Rabbi Nancy Kasten

Eight days after the horrific attack of Hamas on Israeli citizens on October 7, 2023, a rally was held at Dallas City Hall called "All in for Palestine." I had just returned from Israel and Palestine, having been in Bethlehem in the days before the war broke out and then in Jerusalem on October 7. When I was able to return to the US from Jordan a week later, Nancy told me she wanted to go and give support to Palestinians and Muslims by attending the march. I joined her there.

 

During that march, I witnessed this Jewish rabbi, a strong supporter of the State of Israel, express her grief and solidarity with supporters of Palestine. She walked side by side with those viewed by many as rivals for the land. She listened to chants of "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free." She found her friend, Hind Jarrah, an elderly Palestinian Muslim woman educator and activist. They fell into each other's arms and shared tears. Later, she joined Imam Omar Suleiman and others in speaking to the media and calling for an end to the violence.

 

These actions of bridge building set her at odds with many in her Jewish community who felt that her advocacy and sympathy for Palestinians so soon after the death more than 1,200 Israelis was an affront to the grief of her own kin. But despite Nancy's love for her own Jewish people, she is also committed to the full dignity and defense of all human life. This is what it looks like to love one's neighbor as oneself. Rabbi Nancy Kasten courageously and compassionately models this religious obligation.

 

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