By Phyllis Chesler

Why do I write? Why does anyone write? To bare one's soul, bear witness, tell secrets, expose injustice, and to bond with others in our enormous solitude. Is it a form of therapy? Yes it is. And you, dear readers, are my therapists. You are listening to me. Therefore, I am always interested in your interpretations, your responses.

I sent my article, "Letter to Rabbis for a Ceasefire" to individual rabbis whom have signed statements in support of the Ceasefire Rabbis and whom I personally know. Thus far, no one has responded, neither privately, nor publicly.

So far so good.

However, many others, both rabbis and non-rabbis, have written to me across social media platforms and in emails.

Many have thanked me, blessed me, found the letter "excellent," "powerful," a "Magum Opus;" yet, others found me "too kind." Some readers found me foolish for bothering to write to such Marxists who are only playing at being rabbis. One reader-therapist said I might as well "talk to a lamppost."

Another viewed such rabbi-activists as primarily "leftists" who want to "violently destroy the Enlightenment values, U.S. Capitalism, Western Civilization and Freedom."

Along these same lines, someone else wrote: "You can't educate a victim who thinks that Tikkun Olam means that our joint religion has to disappear."

Someone wrote: "Traitor. You probably would've tried to bargain with the Nazis as well...Correct? I thought you were smarter than that."

I rather liked this one: "Any so called 'rabbi' protesting for a ceasefire instead of the complete elimination of Hamas is not a true rabbi and the right to call themselves 'Jews,' let alone 'rabbis,' should be stripped by reconstituting a Sanhedrin to make it official."

And this too. "My heart, my Gentile, Noahide heart too was broken in that moment. To have 'our people' attack our people in front of the world reminded me of Korach, and I wonder: 'Would they have stood against Moshe when the Israelites went to battle in the wilderness? May He who grants peace in the High Heavens grant peace to Israel and to all humanity."

Someone else wisely wrote: "No other people are saddled with such an overabundance of self-haters as we are."

Some Torah scholars suggested that such rabbis are "mentally ill," and "not leaders, not teachers, but Broken People."

A few mourned the lack of unity among Jews, found it "painful," and "heartbreaking." They found our being fractured "dangerous." Oh, so true.

Perhaps the most important, or the most meaningful letter, was sent to me by a Reform rabbi whom I once knew, and with whom I'd worked. Here it is, at least in part.

"This article strikes me somewhat as a journey I have taken. I'm now in Israel. I'm not planning to live here permanently since my family and my community comfort me in the States. However, I am no longer the rabbi I was; I do not look over my shoulder to react the way I used to--criticizing Israel to please my liberal friends and colleagues. The existence of Israel, as imperfect a country as it is--as all countries are--must continue to survive. I thank you for your article more than you can imagine; and I pray that your article will change the mind of even a handful of the liberals among us Jews."

Leave it to an Israeli to respond with exceptional verve! She wrote:

"At mamash koolit. You are freaking cool and we love you."

Thank you, One and All for reading my words.