Questions learned during the 9 Days

Every year, the sad period of the Nine Days culminating with the Tisha B'Av, are an occasion for bringing back more humility and restraint and a reconsideration of all the things that I might think there matters but in fact are not that important as I thought. In the last ten years, after the death of my mother on Tisha B'Av, the event is an even straight invitation to more reflection. Years ago, on a Tisha B'Av, I realized how much I want to learn more about Torah and decided to be part of an intensive program of learning that I keep following till today.

But I will not talk about my mother now, but about what I decided to think more about in the last weeks. For happy health reasons, this year I did not fast, but tried to limit as much as possible my eating activities and did not prepare something special during the day. The focus of the nine days this time was how we, as Jews, we can be wise enough to realise that fighting against each other, although both parts may have right, is toxic for our soul. How money and prestige and other vane promises can be put aside when it comes to the understanding and respect of our fellow Jews. Destroying - including a Temple - is so easy, no matter how many years were spent for the complicated building process. 

Can we be better person with the others? Can our leaders have more vision and see the risks of disunity before they decide to be part of a conflictual situation? Can we think twice before accusing or judging someone? Can we dare to give the advice and share our opinion when we feel that something to be decided can endanger our Jewish unity?

These are the questions that will need a long answer and more consideration in the next months. For now, the time of mourning is over and it is time to enjoy the rest of the summer and get ready for the hagim season, with its mysteries and secrets of the New Year that it is about to start soon!

Romanians and Holocaust denial

Some goods legal news from a country that I had the occasion to know quite well, specifically as a Jew: Romania has now a law punishing Holocaust denial and the promotion of new and old far right movement to up to 3 years. The same prison length can be assigned for the promotion of fascist, racist or xenophobic symbols and for the promotion of people guilty of crimes against humanity.

When we place Romania - where over 200,000 Jews (the correct number is still subject of debate) were killed during WWII - in the context of other countries from the area, such as Hungary, many zealous nationalists will run to outline how generous and welcoming (hospitality being part of the positive repertoire of descriptions the locals like to be associated with) where the Romanians with their fellow Jews. Indeed, there are no far-right parties in power - although shortly after the fall of communism, most parties in power accepted to get some pints of nationalist - often with anti-Semitic accents - infusions in what they called their political programmes and there are not registered frequent incidents directed against minorities. Jews were able to escape from the Northern or Eastern part to Bucharest during the war - in exchange of a heavy price paid to the authorities, and during the years of exacerbated nationalism of Ceaucescu, they were also allowed to make aliyah, in exchange of increasing amount of money paid by the State of Israel. As for the humiliation and suffering those accepted to leave the country went through, maybe on another occasion.

Anti-semitism is often promoted officially through the writings and cultural references promoted by the predominant Orthodox Church and its representatives. Many of them are openly supporting the Legionnaire Movement, a populist nationalist anti-Semitic movement in vogue in the 1920s in Romania and frequently embraced by many notorious local intellectuals. Will anyone dare to indict to prison representatives of this church whose favours are always asked by politicians of all colours?

The intellectual resources of the Legionnaires were part of the daily post-communist intellectual references. Although not openly assumed, the roots and system of values were there, part of a larger effort to reconnect the present to an illusory past. Children were encouraged to read the 'forbidden' authors without a critical apparatus, very often ending up believing the values preached. Which values were very often imbued with anti-Semitism and racism.

It is a lot to be said about the nationalist values of the Romanian 'elites', especially among state representatives, academic establishment and various notorious institutions. Will this law punish severly any of them? When I will read about the first such indictment, I will realy feel that justice is made for those killed physically and also for those that for years suffered the nationalist harassment for years. Let's hope for the good!