ISRAEL and the Jewish People Are Two Halves of a Whole

When an individual says the word “Israel” today, the responses are varied.  There are those who are thankful that the Jewish State exists and can be a safe-haven for Jews around the world.  There are those who would accept the narrative being propagated by those who want us to believe that Zionism is a racist ideology that must be eradicated.

It should come as no surprise to those of you here today, that I for one am thankful to be alive at a time when the Jewish dream of returning to our homeland has become a reality.  This does not mean I categorically like or approve of all actions made by the government of Israel.  It does, however, mean that I see an important place for Israel in the world and I do see its existence as a fulfillment of the religious dream that has been in place since we were sent into exile with the destruction of the first and second Temples.

One cannot walk through Ir David, to see the original site of Jerusalem during the time of King David over 3,000 years ago and continue to think that the presence of Jews in the Land is anything more than a modern day phenomenon.

One cannot walk through the streets of Jerusalem or Tel Aviv and continue to doubt whether Israel is only a country for white European Ashkenazic Jews.  If you were to walk the one block radius of apartments in my son’s neighborhood in Nachalaot where I stayed this summer, you would find individuals from Eritrea, France, the Phillipines, Thailand, and America and no they are not all Jewish. In fact Israel is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society composed of Jews and non-Jews from at least 100 different countries from diverse ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds.

When you’re in Israel you realize that Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Israel are the most advanced in the Middle East and one of the most advanced in Asia.^[1] In a study done by Germany’s Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz and the gay dating network PlanetRomeo , Israel ranked 7^th in the world for happiness on the gay happiness index that surveyd 115,000 individuals in 127 countries. LGBT individuals are allowed to serve openly in the military. Although same-sex marriages are not performed in the country, Israel recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. Discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation was prohibited in 1992. Same-sex couples are allowed to jointly adopt after a court decision in 2008, although work still needs to happen in reality to make the process actually occur more frequently.

One cannot listen to the stories of those who have been expelled from Arab lands, escaped anti-Semitism in Europe in our own day or at the time of the Holocaust without realizing that the pursuit of the freedom to live freely as a Jew has not come without great pain. One of our congregants had a cousin who came from France who spent several hours at our house last summer. She spoke about how dangerous it felt to be a Jew in the country in which she had grown up and how so many were leaving to find safety in Israel.  As American Jews we can only imagine the sense of fear that would precipitate such an exodus.  There were 5,000 departures in 2016 add to the record 7,900 who left in 2015 and 7,231 in 2014. In total, 40,000 French Jews have emigrated since 2006. 

  

 Are there problems in Israel?  Absolutely. Would it be good to have the Rabbinate in Israel have less power especially when it comes to marriages, conversions, and praying at the Kotel?  Absolutely. Would it be good to have no need for a place for Jews escaping hatred and harm in their own homelands?  Of course.  But the reality is we have lived through one of the worst devastations to our people at the hands of Nazis during the Holocaust just nearly 75 years ago, and we know that although dreaming of better times is important, having a place where Jews can live and defend themselves is essential.  Would it be good to have a peaceful resolution to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict and a cessation of all terrorism and designs to wipe Israel off the fact of the map.  Absolutely.

If you ask any of the individuals who traveled to Israel with us this past summer, the wonders of Israel despite the need for some changes were what had the most impact.  The sense of being in a place with family was intense.  Lori Feldman wrote about that feeling when she wrote a blog for JNF to publish. 

If someone would have asked me BEFORE my landing in Israel, "What is one word you would use to describe your first visit to Israel?" I most likely would have said "amazing," "inspirational," or maybe even "unexpected." Now that my trip is complete, the word I would use is "family."  

Everywhere we turned, people treated our group like family. We were welcomed to experience life from a perspective of being home. We were made to feel we have always been family and would continue to be no matter where we call home at the end of the trip.

Traveling throughout Israel there was never a feeling of being unsafe. We became a part of the daily ebb and flow…..

Since my return, I'm constantly asked, "So how was your trip? Weren't you afraid?" I tell them that this is the exact question I would have asked before my travels. I would tell a first-time traveler to Israel to go with the expectation of joy, awe, and adventure. To not get caught up in the slant of the news we hear about Israel in the States. I would insist on attempting to travel to as many parts of the country to show the diversity and wonders that each area offers.

…..And now I sit back home in the middle of the USA, among numerous mementos of our travels, and ponder if all of this was just an amazing dream, or a lifetime of memories packed in to nine days. I feel as if I have gained more depth and insight. So now you know. My one word for Israel is FAMILY.

This summer’s journey with our members and friends exceeded my every expectation.  That is why I am devising year two…an opportunity to see parts of Israel not experienced last year.  It will be a journey for ages 7 and up, a journey for extended family groupings, and an opportunity for first-time and experienced visitors to participate in hands-on learning opportunities.  When we go south to the Negev Desert we will visit Mitzpe Ramon, take a jeep tour into the wind-erosion canyon at that site, visit Sde Boker, and participate in an archaeological dig at Beit Guvrin.  We will experience the wonders of the Dead Sea region and the spirituality of Jersualem, and even get our hands dirty in the Nahallal fields while picking crops for Leket which provides food for the needy. We will have an opportunity to meet students whose families were rescued from Ethiopia, visit the archaeological remains of the Roman empire in Caesaria, and marvel at the start-up nation in Tel Aviv.  It will be a busy but invigorating tour and definitely one worth joining.  I already have individuals from Lincoln, Omaha, Washington,D.C., Kansas City, and San Diego expressing interest in the tour.  It will be a multi-generational tour so bringing a child or a grandchild or parent is encouraged.

I am convinced that having ties to Israel does two things. It strengthens one’s sense of Jewish history and one’s sense of belonging to something larger than oneself.  It also strengthens our community by allowing individuals to bond in ways that don’t happen by just sitting in services or attending a Kiddush lunch.  If you are at all interested make sure you try to come to our October 2^nd meeting or speak to me and get one of our brochures.  I’d love to take another 30 people to Israel next June.  I know it will be a life-changing opportunity for those who are new to Israel and those who have traveled there before.  As Rav Kook, the first Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel wrote,” The land of Israel is not some external entity.  It is not merely an external acquisition for the Jewish people.  It is not merely a means of uniting the populace.  It is not merely a means of strengthening our physical existence.  It is not even merely a means of strengthening our spiritual existence.  Rather the land of Israel has an intrinsic meaning.  It is connected to the Jewish people with the knot of life.  Its very being is suffused with extraordinary qualities.  The extraordinary qualities of the Land of Israel and the extraordinary qualities of the Jewish people are two halves of a whole.