Competing Narratives

One of the things that is fascinating about living in Israel is the way that myth informs reality, and how sometimes it’s hard to separate myth FROM reality — with consequences that are profound. Last year, when I was still living the life of a congregational rabbi in the US, I gave a sermon on the topic of these "conflicting narratives," and how the stories that the Israelis tell and the stories that the Palestinians tell about the founding of Israel are widly different, and how those different narratives are a real barrier to peace and understanding; you can read the sermon by clicking here . 

In recent weeks we’ve seen the depth of competing narratives WITHIN the Israeli population. The terrorist who killed 8 students at the Mercaz Harav yeshiva was not picking a random target.

To continue reading, click here…  (will bring you to the Persistence of Vision: Israel at Sixty blog)