Letter from Beirut to the Conference in Montréal February 8, 2007
February 10th, 2007 at 6:31 amEmotional plea by a Jewish youth in Lebanon:
I am sitting a few minutes walking distance from the Maghen Abraham, writing this letter, but frankly I am at a loss for words. I am not sure what to say, or for that matter what to feel. The past few years have been a monumental struggle for me, a struggle for finding my identity, my roots, my past. My struggle might be unique in its details, but at its core it is all too common.
Perhaps you will not understand the feelings I am trying to convey. Perhaps words cannot do justice to these feelings to begin with. These feelings are better kept in one’s heart, but I have decided to attempt to at least give you a sense of the struggle that rages in me, even today, when I can safely say that I feel confident about my belonging and identity.
It pains me that I have not had the chance to experience the life that some of you in the audience might have experienced in the past in Lebanon. It pains me immensely that I have to pass by the Maghen Abraham every day without being able to enter, if only to view the destruction, to say a prayer (even though I do not know how to say prayers), to stand there and imagine and visualize what the 1940s, 50s, 60s were like. It pains me that some of you, in the audience, wish to deny that I - a Lebanese Jew - exist. That my family and friends exist. It pains me immensely that I have to keep my identity hidden in my own country, but also that I have to prove my Jewishness to you, my fellow Jews, my fellow countrymen and women. I do not consider myself or my family more Lebanese than you the Lebanese Jews in the audience, just because my family chose to stay in Lebanon. No, I do not espouse such elitist views, nor do I wish to impose labels on you. It is up to every individual to define and exert his or her identity based on his or her experiences and feelings. I might not know how to pray, and I might not have had the chance to go to shul / knis, but I am a product of the context and situation I was born into. I might not sound convincing, and I might not impress you with my words, but I seek neither to convince nor impress. And if it matters, I am writing this with tears in my eyes.
If you wish, you may choose to believe that I am not Jewish. You may choose to believe I am not Lebanese. You may choose to believe that I am your enemy in disguise. Go ahead and do it. But I ask you, if I am all these, so what? Is the wish to spread awareness and battle anti-Semitism, the wish to see renovated rather than destroyed Synagogues, the wish to see cemeteries taken care of, the wish to see a Jewish community living openly and being looked at as equals, an act of enmity? If all this is enmity, then I wonder, what does friendship look like? And if you would like, consider me an enemy - I have no objections, as long as you pay attention to these wishes, as long as you listen to those who have been able to reap your trust.
I have this much to say, and no more. I do not believe in throwing fancy words around, words that are void of real feelings and only scratch the surface of the struggle. I believe in expressing honest feelings, the reality of the struggle, the immense pain in my heart. The depth of this issue, its importance for me and my family, necessitate not an amalgamation of fancy words, but a reference to a set of realities that need to be addressed. In the end, I am but one person, ignore me if you will, but do not ignore the question, the issue, the problem, the “non-existent” Jewish community in Lebanon, or whatever else you want to call us.
Maghen Abraham is the symbol of our community. Every day I pass by it, I cannot help but assure myself that it will be the symbol of our renaissance. I wrote my thoughts and feelings in this letter as they came along, but I knew its conclusion from the very beginning. I cannot afford not to know it. For you, it might not be a reality you live with every day, but we are not blessed with that luxury. So I say, let the elderly revel in the nostalgia, but at least give our youth a chance to live it.
tony Said,
February 10, 2007 @ 4:32 pm
you should return in your country, LEBANON !! Lebanon is very in need of alll its sons !
Mohammad Said,
February 13, 2007 @ 5:51 pm
Heyo Aaron I listened to ur interview on the 30LL “crazy Lebanese” I love it, and the “******* you intelligence”……………….. cooooool
God bless your Lebanese and HUMANITARIAN affair,
Moe
Mohamed Said,
February 14, 2007 @ 2:48 am
I am a Muslim youth of Lebanese origin. I have always been curious about the Jewish community in Lebanon. This is however the first time i actually did any research into it.
Before i read your letter, i was looking at pictures of the Magen Avraham and i kept saying to my self what a pitty, oh my god etc. Its a lovely building and a priceless relic and of course an emotional symbol to many. I think it is a symbol of great significance not only to Lebanese Jews but to Lebanese themselves. It is a symbol of what Lebanon was but unfortunatly is no longer.
You are not my enemy, and we are both equally Lebanese, in the sense that we are both left unsatisfied by the country.
I am very sorry that you do not know any (Jewish) prayers, i am sorry you did not have a bar or bat mitzvah, i am sorry you did not go to a shul or celebrate Channukah or Rosh Hashana or Yom Kipur or Purim. No one, no GOD fearing human being should be in such an agonising position.
I feel you pain, i do.
All i can do for now, is wish you good luck. Shalom.
worriedlebanese Said,
February 16, 2007 @ 7:26 pm
Could the answer be “more visibility”?
While reading your letter, I couldn’t help but wonder how the situation you’re living can be changed. And the only answer i could find was that it is time that the Jewish community in Lebanon became more visible.
The best way to advance a cause is to break the taboo that keeps it under silence. In many ways, this is exactly what this site and A-M Beydoun are doing.
I think it’s time that members of the jewish community in Lebanon made a courageous step to show that they exist.
- by collecting money for the renovation of the Maghen Abraham, or of the Synagogue in Aley, Bhamdoun or Deir el Qamar.
- by bringing a Rabbi from the Diaspora
- by creating a representative council (the jewish community is the only community in Lebanon not to have a religious representative anymore).
- by writing letters to the press and discussing these issues openly. I think for instance that it would be interesting to translate your plea into arabic and send it to one of the arab speaking papers (Nahar, Safir or Akhbar).
This might come to a shock for you, but I find the Jewish situation in Lebanon similar to that of the gay community. In the begining of the 1990s, gay Lmilitants started working in many NGOs to try to advance their cause (depenalising homosexuality, bringing treatment to HIV + people…). By the end of the decade, and after breaking the taboo within several NGOs, some people founded a specific NGO for the advancement of gay rights, and it exists today). Sure they receive threats every now and then, but they are visible, and in general, the Lebanese society has shown it acceptance to homosexuality).
Similarly, I think Jewish Lebanese should start organising themselves and should name representatives who have the courage to speak publicly and to take risks.
I am not Jewish, but I am willing to fight for the acceptance and revivial of the Jewish community in Lebanon. I work in an NGO that is preparing an interfaith and intercultural calendar and that is setting up a peace workshop for adolescents (for this summer). And in both of these activities we mention the Lebanese jewish community and we discuss jewish holidays.
Up to now, we have had no problem in mentioning the Jews of Lebanon. People are generally surprised, and many are quite curious because the only jews they have seen in Lebanon are the ultra-orthodox anti-israeli ones invited by the Hezbollah a couple of years back from Brooklyn or Queens.
keep the faith
Hussein Said,
February 22, 2007 @ 1:21 pm
worriedlebanese.. what about the acceptance of atheists? am an atheist that supports Hezbollah.. we shouldn’t mix religion with politics..nor with other people.. religion is between one and oneself.. teach that to our adolescents.. most christians hated hezbollah.. up until Aoun and Nasrallah became one
and that they should determine their political views depending on the work and ideology of the politician.. not hes religion..
marie claire Said,
March 28, 2007 @ 5:10 pm
hello,
i’m new to this website, and i need anyone to contact me, please. i’m very interested in the jewish lebanese community, and if Maghen can give me a call or contact me via your webmaster (he has my email), it would be great.
thank you very much, i’m looking forward for your response.