Crisis in the Holy Land: In the Media

Israeli physicist and historian Zeev Rav-Noy preceded his Sunday lecture on the history of Israel with the announcement that he had received news of a tragic personal loss. His nephew had been one of five soldiers killed Saturday when a Hezbollah missile destroyed an Israeli helicopter in Lebanon. "We live in a dangerous neighborhood. People are trying to kill us," he said to one questioner. "Our most important ally is justice. And even with all our troubles we've had, Israel loves justice because it is on our side."

Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel lives by the motto that “labels are for shirts and not for people.” “The greatest challenge today, especially with American youth, is simply the myths and confusion that strongly exist,” Tiechtel said. “It is simple confusion of people on the role of Israel today.” “We are told in the Jewish religion that the greatest weapon to combat darkness is light,” Teichtel said. “In this situation the best we can do is good deeds and educate our brothers.”

"We have teamed up with an organization in Israel that offers food and shelter for families forced to move out of northern Israel," said Rabbi Choni Marozov of Chabad of SCV. "They provide financial and emotional help." The nearly $6,000 donated by Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valley Chabad congregants in the past two weeks is earmarked for the Colel Chabad emergency relief fund in Israel.

In a show of solidarity with Israel, a young Chabad couple at Princeton University has sparked a Jewish unity initiative they hope will catch fire on campuses across North America and around the world. When the scroll is completed, it will be sent to an academic institution in Israel as “a tangible expression of our solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land.”

Rabbi Chaim Kaplan says he will never forget the day that Hezbollah began barraging Israel with Katyusha rockets. “I got my life back, but I didn’t get it back just for myself. I got it back to help others,” he reflects. And so, Rabbi Kaplan has spent much of the past four weeks praying with soldiers on the Lebanese border, providing comfort to Israelis in bomb shelters and supporting the war effort in any way he can. “The only way we will win this war is if the whole Jewish world pulls together.”

Rabbi Gersh-Meir Burshtein remains skeptical about the possibility of anti-Semitism. Burshtein, who heads a Chabad-sponsored community center, school and synagogue, rejects the idea that the Hezbollah-Israel conflict will cause a spike in anti-Semitic sentiment in Armenia. He said he has walked the streets of Yerevan in Chasidic garb for more than 10 years without confronting bigotry.

Rabbi Schmuel Fuss, a Hasidic rabbi in Riverside, said the Chabad Jewish Community Center is encouraging donations to support Chabad soup kitchens in Israel. "Chabad has expanded soup kitchens to people in shelters," he said. "Many of our volunteers have been hit by shrapnel or injured driving around. It's absolute self-sacrifice to drive around these cities in northern Israel. ... War is not good for anybody."

Jewish students across the country and across the world. The national Jewish student organization Chabad on Campus is compiling a "Unity Torah" to be sent to Israel. "This is a very tangible way to show support," said Rabbi Nosson Meretsky, director of Chabad at Penn State. "Each student contributes a dollar, and it shows that we are all one family. The completion of the project really shows support and it makes a very powerful and important statement," he said.

"We wanted to do something for Israel," said Sarah Cunin, educational director at Chabad, where nine children, ages 2 to 9, gathered Thursday. "We discussed in prayer how every good deed has a positive reaction globally." "We just want to bring a smile to the soldiers' faces, so they know that the Jews who don't live in Israel still think about them and appreciate them," said Orian's mother, Estee Raviv.

“We are gathered here today to offer peaceful ammunition in support of Israel and Jews everywhere through our prayers, charity and Torah study,” announced Rabbi Goldstein to the standing-room-only crowd of Israeli flag-wavers, day campers and attentive children. “And it is here that we pray especially for a peaceful resolution, and mourn the unnecessary loss of life, on both sides of the conflict.”

Chabad have printed a million copies of Psalms, which were being distributed to residents and IDF soldiers in the North, it was reported on Tuesday. "During our activities in the North we discovered there was a huge demand for psalms," said Habad spokesman Rabbi Menahem Brod.

College students around the world are sponsoring the writing of a Torah scroll to show solidarity with Israel. Students are purchasing letters of a 304,805-letter scroll that will be sent to an academic institution in Israel upon its completion by a scribe in November. The effort is part of Chabad on Campus’ Unity Torah campaign.

A standing-room-only crowd packed home of Chabad Lubavitch of Utah to pray for peace in the Middle East. "Judaism teaches us . . . there's a time for everything," Rabbi Benny Zippel said. "A time for joy, and a time for tears... Tonight, it is a time for prayer." The people came to show solidarity with Israel in its battle against Hezbollah. They also prayed for the innocent lives lost in southern Lebanon.

Michal Finkelstein , a lecturer at Bar-Ilan University's Sefat affiliate in northern Israel, said this sense of solidarity, of people feeling they are not alone, is an important ingredient for overcoming trauma. The Habad movement of Orthodox Jews is delivering truckloads of sandwiches and children's games daily across the north -- except on Shabbat.

Two young women counselors at Camp Gan Israel in Portland are living on tenterhooks, uncertain about the fate of their homes and friends and loved ones in Israel. Chaya Ceiitlin and Devora Neeman both make their home with their families in Tsfat, Israel, which has come under fire by Hezbolla rockets in the ongoing fighting between the Islamic terrorist organization and Israel. "Everyone can do something," she said. "Pray or do mitzvoth to bring positive light to the world."

Children at Camp Gan Israel spent the past week decorating cards and preparing care packages for soldiers in Israel. “It feels really nice to be doing something for the soldiers who are helping the land of Israel,” said Joshua Nathan, 8, of Circleville, as he placed chocolate bars and a prayer for protection into his package. His card read: “Dear Soldier, Thanks for protecting the land of Israel. We care about you here in America! Love, Joshua.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews leave an Israeli mobile artillery unit after visiting soldiers in the northern village of Fassuta, near the Lebanese border.

This should be a peak season for the parks and guesthouses in northern Israel. But instead of hikers and picnickers, the parks are being used as temporary military staging grounds. Rabbi Hertzl from the Habad arrived in a van at one such camp to distribute tefillin (prayer paraphernalia) and cakes. He said he wanted to encourage the troops who have not yet seen the fighting. "We came to lift up the spirits [of the soldiers]," said Hertzl. "The spirit is high anyway. It's serious."

Chavi Mangel, the daughter of Rabbi Yisroel Mangel with the Chabad Jewish Center, traveled to Israel as part of a six-week educational tour of the country. Mangel said visitors to the Chabad Center do not see the battle as someone else's concern. "It's wondering what we in Cincinnati can do to help," he said. "We want to show them they are not alone." He said this is accomplished through prayer and positive deeds.

Rabbi Yossi Lew, associate rabbi of Chabad’s Congregation Beth Tefillah in Atlanta, said prayer has been an important part of his shul’s response to the situation. He also has directed congregants to the Bible for historical insight into Israel’s enemies. “It’s about time we stand up to the word that doesn’t care about Jewish blood, and we declare that Jewish blood is not free. Jewish blood must be defended,” he said.