Rabbi Paskind’s Bulletin Column March – April 2026
Bulletin March/April 2026
Opening One Eye
Friends,
As I shared with you in January, I traveled to Israel for a very quick, very intense 4-day
experience with Encounter, a Jewish Israeli organization which “equips Jewish leaders to
reckon firsthand with the Israeli–Palestinian reality” 1.
My group consisted of 20 Conservative Rabbis from across the United States. We were congregational rabbis,
chaplains, Jewish Day School leaders, and staff of the Rabbinical Assembly. What we had in
common was a desire to learn and to be challenged. And we were.
I want to share here just one phrase from one Jewish Israeli speaker with whom we met. I
believe he asked not to have his name or picture shared, so I’ll protect his anonymity, but
he’s well known in the Jewish community in Israel. Reflecting on his own Encounter
experience, he shared with us that he felt that he was invited to–for the first time in his
life–to “open one eye”. Maybe not both eyes, but even just one, to see a reality that is so
different from what he had been aware of. And I felt that as well.
Most times I’ve gone to Israel, I’ve felt excited and compelled to share stories and pictures
right away. Sometimes I even spend the airport waiting time or the flight itself organizing
my thoughts and writing notes. I didn’t do that this time.
During the seminar, one of our staff (who is also a congregational rabbi) offered us a piece
of advice in two parts: first, that we shouldn’t rush into sharing about this intense
experience right away since it takes time to process and organize; and second, that a D’var
Torah on a Friday evening or Shabbat morning may not be the right forum for sharing.
I met a lot of people in a short amount of time. I participated in a lot of conversations with
colleagues. And our staff helped us to frame these meetings and experiences with openness
and curiosity. They helped us to try to recognize and hold any discomfort we might feel,
without letting it destroy our opportunity to learn from a speaker.
And that’s primarily what I’d like to bring back to our community as I invite us to gather
twice around the Shabbat kiddush tables to hear about my experience and share our
thoughts together. As Jews, we have well-developed and deeply-held views about Israel and
the Israeli-Palestinian reality. It’s important for us to make room for other people’s stories,
and perhaps to allow for the possibility that our deeply-held views might be more complex
than we’ve thought. Possibly.
I look forward to sharing about the people I met, their lives and worldviews, their hopes for
the future. And I know that some of what I will share might feel challenging or even
angering. That’s ok. Together, we can listen, share, and discuss.
And so, please save these 2 dates to come and participate in the conversation:
March 21
April 18
In friendship and peace,
Rabbi Ita Paskind
