By Rabbi Yotav Eliach
LAWRENCE, New York — The very sad truth is that the vast part of American Jewry that has willfully decided not take advantage of the Religious freedoms offered by the USA, and instead decided not to educate their children and now grandchildren in any shape or form to be Jewish, sits at the heart of the present divide between these American Jews and the State of Israel. As someone involved in Centrist Orthodox Zionist Education for close to four decades, I see the fruits when a community does invest vast resources from ages 2 – 23+, from Pre School through attending a College like Yeshiva University, with at least a year in a Yeshiva in Israel post High School, in its youth so they remain Jewish. Our children and grandchildren overwhelmingly affiliate with Judaism, Mitzvot, Torah, Jewish Holidays, Values, ideas, lifestyles, beliefs, which also includes being connected to the Jewish Nation and the Jewish State – Israel, on multiple levels.
Hence if a population has almost insured that for two generations its offspring do not know much about Torah, Jewish Law, Jewish History, Jewish Culture, Jewish Holidays, Jewish Language – Hebrew, Jewish ideals and values, and the idea of a Jewish Nation and its State Israel, is it a wonder that they are “alienated” from this State? They have been brought up to be citizens of the world, to be “Liberal” “Progressive” in a way that is defined by thinkers on the Left side of the Political and Social spectrum, whose ideas as a rule clash with Judaism’s ideas and values, and especially its idea of Nationhood and Nationalism. Their alienation is not a function of a government in Israel or a politician. Mind you, these governments and politicians have been democratically elected by Israel’s citizens, but rather their alienation is a function of their education and their world view, and sadly their ignorance of almost all things truly Jewish. I am sure people who represent the aggrieved American Jews who feel alienated by present day Israel must realize that using the terms “Tikun Olam” and “Kavod Ha Briyot” over and over, when taken by themselves out of the context of the 613 Commandments and Jewish Halacha, and History are simply “Progressive” slogans that any Citizen of the world can bend to mean almost whatever they want it to mean. They are Not the Core Jewish Values that they are presented to be by people who as a rule have almost nothing to do with traditional or normative Judaism.
I respectfully suggest that the time has come to be intellectually honest. The problem is not Israel, its policies, its government or politicians. But rather the problem is that a vast number of American Jews who have willfully decided to reject most of what Judaism has to offer and teach and have replaced Judaism by a new definition of “Liberalism” “Progressivism” that one can argue are anything but truly Liberal and Progressive, and certainly are not Jewish. For these non – Affiliated Jews the idea of Jewish Nationalism and Jewish Statehood is baffling at best, evil at worse. Since as a rule the “progressive” community is anti-Nation State, pro open borders. Hence, the alienation felt by many American Jews from Israel, is not a function of what Israel does. It is rather a function of what Israel is: The Jewish Nation State of the Jewish Nation. Something most of the Jewish Nation has been praying and waiting for since the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE. But something that the new Jewish “Progressives” view as an embarrassment, anachronism or worse a Fascist like ideology, due to their acceptance of the new definitions of “Liberalism” and “Progressivism”.
We can and certainly must have conversations between those of us who are unabashedly pro – Israel, because we see Israel as either the beginning of the road to the ultimate redemption of the Jewish Nation, or who feel it is the historical destiny of the Jewish Nation, and those who feel alienated by Israel, precisely because it is a Jewish Nation State. So, let’s begin this conversation where it should begin: Addressing two diametrically opposite views of Jewish Nationhood and Statehood. This will help us have a meaningful and fruitful dialogue. Otherwise a great deal of time will be wasted discussing different policies of this or that Israeli Government, official or Prime Minister, when in reality that’s not the issue at all. The real issue is: What is a Jewish groups connection to traditional, classic, historical Judaism? That will help us get to the core of the issue that presently divides much of American Jewry from the State of Israel.
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Yotav Eliach has been writing and lecturing about Judaism and Zionism since 1978. Most recently his book: Judaism Zionism and the Land of Israel was published by Dialog Press in April of 2018. He is also the Principal of Rambam Mesivta in Lawrence NY.
Sad but true! Instead of building Jewish Day Schools where every Jewish child could attend for free, wealthy Jewish businessmen built new wings for colleges with their names on the entrance, and now those schools, like NYU, are hotbeds of anti-Israel activities.
Excellent article.