[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 131 (Wednesday, October 3, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1785-E1786]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RABBI ISRAEL ZOBERMAN'S THOUGHTS ON THE SEPTEMBER 11TH TRAGEDIES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. J. RANDY FORBES

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 3, 2001

  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, people of all faiths and backgrounds all 
across the nation are still struggling to comprehend the senseless loss 
of life and destruction of landmarks that occurred on American soil on 
September 11th. Rabbi Israel Zoberman of the Congregation Beth Chaverim 
in Virginia Beach, a congregation that draws people from all over the 
Tidewater area, has sent to me his thoughts on these attacks. Though 
Rabbi Zoberman has lived and preached in the United States for many 
years now, he grew up in Israel, and is all too accustomed to living 
with terrorism as a part of his daily routine. His eloquence might help 
us all to make sense of these tragedies, and I commend his article to 
my colleagues' attention.


       So much pain, so many tears, God too is weeping for and 
     with America. We are bowed down by heavy losses knowing that 
     a new, unfamiliar burden has been placed upon us with a new 
     kind of evil in a world gone mad. Yet, in our crushing and 
     humbling sorrow we have touched our most tender humanness, 
     reaching higher national oneness.
       We knew of the possibility of a large-scale terrorist 
     attack in the United States, but it is a hard reality to 
     absorb. An empire's icons of pride and security, seemingly so 
     well grounded, were toppled and penetrated, changing our 
     outer and inner landscape. Surely the apocalyptic images of 
     doomsday born of diabolic design will be etched in the 
     collective American memory, of a day the world held its 
     breath and a heartbeat was forever lost. There is an 
     insidious insecurity creeping in with such a shock that only 
     time will ease.
       The terrifying cloud of dust and ashes with dazed relatives 
     looking for loved ones had a Holocaust resonance to it, and 
     the devastation's wide scope bore a World War Two signature. 
     Terrorism's essence is to disrupt a normal way of life, 
     assailing us physically, psychologically and spiritually. 
     Their target was our very pluralism and inclusiveness by a 
     merciless enemy threatened by our freedoms and global reach, 
     feeling inadequate and powerless in face of the West's 
     superior technology and incomparable standard of living. The 
     great tragedy befalling us ought to bring appreciation for 
     Israel, America's true ally, in its long struggle against 
     Arab and Muslim fundamentalism, acutely suffering during the 
     past year.
       The free world with America's irreplaceable leadership has 
     now gained the undeterred and deterring resolve to uproot the 
     multi-head monster of international terrorism, not without 
     sacrifice. It should have acted more decisively before but 
     that so sadly and costly is a recurrent theme. A trying time 
     like this has the potential for false patriotism with varied 
     and dangerous extremism, profiling and stereotyping certain 
     religious and ethnic affiliations. Fundamentalism of whatever 
     ilk is irreconcilable with the pluralistic tapestry of the 
     grand American model. The urgency of faith, family and 
     fellowship for support and healing has been highlighted. We 
     reject a culture of death with its terrorists-martyrs' 
     messengers whether in the United States or in the Middle 
     East, as we uphold the sanctity of each human life, 
     reaffirming our democratic values and ideals. However, the 
     need for interfaith and cultural dialogue is more vital than 
     ever.
       We are grateful for the many heroic rescuers who died while 
     rushing to help and those who tirelessly search for 
     survivors--they all reflect the true divine presence of 
     inexhaustible goodness, encountering inexhaustible human 
     evil. We take pride in our military with its shining presence 
     in Hampton Roads, poised to defeat civilization's 
     adversaries. An uncertain era has begun even as the American 
     dream, albeit bruised but ever more essential for humanity's 
     survival, lives on. Will a new world order sans terrorism 
     finally emerge out of disorder?


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