From what I hear and read, there are two Israels for Jews and Zionists.
This year a controversy erupted in Jewish newspapers and periodicals when Daniel Gordis remarked that young rabbis were growing distant from Israel and were in fact not supportive of the Jewish state.
One of the responses was by the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, the center of rabbinic studies for the Conservative Movement. They immediately commissioned Steven M. Cohen, a prominent sociologist of American Jewish life to conduct a study.
The study concluded that these rabbis are no less committed to Israel than the older rabbis. Young and old rabbis in largely similar percentages consider aliya as a possibility, report that they “feel Zionist”, and label themselves pro-Israel.
However, the younger colleagues are more concerned about Israel’s societal challenges and problems and less concerned with external threats, ”issues of the body,” than those of the older vintage.
This seems to be the case in the general Jewish world as well.
Younger Jews are less concerned with the security issues and more concerned with what I will call “soul of Israel” issues.
As for the rabbis, the study found that 79% of older rabbis put the blame for the lack of peace on the Palestinians while only 44% of the young rabbis blamed the Arabs.
Politically in the U.S., 80% of my age group support AIPAC to only 42% of the young ones. When dealing with the left-center J Street, the numbers are reversed.
Everything is how you look at it; what you understand to be the highest value or most pressing issue….
My younger rabbinic colleagues and many younger lovers of Israel share a great deal with those of us who are of the senior generation.
We both are concerned about the soul of Israel.
Many of my children’s generation have only known an Israel with a powerful and dominant military.
They were babies during the first Lebanon war and children during the first Intifada.
They have no more memory of the terror that gripped the Jewish world in May 1967, let alone the betrayal of the U.S. and the U.N. in 1956 and 1967 than I have of December 7, 1941.
The shock of Yom Kippur 1973 and the vulnerability we witnessed plays a very small role in their thinking.
It looms large among my concerns…..
For many of them the checkpoints, settlements, the Security Fence/Wall and the last war in Gaza define Israel.
They focus more on the treatment of Israeli Arabs and Bedouin than on the amazing absorption of millions of Jews from all over the world.
Their emphasis is on the lack of religious freedom for non-Orthodox Jews rather than on the open and supportive policies for all Muslim and Christian holy places.
They zero in on the areas of Israel’s soul which need mending.
I understand this concern, but I worry much more about Israel’s enemies. They are real and relentless. They are found not just among Palestinians and other Arab peoples, but here in the United States and also among our Jewish People…..
I trust Israel’s soul will grow over time.
I support organizations that work on the interior values of the Jewish State.
I believe the New Israel Fund and NCJW’s efforts are important to empower Israel’s weaker populations and allow them to change the system from within.
I donate to ARZA, IRAC and ICCI, all of which attempt to make important changes in Israel’s legal, legislative and interfaith communities.
I focus more, however, on Congress, our Administration and our State leaders through the work of AIPAC, Israel Bonds, NACPAC and Federation.
I do this because I believe that first must come security and the soul will follow….
I am an optimist about Israel’s soul.
I am a pessimist about Israel’s security.
I understand those who feel the opposite.
I respectfully disagree with their assessment. I particularly disagree with those of this opinion who live and work outside of Israel; whose children sit in safety thousands of miles from missiles and rockets; whose boys and girls will never put on a uniform and risk their lives to defend their homeland.
I understand, but I disagree, strongly…..
So, you decide.
Pro-soul or pro-security.
Where on that spectrum do you fall?
If you find yourself supporting those who would boycott, divest, delegitimize or even deny Israel the right to be a Jewish State, you and I have a big problem. In fact, we have nothing to talk about.
I won’t minimize my passion for Israel and her people.
As long as you find yourself as a lover of Israel and committed to seeing her flourish and grow in peace and equality, we can get along very well.
I am with you.
And I will be with you in Israel April 22 when we go on the Miami Mega Mission.
See Israel up close and personal.
Then decide: Soul or Security or both.
But come.
And remember, if you want to bring your children and are looking for an encounter and a vacation in the summer, we have two wonderful opportunities to travel to Israel with us.
And for now, invest in her.
Her economy deserves your confidence.
You deserve a secure investment that will not lose money.
Invest in her soul, her security, her Jewish existence.
Connect with her.
Bond with Israel.
(This and all other High Holy Day sermons will be on the web site: www.tbsmb.org )
To buy Israel Bonds, click on the following link: http://www.israelbonds.com/Learn/Sales-Offices.aspx
To register for the Mega Mission go to: http://jewishmiami.org/news/federation/megamission_trip_of_lifetime/
To inquire about our Temple summer trip to Israel with families contact Cantor Haas at cantorhaas@tbsmb.org or ext. 239.
