Our Not-So-Secret Weapon

As we celebrate Israel’s birthday in this special issue, it is a perfect time to reflect on what Israel means to all of us. There is so much that we need to know to fully appreciate the miracle of modern Israel. Three generation of sabra’s have created a modern democracy from the ashes of destruction. Israel, while living in the daily shadow of lethal threats, has created an economy and workforce that leads the world in technology and innovation. Recent news coming out of Israel even tells us that Israel will soon achieve something even the United States has not done- thanks to recent oil and gas discoveries Israel will soon be energy independent. Not a bad record for a sixty-five year old work in progress!

All of these miracles have occurred for a nation that most observers wanted to wipe from the pages of history. No people could lose its land and then return to rebuild. No nation has faced genocide and returned stronger than ever. No nation but the Jews. Thanks to Israel the future of Jewish people looks brighter than ever. I believe that the future of Judaism is also looking brighter than ever thanks to Israel.

Yes, I know you might disagree- “Lots of Israelis aren’t even religious,” “Lots of Israelis are too orthodox,” “There is no middle ground in Israel, I feel out of place.” All these responses are true, I admit that. Israel is no utopia. Israeli society deal contains all the flaws of every other modern society. I also admit that sometimes Israeli and American Jews see things so differently that it is hard to even hold a conversation about religion, politics, war, and, yes, even peace.

With all these shortcomings and disagreements there is one thing that I know. For those of us who worry about the Jewish future, for those of us who want our children and grandchildren to live a full, proud Jewish life there is nothing that fills the Jewish heart with pride, hope, and self-respect like the land of Israel. We live in an age in which sociologists have predicted the disappearance of the American Jew. No not by an enemy without, but from the enemy within. The enemy of apathy. I believe those predictions are wrong but we all still wonder what we can do to insure that the coming generations will be proud to be Jewish and, more importantly, love being Jewish. We all know there are a million reasons that Jews find not to be involved in Jewish. What we need for the future is more reasons to be involved.

That’s where Israel comes in- for all her flaws Medinat Yisrael is still the catalyst that has saved Jewish souls. In an age of assimilation and apathy, at a moment in which too many young Jews are “falling between the cracks,” the experience of going to Israel is a life changing event. There are so many amazing programs for teens and college students. Each and every one of them offers a different take on Israel but what they all share is the unique experience of exposing young Jews to the concept of a Jewish nation. In a Jewish nation you are related to everyone, hopefully you can relate to everyone, and for the first time understand that being Jewish means being much more than an individual or member of a single family- it is being part of a people with a unique history and a unique future.

I think that historians will look back at the 21^st century and be amazed by what we will achieve as a people. They will also be at a loss to understand it. How could it be? What allowed the Jews to survive, to flourish, to write their own future? The answer to that question will, in no small way, be answered by our not-so-secret- weapon. We built the Jewish future based on the Jewish past and by our secret weapon- the Land of Israel.