Fear Builds Encampments. Love Builds Community: Deportations and Protests in the U.S. & Israel Attacks Iran

🎙️ Torah From Boca — Episode Title: Fear Builds Encampments. Love Builds Community; Our Choice Encampment or Community?

I originally planned to give this teaching in light of what’s happening here in the United States—the immigration raids, ICE deportations of undocumented individuals, and the protests that have erupted in response, some of which turned chaotic and violent. I wanted to bring Torah into that conversation, to explore how we, as Jewish-Americans, think about “outsiders,” borders, and the kind of society we want to build as a minority ourselves. 

But then, everything shifted. Israel struck Iran. Suddenly, our attention turned to questions of national security, survival, and strength.

In this episode, I share a teaching that pivots from these headlines to a deeper Torah conversation: What’s the difference between an encampment and a congregation? Between a people bound by fear and one bound by destiny? Drawing on Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik’s powerful insight and this week’s parashah, I reflect on the kind of communities we’re building—both here and in Israel—and what our sacred tradition asks of us when the world feels unstable.

This episode is about more than headlines. It’s about what it means to be a sacred people in an uncertain world.

Click Here to Download the Text Sheet With Sources

Click Here For the Video Version On YouTube