“Who By Fire?” for This Year
The Shalom Center believes it is important that a wide spectrum of ideas are available to the Jewish and allied communities in the ferment of present debate and discussion on the future of Judaism and the Jewish people. That is likely to include ideas that do not accord with those held by The Shalom Center as a body. "Prophetic Voices" will be the platform for presenting a spectrum of such ideas to the world. The forum will be edited by Rabbi Arthur Waskow with this goal in mind. Calls for specific actions with a date, place, etc., will be published only if the Call fits into The Shalom Center policy about such actions.
“Who By Fire?” for This Year
By Rabbi Elisheva Salamo
Rabbi Elisheva Salamo is the first resident rabbi in York, UK, in over 700 years. She writes us that “I've walked over the graves of my predecessors in awe and grief; you know our history.” (All Jews were expelled from England and their property confiscated by King Edward I in 1290.) We suggest reading this prayer/poem along with “Who Shall Live” in the High Holy Days liturgy.
– AW. ed
And who by fire, who by gunshot
Who in their own blood, who in other's
Who by assault weapon, who with torture
Who at a merry merry festival
Who through injury to the skull
And who shall I say is calling?
And who in her dressing gown, who by his mother's side
Who in these realms of hate, who by running late
Who by violence, who after many months
Who while defending, who for their revenge
And who shall I say is calling?
And who by fearsome rape, who by the hands of fate
Who in solitude, who in this mirror
Who took his father's hand, who heard the sharp command
Who in horrid pain, who out of power
And who shall I say is calling?
We also recommend reading Gen. 25: 7-11, from the Torah Scroll, with Targum-like English translation by Everett Fox, on Yom Kippur. That is the story of reconciliation between the estranged brothers Ishmael and Isaac when they came together to bury Abraham their father. That story fulfills and transforms the two Rosh Hashah stories of hostility, and could inspire us to reconciliation today.
— AW, ed.