By: Brandon Rattiner
Senior Director, Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC)
This week, we open the book of Bamidbar—literally “in the wilderness”—a reminder of the uncertainties and tensions that have always shaped the Jewish journey. Bamidbar begins with a census. God commands Moses to lift up the head of every man fit for battle and count them by name. This instruction asks our leaders to learn what makes each individual unique, to learn their names, the members of their family.
Bamidbar reminds us that those affected by war are real people with real stories. It’s a call to resist dehumanization, even in times of conflict.
This lesson is urgent. Since October 7, we’ve seen a rise in language that dehumanizes Jews—language that makes violence feel permissible and inevitable. JCRC has consistently warned lawmakers and activists that framing the war with Hamas as a one-sided, zero-sum conflict puts Jews at risk here in Colorado. We have worked tirelessly to remind our leaders that the hostages who have spent 600 days in Gaza are real people uprooted from real lives. We have criticized both political parties for bringing speakers to Colorado that traffic in division and antisemitism. And we just brought 11 state lawmakers to Israel to humanize the region’s complexity.
Last week’s murder of two young adults in DC, simply because the killer thought they were Jewish, is a stark reminder that dehumanizing Jewish people has real world consequences. Since the shooting, SCN has tracked approximately 34,000 online threats to Jewish communities around the country, including many that condone the acts of the shooter. JEWISHcolorado, SCN, and JCRC are committed to doing all we can to keep our community safe in this difficult environment.
Still, Bamidbar also reminds us to look inward. Even as we defend Israel and stand up for the Jewish people, we cannot lose sight of the humanity of others. We must recognize that the crowds of Palestinians seeking aid are also full of real families, and that children in Israel and Gaza will both carry the scars of the war Hamas started and sought.
This Shabbat, let’s honor those we’ve lost by standing strong against dehumanization in all its forms—whether it’s aimed at Jews, our allies, or even those we find ourselves in conflict with. May we find the strength to uphold our dignity and the dignity of others, even in the hardest of times.
Please email Brandon Rattiner at brattiner@jewishcolorado.org with questions or comments.