofit founder Eboo Patel responds to a recently published roundtable interview with a selection of up-and-coming nonprofit leaders. “The young nonprofit leaders speak of suffering, of too much pressure, of burnout, of being failed by others, of feeling constantly demoralized. They say leaders in the field lack ‘transparency and authenticity.’ … They cite all the reasons they can’t solve the problem or achieve the goal, ranging from mental health challenges to adults who don’t listen to their interns enough… I think the young nonprofit leaders interviewed by the Chronicle simply told the sector what they believed it wanted to hear. And these days it’s the people who talk about the problems at nonprofit conferences who get the standing ovations — not those who propose solutions. It wasn’t always this way. When I started my organization in my early 20s, I spent a lot of time critiquing the old ways. But the nonprofit leaders who mentored me quickly made it clear they weren’t interested in supporting someone who was better at talking about problems than solving them… Coaches and mentors prepare athletes to win gold medals in their sports. The nonprofit field similarly needs to prepare young leaders to solve social issues — even in the face of inevitable adversity.” [ChronicleofPhilanthropy]
Around the Web
The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews donated $1 million to the Tzafon Medical Center near Tiberius, Israel, and $620,000 to the Italian Hospital in Nazareth amid growing concern of a larger war in northern Israel…
The New Yorker interviews Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, a 99-year-old Holocaust survivor who was a cellist in Auschwitz’s women’s orchestra and who, for the new documentary “The Commandant’s Shadow,” met with the son of Rudolf Höss, the commandant of Auschwitz…
Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary announced the appointment of Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz as the school’s incoming Abraham Arbesfeld Torah Dean and Rabbi Yosef Kalinsky as the school’s incoming Max and Marion Grill Administrative Dean…
The Orthodox Union‘s Israel operations will move from its current headquarters on Keren Hayesod Street to a larger, modern facility in the Har Hotzvim area of Jerusalem…
The Times of Israel spotlights Naama Klar, the education director at Anu — Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv. (Read eJP’s coverage of Klar and the museum’s post-Oct. 7 work here)…
The Israeli DIY-focused nonprofit Tikkun Olam Makers announced a 25% rise in participants for its university fellowship program, “despite recent anti-Israel and anti-Jewish protests on US campuses,” with 81 people joining from 57 campuses this coming year compared to 65 fellows from 47 campuses in the past academic year…
The real estate-focused publication The Real Deal examines the legal feud between Rabbi Naftali Rotenstreich and his one-time employee, Rabbi Shaya Lesches, over the Young Jewish Professionals networking group and ownership of its Manhattan headquarters…
Erica Fuchs was hired as the new director of the Betzalel Milstein Jewish Learning Center, an after-school religious studies program in Long Beach, N.Y. The program is the product of a collaboration between the BACH Jewish Center of Long Beach, Lido Beach Synagogue and Temple Israel of Long Beach…
Cleveland Jewish News spotlights Jewish Family Service Association volunteer Marilyn Bedol…
The Jewish News Syndicate interviews Dr. Eugene Rapaport, a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist who decided to make aliyah after volunteering in Israel after Oct. 7…
The New York Times reports on tensions between former President Donald Trump and one of his main donors, Dr. Miriam Adelson, over the staff of her super PAC…
The man suspected of murdering Samantha Woll, who served as president of Detroit’s Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue and a leader in the city’s Jewish community, was freed of most charges after a jury cleared him of one murder count and deadlocked on another; he was sentenced to a minimum of 18 months and a maximum of 15 years for lying to police…
A Jewish man was stabbed near Chabad’s headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, by a man shouting “Free Palestine” …
American Holocaust survivors say that the rise of antisemitism and protests in the United States has triggered post-traumatic stress disorder…
Antisemitic messages were spray-painted on Bethesda Elementary School in Bethesda, Md., and on surrounding streets in the area. The local Anti-Defamation League chapter called it “reflective of a continuing trend of antisemitic incidents increasing daily”…
The Detroit Institute of Bagels shut down after staff protested the store’s pro-Israel owner…
Pro-Israel advocacy groups and dual American-Israeli citizens have filed a lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s sanctions regime against Israeli extremists in the West Bank…
Tami Kagan-Abrams was named the next board president of Jewish Family Service Los Angeles, making her the youngest serving board chair in the group’s history…
The New York Times profiles Bari Weiss, the founder of The Free Press who quit the Times in 2022…
Educator and Chabad shlichah (emissary) Miriam Mintz died last week at 30…
Susan Wojcicki, Google’s first marketing manager who went on to become the CEO of YouTube until last year, died on Friday at 56…
Pic of the Day
Athletes for Team Israel pose for a photo during Sunday’s Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France in Paris.
Team Israel athletes won a record seven medals at this year’s games: one gold, five silver and one bronze.
Birthdays
Former member of Knesset from the Yesh Atid party and resident of Kibbutz Beeri, Haim Yellin…
Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist, born György Schwartz, George Soros… Retired Beverly Hills attorney, Sheldon Stanford Ellis… Emmy Award-winning television screenwriter, television producer and author, Gail Parent… Attorney in Ontario, Canada, who served as president of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Lester Scheininger… Co-founder and chairman of the film and television company Beacon Pictures, Barry “Armyan” Bernstein… U.S. diplomat, Karyn Allison Posner-Mullen… Interim operations manager at Houston’s Congregation Emanu El, Fredi Bleeker Franks… Sales manager of Illi Commercial Real Estate in Sherman Oaks, Calif., Stuart Steinberg… Israel’s former ambassador to Uzbekistan, Bulgaria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Albania, Noah Gal Gendler… Founding editor of The Times of Israel, David Horovitz… Award-winning writer and the author of several novels and a novella, Rachel Kadish… Senior rabbi at Brookline, Mass.’ Temple Beth Zion, Claudia Kreiman… Political and diplomatic correspondent for The Times of Israel, Tal Schneider… Chief strategy officer at NYC’s Educational Alliance, Anya Hoerburger… Chief marketing officer at Cross Campus, Jay Chernikoff… Co-founder at Understory, David Fine… CEO and co-founder of Forsight, Ariel Applbaum…
