The Israeli Rabbi's Letter To The Egyptian People

Along with the rest of the world, Rabbi Donniel Hartman has been following recent historical events in our neighboring countries anxiously, but with no real way to influence what has been happening.

Last week, though, he decided to do something about it.

Hartman, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute, was inspired by the role that the Internet and social networks have played in the Egyptian uprising. He used the SHI website to publish an open letter to the Egyptian people. In his letter he pleaded with our southern neighbors to uphold the peaceful status-quo that has developed over the course of 30 years.

Here's what he wrote:

"We don't really know who you are. We've spoken with your leaders, but they don’t speak for you. For nearly 35 years now, we have lived in peace with each other. It hasn’t been the warmest peace, but as we say in the Jewish tradition, 'dayenu.' It was enough.

"We Israelis, while always aspiring for more, deeply valued it nonetheless. This peace must become the rule instead of the exception.

“I hope we do not need to relive the experiences of our grandparents and parents in order to learn yet again that war is not a solution. I pray that we will use the change in the status quo as a catalyst to move us forward. We have a unique opportunity to change the rules of the game, to speak and even push each other to find a new status quo."

"I am writing to you to again say, hello," he wrote, "and that we look forward to speaking with you soon. Until then, we wish that your transition to freedom be a peaceful and beneficial one to all your citizens and that your freedom be a blessing to you, and to the whole world. Amen."


The letter makes it clear that its writer is not just a peace lover but probably a hopeless optimist as well.

But even Rabbi Hartman, a philosopher in his free time, could not predict what the letter would lead to.

"I wrote this letter on a very personal note," he says. "I was not even sure whether anyone would read it, or whether I was just talking to myself. I thought I'd be rewarded if a single Egyptian surfer changed his mind after reading my appeal."

The first response came from American Deborah Harris, who expressed regret over the presumed fact "that the people who are directly involved, in this case the Egyptian people, never get to hear these thoughts directly."

The following comments, though, soon dispelled that notion and proved that the Egyptian people could indeed hear Rabbi Hartman loud and clear.

Read the comments and the rest of the story here