"No one of us can solve all problems. But each of us can: become more conscious and active in defending the humanity of all people; respect every person as a reflection of God's image; work actively for justice. It seems to me that the human race is overdue for 'soul accounting' about the treatment of Palestinians in their ancestral homeland, and for acknowledging our government's role in perpetrating racism here and throughout the world. I hope that each of us will take some time to examine our attitudes and behaviors toward others. The future of our planet and the human race demands cooperation and respect for all." Cy Swartz, 'Heshbon…', CPF newsletter, 9/2015.
Cy and Lois Swartz, leaders of "Bubbas and Zaydes [Grandparents] for Peace in the Middle East", have been the principal contributors to CPF's position on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
Some years ago Fran and I joined several other CPF folks in standing with the Swartzes and a few other peace people at weekly vigils at the Israeli Consulate. We read the Swartz's printouts and with Joe Bradley, Joanne Ennis, David Graham, Lee Hoinacki, and Phyllis and Mary Lou Grady, handed them out to passersby willing to read them. We held signs "We Refuse to be Enemies" and "Build Bridges not Walls", strung around our necks and we ignored the insults from a group of counter-demonstrators, Zionists, Jewish and Christian, gathered across the street.
The Swartzes were observant Jews whose lonely "justice for Palestinians" public stance and criticism of Israel caused them, like the Hebrew prophets of old, to be shunned by their very own. It must have been a heavy burden for them to sense that friends and acquaintances considered them to be self-hating Jews, the unkindest cut of all. The price to pay for a principled position.
Cy, was lead speaker at our CPF annual retreat in 2014, and contributed articles for our newsletter. He wrote in our April 2016 newsletter: "My connection with CPF was created by our shared commitment to our respective traditions and to a shared understanding of those traditions that pushed us to actively work to make our faith and politics work together for humanity. It pushed us to the margins. We must refuse to accept the world as it is, as the prophets did. The many Fridays that we stood in silent vigil outside the Israeli Consul's office were an effort in the prophetic tradition. To create a world where every person is respected and treated as an image of God."
"How has faith impacted on us [you and me] as individuals and on the rest of the world? Faith guides our vision of how things are created, develop, should be. We have come together on Fridays to advocate for justice because of the faith that we share. The traditions we were born into and have practiced inspired us to work actively in the world in ways that can make our prayers and aspirations real... For the past years we have joined outside the Israeli Consulate inspired by our faith. We have advocated for justice and security for Israelis and Palestinians and engaged in hundreds of conversations with passersby. Severe weather conditions have not stopped us. Deep FAITH has fueled our effort." …
"Lois and I made a conscious decision to live as faithful members of a liberal Jewish community. For many years we observed kashrut [dietary laws], attended synagogue every Saturday, observed holidays and home rituals. We bought a house in a racially integrated neighborhood, opposed the war in Vietnam, participated actively in winning collective bargaining for Philadelphia teachers. And in the past fifty-four years we have lived and loved together in Faith in the possibility that we could be part of the process of helping to create a world in the image of the Kingdom of God." Cy Swartz, “Faith…” CPF newsletter, 2/ 2014
A last word and request: Lois is not well and Cy has been diagnosed as terminally ill. Please pray that each of them may experience fully the love God has for them
