Life without the State of Israel
As I write this article, it is on the heels of two distinctly opposite moments in the Jewish calendar - Yom Hashoah and Yom Haatsmaut. Joining in the festivities celebrating Israel's 60th birthday, it seems fitting to reflect on the profound impact that the State of Israel has had on my life.
As a young boy in Sudbury, Ontario, I was taught in Hebrew school to love Israel because it was my homeland. It was a hard message to convey to a boy who was the only Jewish kid in his public school. My second memory is that of the JNF blue box, always in our home, but not in any of my friend's houses. As a small town Canadian kid, it was hard to grasp what all the 'Israel' hype was about? After all, I knew but a handful of Jewish people.
I went to Israel for the first time to study at the Hebrew University for my second year of University. My father was steadfast in his opposition to my choice. I was breaking new ground as the youngest of three children, being the first to make such a bold decision. Israel changed my life...all I had been taught as a young boy about the Jewish homeland became relevant. I had always imagined Israel as a backward country, with camels as the primary means of transportation. I recall being shocked when I first arrived, realizing that Israel didn't look at all like Paul Newman's version in the movie Exodus. It was a thriving democratic, cultural and technologically advanced society.
My first experience in Israel shaped my life in so many different ways. It strengthened my religious values, made my love of Israel real, created friendships that I still share today, and most importantly, introduced me to my wife Melissa. This was 1991, the year of the first Gulf War. My Bar/Bat Mitzvah students often ask me about the gas mask I have in my office. I explain to them how we used to sleep with the radio on in case the siren went off in the middle of the night. We would go to the bomb shelters with our gas masks and await further instructions whenever there was a scud missile attack.
I returned to Israel in 1994 for Cantorial school. I stayed through most of 1996. Times were very volatile then…it was the time of bus bombings. I remember when I finally stopped taking buses and switched over to taxis because the number 18 bus that went by my house was a constant target. I remember those 7am phone calls when Israelis call everyone they know immediately following a bombing to ensure that they are safe. I remember how Israel cried when Prime Minister Rabin was assassinated. I and thousands of other Israelis walked to the Knesset in the middle of the night to pay our last respects and sing songs of peace, trying to heal from this deeply divisive wound in Israeli society. I remember standing on the street as the convoy of leaders from countries across the world came to Israel during Rabin’s funeral.
My most recent visit was during the war with Hezbollah in 2006. Tourism dropped dramatically that year. Shopkeepers were thanking me for being there. Life is difficult for Israelis…it is a constant battle to live a normal life amidst the political turmoil of the day.
But what if there was no State of Israel? What if I and so many others didn't have this life changing opportunity? My generation can't fathom life without Eretz Yisrael. During the Yom Hashoah commemoration, I tried to imagine truly having 'no place to go.' While 60 years may seem like a lifetime to some, it is just the beginning. Israel is still young and vulnerable. During World War II, who could have ever imagined a land for all Jews -- a Jewish state. Jews of today are more prosperous and successful than at any time in our history. We have picked ourselves up from the ashes of the holocaust and emerged victorious. We are still pioneers in shaping the future and direction of our homeland. We must never take for granted this incredible gift that we have been given. Happy 60th birthday Israel…AM YISRAEL CHAI!