Dear John,
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Etan Mabourakh. I’m a Jewish Iranian-American NIAC staffer who has been working at the organization for over three years. Tonight is the final night of Hanukkah, and as the holiday comes to a close, regardless of whether you observe it, I want to share a Jewish teaching from Pikuach Nefesh that has been on my mind.
For context, Pikuach Nefesh (פיקוח נפש) means "saving a soul" or "saving a life," and it is a fundamental principle in Halacha (Jewish law) that the preservation of human life overrides virtually any other religious rule in Judaism.
The teaching states: “ Every life is a universe; to save a life is to save a universe; to kill one life is to destroy a universe .” Over the past 14+ months, I have had no choice but to reflect deeply on this teaching.
While Jewish people around the world celebrate the light of Hanukkah, we must also acknowledge the darkness surrounding us, the lives we have all failed to save.
At least 45,500 Palestinians and over 3,000 Lebanese have been killed by Netanyahu’s government with the full backing of the United States government since the horrific day of October 7, 2023, when 1,200 Israelis were killed and over 200 taken hostage by Hamas.
In July, the respected medical journal The Lancet projected [[link removed](24)01169-3/fulltext] that the number of Palestinian civilians killed could reach as high as 186,000 if conditions do not improve. And conditions have not [[link removed]] improved. The humanitarian crisis being deliberately brought on to the people of Gaza and the complete disregard for ALL hostages has broken my heart and tested my faith.
Jews, Muslims, Christians - everyone - can recognize our interconnectedness and stand against injustice wherever it occurs - be it dehumanization, starvation, displacement, Islamophobia, or antisemitism.
We are in a dark time when we are unsure what horror may come. This suffering may [[link removed]] come to Iran next. Given the context, it makes perfect sense why the vast majority [[link removed]] of Iranian Americans believe that preventing war with Iran must be a top priority. Please know that everyone at NIAC is doing all we can to stop a war from breaking out with Iran, knowing full well that EVERY life is a universe and that it is our duty to work to save them.
NIAC will keep fighting in that spirit by creating much-needed space for our community, a space that includes Jewish Iranian Americans and others while advocating for the change that we all want to see.
As I light the final Hanukkah candle this year, I pray that we can recommit ourselves to being beacons of hope in a world that truly needs it. We can work toward a future where light—the light of peace, human rights, and understanding—triumphs over darkness—not just for some but for all people.
Thank you for standing together.
חג שמח
Etan Mabourakh Community & Advocacy Associate, NIAC[[link removed]]unsubscribe: [link removed]