AUBURN – Five thousand miles from the bombings in Lebanon and Israel, Rabbi Hillel Katzir answers his phone, reads his e-mail and passes on what he’s learned.
His office at Temple Shalom Synagogue has become a kind of information hub for people in the local Jewish community. Several members of the Auburn synagogue have friends and family in the battered region.
So far, they’re all right.
Among them is a 17-year-old Auburn girl, Rachelle Tupper, who is part of a group of Jewish students visiting Israel.
“Rachelle is fine and having a great experience,” Katzir said.
Rachel Olstein, who grew up in Lewiston-Auburn, is visiting with several teaching colleagues from Connecticut.
In both cases, the visits were redirected south, safely away from the bombings, Katzir said.
Outside of those areas where the bombings have occurred, life goes on as usual, said the rabbi.
He ought to know.
Katzir lived in Israel for a total of nine years, spending about a year and a half as an artillery soldier in the Israeli army. In 1982, as a reservist, he even served in a unit that crossed the border into Lebanon.
His brother, David Kurz, lives near Jerusalem. Katzir figures he’s fine, safely away from the bombings.
“Israel has taken a lot, in terms of attacks,” he said. “They’ve taken it without responding.”
But with Israeli people dying in ongoing attacks, the government had no choice but to respond with force, he said.
“Judaism is not pacifism,” he said. “In fact, we’re required to defend ourselves.”
He worries, though, for the innocents on both sides of the border.
“Any time people are getting killed, it hurts,” Katzir said. “We place a very high value on human life, all human life.
“It’s painful to watch,” he said.
Katzir had no guess on how the conflict would end.
Much of the outcome depends on the continued role Lebanon’s government and whether Syria takes action.
In the Middle East, any action affects every country, he said. Political and military moves create unforeseen counter-moves.
“If I could predict what happens, I’d go buy a lottery ticket,” Katzir said. “I’d win and I’d retire.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.