This year marks a momentous occasion for Jews around the world: the 75th year of the establishment of a Jewish State. Although we do not officially celebrate Israeli Independence until the spring, this month we want to highlight Temple Shalom and Reform Judaism’s commitment to Israel.
I (Erin) can’t help but reflect on the various ways Israel has been meaningful to me since childhood. My mother, Sharon Myers, was born in June 1948, just as Israel became a country. My mother was literally “the same age” as Israel, which has always been significant to me. Supporting Israel was woven through the fabric of my childhood – gifts of Israeli bonds, trees planted in Israel, and pouring over my grandparents’ photo albums of their trips to Israel and admiring the many pieces of art and Judaica from those trips stand out as special memories.
As my mother got older, my sister and I insisted she fulfill her lifetime dream of visiting Israel, a dream she achieved just a few years before her death. Although my father never traveled to Israel, he was a loyal and staunch supporter. Educated and eloquent in his championship of Israel, he worked with AIPAC alongside my mother.
My husband, Michael, took a teen tour to Israel with his youth group and our oldest son participated in that rite of passage this past summer. Our younger son will also take a teen trip to Israel in a few short years. My own trip is still a dream, but I have plans to gift it to myself upon the completion of my two years as co-president of Temple Shalom!
These connections to Israel are likely shared by many of you, whether experienced in childhood or later. As an American Jew, knowing I have a Jewish homeland and having a strong connection to Israel has always given me a sense of peace and belonging.
It came as a surprise to me, but Reform Judaism has a mixed history regarding the support of Israel. Reform Judaism came to America around the 1840s and did not always support Zionism. By the 1930s, The Central Conference of American Rabbis began a pro-Zionist shift, and in 1950 the Union for Reform Judaism adopted a resolution of support titled, “On Israel.”
Since this publication, The URJ’s support of Israel has been unwavering. The six URJ values statements are the moral and ethical imperatives that undergird the URJ, and include strong support of Israel and Jewish Peoplehood.
Israel and Jewish Peoplehood
כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲרֵבִים זֶה בָּזֶה
Kol yisrael arevim zeh ba’zeh
(Shevuot 39a)
“All of Israel and the Jewish people are responsible, one for the other.”We are committed to the safety and vitality of the Jewish people and to a secure and just state of Israel as a home – for all Jews and all its inhabitants.
Temple Shalom’s commitment to Israel has long been part of who we are, and in 2010, the board created the “Resolution on Israel”. This resolution guides us in our decisions and actions as a congregation.
We are pleased to announce a special set of lectures about Israel coming up soon. The event is hosted by Friends of Israel, NWA. This event is generously sponsored by the Darla Newman fund of the Jewish Federation of Arkansas. Please see the article immediately following this for more details.
It is not yet Passover, but Jews continue to dream of “Next Year in Jerusalem”. Even Israelis, especially Jerusalemites, say, “Next year in Jerusalem,” with the same intention as those of us in the diaspora. Israel does not only represent a physical destination. It represents much more: an ideal, a hope, a possibility. Melissa and I wish you the best during these often-dark days of February.
Additional information from the URJ about Israel, Zionism, and the roots of Reform Judaism:
- https://urj.org/who-we-are/history
- https://urj.org/what-we-believe/urj-values-vision-mission
- https://urj.org/what-we-do/israel-engagement
- https://reformjudaism.org/beliefs-practices/israel-reform-judaism/what-reform-zionism-0
- https://urj.org/who-we-are/organizwewations-reform-movement — This list includes all of the Israel and Zionist organizations associated with the URJ
Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR): A Statement of Principles for Reform Judaism Adopted in Pittsburgh – 1999 – see the statement on Israel at the bottom of the document https://www.ccarnet.org/rabbinic-voice/platforms/article-statement-principles-reform-judaism/
Traveling to Israel
Traveling to Israel as a teen or young adult is an exciting rite of passage. Generous funding and scholarships make the trip possible for many people. Various organizations, including the Jewish Federation of Arkansas, provide grants for these types of experiences.
- https://yallahisrael.org – URJ-associated teen tour program
- https://hellerhigh.org – URJ-associated high school program in Israel
- https://www.birthrightisrael.com
- Birthright Israel is a not-for-profit organization providing the gift of a 10 day educational group trip to Israel for Jewish young adults between the ages of 18 to 26. Today, Birthright Israel is the largest educational tourism organization in the world that has given over 800,000 journeys to the magical state of Israel. Birthright Israel trips are open to all Jewish young adults, ages 18 to 26 years old who have not participated in an educational trip since they turned 18 and/or lived in Israel past the age of 12.