18 Days to Go – Where Will You Be on September 13th?

By Sherwin Pomerantz

With just 18 days to the opening of the 66th Regular Session of the UN General Assembly on September 13th and the vote to grant Palestinians statehood, it is interesting to note what the Jewish community in America will be doing on that day.

One would think, of course, given the potential gravity of the situation, that there will be mass demonstrations around the country and an even larger one at the Isaiah wall across from the UN. But, think again. Here is what I found when looking at the event list of four of the largest Jewish communities in America for that date:

Los Angeles has (a) a Taglit-Birthright Israel Registration Day, (b) a Valley Alliance Thank You Phone Session, and (c) a Maimonides Academy Back to School Night. While I support the latter given that I have grandchildren attending the school, it is a bit disappointing to see nothing on the calendar dealing with what will face us in New York.

Chicago has scheduled (a) a Chaverim: Social Skills for Orthodox Children session, (b) a Kid Connect-Making & Keeping Friends workshop, (c) a class entitled Is Entrepreneurship Right for You, (d) and another on Banking on success as well as a (e) Rosh Hashanah Boot Camp. All, of course are very important activities but, once again, nothing about the threat to our long term existence here.

Miami has scheduled (a) a CAJE Board of Directors Retreat, (b) a Network Stand-up for Service Rush Hour & Volunteer Fair, and the (c) B'nai Zion Foundation Tribute Dinner.

New York, interestingly enough, has nothing on the schedule for the 13th but, in a bow to a positive future will hold a Bagels & Stocks Accountants Division breakfast on the 14th.

Of course if you go to the Christians United for Israel website you will find Nights to Honor Israel scheduled for September 12th in Roswell, NM, September 13th in Las Cruces, NM and September 14th in Spring Valley, CA. Thank the Lord for CUFI.

Am I missing something here? Does nobody there get it? Is nobody upset not only about the potential negative aspects of the vote but also about the arrival once again of the President of Iran who just this week again stated at a “Jerusalem Day” rally in Tehran that Israel must be eradicated from the face of the earth? His rants remind me of Cato the Elder’s constant refrain at the end of every one of his speeches in the Roman Senate when he said “Carthage must be destroyed!”

Former US Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, in a landmark case said "The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that the United States Congress has a right to prevent. It is a question of proximity and degree.”

The words we are hearing today from the Palestinian Arab leadership, from Hamas, from Iran, from Hezbollah, themselves create the clear and present danger defined by Justice Holmes. Our failure to acknowledge this and take demonstrative action flies in the face of both logic and self-preservation. On September 13th in New York the friends of Israel need to be on the barricades, big time, in order to subvert the clear and present danger now before us. There is no other choice.