Dana Buhl, Director of Social Justice

The war in Israel and Palestine is personal to many in our circles. Family and loved ones killed, displaced, taken hostage, or living in terror are especially in the minds and nervous systems of people in the Jewish and Palestinian diasporas, including Unitarian Universalists from these communities. Though I do not have Jewish or Arab identity, I do have friends whose family members are directly affected by the recent atrocities of Hamas’s terror attack on Israel and that nation’s immediate and broadscale violent response, both acts arising from generations of trauma and oppression.

The pain and loss isn’t isolated to the Middle East. Some friends tell me that they fear the fractures in their own communities and many fear the very real threat of anti-Jewish and/or Islamaphobic attacks here in the U.S.

None of us think well when we feel unsafe. War and violence trick us into believing that there is one side that must “win” and that our safety means being on the side of the “winners.” War obliterates the nuances, throws us into fear and anger, and pulls us away from our fundamental values. It can lure us to forget that every person is sacred and that all communities deserve to be safe, to be free, to be whole.

So what is the antidote in these perilous times? How do we stay grounded in the present moment, connected to our humanity, to one another, and take action that helps build peace? I offer some ideas that guide me.

Love and Listen: Stay close and connected to people, especially those directly impacted by the regional violence and by Antisemitic or Islamophobic hate. Offer loved ones a compassionate ear to release charged feelings which may mean they cry, shake, yawn, or seemingly ramble through confusion. Don’t expect them to have the answer or know the “right” way forward. Don’t make assumptions about why they feel the way they feel or hold the positions they do. 

Listening with love and grace can create a non-threatening space for someone in distress to drain pent-up stress, build trust, and think more clearly. And tend to your own heart by asking trusted loved ones to listen to you without trying to solve your feelings. Reverends Alison and Tom created such an opportunity last Sunday with the “Space for Lamentation and Community” where fifty or so congregants shared their feelings about the escalating violence. Listening with compassion and presence has a tangible impact on those we love and on our own hearts.

Learn: Seek news and information from a variety of perspectives that illuminate the history and lived experience of Jews and Arabs in Israel, Palestine and the diasporas.  In your pursuit of information, resist generalizations about people and interrupt attempts to do so by others. Find voices and narratives especially of those who have been working for peace and liberation, holding the fundamental rights of all people to be safe, to have self-determination, to thrive.

One such example was last Sunday when I attended the Jerusalem Youth Chorus (JYC) online event, Voices of Peace in Times of War. JYC is “an Israeli-Palestinian music and dialogue project that provides a space for young people from East and West Jerusalem to grow together in song and dialogue since 2012.” JYC was meant to be in the United States on Sunday, but given the outbreak of war, was unable to travel. They pivoted to a two-hour live Zoom event in which we got to hear directly from Jews and Arab Israelis, current and alumni chorus members. Musical notables Yo-Yo Ma, Ziggy Marley, Melanie DeMore, and the Jewish/Arab rap duo DUGRI participated. PBS Newshour did a short story on the event. (I would have included the link for the whole event that was sent to those of us who registered, but the organizers asked that we not share the link publicly to protect the chorus members.)  

The event was a tangible example of how dialogue, music and art shared between those closest to the conflict can create understanding, relationship and avenues for peace. JYC is committed to uplifting their shared humanity. The courageous vulnerability of young people navigating political realities that would have them divided offers a glimpse of another way.

Lean into our UU Values to engage. I continue to contact my representatives. I urge the U.S. to de-escalate violence and support the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund’s call for a protected humanitarian relief corridor and unrestricted access of medical personnel to provide care in hospitals in Gaza. I am compelled by the voices of Palestinian and Jewish peace activists who uplift the dignity of all people and understand that escalating war does not increase the safety or security of anyone. I lean into my UU values that believe each human is sacred, that resist oppression, that support human rights, and that hold governments accountable to those standards. Look for action statements in today’s and upcoming e-news posts from UUs for Justice in the Middle East (UUJME).

Love and Listen, Learn and Lean in, Again and Again: As more lives are taken and threatened with this and other wars, may we let ourselves and our beloveds feel and discharge emotion, deepen our connections grounded in love and trust, seek information that helps us take action rooted in our values, and stay connected to our shared humanity. Rest and repeat.