An Open Letter from the Co-Leads of Progressive Judaism to Members of Progressive Communities

Dear friends,

This is a time of profound pain and challenge for us as Progressive Jews.

Since 7 October, we have carried a deep and growing sorrow: for the lives lost, the hostages still in captivity, the fear and trauma etched into our communities, the devastating suffering in Israel and in Gaza.

This trauma plays out in our communities and in our homes.  We struggle to know how to speak with one another about the images that we see.

We know that many in our communities have family and friends in Israel who are living with the trauma of constant rocket attacks, and we recognise both the anxiety this brings and the very real danger they face, danger that, in some cases, has already brought devastation. Israelis, like all people, have the right to live in safety and peace, free from the threat of violence and fear.

At the same time, we are shaken by rising antisemitism, here in the UK and around the world, which is isolating, exhausting and frightening. This sharpens the urgency of standing together, even as we wrestle with all that is happening.

With the Knesset’s vote this week in support of annexation of the West Bank, its rejection of the possibility of a Palestinian state, and especially the deepening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, something fundamental feels at risk of being lost.

We know many of you are struggling. We are too. And we want to say clearly and honestly: you are not alone.

We know that not everyone in our communities uses the same language to describe their connection to Israel. We honour that diversity. But we believe many of us are united by a shared hope, that Israel can live up to the best of our values, and that Jewish life, everywhere, must be bound to justice and compassion.

For us, our Zionism is rooted in love, in justice, and in an unshakable belief in the moral voice of our tradition. It is bound to the dream of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, living in peace with its neighbours and treating all its inhabitants with dignity and equality. The possibility of annexation without negotiation, and the reality of a war that allows children to starve, make it nearly impossible to hold on to that dream.

This is not just a political moment, it is a moral and religious one. One that threatens to sever us from the values that brought many of us to Zionism in the first place: compassion, justice, equality and peace. These values are not naïve aspirations. They are the bedrock of our commitment to Israel, and we will not surrender them.

Our Jewish memory, shaped by exile, hunger and powerlessness, does not allow us to be silent in the face of humanitarian disaster. And our Jewish identity, shaped by Torah, justice and conscience, calls on us to speak when democracy and integrity in leadership are under threat. We must find a way to say that what is happening now is not in our name, and not in line with the Judaism we teach, live and pass on.  

We continue to cry out for the safe return of the hostages. Their captivity is an open wound in our people’s soul. But it is not in contradiction to cry out also for the people of Gaza who face famine and sickness with no protection. We refuse to see justice and security as opposites. We must hold fast to both. We also stand with the many thousands of Israelis who are taking to the streets, week after week, calling for a better way forward, for democracy, peace and human dignity. Their courage strengthens our own.

We write to you not with answers, but with solidarity. With broken hearts and fierce hope. With the knowledge that our communities are full of people who are struggling to find words, to stay connected, to make sense of what they see.

Let us find the space in our hearts to hear one another, even when it is hard. Let us acknowledge each other's pain and recognise the integrity of those with whom we may disagree. It is only by listening with compassion and speaking with honesty that we will remain whole.

For a long time, our community has struggled about how and whether to speak about what is happening. Now we must. We must teach, write, speak and act. We must insist that our Judaism, and our Zionism, demand compassion, justice and courage, not just in belief, but in practice. We must do this with care for one another, but this is not a time to hesitate. It is a time to take a stand, to be bold in our values, and to help shape a future worthy of the best of our tradition.

We cannot give up.  Another path is possible.

 Josh and Charley