Chevruta: Understanding Aaron Bushnell’s Sacrifice

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Apr 26, 2024

Guest Aaron Bushnell, Torah scholar, discusses his self-immolation protest outside the Israeli embassy, sparking debates on sacrifice, martyrdom, and political activism. The podcast explores the ethical implications of Bushnell's actions, highlighting the complexities of choosing martyrdom and resisting complicity in sin. It also delves into Jewish texts on sacrifice, martyrdom, and the transformative power of symbolic acts for community reflection.

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ANECDOTE

Aaron Bushnell's Protest

Aaron Bushnell, an active U.S. Air Force member, self-immolated to protest U.S. complicity in the war on Gaza.
This act sparked discourse, with some viewing it as martyrdom and others as suicide.

INSIGHT

Balancing Sacrifice and Cause

Personal sacrifice for a cause is necessary, but self-negation can negate the cause itself.
The question arises: How much should one sacrifice without undermining the cause?

INSIGHT

Halakha on Martyrdom

Halakha generally prioritizes life over most religious laws, except for idolatry, sexual prohibitions, and murder.
However, individuals can choose martyrdom even for lesser commandments if they prioritize religious adherence.

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Chevruta is a column named for the traditional method of Jewish study, in which a pair of students analyzes a religious text together. In each installment, Jewish Currents will match leftist thinkers and organizers with a rabbi or Torah scholar. The activists will bring an urgent question that arises in their own work; the Torah scholar will lead them in exploring their question through Jewish text. By routing contemporary political questions through traditional religious sources, we aim to address the most urgent ethical and spiritual problems confronting the left. Each column will include a column, podcast, and study guide.

On February 25th, Aaron Bushnell, an active-duty member of the US Air Force, self-immolated outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC. “I will no longer be complicit in genocide,” Bushnell said in a livestreamed video, broadcasting what he declared an “an extreme act of protest”—though, he added, “compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all.” Bushnell, who was dressed in his army uniform, then doused himself in gasoline and set himself on fire, shouting “Free Palestine” until he collapsed. He died later that day. While some were quick to dismiss Bushnell’s action as a manifestation of mental illness, many on the left expressed admiration for his sacrifice—which, as intended, drew global attention to US complicity in Israel’s brutal, ongoing assault on Gaza.

In this chevruta, Rabbi Lexi Botzum and Jewish Currents editor-in-chief Arielle Angel engage with Jewish texts that examine the concepts of martyrdom, sacrifice, and public spectacle, considering how our tradition might help us to engage with Aaron Bushnell’s act, and the question of how much we must sacrifice for justice.

You can find the column based on this conversation and a study guide here.

Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for producing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”

Articles Mentioned:

All Jewish sources are cited in the study guide, linked above

“Aaron Bushnell’s Act of Political Despair,” Masha Gessen, The New Yorker

“The Work of the Witness,” Sarah Aziza, Jewish Currents

“The Nature of Mass Demonstrations,” John Berger, International Socialism

“Burnt Offerings,” Erik Baker, n+1