On cusp of 3 weeks, mutual respect

I prefer to stay behind the news, but recent overheated rhetoric and unthinking actions in Israel, I fear, can have far-reaching, historic repercussions.

We stand on the cusp of the Three Weeks that culminated in the destruction of both Batai Mikdash (Temples); the second destruction was caused by sinat chinam (senseless hatred).

This week, a rabbi left a wedding in Israel after he was attacked by other Jews there, recalling the story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza.

All streams of Torah observant Judaism have more in common than not; it was tears in the fabric of our commonality that led to the destruction of the Bait Hamikdash and the exile of our people that we continue to mourn.

We must work to dial back the uncalled for animosity and disparaging words among our people.

I would like to suggest that in our Five Towns and South Shore communities, so united as we were after Sandy, that our Rabbis come together and issue our own kol koreh to our brothers in Israel to come to their senses and meet to iron out differences.

We were given many gifts by Hakodosh Baruch Hu-the Torah, Israel, our nation; we must work to keep them.

Kol Yisrael chaverim.