Thoughts About Israel

On Thursday we celebrated Yom HaAtzmaut.  The miracle of the rebirth of Israel after 2,000 years of exile should not be taken lightly by those of us who have grown up in a world where we have experienced the existence of Israel as a “given fact.”  Last summer as many of you know, I attended the Jewish Agency Assembly in Tel Aviv.  Although there was the potential to feel very lonely there, because I knew no one other than Daniel Allen when I walked into the ballroom of the Intercontinental David Hotel, I must say the shared sense of love for Israel broke any potential barriers between myself and others in the room. 

Knowing the work that Israel does to resettle Jews from across the world whose lives are endangered, who need a place to turn when the rising tide of anti-Semitism is expanding should not be taken lightly.  When I took a walking tour of Jaffa and heard stories from young people from Morocco, Mexico, France, and the Ukraine who felt compelled to find a new home because of danger in their own countries and found that home in Israel, I realized that they were fortunate to be living at a time when the modern state of Israel exists. The way it functions in our world is a tribute to the concept, “Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh BaZeh….All Israel is responsible for one another.”  

We live at a time when anti-Israel rhetoric is not only coming from the far-right but also from the far-left.  It matters not that one is a non-Jew these days in order to be able to engage in Israel bashing. Jews are involved as well. We know that for a fact when we look at leaders in the BDS movement or at J Street. The message being delivered is the same on both sides of the spectrum although we have a tendency to pretend that it is only the messenger that makes a difference.

In my mind, Israel is more than just a safe haven for Jews in times of danger.  It is a place where Torah learning is not merely academic, where Jewish history is not just in books, where Jewish customs and traditions even permeate the homes of those who say they are not “religious”, where Hebrew is not used just for prayer.  In Israel I learn from the cab drivers who tell me about their hopes for peace or their experiences growing up prior to the establishment of the State.  In Israel I feel the excited hustle and bustle of preparing for Shabbat when I walk through the shuk. In Israel, I can find a restaurant where I can actually eat a meat meal!

My advice, for what it is worth, is that if you have sent your kids on a Birthright Trip, but have not gone yourself, you need to give yourself a present.  Schedule a time to visit Israel.  If you have a desire to see the miracle that so many Jews never had the opportunity to witness but had always hoped for, don’t put off the opportunity to see Israel for yourself. Visit so you can confidently dispel the lies being propagated and feel pride and amazement about what this young country has accomplished.

If you’re not well enough to travel or visit, keep informed about Israel and advocate for her.  Contribute to the tzedakah funds that support her citizens or help sustain the land.  Be involved.  Judaism is important here in Lincoln, but the future of Judaism doesn’t depend on what happens here.  I do think it depends on what happens to the country that houses 8 million Jews within her borders which means we need to help ensure that her future is stable.

Shabbat Shalom.