This Year, Any Rabbis Afraid to Talk About Israel to their Congregations – Should Quit

By Gil Troy, Jerusalem Post, 9-27-11

Word on the American Jewish street is that Israel has become such a divisive topic that some rabbis stopped giving sermons about Israel.  A rabbi who avoids talking about Israel is like a presidential candidate who ignores the economy; dodging such a central issue eventually drains credibility regarding all subjects.  Any rabbis afraid to talk about Israel to their congregations should quit – and retreat to the university which appreciates tunnel vision.

When a rabbi avoids “Israel” as a topic, the delegitimizing forces who oppose the Jewish state’s existence win.  Israel – they rarely say “Israeli politics” – is divisive when it becomes compulsively politicized. Reducing every conversation about Israel to the Palestinian issue is not just a distortion but a perversion. It internalizes the systematic campaign to delegitimize Israel, ignoring the many spiritual, ethical, ideological, intellectual, philosophical, and personal dimensions one can bring to a discussion about Israel without mentioning Bibi Netanyahu or the Palestinians.

The politicization of Israel has become so obsessive, so ubiquitous, that many dismiss conversations about these other dimensions or about Identity Zionism as attempts to evade the “real” issues. Left and right are equally guilty of overly politicizing the Israel conversation. Too many of the Israel-right-or-wrong, love-it-or-leave it crowd seem addicted to crisis, unable to talk about Israel without clamoring about the latest threat to Israel, the Jewish people, and Western civilization itself – we being, of course, the canaries in the coal mine.  On the left, too many of the Israel’s-right-is-all-wrong crowd seem equally addicted to crisis, unable to talk about Israel without bemoaning Israel’s latest misstep – and Israel’s alleged original sin in being born. Viewing Israel through a radical Palestinian lens is like only seeing the US in black and white, as one big racial injustice. Decades of disproportionate attacks against Israel and Zionism have caused this damage, as the unreasonable, one-sided charges eclipse everything else.

Rabbis are teachers. They should educate their congregations about the Land of Israel’s centrality in traditional Judaism as well as the State of Israel’s centrality in Jewish life today. This mission does not require stump speeches for Likud or J Street.  As one who opposed “Rabbis for Obama” for unnecessarily politicizing their pulpits, I want rabbis who engage Israel, talking knowledgeably and passionately about the Jewish state and its potential without dictating their particular peace plan from their plush suburban podiums.

Rabbis are also leaders. Too many complacent, careerist CEO rabbis forget to lead, fearing – as I heard one rabbi admit at a rabbinic convention – that every interaction they have with a congregant might be that Jew’s last interaction with a rabbi. You cannot lead if you constantly seek applause or fear being fired. The great Mussar moralist, Rabbi Israel Salanter taught:  A rabbi who they don’t want to drive out of town deserves no respect; and a rabbi who lets himself be driven out has no self-respect.

Rabbis today must push their congregations toward civility, carving out safe space for fellow Jews to discuss controversial matters, including Israeli politics. The first step toward civility is fostering humility – especially regarding Israel.  So many Diaspora Jews are so sure they know what Israel should do. Admitting uncertainty, acknowledging complexity, approaching Israeli politics modestly while being more open to learning other ideas from Israel could cool tempers, nurture civility and educate effectively.

This new year, as Jews gather in synagogues and look to their rabbis for guidance, I hope the rabbis lead, reframing the conversation about Israel. Rabbis should champion Identity Zionism, explaining that Zionism is Jewish nationalism, a unifying peoplehood platform that can serve as a touchstone for a scattered people with diverse beliefs who remain bonded by a common heritage, homeland, and high ideals. They should learn from a recent Wesleyan graduate, Zoe Jick, that “pro-Israel” is a political term more emphasizing Israel’s actions, while “Zionism” – a term many Americans Jews dislike because it has been delegitimized  – is the broader term denoting “belief in the Jewish national movement.”

We need a Zionist conversation, unafraid of the topic – or the label – exploring the meaning of our dual religious-national base, appreciating the opportunity Jewish sovereignty gives us to live our ideals and build what we at Hartman’s Engaging Israel project call “Values Nation,” pondering the delights and challenges of living 24/7 Judaism in our old-new land. Let’s discuss the social protests –to learn how Judaism balances communal needs with individual prerogative, then apply that knowledge to every Western country’s socioeconomic dilemmas. Let’s analyze the Jewishness of the Jewish state, asking how we moderns express communal values and find meaning in a soul-crushing age. And let’s articulate that sense of familiarity and family many of us feel when wandering around Jerusalem, asking what existential need that satisfies.

I recently asked some fellow Zionists what Zionist message they wish rabbis would give their congregants this Rosh Hashanah. Yoav Schaefer, an American-born former-IDF soldier studying at Harvard, suggested: “Zionism is not a noun.  It is a verb—a living ideal constantly being redefined and re-imagined, an ever-evolving pursuit toward perfection.  It symbolizes optimism and potential, a hope for a better and more just society, the dream of a country that exemplifies the values and aspirations of the Jewish people. “ Iri Kassel, an Israeli who directs the Ben Gurion Heritage Institute, emphasized the inspiring Zionist story of rebuilding the land which instills basic values of belonging, mutual responsibility and activism.  (For more see www.zionistsforzionism.com).

Zionism has always been a movement of bold moves and high aspirations. How tragic that Israel, Zionism’s creation, would turn some rabbis into meek Galut Jews, cowering from conflict. This year, let us hope for more daring vision and bolder challenges from our rabbis – on Israel and other important issues.

Gil Troy is Professor of History at McGill University and a Shalom Hartman Research Fellow in Jerusalem. The author of “Why I Am A Zionist: Israel, Jewish Identity and the Challenges of Today,” his latest book is “The Reagan Revolution: A Very Short Introduction.”giltroy@gmail.com

A Zionist Message for this Rosh Hashanah

A Zionist Message for this Rosh Hashanah – Four examples of what we wish Rabbis would tell their congregants, and all Jews would think about regarding Israel and Zionism this Rosh Hashanah, from four Zionists, from different generations, living on both sides of the Atlantic – and in two languages!!! Shanah tovah

1. I.                   Zionism is … Jewish nationalism, an Identity platform about our past, present, and future – as a people

by Gil Troy

Among our many collective sins this year as a people has been mishandling Zionism. Too many in our community, both left and right, only see Israel and Zionism through a partisan prism, the prism of the conflict with the Palestinians – which distorts Zionism’s true character. This approach also internalizes the systematic worldwide campaign to delegitimize Israel. Not everything about the United States is about blacks and whites. Not everything about Canada is about English and French. And not everything about Israel is about Jews and Arabs.

Zionism is Jewish nationalism, the recognition that we are not just a religion but that the Jews are a nation, with a rich past, an ancestral homeland, a dynamic language, a common fate, an inspiring future. This peoplehood platform should unite us, no matter what our doctrinal differences us – rather than dividing us over one particular dimension of our national existence. In that spirit, we need a Big Tent Zionism – open to all who understand Judaism’s national dimension and our enduring ties to Israel.

We also need to build an Identity Zionism, understanding that Zionism, like Judaism, is subversive – an alternative to the me, me, me, my, my, my, more, more, more, now, now, now, materialism of modern society. We cannot fear the “we” and a bold common vision, even in the age of the iPod, iPhone and iPad.  Zionism’s people-oriented passion and visionary activism should help us tap into the three “mems” of a vital, vibrant, modern Jewish identity:  moreshet, moledet, musar.

Moreshet, “heritage,” builds on that sense of tribalism, ethnicity, tradition and history of belonging to a rich culture, civilization and people cherished by many of us, whether we are “affiliated” or not. Heritage explains the many Jews who attend seders, light Chanukah candles, read Jewish books and gravitate to Jewish friends — the most popular Jewish activities identified in the National Jewish Population Survey – enriched in Israel and the Diaspora by belonging to something greater than themselves.

Moledet, “homeland,” focuses those feelings within the framework of Jewish peoplehood and a living, inspiring connection to Israel, embodying so many of those ideas. Whether or not we live in Israel, a commitment to building the land helps bring Judaism alive, as we try applying Jewish values, Jewish ideas in a 24/7 Jewish environment.

And musar, “ethics,” offers method and content, emphasizing a moral and intellectual discipline essential to  flourishing in today’s world while linking us to a 4,000-year-old, sophisticated, ongoing conversation about values and the meaning of life, as we all work on becoming better people.

These three “mems” root the modern Jew in two realities, planting one foot in the traditional, transcendent and eternal Jewish world, and the other foot in the more material, immediate, yet somehow transient modern world. And they help give shape to three essential “Bs” – belonging to something greater than ourselves, building something individually and collectively, while becoming the best we can be.  Shanah tovah. 

Gil Troy, McGill University, Montreal and the Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem

1. II.                Zionism is ….  the belief in the Jewish national movement, while being “pro-Israel” is the support of current Israeli government and policy

By Zoe Jick

 

Defending Israel is exhausting, and I’m not sure I’m up for the challenge. But Zionist ideology, at its most purified essence, simply means believing in the Jewish right to a nationalist identity. I certainly believe in that! In fact, upon further reflection, I am not sure how I would relate to my Jewish identity if nationalism were not a given.
I realize now the urgent need to disentangle the two often conflated, yet fundamentally different, terms of “Zionism” and “pro-Israel.” Zionism is the belief in the Jewish national movement, while being “pro-Israel” is the support of current Israeli government and policy. As I understand current discussions about Israel, people often staunchly hold on to the “I’m pro-Israel” title, and yet shy away from identifying as a Zionist.

Until a week ago, I too misused these titles. I got angry when J Street did not put “pro-Israel” in their logo, and understood when my campus advocacy group dismissed the label of Zionism in their mission statement. Yet I now realize that I meant to argue exactly the opposite: I accept varying “pro-Israel” or “anti-Israel” stances, yet I maintain steadfast loyalty to Zionist ideology. Only in this framework am I allowed to honor my naturally conflicted and critical reactions to particular Israeli actions, while still upholding my commitment to the Israeli project.

Rejecting Zionism means rejecting the history, heritage, and tradition that defines Jewish peoplehood and that fueled the establishment of the State of Israel. Instead we must reclaim, redeem, and reinvigorate Zionism, allowing its original intentions to flourish in the bounds of the progress we’ve already made.

The Zionist project did not become irrelevant in 1948 – it became all the more crucial to hold fast to the ideology upon its tangible fruition. We have a state; let us now not turn away from the ideology that gave us this miracle, but instead, rise to its call for action. We are impelled to exit the cognitive space of ideology and start implementing the dream itself.

I understand why one might not support the Zionist movement any longer. I empathize with the growing alienation between Israeli and American Jewry due to Israeli policy and Israel’s relationship to the Palestinians. I acknowledge that modern Jewish youth are retreating from religious identity and are therefore further alienated from Israel. I see how the Zionist project no longer answers the Jewish power vacuum that once produced a need for homecoming.

Yet instead of allowing these challenges to Zionism to topple the need for Jewish nationalism, I hope to incorporate these realities into a more relevant, nuanced, and productive Zionist commitment. Remembering the intentions of the original Zionist movement at all times will serve to inspire me. Only through remembering what the Zionists thought Israel could be – a safe haven, a utopia, and a Jewish state – can I imagine engaging the state’s current reality.

Educating about Zionism, in fact, does not entail defending Israel. Instead, Zionist education means reminding students about Israel’s limitless potential and its raison d’etre. 

Zoe Jick, a graduate of Wesleyan University class of 2011, is the New York Regional Director for the World Zionist Organization – Department for Diaspora Activities. She is also the Israel Experience Coordinator for Masa Israel Journey. She has just returned to New York after living in Tel Aviv and writing for TasteTLV.com.

 

1. III.             Zionism is… not a noun but a verb—a living ideal constantly being redefined and re-imagined, an ever-evolving pursuit toward perfection.  

By Yoav Schaefer

My generation is losing Zionism.   Fewer and fewer Diaspora Jews are willing to call themselves Zionists, and more and more of Israel’s enemies are emboldened to use Zionism against us, calling it a racist ideology.  Today Zionism is in crisis.  It is not only the ideology of Zionism that is being challenged; the word itself has become tainted.  Zionism gave birth to a new era of Judaism, revolutionizing what it means to be Jewish today.  World Jewry is engaged in an experiment—a Jewish National Project—to build a country defined by Jewish values that would in turn shape and define Jewish character. Jews, like every other people in the world, have the inherent right to establish a country that expresses their collective history, language, culture, and religious and spiritual tradition—a nation where Jews create their own national destiny and are the subjects of their own history.

Zionism is a movement of national and spiritual salvation.  Zionism sought to transform the course of history and create “the first flowering of our redemption,” promoting an eschatological intention to redeem the soul of the Jewish people—to resurrect a broken and dispersed nation, and re-instate them to a place of respect on a global stage.  Zionism promotes the highest manifestation of the spiritual and ethical dimensions of the Jewish people, reflecting not only the history of the Jewish people, but their potential for a better future.

Zionism is still relevant today, and has the ability once again to arouse a new generation of Jews by becoming a dynamic movement to make Israel better.  The redemptive message of Zionism is still alive, and the Zionist dream has not yet been fulfilled; Israel has not realized the full potential of the promise embodied in Theodore Herzl’s words, “…what we want in that ancient land is a new blossoming of the Jewish spirit.”  Our generation must define Zionism as a forward looking movement to create a more perfect Israel: an Israel working towards peace with its neighbors, an Israel representing the very best of the Jewish people, and an Israel that can serve as a light unto the nations of the world.

Zionism is not a noun.  It is a verb—a living ideal constantly being redefined and re-imagined, an ever-evolving pursuit toward perfection.  It symbolizes optimism and potential, a hope for a better and more just society, the dream of a country that exemplifies the values and aspirations of the Jewish people.  Our generation must articulate a new vision for Zionism before more Jews become alienated from an integral part of their Jewish identity.  Zionism once unified Jews worldwide in the single most successful response to the challenge of modernity and assimilation, and it has the power to unite us once more.  This is the challenge of our generation: we must take back the word that led to the creation of the Jewish National Project and revitalize it, infusing new meaning to it before it is too late—before Zionism becomes obsolete.

Yoav Schaefer is a student at Harvard University and is the director of the Avi Schaefer Fund. Originally from Santa Barbara, California, Yoav made aliyah to Israel in 2006 and served in the IDF.  

IV.

ביום חשבון הנפש האישי – ראוי להפנות את תשומת לבנו גם לחשבון הנפש הלאומי.

אירי קסל

ראוי שנציב בפנינו ביום ראש השנה את האתגר החשוב של רענון החשיבה הציונית ונשאל את עצמנו את השאלות הנוקבות והאמיתיות על חשיבותה של הציונות בימינו לחיזוקו של העם היהודי והבטחת עתידו.

נבקש כל אחד ואחת מאיתנו להציב את מדינת ישראל כמוקד מרכזי לחינוך היהודי.

הקמתה של מדינת ישראל הוא תהליך היסטורי רב עוצמה שסיפורו מהווה בסיס להקניית ערכים בסיסיים של שייכות, אחריות ועשייה.

שאיפה לאחריות הדדית של היהודים, הן אלו החיים בישראל והן אלו החיים בתפוצות, להמשך קיומה וחיזוקה של מדינת ישראל כביתו הלאומי של העם היהודי, ראויה להעצמה וחיזוק בהיותה גורם מחבר ומלכד של העם היהודי.

אני מאמין כי הזדהות עם מדינת ישראל כמדינה ריבונית של העם היהודי וככלי מרכזי לאחריות של היהודים על גורלם, יכול להוות בסיס לחינוך במדינת ישראל ובקהילות יהודיות מסביב לעולם.

הציונות כיום קוראת לנו להכיר את חיינו בישראל, להזדהות עם האתגר המתמשך של קיום ערכים יהודיים בחברה המתפתחת, לשותפות בהמשך הבניה של חברה, מדינה וארץ, מתוך אחריות משותפת לעתיד העם היהודי.

עלינו להקפיד ולאפשר בחינה ביקורתית, מתוך הזדהות, של התנהלות מדינת ישראל היום בידיעה שהמפעל הציוני שאף תמיד להביא לשיפור וחיזוק החברה.

דוד בן-גוריון אמר ב – 1942: “הציונות כרעיון וחזון היא עתיקת יומין כישראל סבא עצמו. הציונות כתנועה וכמפעל היא חדשה…. ומהווה מפנה ברצון העם לעצב גורלו בעצם ידו ולבצע את דבר גאולתו במאמץ מכוון ותכליתי”

אכן, עלינו להמשיך לעצב את גאולתנו במאמץ משותף, באחריות משותפת, בחזון משותף.

מי ייתן ובשנה הקרובה ובעתיד, אור חדש על ציון יאיר !!!!!

אירי קסל, המכון למורשת בן-גוריון, חבר קיבוץ חצרים, ישראל.

ערב ראש השנה תשע”ב