Reply to Mark Gold

Submitted by Seamus MacNemi (United States), Oct 18, 2007 at 15:38

Your points are well made sir and your words force me to reflect upon my own situation. While I am not Halachicly Jewish still I consider myself as a Jew in spirit. This may seem absurd to some folk but to me it is real and an important part of my life. I lived in Israel for six years and served briefly in the Israeli Army as a reservist during the Yom Kippur war. I would gladly do so again if I were a younger man. That I do not live in Israel now is the result of unfortunate family circumstance. I am the oldest in my family and I have the prime responsibility to care for my aging mother. I could not do that and live in Israel.

I often find myself reflecting upon the words of Tevia in Fiddler On The Roof : "If only I was Rothschildf".But that is merely idle dreaming and perforce I must think practically if I am to fulfil my familial responsibilities. I do not have a lot of money to play around with. Who ever conjured up the image of the rich American was not thinking of me. Much of what I have done in my life was for little or no material gain but those things were those which had to be done and I was the only one about who could do them. You don't always get paid to do a mitzva and when it comes to mitzvot money should not be an issue.

So, what can I do to suport Israel? As I have said, I have limited material resource but I can speak and I can write and if by my words I can make a positive contribution I am more than willing to do so. But who is interested in my contribution? After all, what are mere words? " Though I speak my words as a whisper they shall ring like a great gong across the heavens and all that is not truth shall be swept away."

I am my mothers son

a child of hope concieved amidst the chaos and confusion of war

Tyrants I have known from afar

their deeds I have witnessed first hand

and by my speaking I have brought them to ruin and desolation.

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