How do you transcend cultural trauma, so that you don’t, as a culture, strike out in revenge or develop an invincibility that convinces you, “We will not be hurt anymore”? What is the role of the Jewish cultural narrative of victimization and vindication in the practice of Zionism today? In this essay collection, Karcher presents us with 39 Jewish individuals who have wrestled with these questions and come to the realization that the Zionist narrative with which they were raised has been turned on its head: the victims are now the victimizers of another people; the oppressed are now the oppressors. Cultural narratives are tenacious. The courageous individuals who contributed to this collection have engaged the battle and dared to present their uncomfortable truths in spite of the estrangement of family and friends, the label of being self-hating Jews.
In these testimonies, the realization that Zionism is a racist doctrine that valorizes a chosen group over all others comes to each person differently, often over a long period of time, and often after witnessing the reality in Israel and Palestine. Karcher’s introduction and afterword are masterful pieces of writing, collating much historical material and highlighting the themes of the contributors. Her own story powerfully connects the facts of Occupation to her felt experience as a traveler in Palestine. All of the contributors come to the realization that to live the meaning of the Jewish social justice tradition, one must become one with the oppressed, whether Jewish or not.
Some of the most moving essays recount how the narrative of Zionism—especially the supposed miracle of making the desert bloom amidst a host of enemies—was embraced because it offered a symbolic home for the alienated—a philosophy that uplifted those who had been victimized or ostracized in their personal lives.
One remark stands out, referring to the Torah’s admonition to “Welcome the stranger, because you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Contributor Moriah Ella Mason urges us to respond with compassion to our own cultural trauma, rather than to oppress in turn. “In welcoming the stranger, I heal the stranger in my own heart.”
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