Leah Veffer of Efrat was shocked at U.S. Jews’ indifference to Obama’s AIPAC speech calling on Israel to return to 1949 Armistice lines. So she wrote a poem.
Veffer made aliyah to Israel from Denver, Colorado, in 2006. Since then she has lived in the Zayit neighborhood in Efrat, in the Etzion Bloc. She keeps in touch with friends and family in the United States through Facebook, among other means.
After the speech, she noticed that all of her Israeli friends wrote Facebook “status” messages against Obama, or against the United States. She saw no such reaction among her U.S.-based friends, however.
“None of my [U.S.] Facebook friends said anything about Obama’s speech,” she explained, “while here in Israel we were all extremely worked up over it. I could not understand how they do not react, do not try to defend us, the State of Israel.”
“I started to feel that in the U.S., it is not considered cool to defend Israel. No celebrity stood up for Israel, except for a few Christians. No Jewish American leader made his voice heard.”
That was when Veffer decided that the least she could do was to speak to the hearts of American Jews, in the form of a poem. Daniel Sass, also an Efrat resident, saw the poem and prepared a simple clip that uses the Kotel as background.
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To the Jews of America
It’s strange that with our bleeding hearts,
Jews seem to always lend a hand,
but somehow in Israel’s time of need,
quite a few won’t take a stand.
I’m not asking you to say that Palestinians are evil,
Just that your own homeland isn’t deserving of upheaval.
If it’s a question of our history,
You’ve heard twisted facts I’ll bet,
You’d think 6 million deaths was enough,
that the world wouldn’t so soon forget.
But here we are again as Jews,
scrambling to avoid condemnation,
I know it’s easier to watch silently,
but please avoid this one temptation.
If it’s a question of the refugees,
I agree that it’s complicated.
Generations have been brainwashed,
and their reality fabricated.
Did you know Hamas uses children as shields
while they’re attacking?
Think again about that college rally,
Please consider who you’re backing.
If it’s a question of not being religious,
believe me, to them you’re just a Jew,
Just like Hitler would have shot you dead,
This enemy hates YOU.
I know it’s scary, it isn’t fair,
You’d rather just read the news,
but as a mother living here,
I’m begging you to choose.
Choose to know the history,
To be proud that Israel’s here,
Choose to see the truth
about the Arab world and fear.
I want to believe in humanity,
In peace and compromise,
but how can we negotiate
when they pray for our demise?
I’m not asking you to move here,
But you need to make a choice.
Will you defend us as we’re vilified?
I want you to find your voice.
Poetry: Leah Veffer
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To the Jews of America
It’s strange that with our bleeding hearts,
Jews seem to always lend a hand,
but somehow in Israel’s time of need,
quite a few won’t take a stand.
I’m not asking you to say that Palestinians are evil,
Just that your own homeland isn’t deserving of upheaval.
If it’s a question of our history,
You’ve heard twisted facts I’ll bet,
You’d think 6 million deaths was enough,
that the world wouldn’t so soon forget.
But here we are again as Jews,
scrambling to avoid condemnation,
I know it’s easier to watch silently,
but please avoid this one temptation.
If it’s a question of the refugees,
I agree that it’s complicated.
Generations have been brainwashed,
and their reality fabricated.
Did you know Hamas uses children as shields
while they’re attacking?
Think again about that college rally,
Please consider who you’re backing.
If it’s a question of not being religious,
believe me, to them you’re just a Jew,
Just like Hitler would have shot you dead,
This enemy hates YOU.
I know it’s scary, it isn’t fair,
You’d rather just read the news,
but as a mother living here,
I’m begging you to choose.
Choose to know the history,
To be proud that Israel’s here,
Choose to see the truth
about the Arab world and fear.
I want to believe in humanity,
In peace and compromise,
but how can we negotiate
when they pray for our demise?
I’m not asking you to move here,
But you need to make a choice.
Will you defend us as we’re vilified?
I want you to find your voice.
Poetry: Leah Veffer
The message is a clear and strong one. Will U.S. Jews get it?
