A story emerged from Russia years ago that expresses a truth about Jewish life and the importance of Israel. The secret police in the Soviet Union knocked upon the door of a Russian Jew. They accused him of corresponding with a foreign agent named Rabinovitz in the state of Israel. The Jew laughed and explained that he had been writing letters to his brother Hayim Rabinovitz who happened to live in Tel Aviv. The Russian officer then responded, “But don’t you know that you are not supposed to be in contact with anyone abroad?” The Jew answered with a shrug and stated, “You don’t understand. I am living abroad, and he is at home.”
Wherever we may live, America or elsewhere may be our home, but Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people. True, Israel is not paradise. It is not the Garden of Eden. It has its problems, and we do not have to agree with everything that the Prime Minister or government says or does. [For example, many of us felt concerned about the recent judicial reform proposals advocated by Prime Minister Netanyahu, that, for now, have been suspended. See here for the Conservative Movement’s March 27 statement.]
In truth, Israelis disagree with each other all the time–and rather vigorously. This is perhaps why they have so many political parties. In the 2022 Israeli legislative elections, for example, some 13 different parties won seats in the Knesset, while 39 parties participated (a fortieth dropped out)!
Yet, with all of Israel’s difficulties and problems, Israel is today the spiritual center for all Jews. Period. Let me go even further: what the State of Israel has achieved in humanitarian and rescue efforts, in the arts and sciences, in the resurrection of the Jewish spirit, in building up barren wastelands and settling cities, in its advances in education, in forging new innovations in technology, in the establishment of a democratic government, and in preserving Jews and Judaism entitles it to a moral claim on our lives.
Israel’s welfare and existence deserve the highest priority in the life of all Jewish communities around the globe and in the life of every Jewish household and, surely, in the heart of every Jew. Indeed, personal loyalty–although not blind loyalty–is, today as in the past, one of the litmus tests of Jewishness (yiddishkeit) and religiosity. Let’s face it–there is no branch of Judaism today that does not support Israel wholeheartedly. The lone exception may be found among small Chassidic and ultra-Orthodox sects. Such groups usually live by themselves–and no longer are part of the conversation of Judaism today.
David Ben-Gurion stated about Israel, “This country made us a people; our people made this a country.” This geographically small entity continues to make us and shape us as a people. To the extent that we personally are willing to give to Israel, to lend to Israel, to invest in Israel, to speak up for Israel, to visit Israel–to exactly that same extent do we feel our Jewishness and Judaism vital and alive.
Israel celebrates its 75th birthday beginning at sundown on Tuesday, April 25 and continuing through sundown the next day. This is Yom Ha’Atzma’ut, Israel Independence Day. We at CAH will salute and celebrate Israel’s 75th birthday most especially at a special service on Friday evening, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. with a special liturgy for the evening. On Saturday morning (beginning at 10:00 a.m.), we will not have services as usual, but will instead have a shirah b’tzibbur, a community sing-a-long. This is precisely how most Israelis tend to celebrate; shirah b’tzibbur is a special phenomenon in the history of the country. At our Saturday service, we will celebrate Israeli history and culture through its music. We will sing songs that became popular here in the United States as well as some that may be less familiar to you. But we will join with Israelis in celebrating the “country that made us a people,” showing our support for and love for our sisters and brothers there. For, at least in a spiritual sense, we are living abroad, and they are home.
Yom HaAtzma’ut samei-ach! Happy 75th, Israel! May you continue to be a beacon of light and go from strength to strength.
Rabbi J.B. Sacks