Why I Came To Synagogue With
A Baseball Bat On The Sabbath
By Mark Altschul © 2018
President of Gesher Shalom, Jewish Community Center of Fort Lee
My Zayda (Grandfather) came to America from Russia in 1924 after being a lieutenant in the Red Army during the Russian Revolution. Back in the mid-60's he would take me to my Synagogue in Fort Lee, New Jersey. I would sit with him before and after the Junior Congregation Services. Never once did I ever think I would be President of any Synagogue but I find myself President of that Synagogue. I never thought I would have to be concerned for the safety of the Congregation. But as a result of the recent events I find that I must and that I am compelled to speak out for my Congregation. The attack in Pittsburgh dovetails with the 80th commemoration of Kristallnacht - the onset of the Holocaust.
We Jews have always had, have and always will have enemies that seek to destroy us. The recent past also demonstrates that the righteous of many faiths are also under the same intimidation.
It is too easy to dismiss the forces of darkness as “crazy”, “insane” or mentally defective. Just as the Nazi were rational purely evil these people, now, are rationally motivated to do evil. No amount of vigils, talk, coffee, prayer, demonstrations, “kumbaya” will change these evil and violent people from their course of hate against us.
Which reminds of something my Zayda told us. In the village that my Zayda came from there were no Pogroms. Why? The village organized itself that should anyone try to have a Pogrom, they suffered more than they could possibly gain. It took time, effort and patience but it made a difference for that village.
The concept of “turning the other cheek” is not a Jewish concept; the right of self-defense is. King Solomon proclaimed and copied in song:
There is a time to kill and a time to heal… a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
There is no doubt that there are times when it is necessary to battle adversaries. Jewish history is even filled with examples of preemptive action for self-preservation - from the Purim Story to Modern Israel. When I was in College, I had friends who were in the Jewish Defense League (JDL). They and a lot of other JDLers from across the Country went to Skokie, Illinois to oppose the Nazis who had threatened to march through that Jewish neighborhood. One of my friends there said on National Television that “if the Nazis march in Skokie, Skokie will be ankle deep in Nazi blood.” History shows that the Nazis did not march in Skokie.
No doubt that there will be copy-cats. Just this week in New York, there was hate graffiti spray in a Synagogue and an attempted fire-bombing of another.
That is why I came to Synagogue with a Baseball Bat on the Sabbath. I will not turn the other cheek; I will not have a talk or coffee with evil. I will defend myself, my Congregation and my Synagogue. The Jews of Kristallnacht did not defend themselves; maybe if they did this World would be different. The convergence of recent events and the commemoration of Kristallnacht must be taken as a wakeup call. As the Book of Ecclesiastes tells us, there is nothing new under the sun. We as Jews have seen this evil before, but we as modern American Jews have been lucky that our generation has be safe and secure but we have become complacent we have not had the struggles of my Zayda’s generation and the necessity of having to defend ourselves. We stand at a pivotal moment for all righteous people.
The tools of evil are irrelevant and will be obtained by them against us in many forms, no amount of legislation will stop their course of hate. Bergen County has seen its share of graffiti and fire-bombings too. Looking to Washington or Trenton for blame or for help is a wasted exercise, as God helps those who help themselves. Already various political elements have taken the attack on us as a means to advance their political agenda. To vilify the tools of our defense serves no one.
We have seen the news coverage. We have read various opinion pieces. All ask that consolation be granted to the families of the departed, a speedy recovery to the injured, praise to for the prompt action of the Pittsburgh Police and a few hoping for Justice. Not one of these media items even suggested self-defense or the preparation needed for the next attack, which will be coming.
So many of us know how to save another person’s life with the “heimlich maneuver” - invented by a Jew. But how many of us know how to save our own lives from the violence that we saw just last week in Pittsburgh if it happened before our own eyes?
That is why I came to Synagogue with a Baseball Bat on the Saturday, November 3, 2018, the Sabbath. I will not turn the other cheek; I will not have a talk or coffee with evil. I will defend myself, my Congregation and my Synagogue. The Jews of Kristallnacht did not defend themselves; maybe if they did this World would be different. The convergence of recent events and the commemoration of Kristallnacht must be taken as a wakeup call by all righteous people. As the Book of Ecclesiastes tells us, there is nothing new under the sun. We as Jews have seen this evil before, but we as modern American Jews have been lucky that our generation has be safe and secure but we have become complacent. We have not had the struggles of my Zayda's generation and the necessity of having to defend ourselves. We stand at a pivotal moment for all righteous people but in particular for all Jews everywhere.
My Baseball Bat may be symbolic, we must be prepared to meet these evil threats with equal and if necessary, greater force. We cannot rely on others to defend us. I encourage you to visit this website http://jpfo.org/.
I call on Governor Murphy and the New Jersey State Legislature to level the playing field with our attackers. The Police cannot be everywhere all the time. Synagogue and other houses of worship are under huge financial stress as people’s habits are changing. To ask houses of worship to bear the expense of additional security is not the answer. Many, if not, most functions of religious organizations are shared by volunteers. Defense can be no different.
I ask that the Governor, prove me wrong, allow people the power to defend themselves. Please make an exception to New Jersey’s restrictive gun laws to permit people to carry to houses of worship for the protection of the righteous. The suggestion that more restrictive gun laws will cure anything is misguided as these evil people do not confine themselves so neatly. They already break the law; they will just break any new law too in their quest of evil against us. Whether it be a bomb or a knife or a gun, they will be coming.
Most importantly, I ask you what will you do to defend yourself? For me, I will have my Baseball Bat, and maybe something stronger, I will not go quietly or be a victim — I will protect myself and my Synagogue.
