Prayers and deeds

In the old joke, the rabbi exhorts his congregants in times of crisis: “Yidn, don’t wait for a miracle. Start saying Psalms!”

It’s a joke about prayer, but it’s also a joke about helplessness and the way we all feel when events seem beyond our control. No doubt, many of us do feel compelled to pray, and in the past two weeks we recited the formulas, ancient and modern, traditional and improvised, that express our thoughts for the people of Israel. These include prayers for the safety of Israel’s soldiers, for the wisdom of its leaders, for the vanquishing of its enemies, and for the safety of the innocent, on all sides.

But ours is a tradition of prayer and deed, and we also pursued the concrete actions that could help Israelis cope with the latest spasms of violence and the upheavals across the country. Some are taking their support to the streets; others are writing lawmakers and opinion makers and expressing Israel’s right to defend itself; still others are planning to visit Israel in a gesture of solidarity.

And none of us can overlook the toll in Israel itself. Children and families are being relocated from the war zone in the north to safe communities and camping programs elsewhere in the country. Agencies are offering trauma counseling for the grief-stricken. Social service providers of all types are feeling the strain on their services to the elderly, people with disabilities, and recent immigrants.

Jewish organizations of all kinds are mobilizing around the crisis. Locally, Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey has established an Israel Crisis Fund to meet these needs, and more. Contributions can be made on-line or by writing to Israel Crisis Fund, Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey, 1391 Martine Ave., Scotch Plains, NJ 07076. Checks should be made payable to the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey. Donors should write Israel Crisis Relief on the memo line of the check.

Don’t wait for a miracle. Start praying, and open your hearts and wallets to the people of Israel.