Torah Tidbits - Noah's Ark: It’s like Israel for world Jewry - By Rabbi Adam Ruditsky
Rabbi Amiel Hirsch and Rabbi Elliott Cosgrove, two prominent New York City rabbis, recently issued strong statements on behalf of the Jewish community regarding the election of Democratic Mayor-elect and Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani.
While both rabbis addressed various controversial statements Mamdani has made, one issue in particular has drawn significant concern: his statements regarding the existence of Israel. Mamdani has accused Israel of genocide and of functioning as an apartheid state, yet he has offered no equivalent condemnation of Hamas, which openly calls for the annihilation of Israel. Although he affirms that Israel has a right to exist as any country does, he maintains that Israel should not exist as a “Jewish state” with a leadership reflecting that identity. Combined with his refusal to condemn the phrase, regardless of whether he said it or not, “globalize the intifada,” Mamdani’s positions have made him increasingly controversial within the Jewish community and beyond.
You may ask: what does this have to do with us in the Plano area? The phrase “globalize the intifada” carries a specific and dangerous meaning: the eradication of Israel and its profound implications for world Jewry. Its circulation has corresponded with a sharp rise in antisemitism worldwide. Even a mayoral candidate in New York City — home to the largest Jewish population in the country — refusing to condemn such a phrase is cause for concern for Jews everywhere, even us Jews in Plano, Collin County, or beyond.
This concern brings to mind this week’s parsha, Noach. The Torah teaches that the tevah (ark) of Noah became a sanctuary of salvation during a time of overwhelming chaos. The ark preserved life when the world was filled with violence and corruption (hamas, Genesis 6:11). In a similar way, the State of Israel has become a modern tevah, a safe haven for the Jewish people, born out of centuries of persecution and the devastation of the Shoah. Israel preserves life, Jewish culture, and faith in a world that sadly too often threatens both.
Just as the ark was not meant to isolate Noah forever but to ensure continuity, Israel’s purpose is not merely survival — it is to safeguard and nurture Jewish life, spirit, and covenant. The ark of Noah is not simply a children’s story; it is a timeless reminder of the need for sacred space to protect life. For us, Israel — with all its challenges, disagreements, and imperfections — is our tevah, our ark. It is our homeland, a sanctuary of safety, and it must be protected, not dismantled, dismissed, or threatened. The likes of Zohran Mamdani are dangerous.
In closing, our tradition teaches that just as Noah was entrusted with the care of life inside the ark (Genesis Rabbah 30:9), the Jewish people are entrusted with the care of Israel, safeguarding it as a space for life, Torah, and moral flourishing. Supporting Israel includes advocating for its security, sustaining Jewish communities there, and ensuring that it remains a safe haven for Jews worldwide, let alone for any people who live within its borders.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Adam Ruditsk