Sometimes even the Torah doesn’t seem to bring all of us Jews together.
Especially lately when we are divided by the sheer politics of the absurd.
Some of us wear masks to stay healthy, while others think wearing masks is an infringement on their civil rights and besides God will protect them.
Some of us clamored to receive a vaccine to stop the Corona virus in its tracks. Others actually believe that the vaccines offered are not going to help, in fact some ultra-Orthodox we know believe the shots will change one’s personal sexual identity.
Yes, that is a “thing.”
There are those among our chevra who still believe that Donald Trump “really” won the November 3rd election and that the January 6 Capitol insurrection was spurred on by antifa activists not by those who wanted to see members of Congress captured, tried and possibly killed.
And now that President Biden is acting to re-instate financial aid to the Palestinians taken away by the previous guy, and at least attempt to rejoin the Iran nuke talks, right wing Jews are already warning on social media that the worst for the Jews was yet to come.
How refreshing was it then that on Wednesday night, eastern time, on Yom Haatzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day) that Jews from all parts of the country came together with the help of Zoom to listen to two actors from the widely popular Israeli TV series “Fauda.”
I’m willing to bet it was the only space whether virtual or not perhaps anywhere in the world where Jews from Orthodox, Conservative and Reform congregations came together in a spirit of unity over Israel. In this case, a popular TV series.
Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg, the senior spiritual leader of Baltimore’s Orthodox Beth Tfiloh, led the event along with Rabbi David Lerner of the Conservative shul Temple Emunah outside of Boston and Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin, the spiritual leader of Temple Israel, a Reform kehillah from West Palm Beach.
The two Fauda actors included Boaz Konforty and Yaakov Zada Daniel.
Fauda writers, according to the actors, are already crafting the Netflix show’s fourth season with hopes that it will begin streaming in early 2022.
As a side story, I can remember attending an AIPAC Conference two or three years ago. Fauda star Lior Raz was speaking in one ballroom and in a nearby room was VP Mike Pence. There were plenty of seats to hear the then VP. But for Lior Raz, forget it. If you didn’t have an advance reservation for a seat, you were out of luck.
Both Konforty and Daniel told the American Yom Haatzmaut audience that Fauda is successful because it is more about the impact of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the lives of individuals and families, be they Israeli or Palestinians.
Also, the actors receive fan mail mostly through social media that is largely positive and comes from all over the world, even from viewers in Arab nations such as Jordan and Lebanon.
The two also addressed the success of other TV programs such as “Schtisel” and others nothing that Israel has learned over the years to “make good TV” that interests the world.
No, the two actors were not going to reveal any of next season’s plot lines even if they knew them.
Discussion of everything from Fauda’s realistic action scenes to the impact of some of the plot lines on the post traumatic stress disorder issued faced by actors who have served in the military, was also discussed.
Overall, it was one of the most unique Yom Haatzmaut experiences I’ve ever had and includes those I was able to celebrate in Israel.
