Even after all these years as a Rabbi, I find each bar or bat mitzvah to be a moving experience. One of the most beautiful aspects of the service is the attendance of so many family members. It is always wonderful to see parents, siblings, uncles and aunts, cousins and all the rest but my attention is often drawn to the Grandparents. The nachas, the sense of joy and satisfaction they show, is so clear and so beautiful.

When a Grandparent is physically able, his or her place is next to a grandson or a granddaughter on the bima. It is a visible testimony to the phrase dor l’dor, from generation to generation. We share in the family’s pride and joy and seeing that pride in the eyes of a grandparent gives us all a sense of respect for our past and hope for our future.

During the first weekend in May, a young man celebrated his Bar Mitzvah at a synagogue in South Africa and, thank God, his Grandfather was with him. It almost didn’t happen though.

The grandfather is Judge Richard Goldstone, who was the chair of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict. The report of that commission has been the subject of great consternation in the international Jewish community because, many say, it unfairly and unjustly criticized Israel’s actions during the war. I have previously shared my feelings on this issue and will not do so again here because my concern at this moment is not with the report but with the excessive villainization and demonization that Judge Goldstone has suffered at the hands of his fellow Jews.

Judge Goldstone has been an active member of the Jewish community in South Africa for years and has held positions of leadership in major international Jewish organizations, including President of World ORT and trustee of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, among others. Of course this doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be criticized if he deserves the criticism. But, it is important to provide some context.

Judge Goldstone almost did not go to his grandson’s bar mitzvah. In fact, he had decided not to go because there were threats, by the leadership of the South Africa Zionist Federation and by others, that they would protest outside the synagogue during the services. The grandfather decided to spare his grandson the indignity and not attend.

This decision was a personal one and I wouldn’t presume to judge it, but it was an absolute disgrace that he would even have to consider it. Thankfully, an agreement was reached to drop the plans for the protest and allow Judge Goldstone to attend in peace, which he did.

I am profoundly relieved that the situation was resolved. It troubled me so deeply. I was actually in the process of writing a letter to the South African Zionist Federation when I heard the news of the resolution. In this letter, I planned to tell that organization from personal experience how horrible it is when protests take place outside a synagogue on Shabbat morning.

The situation in South Africa was different, of course; it was to be a one-time protest. But think about it: how could a Jewish organization, whatever its grievance, think that it would be proper to protest in front of a synagogue on Shabbat? Thankfully, everyone came to their senses.

Jews belong inside a synagogue on Shabbat. Being in the shul means being with family. There may be family disagreements of course, and no two Jews share exactly the same opinions; and yes, our disagreements can be passionate. However, to purposefully disrupt the atmosphere of Shabbat for a political purpose is wrong. It is wrong in South Africa. It is wrong in Ann Arbor. It is just plain wrong.

And it is equally wrong that Jews should feel that they can’t come to shul because of the situation going on outside. I can’t fault Judge Goldstone for his willingness to forego attending his grandson’s bar mitzvah, because in doing so he felt he would have prevented a protest from taking place. But I would like to think that had the protest happened, he still would have gone inside. This is important because - as we all know - Jews belong with family on Shabbat.

Thinking about our situation here, while it is, admittedly, difficult to walk by such activity, the best way to send a message to those who choose to protest, as I have been saying repeatedly for 6 years now, is for us to fill this building week after week after week.

My deepest appreciation and respect goes out to all of you who have taken this message to heart.

This message is replaced every month with Rabbi Dobrusin's monthly message as it appears in Beth Israel Synagogue's printed newsletter, HaShaliach. It carries the same copyright protection as all of Rabbi Dobrusin's messages on this website. Unlike his other messages, the monthly bulletin message is not archived online.

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