http://www.toratchayimrabbis.org/gazahumanitariancrisis.html
(This statement was authored by Rabbi Yosef Blau and signed by many Torat Chayim rabbinic members although he is not a member and some of the others below are also not members)
The humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza is one of the most severe in recent history. While it began with the horrific terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023—a brutal act that justifiably demanded a strong military response and demand for the release of the hostages—this does not absolve Israel’s government from assuming its share of the responsibility for the profound suffering of Gaza’s civilian population.
Hamas’s actions have repeatedly shown a cynical disregard for the lives of the people it claims to represent, using civilians as human shields and rejecting ceasefire proposals. However, Israel’s prolonged military campaign, now approaching two years, has devastated Gaza. The death toll is rising with very significant losses of lives, and Israel’s limiting of humanitarian aid, at times completely halting the entry of food and medical supplies, has raised the specter of coming starvation. We affirm that Hamas's sins and crimes do not relieve the government of Israel of its obligations to make whatever efforts are necessary to prevent mass starvation.
There have been months when Israel blocked humanitarian convoys on the mistaken premise that increased suffering would bring about Hamas’s surrender. Instead, the result has been the deepening of despair. The justified anger toward Hamas has dangerously expanded by some extremists into blanket suspicion of the entire population of Gaza—children included—tarnished as future terrorists. Meanwhile, in Yehuda and Shomron (the West Bank), extremist settler violence has resulted in the murder of civilians and has forced Palestinian villagers from their homes, further destabilizing the region.
Amid this devastation, the absence of a clear post-war vision from Prime Minister Netanyahu has allowed the most extreme voices in the Israeli government—including ministers from the religious Zionist community—to fill the vacuum with disturbing proposals. These include the forced “voluntary” exile of Palestinians from Gaza and the sacrifice of remaining Israeli hostages in the pursuit of an elusive “total victory.”
This moment demands a different voice—one grounded in our deepest Jewish values and informed by our traumatic history of being victims of persecution.
Orthodox Jewry, as some of Israel’s most devoted supporters, bears a unique moral responsibility. We must affirm that Judaism’s vision of justice and compassion extends to all human beings. Our tradition teaches that every person is created b’tzelem Elokim—in the Divine image. We are the spiritual descendants of Avraham, chosen to walk in the path of Hashem, “to do righteousness and justice” (Bereshit 18:19). Allowing an entire people to starve stands in stark contrast to this teaching.
As we reflect on Tisha B’Av, the words of our prophets ring with renewed urgency. The Haftorah of Shabbat Chazon reminds us: “Zion shall be redeemed through justice, and those who return to her through righteousness” (Yeshayahu 1:27). And on the morning of Tisha B’Av, the voice of Yirmiyahu echoes through our prayers: “Let not the wise glory in their wisdom...but in this: that they understand and know Me, that I am the Lord who practices kindness, justice, and righteousness on the earth—for in these I delight” (Yirmiyahu 9:23).
These are not just poetic phrases. They are the foundations of our ethical obligation—to demand policies that uphold human dignity, to provide humanitarian aid wherever possible, and to speak out when our government’s actions contradict the Torah’s moral imperatives, no matter how painful this may be to accept.
The future of Israel depends not only on its military strength but on its moral clarity. Let us be resounding voices for justice, righteousness, and peace for all people—even and especially in the hardest of times.
List of signatories
Rabbi Yosef Blau
Rabbi David Bigman
Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich
Chief Rabbi Michael Melchior
Chief Rabbi Jair Melchior
Rabbi Joav Melchior
Chief Rabbi David Rosen (former CR)
Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz
Rabbi Dr. Yitz Greenberg
Rabbi Hyim Shafner
Rabbi Daniel Landes
Rabbi Herzl Hefter
Rabbi Shua Mermelstein
Rabbi Yoni Zolty
Rabbanit Mindy Schwartz Zolty
Rabbi Frederick L Klein
Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky
Rabbi Dr. Jeremiah Unterman
Rabbi Barry Dolinger
Rabbi David Silber
Rabbi Yonatan Neril
Rabbi Ysoscher Katz
Rabbi Isaac Landes
Rabbi David Polsky
Rabbi Baruch Plotkin
Rabbi Mikey Stein
Rabbi Elliot Kaplowitz
Rabbi Ariel Goldberg
Rabbi Ben Birkeland
Rabbi Ralph Genende
Rabbi David Glicksman
Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman
Rabbi Dr. Martin Lockshin
Rabbi Dr. Pinchas Giller
Rabbi Avidan Freedman
Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein
Rabbi Dr. Shalom Schlagman
Rabbi Dr. Daniel Ross Goodman
Rabbi Aaron Levy
Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller
Rabbi Dr. Mel Gottlieb
Rabbi Dr. Joshua Feigelson
Rabbi Jonah Winer
Rabbi Dr. Michael Chernick
Rabbi Dr. Eugene Korn
Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger
Rabbi Elhanan Miller
Rabbi Joel Hecker
Rabbi Michael Gordan
R. Sofia Freudenstein
Rabbi David Levin-Kruss
Rabbanit Myriam Ackermann-Sommer
Rabbanit Ramie Smith
R. Shayna Abramson
Rabbi Zachary Truboff
Rabbi David A. Schwartz
Rabbi David Jaffe
Rabbi Steve Greenberg
Rabbi Gabriel Kretzmer Seed
Rabbanit Rachel Keren
Rabbi Benyamin Vineburg
Rabba Dr. Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz
Rabbanit Leah Sarna
Rabbi Dr. Wendy Zierler
Rabbanit Sarah Segal-Katz
Rabbi Shimon Brand
Rabba Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez
R. Emily Goldberg Winer
R. Dr. Erin Leib Smokler
Rabba Adina Roth
R. Dr. Meesh Hammer-Kossoy
Rabbi Drew Kaplan
Rabbi Dina Najman
Rabbi Emile Ackermann
Rabbi Daniel Geretz
Rabbanit Tali Schaum Broder
Rabbi Max Davis
Rabbi Tyson Herberger
Rabba Aliza Libman Baronofsky
Rabbi Professor Samuel Lebens
Rabbi David Kalb
Rabbi Asher Shanabrook
Rabbi Dr. Alon Goshen-Gottstein
Rabba Amalia Haas
Rabbi Michael Ascoli
Rabbi Ezra Klein
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