By Sari Mishell
When Rabbi Susan Silverman walked into the room to speak with our cohort, I knew two things about her. One, that she is (famed comedian) Sarah Silverman’s sister. And two, that she is a vocal advocate for Women of the Wall. During the learning we did with her, I came to appreciate many levels of the activism work that she does, all rooted in deep Jewish conviction.
There was something very familiar and foreign about Rabbi Silverman at the same time. She had the American demeanor that I grew up around; but she also had a Sabra attitude about her that intrigued all of us.
After introductions and telling her story of how she came to Israel, Rabbi Silverman began, in no soft terms, to express her feelings about the current refugee crisis and how Reform Judaism approaches it. It was very refreshing to hear an adult be so forthright with us, and so, so Israeli in the way she did not hold back from expressing her position.
To Rabbi Silverman, Reform Judaism is about social justice and our place as Jews to pursue Tikkun Olam. She explained that, as a citizen of Israel, social justice issues are tantamount. Rabbi Silverman brought in Talmudic texts to demonstrate that the refugee crisis facing Israel is, in fact, a Jewish issue—her issue, as a Jew living in Israel. Rabbi Silverman presented all this while adding sharp quips and humor that surely runs in her family.
As a millennial Jewish girl on a college campus, I raised my hand to ask a question that has been burning me since BDS came to my campus this time last year.
I asked about her relationship with the American progressive community, which has been notorious for excluding Jews due to the “Israel issue.”
Her answer was so poignant and so simple at the same time. Rabbi Silverman looked at me square in the face and said, “That issue has been killing me. When talking to these communities about Israel, just ask ‘Is Israel the only evil country in the world?’ and see what they say.” Her ability to answer my question so strongly and so sharply struck me most about Rabbi Silverman.
