She was referring to the recent murder of three children and a rabbi in front of their Jewish day school in Toulouse, France. I admitted that I experienced that same feeling of dread, even though it happened so far away and the terrorist who killed them is now dead. It reminded me of an incident many years ago when a gunman opened fire on at a Jewish Community Center injuring five people, including three children.
When we hear of something terrible happening to kids who resemble our own, it opens a door in our hearts that leads to a dark and frightening place. I imagine that if you’re African-American or your children are, the Trayvon Martin case opens that same door for you. There’s a voice inside of us that says, “That could have been my kid.” That’s what President Obama meant when he said that if he had a son, he’d probably look a lot like Trayvon.
It doesn’t matter if it’s in France or L.A. or Florida or Scotch Plains, New Jersey. We all love our children and we feel an intense sense of empathy for others who we consider to be our brothers and sisters around the globe. Let's not forget how that feels when tragedy strikes a community other than our own.
Now, as we prepare to celebrate our freedom from slavery in Egypt this Passover, let’s renew our promise to help heal the world, and let’s pray for a day when no parents will feel fear for their children because of who they are or how they look.
I have a hard time putting the Trayvon Martin incident and the french shooting incident in the same category. The fact is that the facts of the Martin case are still in dispute, and if Mr. Zimmermann did shoot in self defense, then there is no comparison to be made to a confirmed unprovoked hateful attack in France. I agree with renewing our committment to Tikun Olam during Passover (and on all other days), but who is in need of healing if it turns out that Mr. Zimmermann really did defend himself?
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