An Open Letter to Rabbi Ovadia Yosef

Dear Rabbi Yosef:

I was astounded to read excerpts from a sermon in which you concluded that Hurricane Katrina was a punishment from God in response to Israel’s recent withdrawal from the Gaza strip.  I am outraged that a rabbi – in fact a former chief rabbi of Israel, and a much-admired Shas Party leader -- would have the audacity and the lack of sensitivity to suggest that the terrible devastation inflicted by Hurricane Katrina was God’s retribution for President Bush’s support of the withdrawal.

Although you may hold steadfast to this perverse belief, fortunately the vast majority of Jews do not.  The hurricane destroyed the lives of thousands of innocent men, women, and children, and disrupted hundreds of thousands more.  Those lives were tragically ended or upended by an accident of nature.  Neither their religion nor their race – to which you alluded in your sermon -- was a factor.  God’s loved ones are suffering.

You incorrectly, venomously, and shamefully described Hurricane Katrina as a punishment for steps that Israel has taken with the hope and dream of creating peace.  Putting aside the politics of the withdrawal from Gaza, the Jewish God in whom I believe does not behave in this way.  I respect your understanding of the Torah as prohibiting withdrawal from Gaza.  I interpret the Torah differently.  We share the heritage of the same Torah but we interpret God’s words differently --- and your interpretation is held only by an extreme minority.

God gave the Torah to humanity with the hope that we would live by it and interpret it intelligently. For you to speak with such certainty about what God wants is arrogance. To attempt to convince others of the truth of your interpretation is irresponsible.

God gave us values through His gift of Torah, and God holds humanity accountable to live according to those values.  I accept the responsibility of living according to my understanding of those values.  I accept God’s involvement and influence in my daily life.  But my understanding of God does not permit me to accept that every bad or good thing that occurs is a reward or punishment.  There are times when bad things happen to good people.

What humanity needs most at this time is help, not finger-pointing. We need consolation, not anger; love, not hate.  The God I serve and pray to daily has charged me not to blame but to help. 

I do not understand the purpose of your statement, except to argue and justify a political position that already has been rejected. Not only have you attempted to create guilt in those who do not deserve it, by your very words you have shirked your responsibility. You should inspire your followers to help those who so desperately need it. 

Unlike you, I want each person whose path in life was tragically affected by Katrina to know that I empathize with their feelings of loss, and that I will do whatever I can to bring them resources to sustain their God-given lives. 

Each weekday during the month of Elul you and I will have the opportunity to hear the sound of the shofar, which challenges us to look into our hearts, examine ourselves and draw closer to God.  Although you have refused to recognize my standing as a rabbi, I turn to you as a rabbinic colleague and ask you to join the worldwide community of Jews in helping to be God’s emissaries in tikkun olam – rebuilding the world.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Jerome M. Epstein
Executive Vice President,
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism