Israel is a remarkable chunk of real estate. Its very stones remind us of our history and our past. . It was in its hills that David fought the Philistines. It was in the silence of its Judean Desert that Elijah heard the still small voice. It was from its small farm towns that Jeremiah, Isaiah, Micah, Amos were called to speak God's words. It was from its mountain fortresses that the Jews fought the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Fatimids, the Mamalukes, the Ottomans, and the British. Its sites, colors, vegetation, and smells are unique. Even the State of Israel's creation, fifty-five years ago this month, was a miracle.
And then there's Jerusalem, a 4,000-year old city sprawling off of its plateau, gleaming in yellow limestone. The old and the new are intermingled there in unique ways: glass-enclosed malls stand next to Roman ruins; secular Israelis share the streets with Chasidim and Karaites. Millions of people visit Jerusalem every year to experience its unique religious quality. Nothing provides us with a more immediate and concrete realization of our identity as Jews than a trip to Israel. There was a period of ten years when I visited Israel at least once a year. It was an amazing spiritual battery-charger.
I'm too young to remember the exultation Jews felt on May 14, 1948 when Israel was born. I'm one of the privileged generation that has always lived in a world which contained a "state for the Jews." I do remember vividly the response of American Jewry when the Six Day War began in June, 1967. It galvanized all of us. It began a bizarre fifteen-year period when Jewish parents, worried about their teenagers' emotional stability, would send their children to Israel to "straighten them out," to help them "find themselves." Amazingly, Israel succeeded in doing so for many.
I was shocked to learn at our recent CCAR convention how few Jews have taken advantage of this experience in recent years. Fewer than 4% of all Jews under the age of forty have visited Israel. I find that astonishing. Our connections with Israel must not fade. Yes, there are serious problems. We all worry about Israel’s relationship with the Palestinians. Some of us been turned off by the internal political and religious problems that we read about daily in the newspaper. We feel betrayed when Israel's government is shown to have warts. We have all heard stories about how aggressive and pushy Israelis are. We are angered that the rigid Orthodox there don't recognize the legitimacy and beauty of Liberal Judaism. Some of us simply don't travel anywhere. For whatever reason, the vast majority of us have deprived ourselves of an extraordinary experience. No one who visits Israel returns the same person. No one.
This month we celebrate Israel's Independence Day, Yom HaAtzmaut. On Wednesday evening, May 14, at 6 pm, we will snack on Israeli food; we’ll watch the movie Exodus, we’ll try some Israeli dancing, and we’ll celebrate the miracle of Israel. Join us!
