Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Binghamton September 30-October 6, 2016 Volume XLV, Number 40 BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK ah Tovah Tik han atev L’S u 5777 Page 2 - The Reporter September 30-October 6, 2016 Opinion As an African Israeli, I find claims of state racism against Falash Mura outrageous By Shimon Mercer-Wood its miraculous salvation. He went on to convert to Judaism, by such groups to convert Ethiopian Jews to Christianity. (JTA) – “We are committed to helping ensure that the join the Israeli army and make Israel his one and only home. One can criticize these voices for holding the many state of Israel welcomes Jews of all colors.” Always having been proud of my African heritage and responsible for actions of the few and for bearing long- “We say, we have black lives that matter in Africa.” lineage, I was incensed by the assumption implicit in the standing grudges. Indeed, it is to the great credit of the “In America, race has been a central area of Jewish racial tenor of this campaign: “If it involves Africans, it’s Israeli government that it decided to allow immigration concern historically.” probably about race. Race is, after all, the essential, defining from Gondar and Addis despite the accusations. But the These are all statements that have been made in the property of Africans, isn’t it?” objections of Ethiopian Israelis belie the notion that the course of a well-orchestrated public relations campaign The racial framing of their supporters’ campaign is not question at hand is one of white versus black. to hasten the implementation of an Israeli government only in language, but in argument. Advocates have claimed To continue portraying the issue as one of race is symp- decision, reached in 2105, allowing the immigration of that Israel is applying a standard to black Africans that it tomatic of a difficulty to see Africans outside the prism a number of Ethiopian citizens. These Ethiopians claim did not apply to Europeans who were welcomed as olim of skin color. In the year-and-a-half since I came to the Jewish lineage as Falash Mura, descendants of converts even when questions arose about their Jewish lineage. This United States, for every day of which I am truly grateful, I to Christianity, and family ties to Ethiopian Jews. is simply and factually false. The one and only criterion for have encountered this attitude on numerous occasions, an While the Israeli Cabinet decided that members of the making aliyah, which in Israel is a legally binding term, is experience not always pleasant. At so many dinner tables, community be brought to Israel and recently sent a senior the Law of Return. It speaks not of being a Jew according speaking engagements and social gatherings, I have been official to Ethiopia to begin implementing that decision, to halachah, or rabbinic law, but of having been born to a met with incredulous stares and blinking eyes. advocates for the community protest that the process has Jewish grandparent. The law has always applied and will “Aren’t you going to talk about your ‘background’?” been delayed. always apply equally and unwaveringly to any human the question rings time and again. As the statements cited above clearly show, the cam- being – of any race and of any persuasion. For some in the U.S., there is something inherently paign has become steeped in the language of the struggle The fact that the government of Israel has had to make, puzzling about an African Jew discussing, say, Middle against racism. The dog-whistle message of this language and is in the process of implementing, a special ad hoc Eastern geopolitics and not making any reference to race is unmistakable: “Israel is delaying the implementation of humanitarian decision to facilitate the immigration of relations. Again, it is assumed, if there is an African in- this decision because the people in question are black. Had these communities in the first place is precisely because volved, it must somehow relate to race. they been white, they would have long been living in Israel.” the Africans were found not to meet the criteria for aliyah To be clear, I am not ascribing this attitude to straight- In remarks to journalists and community leaders, one of the set out in the Law of Return. Nonetheless, in view of the forward racism. More often than not, the positions artic- leaders of the campaign, Dr. David Elcott, left the unequivocal hardships they face and on account of family ties to Jews ulated toward me qua “racial issues” are supportive and impression that the question is one of racial discrimination. in Israel, the Israeli government unanimously decided to sympathetic. But that does not make any less alienating the I also met with Dr. Elcott, who presented his initiative as facilitate the naturalization of people from these commu- perception that everything I do, everything I am involved in an heir to the civil rights movement. I was consumed with nities and even grant them full benefits as olim. and everything that concerns me must somehow be in the anger, literally unable to sleep for several days. I was surprised This demonstrates that Israel is not less sensitive to the context of race. Even in the case of the current campaign by the intensity of my emotional reaction. After all, having community in Ethiopia, but in fact more sensitive to their for those claiming to be Falash Mura, one of its advocates, represented Israel in diplomatic missions across the world plight than to that of any other such group in the world. while trying to exhort me to come on board, quoted from for more than 10 years, I had already become accustomed Once this fact is obfuscated, the spotlight turns naturally the Book of Esther, saying “maybe this is the moment for to hearing many such calumnies against the Jewish state. and unjustly to the question of race. which you got to where you are.” So why was I so enraged by this one? Moreover, in the public debate in Israel over the Falash Really? I thought to myself. The culmination of my diplo- It eventually dawned on me that I was outraged not as Mura and their relations, the staunchest voices against their matic career necessarily predicated on the color of my skin? an Israeli, but as an African. My own father came to Israel immigration were often those of Ethiopian Jews. They com- The desire of American Jews to see the implementation from Africa with the Ghana Embassy in 1965, at the height plained that Ethiopian Christians, who had come to Israel by of a humane and compassionate decision by the govern- of the “love affair” being rekindled today between the claiming Jewish lineage, had no intention of identifying as ment of Israel is a noble one. Their campaign is welcome Jewish state and the African continent. On the eve of the Jews and were even continuing to use the same antisemitic and praiseworthy. Jews in America are and must always Six-Day War of 1967, my father threw in his lot with the slurs against the Ethiopian Jews – “Falasha” and “Buda’” – see themselves as stakeholders in the Jewish state and embattled Jewish nation and was subsequently witness to as they had done in Ethiopia. Some even reported attempts See “Claims” on page 10 In My Own Words Here we go again RABBI RACHEL ESSERMAN, EXECUTIVE EDITOR Ever feel like a broken record? That’s my reaction to neath their statements is an emotion that is never mentioned and, while we’re asking for blessings, enough food to eat my preparation for the High Holidays this September. It in the text: fear. If bad things can happen to someone as and a safe place to live. feels as if I deal with the same issues every year: I need to good as Job, then what is to prevent those things happen- None of this is guaranteed no matter how much money we be more patient, I need to reduce my stress level, I need ing to them? If there is no true justice, then they, too, may have and no matter where we live. This theme – the precar- to find more time for [fill in the blank here with about 12 be punished for no reason. Their world now becomes a iousness of life – is difficult to face. While some people will different things], I need to.... Well, I think you get the idea. dangerous and precarious place. To acknowledge Job’s live through the year, others won’t make it to the next High Then I remind myself that this is actually the reason we fate as unfair means looking over their own shoulders – Holidays. Some will have enough money to waste on frivolities, observe these holidays: we need time to pause and look waiting for, and worrying about, the troubles that may be while others won’t have enough to feed their family, even if at our lives. The fact that the Torah makes us observe coming their way. they are working two jobs. Even worse, those conditions can them every year means that it recognizes we humans are Fear is an extremely powerful emotion. It leads us to change in one quick moment. So much is out of our control. not perfect. This time for self-correction is built into the accuse victims of deserving their fate: The person mugged But not acknowledging our fears is the way to discord. system, something I find wonderful. shouldn’t have been in that part of town or dressed the way And acting on our fears – of those who are different from Studying the book of Job at the Saturday adult education they were or acting in a [fill in the blank] way, so it’s sort us in some way – is not the answer.