Why Now?

Why Now?

I wasn’t alive to read the news of crematoria constructed to burn Jewish bodies in Europe during the Shoah. I wasn’t alive to witness the palpable dread and concern the world must have felt as news washed upon the shores of this land of freedom and security.  I wasn’t alive to urge our leaders to act swiftly or to pray for the safety of those whose lives were in mortal danger.

If I was alive then, I would have been screaming for justice.

Sure, it is different today. The 24 hour news cycle washes away some horrifying discovery for another perceived or manufactured crisis. We live in a world where information is shared more to provoke interest than to inspire action. Screams are beaten into murmurs.

This week, the news of crematoria built in Syria has come crashing upon our shores.  The violence in that region continues to plumb new depths, and our concern for action is mired in dizzying political maneuvers. Like a torrential storm of endless waves crashing upon the sand, wave after wave, there is indeed an abiding sense that the embattled and war torn landscape of Syria is fully out of control.

Now is a time to act.

In 2004, Rabbi Schulweis and Janice Kaminer-Reznik inaugurated the Jewish World Watch in response to the enduring violence afflicting the Sudanese people. This week the JWW issued this alert, and urged us to take action to this news regarding the crematorium in the Saydnaya prison camp in Syria. [http://www.jewishworldwatch.org/blog/echoes-holocaust-syria/]

Go to the web page, make your voice heard by simply completing the form to amplify your concern with thousands of petitions to urge our leaders for swift intervention and resolution.  We must do our part to stop atrocities there so our collective shouts are matched with global human responsibility.

And, you can donate desperately needed funds to help Syrians fleeing the violence in their homeland to organizations that support their relief. The Jewish World Watch collects monies to send to Syrians in Greece and provide basic humanitarian needs for them.  Those donations can be sent directly to Jewish World Watch.  [http://www.jww.org/give/]

I’m sure you too are stunned by the scrolling comments that flood the articles. Words like “Never Again” flash upon the screen and sadly disappear.  This moment and too many others have happened again, and again and again.

More than a new slogan, we need to take responsibility. These people suffering are not my family, or my community, or my countrymen. These are human lives and as a Jew the dignity of human life is my concern. Acting now confirms your commitment to preserving and protecting this dignity wherever the need is found.  Sign the petition, make a donation. Get involved today.