For the last week, as a member of the initial Voice of The People Council presented by the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, I met the most interesting people. The council was presented with the major challenges facing the Jewish world today–polarization within, Israel-Diaspora Relations, Jewish and non-Jewish relations, and antisemitism. We worked diligently not to propose a solution but to dig deep into understanding the problems. It was exhausting recognizing that more important than finishing the work is being actively engaged with it.
And yet, what I learned most while on this trip were not theories of adaptive change, but the experiences I had with people: Soldiers in reserves, parents at home praying for their sons and daughters, every single citizen of Israel with hostages on their minds 100 percent of the time.
I write this from Ben Gurion airport ready to board my flight back to Los Angeles. I witness young American teens at the next gate returning home from a trip of a lifetime. Today, after the conference, I walked through the Shuk Hacarmel in Tel Aviv as I bought rugelach for our family for Shabbat.
We are B’nei Yisrael; we are the Children and the People of Israel.
Whenever I visit Israel, there is always time for family. Three of my grandfather’s six children made Aliyah. From six children, he had 26 grandchildren, and counting today, over 100 great grandchildren.
I concluded my trip attending the wedding of my cousin’s son. We live very different lives. I am a Rabbi in America. Their family is part of the Breslov Chassidic community. Yet, as I stood in front of the chupa under the stars of Tel Aviv, tears welled up as I heard the words kol sasson vkol simcha, kol chatan vkol Kalah. The bride and groom will once again dance in the streets of Jerusalem.
Just miles from Hostage Square, hundreds of children and young families watched the groom break a glass. Then, we danced the hora. Yes, we dress differently and speak different languages, but those words of hope said under the chupa are the same words we say in Los Angeles, in Madrid, and in any Jewish wedding around the world. At the end of the day–WE ARE FAMILY.
Yes, there is a lot of despair as once again, I took a photo of the hostage Amiram Cooper on the way to my gate; a hostage we have adopted as our own these last 18 months. But we must also always remind ourselves of what I just experienced, a bride and groom dancing in the streets of our Jewish home.
This is the Israel I always knew. This is the Israel I am bringing home.
Am Yisrael Chai.
