Free Palestine Rally

I was able to get out today both to get groceries (on foot) and to photograph Portland’s first rally for Palestinian Rights since the escalation that started Saturday. So much has been written about that, I’ll say no more. 

My friend Ned Rosch (he gave me permission to use his name) was there (first Extra). Ned has an essay in a book called Stories of Personal Transformation: Reclaiming Judaism from Zionism (Olive Branch Press, 2019). In it he says, “Taking a moral stand kindles the fire in our hearts and ignites others’ hearts, and in the process, our world grows brighter” (258). I love that because we all know that getting out into the streets does nothing to change our governments and their laws. But it does build community. I like Ned’s thought that the world grows brighter from it.

It was a young crowd, except for us old die-hards. I knew by name every gray-haired person there, which was easy since there were probably only fifteen of us in a crowd of about 400-1000 according to various estimates (see youths in second extra).

Addendum: On second thought I decided to offer more of what Ned has to say, because it's pertinent. Ned attended Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and while in school he spent time in Gaza as a health delegate. He saw the conditions first hand, 40 years ago, and he has maintained relationships with people he loves both in Israel and in Palestine. 

Ned writes: "Perhaps the redeeming part of this whole tragedy is how we stand up, fight, and struggle for justice for the Palestinian people; in doing so, we create new and more deeply meaningful connections to ourselves and our own roots as justice-loving Jewish people and others of good will.

"It's about understanding that Israel grew at the expense of a shrinking Palestine. It's about doing the right thing, and radically untangling Zionism from our beloved Judaism.... It's about actively speaking out and reclaiming the deepest parts of our identity as the battle around us--and in us--rages, because there are people in the way and many are getting hurt, and if some day someone should ask you not "Why were you not Moses?" but "Why were you not you?" we will proudly say, together with millions around the world, we were privileged to play our part in an important and pivotal struggle for justice" (258). That was published in 2019.