The Commentator

Last Monday, October 29, in over 90 locations across the globe thousands attended mass demonstrations, organized by the World Zionist Organization to demand the release of the three kidnapped Israeli solders, Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, who were taken captive by Hizzbala and Hamas.  

The largest rally was held at the United Nations.

As I made my way to 186th street to board the bus for the UN I expected to see a mass of YU students, rabbis and faculty. To my amazement, there were only 22 students standing there waiting to fight for a worthy cause.  With five empty buses sent away, the 22 of us boarded the lone bus headed for the UN.

In addition, not one member of the faculty or administration was in attendance.  This may have been due to the fact of poor publicity for the rally or for a variety of other reasons.  Yet, I was saddened by the fact that from such a large Jewish University that stands for its commitment to Jewish people and the state of Israel, a University that has had on going support and has helped the Jewish community, could just ignore an international effort to encouraged support for the release of our solders.

As the bus made its way downtown, all this sat very heavy on my heart and I took it very personally.  I was happy to see that Stern College had sent some students, but it was difficult to ignore the absence of so many of my fellow Wilf Campus students.

Apparently, as it was explained to me, many feel that the mere fact they were not born in Israel absolves them of their obligation to fight for Israel and the Jewish people. I could not disagree more.  There is a moral obligation to fight for what is right and while I don’t not expect everyone to enlist in the IDF like every Israeli at the age of 18 must do, we should attend to rallies to show our support.

Eldad, Ehud and Gilad were fighting for all of the Jewish people and it is the least that could be expected of us to show up for a rally and help aid efforts for their return.

Also, I understand the importance of having the beit midrash full at all time and the importance of ongoing Torah learning at our Yeshiva.  But, sometimes we must practice what we preach.  It does not take much to take a few hours away from Torah study to perform the mitzvah of pidyon shevuyim (redemption of captives).

It is important to understand the significance of our actions like the generation before us did when they contributed to the release of Soviet Jewry.  In the future there will be a calling for us to go together, as a Yeshiva, to demonstrate how important it is to act in concert with our mantra: kol Yisrael areivim zeh le-zeh.

Eitan Nidam is a sophomore in Sy Syms School of Business

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