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COMMENTARY
BY CANTOR ARLENE BERNSTEIN
APRIL 2007
Israel: A Land, A People: Eternally Connected
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Photo by
Chris Gaines |
It is the time of day that we call bein hasmashot—literally 'between the suns'—
just as the sun is setting and the moon is rising. The air is crisp and clear and one can smell the fragrance of rosemary in the air. The Sabbath is ending as I walk through a myriad of women quietly praying—holding sprigs of rosemary—each swaying to their own softly spoken prayers. Some are with eyes closed, others with palms raised
upwards to the beautifully hued skies. I am struggling to move myself forward—small step by smaller step, turning sideways, excusing myself at every bump
and turn. Finally, I reach my destination.
Leaning forward, I place my forehead and hands on the cool smooth Jerusalem stones. Tears stream down my cheeks—I am connected to the Ancient Temples of Kings David and Solomon. I hear the voices of the builders and the cries of those who witnessed the destruction.Voices of triumph, joy, pain, pleading and thanks swirl around me.
But this is not my only stop: I walk the hills of Modi'in—the Maccabees fought there.
The sea of Gallilee laps at my feet; silence envelops me at the burial site of Abraham,
Issac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca and Leah. This land, this soil, these caves, this wall—is our history—our collective memory.
There is no place in the world like
Israel and no city like Jerusalem.
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For
thousands of years this land has been
holy for Christians, Moslems and for
Jews. Standing at the gates of the Old
City you can feel the anticipation of the
Pilgrims' walk up the mountain to
Jerusalem on their way to the Holy
Temple to rejoice on the festivals of
Sukkot, Pesach and Shavuot. Before the
dawn you can make your way up the
snake path to Massada (or take a
modern 'elevator' to the top) and feel the
strength and loyalty of those last days. At
every turn, with every step, you will find
yourself at another place described in the
Torah, the Prophets and the Writings.
This is not a destination, this is home.
Do not be mistaken by my romantic
ruminating and remembrances that I
think our home is a perfect place. It is far
from it. This is one land inhabited by two
distinct peoples; this is a land driven by
the religious right as concerns law. This is
a land where a Reform Jew might feel
like a religious second-class citizen. There
are not two or three major political
parties—there are eleven which have seats
in Israel's Knesset (parliament). And
there are at least seventeen more which
take part in elections and split the votes.
Time is marked by the Jewish calendar;
there are six day work weeks; the
population is an endless melting pot,
which doesn't really melt until (or if)
young men and women enter the world
of Tzahal–the Israeli Army. Israel is not
perfect. Some of its issues are being
addressed and repaired. Some, it
appears, will never find a solution. Such
is the way, at one point in time, of all of
the world’s country-states, kingdoms,
colonies and principalities.
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No matter the problem, no matter the
grave issues which face the country of
Israel, thousands of miles away from San
Diego, this county is part of our sure and
certain heritage and destiny. For
whenever a Jew prays, she looks
eastward to Jerusalem. Whenever a Jew
is named, marries or dies, he is a "Son
of Israel." We are people who struggle
with the concept of God; who know that
we are connected to a land; who pray for
the peace of that land and the people
living there—even if we have never been
to see that land, walk its streets or put
our hands into its soil.
The land of Israel is our past, present
and future. It is my fervent prayer that
each of you will have the privilege of
seeing the land of our ancestors, the
biblical land of "milk and honey," the
land our people have yearned and died
for over so many thousands of years. This
year, the modern State of Israel will reach
its fifty-ninth birthday. Those years
cannot be taken for granted. As Jews
living in the Diaspora (outside of Israel)
we continue to struggle with minority and
anti-Semitic issues. We connect ourselves
with Jews the world over. But our hearts
will always be and must always be
turned toward Jerusalem, turned toward
Israel–towards the east. The Jews there
need our love and support.
The land
needs to be nurtured, planted and most
importantly visited by us, our families
and friends. It is my own feeling that
every Jew should spend as much time in
Israel as possible. There the Bible will
come alive, our history can be traveled,
our language spoken and our allegiance
sure. As we are Americans, we are also
sons and daughters of Israel—a people
and a land. May each of us, in our
lifetime have the opportunity to walk the
paths of our ancestors and rejoice as
Joshua and his people did, in this
promised land.
Cantor Arlene Bernstein
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