B”H
From the Desk of
Rabbi Dr. Michael Gottesman...
I have just returned from Israel. As wonderful as being there is, it was tempered this time by the release of the bodies of the Bibas family—Shiri Bibas and her two children, Kfir and Ariel. As it turned out, the remains were not that of Shiri Bibas, but rather of an unknown person. This rocked all of Israel. Her body was later returned and, as I write this, her funeral and the funeral of her children has happened.
As a member of the Rabbinic Circle of the Coalition for Jewish Values, I wish to share with our reaction to this and the horrific “ceremonies” Hamas has conducted.
Fifteen months ago, on October 7, 2023, Arab Muslim terrorists associating as Hamas broke a ceasefire with Israel by murdering 1,200 innocent Jews, including peace activists at an all-night “nova festival” and regular families in their nearby kibbutz homes. They murdered, raped live women before murdering them, and raped women they had already murdered. They beheaded men, women, and children, sliced off body parts while their victims still were alive, and burned living, breathing babies to death in kitchen ovens.
Since then, those Gazan Arabs have disseminated more than a year of fake news and misinformation, blatantly lying to the world with vicious falsehoods claiming themselves to be victims of Western imperialism, wantonly invaded hospitals, starvation, and genocide. A suitably antisemitic worldwide network arose to disseminate and amplify their lies and their exaggerated and undocumented numbers, from the International Criminal Court to elite American campuses, in government chambers from South Africa to Ireland, and from the streets of London to the streets of New York. Israel-haters, aka antisemites, denied that Hamas could possibly be lying that brazenly.
Although we are not surprised at all, the Western world has now seen yet further proof of the monstrous, cynical, and evilly treacherous lies of Hamas. Under the terms of their ceasefire with Israel, Hamas reported that they had released the murdered bodies of the two internationally known red-headed children, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, and their mother. Israel did not trust Hamas, and her coroners checked. The body presented as that of Shiri Bibas is not that of any known hostage.
We also saw the true face of the "innocent civilians" in Gaza. Not a single Gazan helped hide or rescue kidnapped Jews. Instead, the supposed victims of "starvation, famine, and genocide" turned out to be healthy, well-fed men, women, and even children dancing and rejoicing that they had slaughtered Jews. Reports now indicate that the Bibas children, a young child and a baby, were strangled with bare hands. Their bodies were then mutilated to appear as if they had been killed by other means.
Hamas brazenly lies to the world media, and for too long those lies have been swallowed whole. There never was starvation, the only attempts at genocide come from Hamas, and the body of Shiri Bibas was not surrendered as Hamas promised. Those who parrot lies from Hamas can no longer claim ignorance or stupidity as their excuse. Those who still cannot admit that they have been Hamas’s useful Idiots for over a year are invited to look into the mirrors, for anyone, including those in the media or governmental organizations, who presents a statement from Hamas as credible in the future must be called out for deliberately lying in service of genocide.
As Israeli President Isaac Herzog said recently: "Agony. Pain. There are no words. Our hearts — the hearts of an entire nation — lie in tatters" at the confirmation that Shiri Bibas, her little boys Ariel and Kfir, and Oded Lifshitz were killed in captivity in Gaza.
Hamas celebrates death. Jews celebrate life. In this difficult time, we encourage our members to honor the memory of the four hostages returned to Israel today - and all the deceased hostages - by doing a mitzvah such as lighting Shabbat candles, giving tzedakah (charity), doing an act of kindness for someone, or praying with special intensity. When we do a mitzvah with them in mind, we keep their light alive and add to their eternal life.
Kol Tuv
Rabbi Dr. Michael Gottesman is a native Chicagoan whose first pulpit was McHenry County Jewish Congregation, its only synagogue, making him the only Rabbi in McHenry County. In July of 2008, Rabbi Dr. Gottesman took over the pulpit of Skokie Central Congregation from Rabbi Lawrence Montrose who had been its spiritual leader for 47 years. Rabbi Gottesman has succeeded in transforming Skokie Central from a traditional congregation to a modern orthodox one as well as in relocating the congregation to its new current home. Besides Yorah Yorah Semicha, Rabbi Gottesman has a MA in Jewish Education and a PhD in Health Administration.