The importance of praying for the welfare of the ruling body was established by the prophet Jeremiah after the first exile from Jerusalem, in 586 B.C.E. He tells the exiled Jews, “Seek the welfare of the city where I have caused you to be exiled, and pray to God on its behalf, for in its prosperity you shall prosper” (Jeremiah 29:7).

By instructing the Jews to pray for Babylonia, Jeremiah is teaching them to recognize that in exile they were physically, economically, and politically dependent upon Babylonia and the good will of its rulers. The situation of powerlessness and dependence demanded that God be implored to direct the leaders of the country to rule the Jewish population in a just and merciful way.

The first siddur [prayerbook] including a prayer for the government is from the 14th century, and the practice is described there as an “established custom.” Hundreds of different prayers for various governments under which Jews have lived (and live) exist today, and are valuable windows to these Jewish communities.

This background is important to understand the thinking of the authors of the Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel.

Composing the Prayer

On the Fifth of Iyar–May 15–1948, the Jewish people became sovereign rulers in the Land of Israel. This new situation posed many challenges to the Jewish people, a people that had lived most of its history under the direct control of others. Confronting and understanding the meaning of sovereignty and independence created a high level of political, cultural, and religious creativity during the early years of the state.

For the first time since antiquity, Jewish religious leaders had the opportunity to compose a prayer for the Jewish leaders of a Jewish state. Should the prayer express the ideology, hopes, and aspirations of the Zionist movement? Or, should it be a prayer for the leaders of Israel (treating them like any other political leaders of any country), without taking into account the profound meaning of Israel to many Jews?

Here is the translation of the prayer:

“Our Father Who art in Heaven, Protector and Redeemer of Israel, bless Thou the State of Israel which marks the dawn of our deliverance. Shield it beneath the wings of Thy love. Spread over it Thy canopy of peace; send Thy light and Thy truth to its leaders, officers, and counselors, and direct them with Thy good counsel.

“O God, strengthen the defenders of our Holy Land; grant them salvation and crown them with victory. Establish peace in the land, and everlasting joy for its inhabitants.

“Remember our brethren, the whole house of Israel, in all the lands of their dispersion. Speedily let them walk upright to Zion, the city, to Jerusalem Thy dwelling-place, as it is written in the Torah of Thy servant Moses: ‘Even if you are dispersed in the uttermost parts of the world, from there the Lord your God will gather and fetch you. The Lord your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it.’

“Unite our heart to love and revere Thy Name, and to observe all the precepts of Thy Torah. Shine forth in Thy glorious majesty over all the inhabitants of Thy world. Let everything that breathes proclaim: The Lord God of Israel is King; His majesty rules over all.” Amen.

This is much more than a prayer for the government. It is a proclamation of belief that:

1)      the establishment of the State of Israel is a divine event and that this event is the fulfillment of God’s promise to the Jewish people and part of the divine plan to redeem the world;

2)      the maintaining of the state and its defense is a matter for God’s intervention;

3)      God will bring all Jews to live in Israel from the Diaspora.

The ideology that is the basis of the prayer is expressed best by Rabbi Yehudah Amital, a former government minister and leading religious leader in Israel. He writes that Zionism is “…the Lord’s vehicle for preparing Israel for its redemption. The habitation of the Land of Israel by a group of its children, transforming wastelands into gardens, and the establishment of independence within its borders, are stages in the process of redemption…and even though they are accompanied by suffering and tribulation, the strides are certain and the course is clear…”

The authorship of the prayer is unclear. Some say it was written by Chief Rabbis Yitzhak Herzog and Ben Zion Uziel with the assistance of other rabbis. Others suggest that the prayer was revised by the rabbis after suggestions made by Nobel Laureate Shmuel Yosef Agnon, one of the pioneers of modern Hebrew literature. Still others are convinced that Agnon wrote the prayer himself and that it was later adopted by the Chief Rabbinate.

Community Acceptance

A prayer for the State of Israel is recited in synagogues of most religious streams in Israel and the Diaspora (outside of the ultra-Orthodox communities). In Israel, most use the text of the Chief Rabbinate, although there are congregations that use their own versions and variations. In the Diaspora, there is even less conformity, and while many communities use the text of the Chief Rabbinate, many utilize other prayers.

There are many reasons why all congregations haven’t adopted the Chief Rabbinates prayer.

Most of the arguments surrounding the prayer concern the Messianic role of the state. The first line of the prayer pleads, “Bless Thou the State of Israel which marks the dawn of our deliverance.“The belief that the Jewish state is the first step in redemption is seen by Rabbi Amital as “certain” and “clear,” but the fact is that not everyone is certain and clear on this point.

For most haredim (ultra-Orthodox), no matter where they live, redemption will not be brought by the establishment of a secular state, but by the observance of Torah. Although the vast majority in this community are deeply connected to the state and are proud of it in many ways, they do not see the state in Messianic terms.

They are not alone. The notion that Israel is the “dawn of our deliverance” sits uncomfortably with many Jews of all streams of Judaism. Some say that while we may hope and pray that Israel is the “dawn of our deliverance,” it is pretentious to proclaim that this is a known and proven fact.

Others hold that Messianic beliefs in God’s impending intervention in history are fine for the realm of the spirit, but have no place in the affairs of a sovereign state. They point to many examples in Jewish history when Messianic ideas caught the imagination of the people and led to disaster, such as the war against the Romans that ended in the destruction of Jerusalem.

There are other problematic passages in the prayer. Jews in the Diaspora, who are quite comfortable in their homes, may not relate to a prayer that pleads with God to speedily return them to Israel. Such an idea may be acceptable in a spiritual, theoretical sense, but when tied to a prayer for the sovereign Jewish state, it may be difficult to accept.

Others find the triumphant nature of the prayer problematic. In my own congregation in Israel, there is a constant debate over the words that ask God to grant the defenders of the land with “victory.” Why do we need to ask for military victory in addition to peace, as if war is an inevitable, permanent part of living in Israel?

These tensions have led many religious leaders to re-write the prayer in a way that expresses love and devotion to the State of Israel, without the Messianic overtones and with less of the triumphant spirit of the original.

The Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel is the product of one of the great creative avenues within Judaism: the crafting of religious poetry and liturgy that expresses our basic desires and beliefs. Over the centuries some of this literature has touched the community deeply and has made its way into the liturgy. Whether or not the Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel (in its present form) will be universally adopted is still an open question. In any case, this prayer is an eloquent and moving religious expression of the Zionist dream.

The post Praying for the Welfare of the State of Israel appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Most of the Jewish communities in the Western world have incorporated this modern holiday into their calendars, but some North American Jewish communities hold the public celebrations on a following Sunday in order to attract more participation. In the State of Israel it is a formal holiday, so almost everyone has the day off.

Yom Ha’atzmaut in Israel is always preceded by Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day for the fallen soldiers. The message of linking these two days is clear: Israelis owe their independence — the very existence of the state — to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for it.

The “Switch”

The official “switch” from Yom Hazikaron to Yom Ha’atzmaut takes place a few minutes after sundown, with a ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem in which the flag is raised from half staff (due to Memorial Day) to the top of the pole. The president of Israel delivers a speech of congratulations, and soldiers representing the Army, Navy, and Air Force parade with their flags. In recent decades this small-scale parade has replaced the large-scale daytime parade, which was the main event during the 1950s and ’60s. The evening parade is followed by a torch lighting (hadlakat masuot) ceremony, which marks the country’s achievements in all spheres of life.

Other than the official ceremonies, Israelis celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut in a variety of ways. In the cities, the nighttime festivities may be found on the main streets. Crowds will gather to watch public shows offered for free by the municipalities and the government. Many spend the night dancing Israeli folk dances or singing Israeli songs. During the daytime thousands of Israeli families go out on hikes and picnics. Army camps are open for civilians to visit and to display the recent technological achievements of the Israeli Defense Forces. Yom Ha’atzmaut is concluded with the ceremony of granting the “Israel Prize” recognizing individual Israelis for their unique contribution to the country’s culture, science, arts, and the humanities.

The religious character of Yom Ha’atzmaut is still in the process of formation, and is still subject to debate. The Chief Rabbinate of the State (which consists of Orthodox rabbis) has decided that this day should be marked with the recitation of Hallel (psalms of praise), similar to other joyous holidays, and with the reading of a special haftarah (prophetic portion). Most ultra-Orthodox Jews, in Israel and abroad, have not accepted this ruling, and some Orthodox Jews chant the Hallel psalms without the blessing which precedes it.

On the other hand, HaKibbutz HaDati (Modern Orthodox Kibbutz Movement) initiated a version of  the prayer Al HaNissim (“Concerning the Miracles”) to be added to the Amidah (the central prayer recited while standing) on Yom Ha’atzmaut, as it is on Hanukkah and Purim.

This special addition to the liturgy of the day was not approved by the Chief Rabbinate but was adopted by the Masorti (Conservative) and the Progressive (Reform) congregations in Israel. Some rabbis argue that Yom Ha’atzmaut should be viewed in conjunction with Hanukkah and Purim, since all three commemorate a “miraculous” victory of the Jews over an enemy of superior military might. It should be noted that most Israelis do not consider Yom Ha’atzmaut a religious holiday at all.

For American Jews

For American Jews, celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut has been a way to express solidarity with the state of Israel and to strengthen their alliance with it. In many communities, it is one of few occasions in which Jewish organizations and synagogues of different ideologies and denominations cooperate in forming a common celebration. In many North American congregations, the joint public celebration often is augmented by a religious service. In some cases, this would occur on the Shabbat closest to Yom Ha’atzmaut and would consist of additional readings added to the service and, usually, the singing of Hatikvah (the Israeli national anthem).

The standard Reform prayerbook, Gates of Prayer (Shaarei Tefillah), includes a service for Yom Ha’atzmaut, while the Conservative prayerbook, Sim Shalom includes Hallel and Al Hanissim to be recited on this occasion.

There is not yet an accepted “tradition” of how to celebrate this holiday, and only time will tell whether certain customs, foods, prayers, and melodies will be linked in the Jewish mind with this holiday, as with holidays that emerged many centuries before Yom Ha’atzmaut. For Jews around the world, joining with Israelis celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut has become a concrete link in the Jewish connection to the land of Israel.

The post Yom Ha’atzmaut: Israel Independence Day appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

For many Jews, Yom Ha’atzmaut is not only a national or political holiday, but a religious one as well. What this means is still evolving and open to debate. It is a special day, but is it a yom tov, a festival like the biblical holidays, in which special prayers are recited and Jewish law prohibits working?

The Chief Rabbinate of Israel has been at the forefront of creating new liturgy that expresses the special meaning of the day from a religious Zionist perspective. Over the years the many chief rabbis have written or sanctioned a number of different Yom Ha’atzmaut services that can be found in various siddurim (prayerbooks), most notably the Siddur Rinat Yisrael, a popular prayerbook that integrates Yom Ha’atzmaut into the liturgy alongside all other holidays, including the recitation of Hallel–the psalms of praise said on most holidays–and special psalms and the blowing of the shofar.

For some, the innovations of the Chief Rabbinate did not go far enough. In the 1950’s, the Religious Kibbutz Movement began a process of creating a special machzor (holiday prayerbook) for Yom Ha’atzmaut. The last version was published in the 1970s with notes by Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren.  While Rabbi Goren blessed the kibbutzim for their efforts to sanctify the day, he wrote that many of the innovations went too far. While his recommendations were published in the machzor (out of respect), most of the kibbutzim did not change their practices.

As the character of the day develops from year to year, it is important to note that not all Jews are in agreement about the nature of Yom Ha’atzmaut. For many there is no question that Yom Ha’atzmaut is to be celebrated as a full holiday. On the other hand, there are those who actively refuse to celebrate this day. Between these two extremes are the Jews who celebrate the existence of Israel but hesitate to institute liturgical or ritual changes in honor of this day. Each point of view represents different attitudes toward the meaning and significance of the State of Israel for the Jewish people.

Celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut

A visitor entering the synagogue of the religious Kibbutz Lavi on the Eve of Yom Ha’atzmaut would be hard pressed to find an outward difference between this service or that of any other major Jewish festival. Everyone is dressed in their white shirts and holiday best. The synagogue is filled with the sound of voices singing the holiday tunes. Following the service, everyone gathers in the communal dining room for a meal that rivals the best Shabbat or holiday fare.

In the morning, the services are festive, with the addition of the Hallel and a special Torah service.

In addition to the Orthodox Religious Kibbutz Movement, the Masorti (Conservative) movement has made great strides in integrating Yom Ha’atzmaut into the mainstream of Jewish practice. For example, the movement published a Haggadah for Yom Ha’atzmaut that is designed to bring the celebration into the home. Originally published in Hebrew, it has been translated into English and widely distributed.

Among the secular population in Israel, there have also been strides in recent years to bring a deeper sense of meaning to the celebrations of the day, such as organized tiyulim (hiking and connecting to the land), lectures, family education programs, and forums for community dialogue.

The discussion concerning the significance of Yom Ha’atzmaut is not confined to Israel. Recently, the Central Conference of American Rabbis (the Reform rabbinic body) was asked about the singing of Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem, at the conclusion of a Yom Ha’atzmaut service. The answer included an impassioned Zionist statement: “Israel…is, in the most deeply Jewish sense, our own, in our devotion to its well being and in our identification with the history and experience that its national symbols represent. We may therefore sing Hatikvah at our religious services, whether or not we choose to accompany it with our own national anthems.”

This teshuva (rabbinic response) brings a number of precedents concerning the observance of Yom Ha’atzmaut in Reform congregations:

“Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, has been established as ‘a permanent annual festival in the religious calendar of Reform Judaism’ (CCAR Yearbook 1970), and our prayerbook contains liturgy for Yom Ha’atzmaut (Gates of Prayer 590-611). We consider it ‘a mitzvah [commandment] for every Jew to mark Yom Ha’atzmaut by participation in public worship services and/or celebrations which affirm the bond between the Jews living in the Land of Israel and those living outside.’ (Gates of the Seasons CCAR 1983 p.102) Those services and celebrations have become the norm, the accepted minhag [custom] in our congregations and communities.”  (CCAR Responsa 5758.10)

Not Everyone Celebrates

From a religious and secular Zionist perspective, the creation of Israel is nothing less than the culmination of Jewish history, an event of epic proportions to be celebrated as a holiday by all generations on the level of Passover, Hanukkah, or Rosh Hashanah.

From a non-Zionist Jewish perspective, Israel is, at the very best, a haven and home to a large Jewish community, at worst, a secular state that endangers traditional Judaism. These (usually ultra-Orthodox) Jews do not see the creation of Israel as a central moment in Jewish history and do not celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut. Some even see the creation of Israel as a sin that expresses to God an attitude that the Jewish people do not trust God to bring them back to Israel on His own.  In the words of one of the leaders of the Neturei Karta, an ultra-Orthodox anti-Israel group based in Jerusalem, “The Zionist State represents total heresy uprooting the soul of our faith from its root and violating the covenant which God made with us on Mount Sinai.”

Although most “non-Zionists” are not as radical as this, there is a certain tension between those who believe that we must wait for the Messiah to bring an end to the Diaspora, and those who believe that the Jewish people must take action on their own. This argument has been going on among rabbis since the early 19th century, with the roots of the argument to be found in the Bible and Talmud. This tension is the basis of the hesitancy on the part of most ultra-Orthodox Jews to observe or acknowledge Yom Ha’atzmaut.

A New Perspective in the Land of Miracles

There seems to be a new spirit in Israel that may one day bring Yom Ha’atzmaut even to those who have never celebrated the holiday.

Yom Ha’atzmaut of 5763 (2003) was a turning point. Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi Yehudah Meshi-Zahav, the one-time spokesman of the fiercely anti-Zionist Neturei Karta group noted above, lit a celebratory torch on national television with the words “I light this torch in the name of the people of Israel, to the glory of the State of Israel” (Standing proudly in his Hasidic garb in front of the grave of the founder of the Zionist movement, Theodor Herzl). He was invited to do this because of his leadership of the ZAKA organization whose members clean up after terrorist attacks, making sure that all human remains are properly cared for with love and respect.

When asked why he agreed to light the torch he said, “After spending years picking up body parts at terrorist attack scenes, I have come to the conclusion that the time has come to live together…I state with absolute certainty, that for me, lighting an Independence Day torch is a sanctification of God’s Name…unity is of paramount importance, above the issues that divide us.”

Judaism is an organic tradition, changing and adapting as the Jewish people meet new realities and challenges. The creation of an independent Jewish State is the greatest of all challenges, and recognizing its significance for the future of the Judaism and the Jewish people is an ongoing process. The issues surrounding the observance of Yom Ha’atzmaut are part of this ongoing process.

The post The Religious Status of Yom Ha’atzmaut appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

While not widely adopted in the Diaspora, special liturgies [of Yom Ha’atzmaut] are fairly common in Israel, where government leaders regularly attend the festive prayer services. The one for the evening, designed by Israel’s Chief Rabbinate in 1949, begins with psalms of thanksgiving (Psalms 107, 97, 98) and ends with a single blast of a shofar and a prayer that as we have witnessed the beginning of redemption, we will also merit hearing the shofar announcing the messiah.

Their morning service includes the introductory psalms customarily recited on Shabbat and festivals, Hallel, also recited on festivals but here without the introductory blessings, and, again without the preceding blessings [for the haftarah], the prophetic portion Isaiah 10:32- 11:12. A preview of the messianic era, it contains the familiar line, “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the lion lie down with the kid” (Isaiah 11:6).

The choice of this particular reading suggests the Rabbinate’s belief that Israel’s independence is in fact redemption on par with the Exodus, since the same haftarah [prophetic reading] is read in the Diaspora on the last day of Passover. Still, many rabbis were and are reluctant to put the two in the same category. That is why they omit the blessings: It is fine, and appropriate, to express gratitude to God for this incredible shift in our national fortune–so we say Hallel. But if this is not the historic redemption we have been waiting for, the introductory blessing–which states that our recitation is a commandment of God–along with God’s name, would be said in vain. The same reasoning holds for the haftarah.

Not everyone has agreed with the rabbis’ reticence. Some feel that the official service comes up short in reflecting the magnitude of the unique occurrence it celebrates, one which fits the pattern of exile and redemption recurrent throughout Jewish history. So organizations and congregations on their own say the blessings prior to Hallel and the haftarah. They include the shehecheyanu, in thanks for being brought to this point, which is fully accepted as appropriate for anyone who regards Israel independence as an occasion of real joy. During the Amidah [the silent prayer that is the center of all Jewish prayer services],they recite Al Hanissim (“For the Miracles”), just as we do on Hanukkah and Purim.

Some also read the Torah (Deuteronomy 7:1-8:18, describing what would happen after the Israelites entered the Land, or Deuteronomy 30:1-10, about being returned to the Land after exile and misfortune). A prayer for the welfare of the State of Israel, one in memory of those fallen, prayers for Jerusalem, and a Zion Lover’s Prayer have also been added to services, along with the song expressing belief in the coming of the messiah, “Ani Ma’ amin.” Many of these changes were incorporated into the machzor (festival prayer book) developed by Hakibbutz Hadati (the religious kibbutz movement).

Communities around the world have added their own touches. An announcement of the number of years since the establishment of the state prior to sounding the shofar at the Ma’ariv [evening] service is modeled on the Yemenite Tisha B’Av custom of proclaiming the number of years since the destruction of the Temple. Ma’ariv in some communities is chanted to the yom tov nusah (holiday melody).

A Tikkun L ‘Yom Ha’atzmaut, an anthology of readings and prayers (parts of Kabbalat Shabbat, Shema, Leshanah Haba B’Yerusha/ayim, Shir Hama’ alot–perhaps sung to the tune of Israel’s national anthem–and Ani Ma’amin), is used by some Moroccan and other congregations for Ma’ariv and Shacharit. Some add Psalm 27 (“The Lord is my light and my help”).

The Conservative movement prayer book includes a customized version of Al Hanissim along with suggested readings related to Israel. The Reform movement prayer book includes a service written especially for Independence Day.

Excerpted with permission from Celebrate! The Complete Jewish Holiday Handbook (Jason Aronson Inc.).

The post Yom Ha’atzmaut Liturgy appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Answer: It’s awesome that you’re planning to celebrate, Megan. Yom Ha’atzmaut is an important day for Israel and Israeli history, and it’s nice to observe it somehow, even if you don’t have lots of Israelis around to help out. Here are five suggestions:

1. Cook and Eat Israeli Food

First of all, you can cook and eat. Throughout this website and our The Nosher food blog are lots of recipes for classic Israeli dishes, like falafel, hummus, pita, Israeli salad and borekas. Check out our roundup of the five best Yom Ha’atzmaut foods.

2. Fire Up the Grill

One of my favorite things to do on Yom Ha’atzmaut is have a barbecue (or, as Israelis call it, an al ha’esh, Hebrew for “on the fire”). You can serve regular barbecue fare, decorate with Israeli flags and play Israeli music on the stereo. Serve those Israeli foods you just cooked, with an Eretz Yisrael cake for dessert. Those, combined with your basic hot dogs and hamburgers, makes for a feast, and an Israeli cultural experience.

3. Watch Israeli Movies

Another fun idea is to host an Israeli movie night. There are lots of great Israeli films out there, and you can easily order or stream them online through Amazon or Netflix to show at home. For an even greater selection of Israeli films, check out The Israel Film Center, which boasts an extensive Israeli film database along with hundreds of films (with English subtitles) and TV episodes to stream on demand. Celebrate by yourself, or invite a bunch of friends over and watch together. I recommend Ushpizin (about an ultra-Orthodox couple celebrating Sukkot in Jerusalem) Walk on Water (an intelligence agent in the Israel Defense Forces deals with a difficult mission and falls in love), or Late Marriage (an Israeli man from an immigrant family struggles against his parents’ attempts to arrange his marriage). If you watch in a group, after the movie you can chat about how it affected your guests’ understanding of Israel.

4. Talk Politics and Peace

And if you don’t want to celebrate Israel’s independence without thinking about ways to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, spend the day reading up on the issue. MyJewishLearning has lots of information on this topic as does our partner news site JTA. In fact, browsing through JTA’s searchable archives — which date back to 1922 — is a great way to learn about key moments in Israeli history as they were happening.

Or invite some friends over for dinner, and try to have an open conversation about prospects for peace in the Middle East. Incidentally, many award-winning Israeli films and TV shows, including “Arab Labor,” a comedy about an Arab-Israeli family, and “5 Broken Cameras” address this issue head-on — so you could combine a movie screening with a discussion.

You may not solve the problem, but it’s a great way to recognize what you hope for in the future.

5. Make Some Crafts

If you’re in the mood for some crafts, you can make your own mizrach sign. A mizrach sign is a wall hanging for the easternmost wall of the Jewish home, reminding us which way to face while praying — toward Jerusalem. Making a mizrach is a nice reminder that Jewish people have always longed for our homeland, wherever we live. The Jewish National Fund’s website has some child-friendly directions for making a mizrach, but feel free to personalize yours however you want.

All this talk about Israel is making me crave some falafel. Chag sameach (Happy holiday)!

The post Ask the Expert: 5 DIY Yom Ha’atzmaut Celebrations appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

The connection between these three days is lost on no-one; it is an integral part of our national psyche.  During the holocaust we died in vain. We had no homeland and no state. Nowhere to go and no national entity to protect us. We were helpless. But our soldiers who died creating and defending our state did not die in vain. Through their deaths they bequeathed life to the Jewish nation. They fulfilled the vow of Never Again, never again shall we go like sheep to the slaughter.

Holocaust Day reminds us why we need a state of our own. Memorial Day signifies the price we have to pay for that state. Independence Day is the fruit of our suffering and our sacrifice, it is the last stage on our journey.

We must continue to remember and never forgot the price of statelessness. We must continue to teach our stories of self-sacrifice. And we must continue to savor and appreciate the sweet taste of Jewish independence and of the power that makes its possible. This is the vigilance necessary to survive and flourish in the unredeemed world in which we still live.

The gripping national narrative told by this trilogy of days is not untrue. It is part of my identity; I live it myself every day. But it is not the only truth. There is another truth as well, and it must also be heard and internalized. We need them both to thrive. One without the other can be life threatening to our people.

The other truth is that our emphasis on Yom haShoah can tend to nurture a consciousness that the world was, is, and will always be against us. Every generation and its own Nazis. Our intense focus on Yom haZicaron may tend to reinforce a sense of resignation that we may have to live by the sword for a long time to come, and there is no other way. The nations that surround us are blood thirsty and irrational; all we can do is to hunker down and defend ourselves. And our exaltation on Yom haAtzma’ut can tend to make us drunk with our own power. As if might makes right. As if the status quo in which we rule over another people is actually OK.

Indeed, these days not only reflect reality; they also create it. They not only express consciousness; they also create it.  And the exclusive focus on one mode of thinking about and marking these days is part and parcel of a process that may be entrenching within our national consciousness an abiding trauma that has begun to paralyze us.

Hope for coexistence is becoming obscene. Peace is becoming a dirty word.  Concern for the Palestinian people is becoming traitorous. Concern for what the occupation is doing to the soul of our people is becoming naïve. It is even becoming scandalous to admit that there is an occupation at all.

Zionism was about hope for a sea change in Jewish destiny. It was about belief in a better tomorrow. It was about faith in human progress. And then it was about doing what has to be done in order to make all this happen; it was about taking our fate into our own hands. It was about transforming the human condition and the Jewish condition within in.

But we seem to be sinking back into the exile mentality, as if nothing has changed and nothing really will ever change. Sure we have our state but we are still stuck in our fortress mentality of almost two millennia. Today we can valiantly defend ourselves but we still believe that we will always be threatened.  Finally we are a majority in our own land, but we continue to live like an endangered minority.

We have not extricated ourselves from our victim mentality. We have not yet really learned how to take responsibility to shape a better reality in our relationship with the neighboring nations and with the world at large. We are far from even contemplating what it means to be a light unto the nations.

On this 69^th anniversary of the beginning of our national redemption, I thank God for having been granted the opportunity to take part in the tremendous events of this generation, and I pray that we begin to learn how to redeem ourselves from the internal legacy of 2000 years of exile and persecution. I do not suggest that we abandon our old paradigm, but I do suggest that we add a new one to our repertoire. I believe that everything depends upon it.

The post After 69 Years, an Old New Paradigm is Needed appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Ceremonies and Celebrations

Worldwide Celebration of Israel’s Independence Day: Join celebrity guests, world leaders, and the global Jewish family for a virtual event hosted by the Jewish Federations of North America. The event will feature a debate about one of Israel’s favorite foods (and a lesson on how to make it), exclusive scenes from Israel’s official celebration on Mt. Herzl, a special performance of the Israeli national anthem and more. Wednesday, April 29 at 2:00 PM Eastern via Facebook. 

IsraPalooza: Israel Story is hosting a day of music, interviews, cooking lessons, family-friendly workshops, and then some. Wednesday, April 29 beginning at 10 AM Eastern. Click here for more information.

Celebrating Israel’s Independence with Pride: Hosted by A Wider Bridge and the Aguda — Israel’s LGBT Task Force, this virtual party will celebrate blue and white plus all the colors of the rainbow. Wednesday, April 29 at 9:30 AM Pacific. Advance registration required.

Online Celebration with the Israel Reform Movement: The program will feature Dan Shapiro, Danny Dayan, and rabbis and lay leaders of Reform and Progressive Judaism worldwide. The program includes an online concert. Wednesday, April 29 at 2 PM Eastern. Click here to register.

Reflection & Celebration: Join Young Israel of West Hartford for a ceremony for an online ceremony related to Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut followed by a torch lighting honoring their local COVID-19 first responders. Tuesday, April 28 at 5:30 PM. Click here to join.

Host Your Own Ceremony & Celebration: Toldot Yisrael has prepared a program to go including a pre-recorded video with speakers, facilitator’s guide, and additional playlists and prayer to supplement what is meant to be a one hour program. Visit their website for more information.

Discussion, Trivia and the Arts

Reconstructing the Sounds of Ancient Hebrew:  Would Moses or Abraham understand the pronunciation we use today? Join My Jewish Learning and Rabbi Eliezer Lawrence for this class focusing on the development of the variances in Hebrew pronunciation. Wednesday, April 29 at 10:30 AM Eastern, via Zoom.

Together and Apart: The State of Jewish People in the Age of Corona: What are the implications for the Israeli-North American relationship in the era of COVID-19? How are the different segments of the Jewish community approaching the crisis differently? Join Yehuda Kurtzer, Donniel Hartman, and Nechumi Yaffe in a discussion moderated by Sara Labaton. Wednesday, April 29 at 12:30 PM Eastern. Click here to register. 

Etgar Israel 2020 Global Kahoot: The Jewish Agency is running an online Israel Kahoot (a personalized classroom gameshow platform). Wednesday, April 29 at 11 AM Eastern. Register here.

Poetry Panel: Join J Street, NIF, and T’ruah for a panel discussion with Professor Rachel Green, Rabbi Reuven Greenvald, and Vavi Toran who will explore progressive Zionism through the lens of poetry and artwork done by Israeli and Palestinian artists. Tuesday, April 28 at 5 PM Eastern. Register here. 

Lecture with Israeli Journalist: Downtown Jewish Life will be celebrating this year’s Yom Ha’atzmaut with an online lecture by award-winning Israeli Journalist Amir Tibob on the impact of the coronavirus over Israeli politics, briefing the risks and opportunities it possesses. Monday, April 27 at 7 PM Eastern. For more information visit their Facebook page. 

Together and Apart: Join one of three Hannaton presentations exploring Israel through poetry, gratitude and struggle, and through a historical lense. Wednesday, April 29 beginning at 1 PM Eastern. Click here for more information.

Hugging and Wrestling with Israel@72: This conversation will challenge the standard approach to Zionist education. Sunday, April 26 at 12 PM Eastern. Click here to join.

Government and Peoplehood in Israeli Society: Join Shalom Hartman Institute for a discussion with Dr. Mijal Bitton and Tehila Friedman about how Israeli society is feeling about its leadership, the current moment in Israeli politics, and the strain on peoplehood in the time of coronavirus. Click here to view the webinar and other Yom Ha’atzmaut programs from Hartman.

Film, Music and More

Yom Ha’atzmaut Concert: Come listen to your favorite, classic Israeli songs in a special Yom Ha’atzmaut concert with Israeli musician Shay Goldenberg. Wednesday, April 29 at 1 PM Eastern. Join My Jewish Learning by clicking here. 

“Sustainable Nation” Screening: OpenDor Media and Jewish National Fund present the premiere of this 60-minute documentary that follow three innovators who are taking lessons from Israel’s water shortage to the rest of the world. Sunday April 26, at 2 PM Eastern. For more details click here. 

72 Years in Motion -Sports, Community and Achievements: JCCA and the Maccabiah ensure that this year’s celebration includes Jews in the sports arena. Wednesday, April 29 at 1 PM Eastern via Facebook.

Shout Your Independence! Virtual Poetry Slam: Join the Center for Women’s Justice and The Jerusalem Poetry Slam for a special pre-Yom Ha’atzmaut virtual Zoom poetry slam featuring voices from all over the world. The night’s theme is independence and freedom. Sunday, April 26 at 2 PM Eastern. Click here to register. 

Connecting With Israel Through Music: Get ready for Israel’s 72nd birthday by learning about Israel’s thriving and diverse Israeli music scene. Mairov and Josh, longtime hosts of “Israel Hour Radio,” will introduce viewers to the hottest singers in Israel today. Sunday, April 26 at 8 PM Eastern via Facebook. 

Virtual Afternoons of Israeli Short Films: Join Commonpoint Queens in their screening of several Israeli short films that capture different aspects of everyday life in Israel. Each screening will be followed by a brief discussion. April 29 and May 6. For more information click here.

Ongoing: 

Global Celebration of Israel: Check out JFNA’s slate of programming for the week of Yom Haaztmaut. For more information click here. 

#YouFromHome: A collection of pro-Israel groups are partnering on this effort to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut from the comfort of your home. Visit the website for more information.

Virtual Tours of Israel: Explore a variety of tours of Israel on your own or with friends. Click here to get started.

Jewish Interactive: Jewish Interactive has gathered a slew of activities just for you. Click here to check them out. 

Resources for Parents and Educators: 

Ten Days of Awe-some Israel: This resource from The Jewish Education Project is meant to build anticipation and excitement leading up to Yom Ha’atzmaut. Send families an Israel-related fact paired with prompts to springboard relevant and meaningful conversations.

Online Celebration for Teens: Join BBYO Maccabi Tzair and teens from around the world for a taste of Israel food, culture and history. Wednesday, April 29 at 4 PM Eastern  via Zoom.

Activity Packet: That Jewish Moment offers an activity packet with fun, educational activities for Yom Ha’atzmaut 2020. Click here to download.

Online Yom Ha’atzmaut Weeklong Celebration. IAC is offering a whole week of Yom Ha’atzmaut programming for ages 4-9 in all different levels of Hebrew and English. These include fun lessons, activities, art and crafts, puppet shows, and much more.  Click here for more information.

Story Time with PJ Library: PJ Library has provided many resources on their Facebook page including Israeli Zoom background screens. In addition, you may join a virtual interactive storytime for ages five and under. Wednesday, April 29 at 10 AM Eastern or Wednesday, April 29 at 3:30 PM Eastern. 

Online Learning Activities: Check out a series of online learning activities on Israel from Ji Bytes. You can access them here. 

Global Trivia Championship 2020: Unpacked for Educators invites high schools to participate. Teachers can arrange for their students to play anytime over the three days. Wednesday, April 29 through Friday, May 1. For more information and to sign up click here.

The post Yom Ha’atzmaut Online Ceremonies and Resources appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

=This year, I get the real deal… the full Yom Ha’atzmaut experience in Eretz Yisrael!

Yom Ha’atzmaut here in the Holy Land is an amazing celebration full of fireworks, bubble guns, cookouts, and Israeli flags EVERYWHERE! But it’s hard to get the full experience without knowing what comes right before it.

There are 10 days in the middle of the spring known as the Israeli High Holidays, that have a similar joy and reverence as the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in the fall. These High Holidays begin with Yom HaShoah, a solemn day of remembering all those who perished in the Holocaust, as well as those who fought back against the Nazis. The full name of this holiday in Israel is “Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day.” In the morning, a siren blasts for two minutes and all traffic stops. People get out of their cars and just listen. In the evening there’s a ceremony at Yad VaShem, the Holocaust Museum, and the country shuts down to pay its respect to the relatives of survivors and those who didn’t make it.

The following week we have another solemn experience. Yom Hazikaron is to remember all the soldiers who have fallen fighting for Israel’s right to exist. It’s impossible to celebrate Israel’s independence without first recognizing all of those who gave their lives to make this state possible and those who have protected it over the last 68 years.

My classmates and I attended a ceremony at Gymnasia ha-Ivrit, a nearby high school, where they read the names of every student from the school who has fallen in battle or in a terrorist attack. Over 140 names were read from the school’s 108-year history. Former students who are currently soldiers return from the army to attend this ceremony. This is not a day for celebration.

Last night I attended a Havdallah event at the tachana rishona (First Station) in Jerusalem. Instead of separating between kodesh l’chol (holy and the every day), we separate between kodesh l’kodesh (holy and holy)-the holiness of Yom Hazikaron and the holiness of Yom Ha’atzmaut.

Stores and restaurants began to open, music began to play, and the city became alive with celebration. There were stages set up with music blasting, people were selling all sorts of items with Israeli flags on them, and Ben Yehuda street was packed with people!

Despite my typically-early bedtime, I stayed up with friends to watch the midnight fireworks over Gan ha-Atz’ma-ut (Independence Garden), across the street from my apartment, as overnight we transitioned from sorrow to joy as an entire nation.

This morning I met friends in a park to grill out, enjoy each other’s company, and celebrate Israel. Hundreds of Israelis filled the park with tents, delicious-smelling grilled chicken, portable tables, and lots of fun!

My journey from the Deep South to Jerusalem has brought so many incredible moments, and this is truly a memorable way to end my year of study in Israel. I’ve had the amazing opportunity and privilege to learn in and from Israel this year and I can’t wait to come back to the States and share all that I’ve learned!

Happy birthday, Israel!

68 never looked so good!

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The post Last Year in the Deep South, This Year in Jerusalem appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

But last night, our 7^th-12^th grade Chai school students got a taste of Memorial Day, Israel-style. In the opening words of our two young Israeli emissaries, Omri and Lihi, there is barely a soul in Israel who does not know someone who has been killed or injured while serving their country. Yom HaZikaron is not about wars of yesteryear, and it is not symbolized with patriotic flag-waving followed by business as usual. It is a day of profound sadness and deep reflection on the cost of creating and keeping safe a country that has continually been surrounded by aggressive neighbors and terrorist groups throughout its short history.

As our students sang songs, lit memorial candles, learned about individual soldiers who had died in the line of duty, recited Kaddish and sang Hatikvah (Israel’s national anthem), and stood in silence for the sirens that sound all across Israel, this was experiential learning that was deeply moving.

Last year, I was in Israel for Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut with members of our congregation. The depth of feeling and the scale of the impact across communities was something we were privileged to witness by attending the remembrance service in Misgav, where our tour company owners lived. The following day, our Yom Ha’atzmaut was somewhat subdued. For our young leaders, their relatively recent experiences of serving in the Israel Defense Forces were too close and too raw to be able to segue into joyous celebration so soon after remembering their losses. And yet, they recognized that the nation of Israel, as a whole, needed these days to be side-by-side so that no-one would lose sight of what they had been fighting for. Reflecting on the juxtaposition of these two days in my travel blog of our trip, I wrote:

Our guide, Noam, asked us to think about and talk about the challenge of moving straight from Yom Hazikaron to Yom Ha’atzmaut. It is clearly a very powerful transition but how is it for those who sit with the sorrow of a loved one who has died protecting Israel? Is it not jarring to move straight into celebration? Does it not feel forced? I suspect the answer to that question is as varied as the number of Israelis that you ask…

In our Parsha [weekly Torah portion] (Acharei-Mot), Aaron remains silent. He is not given the time to mourn as the loss of two of his sons comes in the midst of the inaugural ritual performance of the priests and must continue.

I think of the tradition we have in Judaism that sorrow and joy are not to be mixed, leading to situations when a burial is delayed or shiva is not sat. I struggle with this too for the same reasons as Noam stated for those mourning on Yom HaZikaron. There is no logic to me in asking a family to abstain from mourning rituals because we are in designated ‘happy times’. And yet I also understand why the community as a whole needs to embrace the joy to make those festivals meaningful.

Perhaps what we have here is the tension between the individual and communal need. Aaron needs to mourn but is not given time because he is in the midst of a communal moment. Yom HaZikaron shifts to Yom Ha’atzmaut because as a nation Israel must hold up the joy and blessing of its existence and successes, even while recognizing the losses and work that still needs to be done. Perhaps to live in Israel is to all the time feel that tension between the needs of the individual and the needs of the nation as a whole.

This does not negate the pain of the individual and their loss but, at a national level, the two days side by side ask us to accept a narrative where hope, rebirth and new possibilities follow from pain and loss. This is a very ancient Jewish narrative. And it is a very Israeli narrative.

The post A Memorial Day to Remember appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

And yet, at the same time this past week one of our congregants, a member of the Board of Directors of the Union for Reform Judaism, addressed our congregation after recently returning from a remarkable trip led by Rabbi Rick Jacobs, where they had the opportunity to meet with and speak with leaders in government, the Israel Religious Action Center, observe the growth and development of Reform Judaism in Israel, and meet with Palestinian businessmen in addition to Israeli leaders in the business and innovation world. He returned hopeful and inspired, and he inspired all who heard him speak. Our congregation is planning on a community trip to Israel next year, and people are eager to go.

Last night, in my final class of the semester with our 11^th and 12^th grade students, we explored a range of Jewish values from Rabbi Goldie Milgram’s “Mitzvah Cards” and I asked students to choose ones that they felt they already ‘carried with them’ and ones that were challenging to them. One of those challenge cards was Israel. A student conveyed something that I remember feeling so strongly myself as I entered my first year of college—a sense of struggle and frustration that sometimes a thoughtful and critical engagement with Israel was silenced within Jewish settings.

I remember attending an event run by the Hillel at my college during the first Gulf War. Scud missiles were being sent Israel’s way. It was a scary time for the population of Israel. Gas masks had been widely distributed. There was no question that we would be praying for the safety of all in Israel. In the midst of an informational session one student stood up to contribute to a discussion about Israel to express his hope that, even in the midst of a time when we needed to stand by Israel and pray for its safety, we wouldn’t lose sight of other issues regarding the peace process or equality within Israel that were also important to talk about in a Jewish setting on campus. He was literally shouted down—how dare he even ask the question at a time like this!

I have a visceral memory of my internal reaction to witnessing that moment. I wanted no part of it. I cared deeply about Israel and its future and its safety. And at the same time I found the culture that squashed thoughtful and caring debate and discussion about all aspects of life in Israel to be enormously unhelpful. That was 25 years ago—no wonder that J-Street has 180,000 supporters and 50 chapters on campus. You may not agree with them, but they exist because there was insufficient room within previously existing organizations for those who wanted to engage more fully with all dimensions of Israel.

Let me be clear—I’m not writing this to express personal support of any one organization or perspective. Rather, I plead for Jewish community to be a place where we can lovingly and respectfully engage with the fullness of Israel. Like my country of origin—the UK—or my country of residence—the USA—there are things that make me feel extraordinarily proud, and there are things that sometimes happen that cause me to feel embarrassment or disappointment. Israel has to be experienced—it is an amazing place. The people are as diverse in background and opinion as any other place. There is so much to learn there. The innovation in science, technology, agriculture, and more is breathtaking. A country that is only 66 years young has developed politically, socially and economically in remarkable ways. And it is still finding its way in some areas—religious pluralism, equality, the place of minority groups in a country that is still fighting for the right to define itself as a Jewish homeland.

What we don’t need is propaganda. We don’t need trips to Israel that pull the blinders over the breadth and complexity of a fully realized, living, breathing modern nation state. We don’t need to silence each other. I do not pretend to offer expertise on the complexities of the political situation and the peace process. It is my job to listen and learn, and to facilitate conversation. It is my job to point out where I observe insightful analysis and information being shared, and where I see ideological lines being drawn in the sand that ultimately help no one. And it is my job to help my student, as she goes off to college, know that there are people and places where she can engage with the fullness of all that Israel is and may still come to be, without feeling shamed or silenced.

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The post Can We Talk About Israel? appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

During Passover I was thinking about Shakshuka, and what a great, versatile dish it is when it hit me: I needed to try shakshuka pizza!

Lots of pizzerias around the country have combined eggs and some kind of salty meat as a topping for pizza. So why not a spicy tomato sauce, salty cheese and baked eggs!?

When I eat shakshuka, I like to add feta and have a plate of hummus with tahini on the side so that I can take a nice hunk of warm pita, dunk it into the tomato sauce, a bit of the egg, cheesy feta and tangy hummus. So that was the combination of flavors I was aiming for with this pizza.

This shakshuka pizza is the perfect dish to serve in honor of Israel’s 65th birthday this week. Serve it with some salatim, like Israeli salad and baba ganoush for a complete meal. Don’t feel like making your own tomato sauce? Swap the homemade tomato sauce for a chunky store-bought variety!

The post Shakshuka Pizza appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Israel is the place where Jewish spiritual and social possibilities are endless. The relevance of Jewish teachings and values can be tested on a national front. Through our relationship with Israel, we are able to dream about what an ideal, Jewishly based society would look like and then explore that vision. The idealism and inherent optimism that Israel can represent to our children, and especially our teenagers –most clearly manifest by a visit–are characteristics that will serve them well in life.

Furthermore, to be a Jew in Israel is to bestow a sense of normalcy and calm in the hearts of the American Jewish visitor, who may not usually be aware of the sense of “otherness” to which they have become accustomed and, therefore, did not even know existed in their American lives. We in America have generally lost the national aspects of being Jewish, of being part of a people; we focus mostly on the religious or cultural dimensions of Jewishness. Israel challenges us to think of ourselves as part of one people, one nation. This national consciousness among our people has worked to create the miracle of the rescue of Jews from oppression in far-flung areas of the world. The challenge is to wrestle and redefine the relationship of the Diaspora with Israel in each era so that it can be mutually beneficial and inspiring.

Reprinted with permission of the authors from Jewish Family and Life: Traditions, Holidays, and Values for Today’s Parents and Children, published by Golden Books.

The post Israel and Judaism appeared first on My Jewish Learning.