Rejoice, Reflect, Renew

This year, Reform congregations in North America have a unique opportunity to deepen their connection to Israel and to rethink how Israel is expressed within our communities. In the spring of 2008/5768, we will mark 60 years of renewed Jewish sovereignty in Israel, and celebrate our Movement’s Zionist activity after 50 years of NFTY in Israel and the 30th anniversary of ARZA.

Join the Reform Movement as we:

• REJOICE on the sacred occasion of Israel’s 60th year of independence
• REFLECT on our loving, and at times complex, relationships with Israel
• RENEW our connections to Israel and the greater Jewish People

How is the Reform Movement celebrating? See the list of Events, Programs, and Publications between now and next summer.

THE HIGHLIGHT:
Movement-wide Israel at 60 Weekend - MAY 9-11, 2008
We have created exciting programming materials for all ages for study, reflection, and of course, celebration. Use them for the holiday weekend and beyond. A hard copy and the "Our Israel" DVD will be sent to participating congregations. Weekend Program Guide

These words are immediately recognized—they are the translation of Hatikvah, “The Hope,” the national anthem of the State of Israel. These words were written by Naftali Herz Imber, who was an English Jewish poet, originally from Bohemia (the melody was composed by Samuel Cohen, an immigrant from Moldavia, who based his composition on Bedrich Smetana’s "Moldau.").

“Tears of fear, sorrow and longing for home drip down onto the cloth from my eyes. My glance moves over to the bed next to me and I watch my child sleeping soundly … (after a day filled with activity and playing in the pool) that would not have been possible except for you… In my name and in the name of my entire family, I thank you and wish you “yeshar ko’ach” – may you go from strength to strength. I have only barely expressed all of my feeling in the letter and for this I apologize. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! With prayers for better days.”

'I should have called it
Something you somehow haven't to deserve.'
-Robert Frost, “The Death of the Hired Man”

When we first came to live in the Galilee sixteen years ago, and I was very much taken with the physical beauty of the land here (as I still am), I became fascinated by the question of what causes us to develop an attachment to a particular landscape. Obviously, many places are beautiful, each in its own unique way – whether the majesty of the desert or the refreshing green of rolling meadows or the deep tranquility of the forest. The Galilee is beautiful, but not “objectively” more so than, say, the Alps, or Hawaii, or lots of other places in the world – including places I have lived at various times in my life. Why, then, did I so quickly develop a kind of visceral attachment to the view from Shorashim? And what is the meaning of this attachment to place? Is it a force for good, or a destructive component of human nature?

I can't get over having to spend your summer cooped up in a bomb shelter. The funny thing to me is that Israel is such a close family that soldiers are caring for the kids in that parking garage. I've missed that since I came home, that sense that everyone around is part of the same family pulling for the same team. That is not to say Israel isn't fragmented and political just like any where else they are, more so because politics is so tied to religion, but when it comes right down to it Israelis take care of their own. Really that is why I am not so worried about my Carmel friends who are still in Israel because I know that they will be taken care of.

For those of you considering travel to Israel on a URJ program I can say only two things first they are the most overprotective group of organizers you can find so don't worry about your safety too much, they'll take care of you. Second no matter what you will have the time of your life I know I did.

Mara Goldberg was Carmel participant 2004-2005

Dear Matt and Adrian,

Thank you for your passion and your commitment to the State of Israel. We appreciate your desire to give voice to your beliefs and to participate in determining the direction of the Reform movement. Obviously, our KESHER and NFTY programs have encouraged you to ask hard questions and to be concerned with justice in our world.

The loss of innocent lives is terrible beyond words. As I said in a speech on August 1, “let us not think for a moment…that we can be indifferent to the death of innocents. The death of any child, Israeli or Arab, Muslim or Jew, is an unspeakable tragedy that rends the heart.” It is not possible, however, to equate the unprovoked attacks by Hezbollah and Hamas with the actions of the Israeli Defense Forces. The IDF, as has been well publicized, warned the citizens of Lebanon of impending attacks and did everything in its power to avoid the loss of civilian life. Hezbollah, in contrast, operates from civilian areas and uses Lebanese civilians as shields while firing missiles at Israel’s cities. It does this knowing that in order to protect its own citizens, Israel will be forced to endanger the lives of Lebanese civilians, and the result will inevitably be to increase civilian deaths, no matter how precise Israel’s weaponry. And these deaths in turn will be used to ratchet up the violence and hate.

No side is completely blameless in a war, but I am confident that the government of Israel has taken all reasonable precautions to avoid civilian casualties. I am confident too that when we review all aspects of this conflict, justice clearly resides with Israel.

We all are grateful for the recent ceasefire. We hope and pray that the ceasefire will hold and the killing will stop.

Thank you again for sharing your views with me.

Rabbi Eric Yoffie
President
Union for Reform Judaism

We are a group of students, led by members of the KESHER-ARZA Fellowship and other campus leaders, who are distraught by the recent letter sent out by our peers surrounding the issues in Israel. While we agree with many of the issues that they have presented, we disagree with their call for an unconditional bilateral cease-fire and equivalency made between the Israeli Defense Forces and Hizbollah.

We would like to applaud the Union for Reform Judaism, its leaders and affiliates, for its support of the State of Israel during this time. We would like to urge the URJ to keep its trust in the Israeli government as it decides the best path for Israeli security. The decision to refrain from military escalation while attempting diplomacy shows their willingness and eagerness to achieve peace. They have also expressed a willingness to support an international force in Lebanon.

We, the college and youth leaders of the Reform Movement, urge the Union for Reform Judaism to take a stand for the Jewish values of peace and justice by declaring its support for a sustained bilateral ceasefire and peace negotiations in the Middle East.

As the future leaders of the Reform Movement, we heed the call of Rabbi Hillel to “be from the students of Aaron, love peace and pursue peace.” As we see events unfold around us, we look to fulfill our religious obligation by speaking out on the moral issues of our day. As Jews, we declare our commitment to protect our historic homeland, Israel, and to ensure the safety and well-being of its inhabitants. As Jews, we also believe that upholding the sanctity of all human life is of the utmost importance.

In a month of war in Lebanon, over 700 civilians, both Lebanese and Israeli, were killed. During the same period of time, while the world was focused on Lebanon, over 150 Palestinian civilians were killed in the Gaza Strip as well.

-Genesis 19:15-17, 26

The recent experience of living under Katyusha fire in the Galilee brings into sharp relief the eternal tension between attachment to home and the pull of other values such as life, family, and faith. Most of the residents of the Galilee, we are told, left home and for temporary quarters in the center and south; indeed, the government actively encouraged people to leave endangered communities, and provided some (minimal) help in doing so. There were tent cities, and people sleeping in schools, and many families who took in relatives, friends, or even complete strangers. The instinct to get out of harm’s way is obvious and healthy. On the other hand, a large minority stayed in their homes, even though they had to run to the shelter ten times a day (if they even had one), even though life in the community was half-paralyzed, even though the risk was real, palpable, and immediate. The scorched fields and bomb craters and smashed houses are clearly visible to even a casual visitor. One could say, paraphrasing God’s instructions to Lot: “Are you crazy or something? Get out of here!”

I would like to translate a letter from one of the Israelis staying with us.

Shalom,

My name is Norit Naftolovich, from Kibbutz Eilon, situated on the Lebanese border in the Western Galilee. From the first days of the war we stayed in our concrete homes. All around us were the booms of the IDF cannons and the Katyusha rockets, shaking our homes to the foundations. We hoped that the Katyushas would fall in open areas and not in the kibbutz. After a week, we decided to go to the bomb shelters.because the situation was worsening. At that point a number of families decided to evacuate to a safer place. We turned to the local welfare office, and in cooperation with the Southern Arava office we arrived at Kibbutz Yahel, not knowing what the future holds for us. To our pleasant surprise, we have been embraced by the wonderful people of Yahel. All of our needs are taken care of, from food to laundry, child care to showers in members homes. We number 30 from Eilon, and Yahel provided us with their library complex. Everything we asked for has been provided without hesitation. We feel a part of Yahel, and when the time comes to return home, that will be very difficult. But we miss our own homes, our beds, the familiar surroundings, and are looking forward to that moment. But wothout a doubt, we will never forget the extraordinary people of Yahel.

Sincerely,

Norit, Yonatan, Gal, Tal, Amit and Shachar

Ron Bernstein is the Pomelo Orchard Manager and Summer Desert Tour Guide at Kibbitz Yahel in the South of Israel

In the media they discussed who is the winner, Lebanon, Hizballa or Israel? I think that in this war everyone lost. More than 100 soldiers were killed already, half of them were reserve duty soldiers, ages 21-41 (I was a reserve duty soldier for 20 years, it could have been me but since I am 45, I am too old to be sent to fight). The other half were young men, ages 18-21, who just finished high school and didn’t even have a chance to go to college. More than 50 civilians were killed from all denominations, Jews, Christians, Moslems and Druze. Many hundreds are wounded and are still in the hospitals. I heard a mother whose child is wounded, saying that she is happy that her son doesn’t have to go back to Lebanon and fight.

Last Friday, Parashat Va-et'chanan, I volunteered to lead Friday night services in our congregation Sulam Yaakov together with another member of the congregation, Lior Doron, a mature, intelligent youth who is very committed to 0ur youth movement. I was very excited, it being the first time in my personal and professional life that I was asked to lead the services and I took it very seriously. In spite of my sizeable experience leading adults and children, this experience was very moving for me.

Something remarkable happened this week in Jerusalem. In the midst of this difficult and painful war, hundreds gathered in the Forscheimer Courtyard at the College for the opening of the first ever Inter-faith gathering, as part of World Pride 2006, an affirmation of the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender (GLBT) Community. Under the full moon of Tu B'av (the 15th of Av) an impromptu student choir of cantorial and rabbinic students, led by upperclassman SSM Student David Berger, set the evening with a magnificent rendering of Psalm 122 and they continued to sing throughout the evening. What a heavenly choir they were, with them we could really soar to a place of transcendence we so needed to get to.

As always in war, the medical staff here has been selflessly getting to work, doing our jobs, trying our best to save lives and limbs. As always in military confrontations, there are many heart wrenching cases of tragedies, which cannot be undone by even the most skilled and best equipped medical teams.

An orthopedic surgeon was killed by combatants while doing his military medical service, and a paramedic was killed in service yesterday. Physicians and medical staff of the North are dedicated and tireless in helping every kind of wounded people, of every faith and nationality and religion. Some of our medical staff are stressed by having families who have left their homes in the North for safer regions. The North of Israel has absorbed some 3000 missile strikes, and the damages have taken a heavy toll. Missiles have slammed into our hospitals and all around them.