Page 40 - issue
P. 40
Embassy Row
Weddings • Bar/Bat Mitzvahs connected to it. They explained that some in that generation
All Occasions saw Israel as an “occupier in Palestinian land” and IDF sol-
diers as bullies. To me, nothing could be sadder, because
Video Tape to DVD Transfers nothing could be further from the truth. But how are our chil-
Promotional & Corporate Video dren and our grandchildren to know that we aren’t colonial-
ists in the Land of Israel if they don’t know the history of
Jeffrey Reches Hebron? How are they to know that the IDF is the most com-
410.585.0007 passionate army in the history of mankind if we ourselves
don’t know the steps that the Israeli army takes to protect
rc.video@comcast.net Palestinian civilians? That is why educating ourselves is of the
utmost importance and why giving our children and grand-
Since 1991 children a solid foundation in Judaism, Jewish history, and
the history of the State of Israel is ultimately one of the best
ways we can all help to spread the truth about Israel.
WWW: Is there anything else you would like to say to our
readers?
RD: We all obviously understand how important Eretz
Yisrael is to the Jewish people, but from time to time, we also
need to remember how important Medinat Yisrael is, as well,
and how fortunate each and every one of us is to witness the
miracle that is the Jewish State. Most of us take Israel for
granted for the very simple reason that we don’t remember
and can’t really imagine a time when it didn’t exist. We don’t
remember that Jews couldn’t always study at a seminary or at
a yeshiva in Yerushalayim after high school. We don’t remem-
ber that Jews couldn’t always travel to Tzfat to daven or go to
the Kotel to celebrate a bar mitzva. But for the roughly 2,000
years before 1948, living a full Jewish life in Israel was nearly
impossible for most Jews.
Instead of experiencing Eretz Yisrael for themselves, most
Jews could only lament along with Rabbi Yehuda Halevi, “Libi
bamizrach v’anochi b’sof maarav.” (My heart is in the East,
but I am on the very edge of the West.) The founding of the
State of Israel changed all that, and now, any Jew, anywhere,
can chose to make his home where our forefathers prayed,
where our prophets preached, and where our kings ruled.
Equally important, the founding of the State of Israel funda-
mentally changed the condition of the Jewish people world-
wide. One hundred generations of Jews had to bow their
heads to despots and kings, but now we stand tall, sovereign
in our own land. One hundred generations of Jews had to
seek refuge in country after country following expulsion after
expulsion, but now, Israel welcomes any Jew from anywhere
who is fleeing persecution. One hundred generations of Jews
had to beg others to defend them against stones, knives,
guns, and worse, but now, we have the Israeli Defense Forces,
and we defend ourselves. And it is precisely because Israel
has proved to be such a blessing for the Jewish people that
we need to be thankful each day for its existence and diligent
to secure its future for generations of Jews to come.
WWW: Thank you for a very interesting interview.◆
36 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
Weddings • Bar/Bat Mitzvahs connected to it. They explained that some in that generation
All Occasions saw Israel as an “occupier in Palestinian land” and IDF sol-
diers as bullies. To me, nothing could be sadder, because
Video Tape to DVD Transfers nothing could be further from the truth. But how are our chil-
Promotional & Corporate Video dren and our grandchildren to know that we aren’t colonial-
ists in the Land of Israel if they don’t know the history of
Jeffrey Reches Hebron? How are they to know that the IDF is the most com-
410.585.0007 passionate army in the history of mankind if we ourselves
don’t know the steps that the Israeli army takes to protect
rc.video@comcast.net Palestinian civilians? That is why educating ourselves is of the
utmost importance and why giving our children and grand-
Since 1991 children a solid foundation in Judaism, Jewish history, and
the history of the State of Israel is ultimately one of the best
ways we can all help to spread the truth about Israel.
WWW: Is there anything else you would like to say to our
readers?
RD: We all obviously understand how important Eretz
Yisrael is to the Jewish people, but from time to time, we also
need to remember how important Medinat Yisrael is, as well,
and how fortunate each and every one of us is to witness the
miracle that is the Jewish State. Most of us take Israel for
granted for the very simple reason that we don’t remember
and can’t really imagine a time when it didn’t exist. We don’t
remember that Jews couldn’t always study at a seminary or at
a yeshiva in Yerushalayim after high school. We don’t remem-
ber that Jews couldn’t always travel to Tzfat to daven or go to
the Kotel to celebrate a bar mitzva. But for the roughly 2,000
years before 1948, living a full Jewish life in Israel was nearly
impossible for most Jews.
Instead of experiencing Eretz Yisrael for themselves, most
Jews could only lament along with Rabbi Yehuda Halevi, “Libi
bamizrach v’anochi b’sof maarav.” (My heart is in the East,
but I am on the very edge of the West.) The founding of the
State of Israel changed all that, and now, any Jew, anywhere,
can chose to make his home where our forefathers prayed,
where our prophets preached, and where our kings ruled.
Equally important, the founding of the State of Israel funda-
mentally changed the condition of the Jewish people world-
wide. One hundred generations of Jews had to bow their
heads to despots and kings, but now we stand tall, sovereign
in our own land. One hundred generations of Jews had to
seek refuge in country after country following expulsion after
expulsion, but now, Israel welcomes any Jew from anywhere
who is fleeing persecution. One hundred generations of Jews
had to beg others to defend them against stones, knives,
guns, and worse, but now, we have the Israeli Defense Forces,
and we defend ourselves. And it is precisely because Israel
has proved to be such a blessing for the Jewish people that
we need to be thankful each day for its existence and diligent
to secure its future for generations of Jews to come.
WWW: Thank you for a very interesting interview.◆
36 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
