Rather than showing moral leadership by reflecting on whether they might have misjudged the situation, their defensive reaction suggests they view the incident through the lens of their own persecution – a troubling disconnect.
August 12, 2025 13:40
We have all seen the devastating images of emaciated hostage Evyatar David, being held underground and made to dig his own grave. To hold an event for these hostages to be released is a rare thing. It cuts through the noise of political debate to maintain focus on the human cost of terrorism.
For families of the kidnapped, it is a moment when their loved ones are centred, when the community comes together not to argue about policy but to remember those still in captivity.
At rallies, people sometimes boo when they disagree with speakers. This happened to Progressive movement leaders Rabbi Josh Levy and Rabbi Charley Baginsky during their speech at the march for hostages. They defiantly posted afterwards that they would "not retreat from cross-communal spaces," but I don't think that's what the people who booed them want.
Have the rabbis fundamentally misunderstood what happened?
First, let me describe the reality of the reaction. These were not sporadic boos from a small pocket of feisty advocates. The boos built steadily — it wasn't everyone, but the disapproval was evenly spread throughout the crowd. Those not booing were mainly looking at each other in visible confusion.
The rabbis spoke about Israeli policy in Gaza, "Jewish extremist violence" by settlers, humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the right to Palestinian statehood. In a different setting, many people in that crowd may well have agreed with some of what they said. But the real issue was that they got the time and place horribly wrong.
Every day the discourse is about Palestinians. For just one moment, this was supposed to be about us. About the hostages. To deliver this message in front of families of hostages — people who have lost loved ones, whose family and friends were murdered, held captive, and tortured — was grossly insensitive. The family member of a victim of October 7 told me their speech caused him deep distress.
Judging by their faces, the reaction came as quite a shock to the speakers. They seemed to believe they were the voice of reason preaching to the converted, imparting their drasha of wisdom. But this was not a synagogue sermon — it was a campaign to free the hostages. The booing created an uncomfortable moment, and Rabbi Baginsky looked visibly exasperated at not being allowed to finish.
Here's the crucial question: what did the rabbis think would happen at an event specifically for hostages when analysis of their transcript showed that approximately 45% of it was dedicated to injustice towards Palestinians and Israeli wrongdoing?
This doesn't demonstrate a split in the community — we are all well aware of those divisions. This revealed a split between out-of-touch leadership and much of the community itself. Jews are allowed to be centred in our own stories.
The speakers ignored the spirit of the event, offering something that wasn't warranted or wanted. They embarked on a fool's errand of their own making, and judging by their reaction to the booing, the response was completely unexpected.
Compare this to other speakers who have managed to address complex emotions without derailing the focus. Effective leadership in such moments requires understanding that there is a time for broad political discourse and a time for laser-focused solidarity. The most powerful speeches were those that channelled grief, hope and determination while keeping the hostages at the absolute centre of attention.
These experienced communal leaders should have had a better understanding of the weight of the moment. As progressive voices within the Jewish community, they carry particular responsibility to demonstrate that one can hold complex political views while still respecting the boundaries of appropriate time and place.
There was real unity about what this march represented, and it was not about educating people who supposedly need moral leadership or facilitating a discussion about Middle East geopolitics. It was about not forgetting the hostages. The booing was a visceral reaction by a crowd that felt the rally's theme was being compromised and its message diluted.
Although the booing was uncomfortable and pulling them from the stage was excessive, the rabbis haven't written one line admitting they misread the room or expressing any regret for overshadowing an event whose theme was about the hostages.
Rather than showing moral leadership by reflecting on whether they might have misjudged the situation, their defensive reaction suggests they view the incident through the lens of their own persecution — a troubling disconnect. Remarkably, it's still all about them.
This incident ultimately highlights a broader challenge in Jewish communal leadership: the tension between holding strong moral convictions and exercising the emotional intelligence required to unite rather than divide in moments of crisis. The hostage families deserved better, and so did the community that gathered to support them.
Alex Hearn is the director of Labour Against Antisemitism
