Page 32 - Jewish News_January 2022

32A January 2022 COMMENTARY

Rocky Mountain righteous Israel and the changing Middle East

By Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz, Community Chaplain By Rabbi Howard A. Simon
hen the Inquisition’s long ethos. The Talmudic dictum “Kol Yis- of doctors to those afflicted with the Report has ranked it the leading U.S. or years, the reality in the Mid-
tentacles arrived in Recife, rael arevim zeh bazeh – All of Israel disease to spend extended periods of respiratory hospital for many years. dle East was no relationship
WBrazil, in 1654, 23 Jewish are responsible for one another” echoes time there. Distressed by the sight of Jacobs developed pneumonia after Fwith the State of Israel until
men, women and children fled and through the generations. so many sickly Jews living in squalor delivering medicine to a sick child on the Israeli-Palestinian problems were
eventually made their way to New JFCS of the Suncoast and The in tents and shacks, Jacobs prevailed a rainy night in 1892 and died three solved and both Israelis and Palestin-
Amsterdam. The Dutch colony’s Di- Jewish Federation of Sarasota- on members of the Society to provide months later. Three thousand people ians found a way to live together in
rector-General, Peter Stuyvesant, did Manatee are, in many respects, a prod- them with healthy food, clothing, soap attended her funeral. One eulogizer re- peace.
not welcome them. Though hardly uct of Stuyvesant’s ill will and the im- and medical resources. marked that “her great fund of humor The thought of Israel
fond of Lutherans perative to assist fellow Jews. In 1874, she helped found the made her see the bright side of every- having positive relations
and Catholics, he Due to our remarkable history and nonsectarian Denver Ladies’ Relief thing, enabling her to devote her life with Arab countries was a
held a particular the safeguarding of Jewish culture, Society to aid all of Denver’s ill and to the work of saving and uplifting hu- dream that many believed
animus toward convictions and community, even in impoverished. An influential advocate manity… This love of humor was the would never become a re-
Jews. the face of profound tribulation, Jews on behalf of improving unfair working safety valve that kept her heart from ality. More recently, such
Relieved of rightfully possess a special concern for conditions for women, she also orga- bursting at the sorrows and miseries thinking has changed dra-
their valuables by the welfare of their brothers and sisters. nized the first free kindergarten in Den- she beheld.” matically for one very
privateers at sea At the same time, they especially iden- ver in the belief that “God never made Known across the country as the important reason, Iran. It
weeks before, the tify with all who are vulnerable, mar- a pauper in the world, children come “Mother of Charities” for her trail- has become clear that Iran
Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz group could not ginalized and in need. In fact, many of into the world, and conditions and sur- blazing philanthropic efforts, Jacobs is wishes to extend its tenta-
meet the debt of passage they owed our nation’s leading social reformers roundings make them either princes or the only woman among 16 celebrated cles into the Middle East
when their boat landed at a dock lo- have been disproportionately mem- paupers.” Colorado pioneers featured in a stained and looks to boost this desire by con-
cated close to current-day Wall Street. bers of the Jewish community. Frances In 1887, she joined with four glass window in the rotunda of the tinuing to support and back two of Is-
Stuyvesant quickly seized what was Wisebart Jacobs certainly qualifies as non-Jewish clergy to establish the Colorado state capitol. A large bronze rael’s most serious adversaries, Hamas
left of their possessions and auctioned one of them. Charity Organization Society, a first- statue in the lobby of National Jewish and Hezbollah. Iran wishes to expand
them off to pay the unsympathetic cap- After Jacobs (1843-1892) arrived of-its-kind initiative to coordinate Health portrays her holding a bag of its role in all facets of the Middle East
tain. in Colorado from Ohio in a covered fundraising and share the proceeds medicines and soaps. while, at the same time, continuing its
When Stuyvesant subsequently wagon, she immediately set about ad- with a federation of 23 local charitable Jacobs’ labors to raise the fallen threats and attacks against Israel with
sought to expel them, the Jews penned dressing a range of communal needs. organizations. The Society evolved in epitomized words spoken at the 1892 the goal of eradicating the Jewish state
a letter to their co-religionists in Hol- First, she spearheaded the establish- 1922 to become the national Commu- groundbreaking for the hospital she so from existence.
land requesting assistance. Thanks to ment and served as president of the nity Chest and later the United Way. unswervingly fought to realize: “Pain Middle Eastern countries such as
their efforts, Stuyvesant’s superiors at Denver Hebrew Ladies’ Benevolent Together, with a prominent local knows no creed. This building is the the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Ara-
the Dutch East India Company were Society in order to take care of hun- rabbi, Jacobs undertook to build a hos- prototype of the grand idea of Juda- bia and Bahrain recognize the threat
persuaded to allow the group to remain dreds of Jewish pioneers from Europe pital to formally treat tuberculosis pa- ism, which casts aside no stranger no that Iran represents to their countries
in the colony “so long as they do not who had come to Colorado to pursue tients. “Most of the community,” she matter of what race or blood. We con- and their way of life. A second reali-
become a burden to the company or the opportunities in mining and other ven- emphasized, “ignores those who roam secrate this structure to humanity, to zation was that the strongest military
community.” tures or, as sufferers of tuberculosis, the city coughing or hemorrhaging.” our suffering fellowman, regardless of power in the region that could counter
This episode marked the begin- to experience the benefit of the state’s Though requiring several years to fund creed.” Iran’s wishes was the State of Israel.
ning of Jewish communal self-reliance clean air and sunshine. Denver had and complete, when the National Jew- Her extraordinary life and achieve- This realization has led a variety
in America, a responsibility for one’s earned the nickname “World’s Sani- ish Hospital for Consumptives opened ments exemplify how a great Jew and of Arab countries to open their doors
brethren long enshrined in Jewish torium” due to the recommendation in 1899, it became the first institution a great American can be two sides of to Israel. It all began with the Abra-
Make It today as National Jewish Health, the Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz serves as the
to accept only destitute TB patients
the same coin. Take that Peter Stuy-
from anywhere in the country. Known
vesant.
Community Chaplain and Director of
hospital has drawn worldwide acclaim
as a premier research center in the
the JFCS Jewish Healing Program. His
field of pulmonary-related diseases in-
position is underwritten by The Jewish
Federation of Sarasota-Manatee.
cluding asthma. U.S. News and World

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