reviews - Jewish Book Council

EDITOR’S NOTE
The massive earthquake
that devastated
Haiti on January 12
triggered an equally massive
global response. The
swift worldwide outpouring
of humanitarian and
financial aid in reaction
to Haiti’s horrific suffering and urgent need
demonstrated once again that catastrophes
often give rise to teachable moments.
What, exactly, is a teachable moment? It is
“a moment of educational opportunity, a time
at which a person is likely to be particularly disposed
to learn something or particularly
responsive to being taught or made aware of
something” (MSN Encarta). President Obama,
whose use of the phrase has popularized it, said
about the earthquake, “In the aftermath of disaster,
we are reminded that life can be unimaginably
cruel. That pain and loss is so often
meted out without any justice or mercy. That
‘time and chance’ happen to us all. But it is also
in these moments, when we are brought face to
face with our own fragility, that we rediscover
our common humanity. We look into the eyes
of another and see ourselves.”
In the continuing aftershock of Haiti’s catastrophic
earthquake, Rabbi Jill Jacobs’ new
book, There Shall Be No Needy: Pursuing Social
Justice through Jewish Law & Tradition (see
review, p. 43), is particularly relevant and
timely. A comprehensive exploration of the
concepts of tzedakah and tikkun olam, the
book stems from the principle that in Judaism
healing the sick and providing for the poor are
not choices but obligations. Rabbi Jacobs,
who is rabbi in residence at Jewish Funds for
Justice, goes deeply but comprehensibly into
classical Jewish sources, contemporary policy
debate, and real-life stories to explore aspects
of social justice as well as stories about repairing
our broken world, each from a deeply Jewish
perspective.
2 Jewish Book World Winter 5770/2009
Amidst the worldwide flood of support for
Haiti, Israel stood out for its ability to quickly
set up a field hospital in a Port-au-Prince soccer
field and begin performing surgery while
other nations were still waiting for supplies.
Within three days, Israel had ten tons of medical
equipment, 40 doctors, 24 nurses, medics,
paramedics, x-ray equipment and personnel, a
pharmacy, an emergency room, two surgery
rooms, an incubation ward, a children’s ward,
and a maternity ward up and running. It was
no accident that the Jewish State got there
first; it was no public relations stunt, either.
The reason Israel had the know-how and
capability to do what was needed in Haiti is a
reflection of something deep in the nation’s
character, a central Jewish value that demands
engagement in public life and a sense of obligation
to each other.
Special envoy to Haiti former President
Bill Clinton pointed out that the response to
great tragedy can be predictive of the future.
Israel’s quick and thorough response in helping
to alleviate Haiti’s suffering was an example
of our Biblical mission to be a light unto
the nations. Our core values, our belief in
tzedakah, justice, and tikkun olam, demand
that we come together whenever and wherever
necessary to bring light and hope to those who
are in need. In the words of Rabbi Jacobs, “we
understand giving beyond our immediate
community as a means of increasing peace
and of emulating the divine quality of mercy.”
As Jews we have brought upon ourselves
some of the problems in the way the world
perceives us. But in the broader scales of justice,
Israel’s speedy and effective response in
Haiti is a glimpse into our core, of which we
can , and should, be proud.
Jewish
Book World
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