— from David Kobrin —
I write as a Jew who lives on Orcas Island. I write as a man, in his late 70’s, an American, born in the United States. I write as someone who has lived all my life in our country, the United States of America. I write now in reaction to the terrorist attack on Jews in a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I write out of fear, and from the need to be heard.
I am a man who wears a yarmulke (a traditional Jewish head covering, or skull cap). I wear it because I want to; I wear it because this is the United States. Our Constitution guarantees freedom for each of us to worship as we believe, without interference from others, so long as our practices do not infringe on the rights of others. Yet now there are activists — including those willing to kill — who believe conspiracy theories about Jews and “international” Judaism that are patently false, canards from 75 (and 150 and more) years ago that have been disproved again and again.
Wearing my yarmulke, am I now a target — a living announcement: Here’s an old Jew if you want to take him?
I feel a higher level of fear and anxiety. Even more, I feel sad and startled. Sad for those murdered because of their faith. Jews in Pittsburgh now hold hands with too long a line: of blacks shot, lynched and abused; of immigrants separated from their children; of uninvolved civilians killed in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Palestine, and Israel.
Most often Jewish men who wear a yarmulke throughout the day are highly observant (even fundamentalist) in their practice. That’s not me. My Judaism is focused less on ritual observance and more on the ethical teachings in the Torah (the Old Testament) that can give meaning to my life here, today, on this island.
Judaism often teaches how to live Jewishly by example. For instance: Do not put a stumbling block in front of a blind man; do not curse the deaf behind their back; treat ‘aliens’ in your land as you treat citizens, for you, too, were once aliens in a strange land; do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Other teachings ask us to expand the teachings beyond their agrarian setting: Leave the corner of your “field” unharvested so that your crop is available for the poor to gather. Farmers may harvest their crop only once each season; whatever is missed, or ripens after the harvest, is left for those in need to “glean.” Pay the worker immediately after the work is finished, for that is his livelihood (his “coat”).
These teachings are held in common by all major religions. Christianity and Islam sanctify them with different stories, images, and languages. The underlying guidelines are essentially the same.
I am a Jewish old man who wishes to wear a yarmulke. I am a Jewish old man who wants to keep trying, until my death, to live ethically as I understand those teachings, despite my continual failings. I am an American who lives on Orcas Island.
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Thank You for sharing your letter above, David Kobrin.
A hug to you, sir.
Nicely said, David.
Lovely. And so needed. Thank you David.
Baruch ha’shem!
Dear Mr. Kobrin — Please keep wearing your yarmulke. Your demonstration of your faithfulness and respect for your tradition speak well of you and enrich
our community. I am so sorry you and so many others have suffered and are suffering from mindless hatred. Bless you, bless your witness, and God bless Orcas Island.
Beautiful. Thank you for enriching this day, Mr. Kobrin. And for embodying such vital principles.
Wow! I am honored to share this island with you.
Mr Kobrin, thank you for your amazing and heartfelt letter. I hate that you are afraid. I mourn with you the innocent taken from us in this most recent act of violence. We all must be brave and live together ethically and with love in our hearts. I applaud you.
What a lovely letter, David. I hear you. Thank you.
We all need to fear your fear and feel your anxiety as much as we can either imagine it, or from true experience in an attempt of understanding where you are coming from. These emotions are raw for you. I’m very sorry you’re having them! The power of that human experience is a tool to hopefully help and wake up others so we can put a stop to current trends. Thank you! This is one call to vigilance a warning, for our society, our democracy, we need to work harder than ever to make sure that everyone is equal to each other here in the US and the world. Everyone. Not Liberty and Justice for some, a hypocrisy hidden in plain sight. A form of patriotism for fundamental human rights as outlined by the US forefathers in the constitution. Please wear your yarmulke at your earliest convenience, people have fought and died for the right for you to do that. There is still the law of the land and for me the big difference in Pittsburgh to Histroical fears is the sick individual is in jail by rule of law, not celebrated as in the 30’s in Germany. We currently have no choice but to put faith into the general morality of our society and rule of law than to bend to fears and aggression. To me if we bend too much we will have lost.
Let us hear more voices. What you say is very valuable to all of us, Jewish or not.
Beautiful, David. I’m with you.
Your values that inculcate peace not violence are the product of logic, not unreasonable “beliefs” in supernatural beings.
Clarity is essential if “peace” is to follow your good intentions.
Why hasn’t it worked?
Tolerance? we’ve tied many pink ribbons around it so as to pass for pretty—don’t “believe” the hype. Said another way:
“I will Tolerate you”
…it has such a lovely ring to it, doesn’t it? Yet love (acceptance) is farthest from its import.
Stars are born in Nebulae. Tolerance? For clarity’s sake let’s ask.
Since Isabel and Ferdinand formed the first modern nation state, white men have exerted the most influence over civilization. They’ve moved from outright “extermination of difference” to “toleration.” (u already know i extol them for the Enlightenment and progress in Science)
Progressives/Antifa/Left?—they tire of toleration. They clamor for “acceptance” yet misunderstand it as a fairer distribution of power, if not domineering power.
Trump, et al—they fear being merely tolerated in a future society (demographics).
What goes around comes around, some chuckle.
Yet, a changing of the guard changes nothing in our violent play.
Acceptance?
It can’t be born of culture, the irrational furnace of narratives like tolerance. To accept requires a rational mind that hypothesis, not believes.
Drop the beliefs—none are innocent.
We and the planet are objective proof!
Who will be the irritant in this fiction?
Love you David, you are a wise and wonderful man
Believing is synonymous with closure. In no instance is believing in anything necessary to function. It’s a lazy luxury meant to create a false security in a “fictitious known” that often ends in mischief of the worse order. “Believing” seeds make-believe narratives which lead to premeditated violence, war and, without a doubt, lies behind our planet’s destruction and eventual undoing.
I know these words are harsh in sound. I don’t mean disrespect to anyone but what’s necessary to say is never illogical. I can’t imagine that others on Orcas can’t relate to these words but I understand how their impact might keep some silent. Though, putting these words on the table is necessary for change to happen.
Comfort with reality and a chalkboard limited to “qualified” data will do wonders for us as
as well as all the other species sharing our eco system….including the estimated 33-million micro-organisims (Archaea) still awaiting discovery.
I thought we were heading that way but it appears a sharp turn happened. Let’s hope it’s nothing more than a temporary digression.
I find comfort in David’s words. An emphasis on the deeper meaning of the Torah given its demand for an open mind has led many a brave soul to embrace reason and abandon “belief.”
I, too, am most thankful you’re a neighbor on Orcas Island, David. It reassures me as well as brightens my day.
I also find a pleasant harmony in your poem, Leif.
David, by sharing your pain, you have lit a light. The wonderful responses from readers demonstrate the support we all feel for you as our friend and neighbor. Your act of sharing caused us to reflect, and moved us to write in support of your ethical values. Those values ring true to us all. They are American values. They light our way.
By helping reinforce our values, you have done a service. A recent president called for “a thousand points of light”, suggesting that every service to others represents a “point of light”.
Last week was very, very dark. But there are points of light at the end of the tunnel. Let us all hold hands, and commit that, together, we will move toward the light.
Such a beautiful religion and a beautiful letter. Thank you David. I’m so sorry we all are living with more and more fear these days. We must vote and we must have faith.
I held my breath as I read your words, your thoughts David. I cried especially when reading your final paragraph. Your truth, your courage give me insight of diversity here in our island community. Living Jewishly by example? Couldn’t we all benefit from such a practice. Thank you David for sharing your truth.
David… I understand your truths , I feel your pain as a fellow Jew and I wanted to share the reason why yarmulkes are worn. Rabbi Yosef Karo wrote “Because the Divine Presence is always over my head.” It’s a physical and visual ritual of honoring God.
I have many beloved Christian friends who live a morality filled life by following Jesus’ teachings. The anti-Semites don’t and will never acknowledge the fact that Jesus was born, lived and died as a Jew. And religious and secular Jews share his DNA. The haters also believe that Eve and Satan spawned the Jew and with that absurd falsehood would also mean that Jesus was Satanic.
I believe our planet is where we choose love vs hate, acceptance vs discrimination, abundance vs contraction. When we choose the positives our beautiful, expansive planet can support all. However, when greed, lies and avarice infect the human race we have a contraction of spirit that leads to wars, famine, destruction of our ecology. We as humans if we want to survive as a species need to become more conscious of the “light of truths” that all religions share. I love what Swami Satchidananda wrote when describing religions as “Many paths to one truth.”
For me living here on Orcas Island is a supreme gift and our community reflects the enlightened path of taking care of one another.
Thank you, David.