Comments on: Today, we are all Chabadniks

By: WEVS1

WEVS1 — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:26:32 +0000

Thanks for writing this, CK. I think you have eloquently expressed what a lot of Jews (with the exception of our friend DK) are feeling at this time.

I also want to thank Tom. My wife is Hindu so it is not much of a leap for me to empathize with both groups.

We should also consider the Indian Muslims who were murdered by their co-religionists. After all, not every Indian who was murdered was Hindu.

In times like these it makes me realize India and Israel share more than a bit in common. The experience of struggling against British colonialism, dealing with partition (India-Pakistan and Israel-Palestine), fighting numerous wars with their belligerent neighbors (in India’s case, Pakistan and China), and of course dealing with Islamist terrorism and other forms of political extremism while maintaining a pluralist, democratic state.

My father-in-law told my wife he hopes this brings Israel and India closer together in their shared struggle against Islamist totalitarianism. I do as well.

By: ck

ck — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:53:06 +0000

Yes Tom. You are right. If we were capable of perfect empathy, we would feel as much anguish for all the other victims of all the world’s tragedies. My ability to extend my empathy that far is weakness of mine – compounded by the fact that my people’s history of tragedy already taxes my limited reserves of empathy. I’ll try harder though.

By: Tom Morrissey

Tom Morrissey — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:04:01 +0000

ck, I have no problem at all with your approach. In general, though, it’s perhaps too easy for us to focus on victims with whom (we think) we have more in common, e.g. the father and daughter from VA who were killed. It’s sadly common that cultural gulfs intrude to keep us from empathizing more fully with those who are different. How often do our eyes glaze over when we read about atrocities in eastern Congo, for example, or Sunni-Shiite violence in Iraq? Mine do, certainly.

By: David

David — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:58:24 +0000

I agree that as Jews — and no doubt as Americans — we would have been targeted by the terrorists. I am shocked and am mourning the lives taken and horrified at the news that the Holtzbergs and perhaps other Jews were singled out for torture.

But I won’t slip into sentimentality. We are all Jews, yes. I am not a Chabadnik.

By: We’re all haredim now — The Kvetcher

We’re all haredim now — The Kvetcher — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:01:19 +0000

[...] today, we are all [...]

By: Netsach Shebe Netsach

Netsach Shebe Netsach — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 21:56:16 +0000

Chazak u barach CK

Your well put words are a brachah for Shlaymut
in our diverse community.

I would like to call myself a Chabadnik,
however, when I see myself in the mirror, I ask

“When will my acts measure up to those most
brave amongst us who have done such awesomeness?”

People who have heriocally done great things and not just talked….

because all I see in the mirror is someone who can barely put on
teffilin and doven let alone make it to a minyan…

Not even talking about making a minyan or going to some
far off place to do so…

Not every Chabadnik can measure up to this standard.

So you touched on upon something here that perhaps
I didn’t realize.

The only possible explanation for why heroes such as
Rabbi Gavi and Rabbineet Rivky do and have done
what they do is this:

As much as we all have appreciated the Chabad House
scene, the Rabbi and Rebaneet have got more Nachat
from the company under their care.

Unless there is something I am missing….

By: Yael

Yael — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:01:51 +0000

Very sad.

Well written ck.

By: Tiff

Tiff — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:06:16 +0000

so sad…

By: xisnotx

xisnotx — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:33:29 +0000

Note that the surviving terrorist says they were specifically targeting Israelis:

haaretz.com/ha...

they can be specifically targeted, but not specifically mourned?

By: ck

ck — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 13:31:30 +0000

Tom, I have no problem feeling empathy for the Indian victims – I mean other than the grief and the sorrow that I feel for the innocent lives that were taken for no good reason at all. But feeling further empathy for the deaths of our fellow Jews at the Chabad House in Mumbai is not an either/or proposition. One does not cancel out the other even though the Chabad tragedy hit particularly close to home. I was duly horrified before I knew any Jews were victimized. But please, allow me this little caprice, allow me to mourn my people without calling into question my sense of universal humanity. Just for now ok? Thanks…

By: Meshi » Appel aux dons pour la reconstruction du Bet Habad de Mumbay

Meshi » Appel aux dons pour la reconstruction du Bet Habad de Mumbay — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 11:01:22 +0000

[...] comme l’était la tente du premier de nos patriarches, Avraham… Comme le dit CK sur jewlicious.com, nous sommes tous des [...]

By: Tom Morrissey

Tom Morrissey — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 10:36:30 +0000

Perhaps the greater, more fruitful challenge is to see ourselves as Indians and as Hindus.

By: xisnotx

xisnotx — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:29:19 +0000

nicely put ck. today we’re all chabadniks.

By: Ben-David

Ben-David — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 21:42:48 +0000

Solidarity is the only fitting response.

And yes, a little anger. May G-d (give us the strength to) avenge their blood.

As a more cynical/pessimistic Tribe member, I latched on to the earlier reports by the babysitter that the other hostages were “unconscious” when she fled.

Now they have released her full statement – it looks like they slaughtered the Jews as soon as they took over the building. And Rabbi Gavriel’s last action was to cover the other Jews in talitot.