Let us be honest. During the terrible Holocaust, when European Jewry was systematically destroyed in gas chambers and crematoria, the American Jewish community did not rise to the occasion, and did not acquit itself as a community with the collective consciousness of shared fate, shared suffering and shared action with which it should have been expected to act. We did not properly sense the suffering of the nation, and we did precious little to save our unfortunate brethren.
It is hard to know what we could have accomplished had we been more active. I personally think we could have saved many. No doubt, however, if we had properly felt the pain of our brothers; had we raised our voices and shaken worlds, that Roosevelt issue a sharp warning of protest accompanied by action, we would have been able to significantly slow the process of mass destruction. We witnessed the most horrible tragedy in our history, and we were silent…
Today, the throngs of Nasser and the Mufti have taken their place [that of Amalek and the Nazis]. If we are again silent, I do not know how we will be judged before God. Do not rely on the justice of the “liberal world.” Those pious liberals were alive fifteen years ago and witnessed the destruction of millions of people with equanimity and did not lift a finger. They are liable to observe, God forbid, the repetition of the bloodbath and not lose a night’s sleep...
Let us overcome the foolish fears of dual-loyalty that our enemies have instilled in us. To begin with, it is always impossible to satisfy antisemites, and they will find fault in whatever we do. Second, the matter relates not only to the continued existence of a state, but to the physical salvation of masses of Jews. Is it not our sacred obligation to come to their aid? Is it forbidden for us to seek the security of the Yishuv?
We are being put to the test of Job. We have been given the opportunity to pray, by virtue of deeds and self-sacrifice, for “our friends” (Job 42:10) — and our friend is the Jewish community in the Land of Israel. We must do but one thing: open the door to the beckoning Beloved. [RYBS 1956]
